What Happened Here. [4]:20810, To the west, the South Vietnamese forces continued to meet stubborn resistance. [12]:69, On 16 February the 1/5 Marines advanced approximately 140 meters for a cost of seven Marines killed and 47 wounded and 63 PAVN killed. Cheatham then joined his company commanders in Hu University and they proceeded to develop the tactics to be used in recapturing southern Hu. On 23 February, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau Canal. Virginia Historical Society, 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard He proceeded to gather the necessary equipment including M20 Bazookas, M40 106mm recoilless rifles mounted on M274 Mules, C-4 explosive, flamethrowers, tear gas and gas masks. Comments will be moderated before posting to ensure logical, professional, and courteous application to article content. [14]:28, On the night of 1/2 February PAVN sappers successfully brought down the Bach Ho (railroad) bridge across the Perfume River, restricting movement from the south towards the Citadel, but failed to destroy the An Cuu Bridge over the Phu Cam Canal. Significant architectural element in Hue, the bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the French structural engineer famous for Paris's Eiffel Tower, and was completed in 1899 by the French Colonial government. To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past. A PAVN blocking force from the 806th Battalion in the graveyard stopped the ARVN relief force about 400 meters short of the Citadel wall destroying two M113s. Required fields are marked *. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. This could mean going through the same holes and breaches that you have been through. The cultural and historical capital city, Hue was the centerpiece of Hanoi's 1968 Tet Offensive, a surprise attack by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong that sought to win the war in one stroke . [16] While a new supply port was being constructed on the coast, the Division relied on the Marine supply base at Tn M and supply convoys along Highway 1 from Da Nang. 3) Stroll Through the Imperial City. The Allies did not send ground forces to investigate the incident, and no evidence exists that it generated much concern in any of the allied headquarters. [12]:7376, The 3rd Brigade would not reach the west wall of the Citadel until 25 February by which time the PAVN-VC had successfully withdrawn from the battlefield. Additional battalions were later identified as coming from the 29th Regiment of the 325C Division, the 90th and 803rd Regiments of the 324B Division and the 24th Regiment of the 304th Division. The passing down of information from Marine to Marine is a cornerstone Marine training. [14]:2930 East of the MACV Compound, a heavy weapons team from the 2nd Sapper Battalion attempted to destroy the communications facility. [9]:362 The "Report from Vietnam: Who, What, When, Where, Why?" 604 Hue 1968 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 604 Hue 1968 Premium High Res Photos Browse 604 hue 1968 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The Treasury building was hit by M-48 and 106mm fire and tear gas, while a M274 Mule-mounted 106mm recoilless rifle engaged the machine gun in the Le Loi Elementary School. [12]:3132, On the afternoon of 30 January Trng dispatched a Hac Bao platoon and an Australian Army adviser to scout the north bank of the Perfume River which provided the simplest route from Base Area 114 into the city. The offensive ended in crippling military defeat for the attackers, and yet the strength of their assault led to a political setback for the United States, as critics at home gained traction and public support for the war eroded. On 22 February after a barrage of 122mm rockets the PAVN counterattacked the Vietnamese Marines, who pushed them back with the support of the Hac Bao Company. On the night of the 6th, the PAVN counterattacked, with a battalion from the 29th Regiment scaling the southwest wall and pushing the 4th Battalion back to Ty Lc. This is called lance corporal ingenuity and Pfc. [9]:18586 Initially forces were identified as coming from the PAVN 4th, 5th and 6th Regiments. Lessons Learned, Charlie 1/5, Operation Hue City, 31 January 1968 to 5 March 1968 To the uninitiated in Rules of Engagement, they're a set of rules established by high command that dictate what weapons and tactics may be used. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TACTICAL IMPORTANCE STRATEGIC IMPACT Related Articles The Marine Corps Gazette and Leatherneck Magazine archives have more than 100 years of articles. [4]:200 Company D, 1/5 Marines arrived in the Citadel on the evening of 14 February after taking fire while crossing the Perfume River. [4]:167 At 04:40 sappers captured the Huu Gate and the command group of the PAVN 6th Regiment entered the Citadel. Everybody will fight. [12]:3436, At 04:00 the PAVN reached the Ty Lc Airfield, where 50 men of the Hac Bao reconnaissance company, reinforced by the 1st Division's 1st Ordnance Company, stopped the PAVN 800th Battalion. Some elements of the battalion had been delayed by South Vietnamese paramilitary troops while others had gotten lost. The 804th Battalion of the newly created 4th Regiment was reported to be near Ph Lc District, 30 kilometers (19mi) southeast of the city. This was an operational area that actually required two complete regiments to secure. The allied platoon stayed out of sight as the 800th, 802nd and 12th Sapper Battalions marched past its position, heading east along the river toward the city. Bowden has also written for Talk, Men's Journal, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone and Playboy, among others. The 2nd Airborne Battalion reinforced the convoy and conducted a flanking attack. The third installment aims to help answer those questions by examining the Battle of Hue. Later that day, U.S. Marine helicopters from HMM-165 brought part of the ARVN 4th Battalion, 2nd Regiment from ng H Combat Base into the Citadel. By this time, the PAVN-VC attackers had pulled back their forces from the immediate vicinity of the Compound. Part One is entirely about the Battle of Hue. Both the Marine and the airmobile units operating near Hu were in a state of flux as the Tt holiday began. [4]:176, Shortly after 15:00, Company F, 2/5 Marines made a helicopter landing into southern Hu. In the resulting confusion, the convoy exchanged fire with a Marine unit already in the city. [4]:16667 At 05:00 a reinforced company from the 1st Sapper Battalion Attacking in a southeasterly direction, the two battalions would then attempt to close the PAVN-VC supply line into Hu. The toughest fight of the day centered on a pagoda that contained a PAVN battalion headquarters. Marine units were located on the outskirts of the city to the south and west when they were attacked by the NVA Jan. 30 as part of the Tet Offensive. The 1st Regiment was stationed near Qung Tr 50 kilometers (31mi) to the northwest and the 2nd Regiment was another twelve kilometers farther up Highway 1 near ng H. Apart from the headquarters staff and a handful of support units, the only combat units in the Citadel were the division's 36-man Reconnaissance Platoon and its reaction force, the elite Hac Bao (Black Panther) Reconnaissance Company. [4]:174, North of the Perfume River, on 1 February, the ARVN 1st Division enjoyed some limited success. [12]:3233, On the night of 30 January it started to rain; from 2 February onwards this rain, low cloud and foggy weather (known locally as the crachin) would last through much of the battle and severely hamper Allied air and artillery support. The Marines of Charlie Company were based at Lang Co Village, which was located adjacent to the Lang Co Bridge situated at the northern approach of the Hai Van Pass. [16]:23237 Other attacks along Highway 1 damaged or destroyed 20 bridges and 26 culverts between the Hi Vn Pass and Phu Bai and Highway 1 was closed to convoy traffic until early March. [7]:49 Mark Bowden suggests that PAVN-VC anger at the lack of enthusiasm among the population of Hu may have fuelled the purges, particularly as defeat loomed closer. Victims included women, men, children, and infants. I know how to do this, said the lance corporal according to Downs. [4]:17778 That night the PAVN 815th Battalion overran the ARVN defenders at the Thua Thien Prison releasing the 2,500 prisoners, including 350 VC who were soon armed with captured ARVN weapons and joined the fighting. [4]:21011[20], On 22 February the ARVN 21st and the 39th Ranger Battalions boarded junks and traveled to Gia Hoi Island (162834N 1073520E / 16.476N 107.589E / 16.476; 107.589), between the east wall of the Citadel and the Perfume River where the Communist provisional government had been headquartered since the start of the offensive. In a 3500-page document issued on 26 January 1968 by the Tr-Thin-Hu Political Directorate, the political cadres were given specific instructions:[25] Operating in close support of the regular military and guerrilla elements, the political cadre were to: destroy and disorganize the Republic of Vietnam's administrative machinery "from province and district levels to the city wards, streets, and wharves; motivate the people of Hu to take up arms, pursue the enemy, seize power, and establish a revolutionary government; motivate (recruit) local citizens for military and "security" forces transportation and supply activities, and to serve wounded soldiers pursue to the end (and) punish spies, reactionaries, and tyrants and maintain order and security in the city. Truck convoy enters gate of the camp. The 804th Battalion and the 1st Sapper Battalion remained south of the canal near the An Cuu Bridge while the 810th Battalion began preparing to sneak west across the Perfume River by raft and boat to Gia Hoi Island. Each building on the fighting lines was defended by snipers and machine guns, while spider holes were dug in gardens and streets, creating cross-fire between all buildings and streets. Of course, with any firefight, there will be mistakes made. This book is the capstone volume of the entire series in that 1968, as the title indicates, was the defining year of the war. 5/7th Cavalry would be stalled north of La Chu for 2 weeks, probing but failing to penetrate the PAVN defenses. We would progress in this way throughout the fight, said Downs. Its alive and well today and is in response to your leadership, said Downs to the SNCOs gathered in the lecture hall. [28][9]:50405, After watching Cronkite's editorial report, President Lyndon Johnson is purported to have said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America. [4]:208 Company L, 3/5 Marines was then tasked with clearing the area to the Thuong Tu Gate and out to the Trng Tin Bridge. Hu was also a base for United States Navy supply boats. [8] Hu had great symbolism, having been the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. General Christmas is president and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. After marching southwest approximately 4 kilometers (2.5mi), the team concealed itself in some bushes near the river and waited. The last pocket of PAVN at the southwest corner of the Citadel was eliminated in an attack by the 4th Vietnamese Marine Battalion in the early hours of 25 February. They turned left and immediately came under automatic weapons and recoilless rifle fire from the Citadel wall. The Marines reported heavy casualties in street fighting in the ancient capital city of Vietnam. [8]:70, ARVN losses were 452 killed and 2,123 wounded, while U.S. losses were 216 killed and 1,584 wounded. Also new to Tha Thin Province was the 5th Regiment, a three-battalion unit that normally operated from Base Area 101 near Qung Tr. PAVN troops also seized the Tu Dam Pagoda, just south of the canal, which they soon converted to the main command post for the southern wing. Quantico Marines enrolled in Marine Corps University have also toured the city to learn from the history of the battle, a common way for Marines to learn leadership and learn from the Marines who came before them. The imperial city of Hue has for centuries played a significant role in Vietnam. But, the city overall is beautiful. [9]:331, On 6 February the Marines attacked the Provincial Headquarters which served as the command post of the PAVN 4th Regiment. Anyone in violation of that can be charged with a war crime. This and subsequent optimistic reports were soon contradicted by press reports as journalists made their way into the city and reported on the extent of PAVN-VC control and the bitter house-to-house fighting that was underway. Hue was a city of cultural influence, religious importance, and architectural significance and as a result was deeply revered by generations of the Vietnamese people. [9]:47784 Sergeant Joe Hooper of the 2/501st would subsequently be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in this engagement. The 1st Cavalry Division was in the midst of relocating from Bnh nh Province in II Corps to Qung Tr and Tha Thin Provinces in I Corps. Several dozen Army technical specialists and military intelligence personnel were billeted in the Huong Giang Hotel several blocks to the west. While the Marines seized the surrounding wall easily, the area between the wall and the building was covered by fire from every window and from spider-holes in the grounds. CALL: 804.340.1800 or 800.358.8701 Notes were created from Richard Camp's (Col. [9]:490, At 09:30 on 22 February, Company A, 1/5 Marines led the day's attack to find that the PAVN had largely disappeared and the south wall was soon secured. As the PAVN moved to reoccupy the strongpoints at dawn they were caught in the open by the Marines, 16 PAVN were killed for the loss of three Marines. Among the casualties on the bridge was Major Walter M. Murphy, the 1st Battalion S-3, or operations officer, who later died of his wounds. On Jan. 31, 1968, communist forces had taken control of Hue, the third largest city in South Vietnam. To date it is the only U.S. Navy ship named after a battle in the Vietnam War.[37]. Itinerary. Over the next three days these forces would slowly reduce the PAVN's perimeter. 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