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 . US Marines spent nearly a month fighting a brutal urban battle to retake the city which was 80% destroyed by the battle's end, according to H.D.S. in January 1968, North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive, a series of coordinated attacks aimed at demonstrating to the governments in Washington and Saigon that continuing the war was futile. Under cover of the tear gas and the 106mm backblast the Marines crossed the street and blew holes in the wall using C-4 and Bazookas. [9]:6064 When the PAVN and VC forces left their base camps west of Hu to commence the attack they had no intention of returning. Then, you need to select where you enter the city, then you can determine what you are going to use to take the city. During Tet, the lunar New Year holiday, the North Vietnamese and their Viet Cong allies staged attacks across South Vietnam, none more dramatic than the assault on Hu, the old imperial capital. [9]:525 Estimates of Vietnamese civilians killed by the PAVN-VC at Hu range from 2,800 (based on bodies exhumed from mass graves) to almost 6,000. Richmond,Virginia23220, Galleries, Store, & Caf daily 10:00 am-5:00 pm After a few minutes, the RF soldiers stopped shooting, and some began to wonder whether they had seen enemy troops or had been firing at shadows. Due to Hu's religious and cultural status, Allied forces were ordered not to bomb or shell the city, for fear of destroying the historic structures. The heavy damage was the result of the artillery, air, and mortar pounding the area received for 25 days while the Viet Cong/NVA held the area. [9]:27273 On the morning of 4 February the Marines launched their attack on the Treasury. Ret.) 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. Company H withdrew so that air strikes could be launched and these knocked out mortar and machine gun positions killing 20 PAVN; however, one bomb fell short killing four Marines. In the resulting confusion, the convoy exchanged fire with a Marine unit already in the city. One of their battalion commanders, (then) Major Robert Thompson became a close friend during and after the war. Seeing an opportunity to trap the PAVN-VC, Lieutenant Colonel Ernie Cheatham reinforced Company H with his Command Group and Company F.[4]:170 With his other companies in blocking positions, Cheatham hoped to pin the PAVN-VC against the Truoi River. With Company A, 1/1 Marines as the Phu Bai reserve, Hughes directed Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Gravel to prepare the company for any contingency. And more than a half century on, what lessons should we take from the battle as we prepare for a future of warfare that is increasingly likely to be urban? Image credit: Staff Sergeant J. L. Harlan, US Marine Corps, The study neglects to mention the Cronkite apparently had a change of heart (of some kind) as he reported this 13 days earlier: Maj. John Canley's actions during the battle of Hue City, Vietnam, in 1968 have him one step away from receiving the nation's highest award for combat valor, the Medal of Honor. Hue became the imperial capital of a unified Vietnam for the first time in two centuries and retained this status until 1945. [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. 1) Walk Through the Imperial Citadel (Kinh Thanh) 2) Visit the Forbidden Purple City. If military forces find themselves in a future battle like Hue, how can it be fought more effectively, more quickly, and with less damage to the city and its people? Although one battle account stated that the South Vietnamese "offered no strong resistance", the PAVN report acknowledged "the heavy enemy ARVN fire enveloped the entire airfield. [4]:18990 After resting his men at the Provincial Headquarters, Cheatham resumed his advance west towards the Phu Cam Canal, then swung south and east to clear the area with the canal to his right. When you leave here, think about urban warfare and think about your contribution., An official website of the United States government, 5000 Series: Administration and Management, 11000 Series: Facilities and Activities Ashore, Civilian Awards, Retirements & Recognition, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs, Continuous Process Improvement (CPI)/Lean Six Sigma, Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) Account Management, Sexual Assault Contact Information and Resources. 2 kilometers (1.2mi) to the northwest, an engineer unit moved within sight of its target, the An Lo Bridge that spanned the Bo River, as it did, the 806th Battalion, one company from the 800th Battalion and a sapper platoon of forty men, all from the 6th Regiment, quietly occupied a forward staging area in a graveyard 2 kilometers (1.2mi) northwest of the Citadel. ), participated in the battle for Hu as a company commander and will present a first-hand account of the conflict. Everybody will fight. For the board wargame based on this battle, see, The 1st Cavalry Division attacks PAVN supply lines, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:50, Massacre perpetrated by Vietcong and the PAVN, dressed in ARVN uniforms killed the guards, Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support, Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War Developments in the war, News media and the Vietnam War Tet Offensive, 1968, November 2004 anti-insurgent Marine operation, United States Army Center of Military History, "The History Place Vietnam War 19651968", "Urban Operations: An Historical Casebook", "An Excerpt from the Viet Cong Strategy of Terror", "Pham Van Dong, Voice of Vietnam's Revolt, Dies at 94", "Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipients (AL)", "Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. On 23 February, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau Canal. Over the next month, they were gradually driven out during intense house-to-house fighting led by the Marines and ARVN. The year 1968 marked a crucial turning point in the Vietnam War. Soldiers wave from truck. [4]:20708 Unknown to the ARVN and the U.S., on the night of 20 February the PAVN had begun a phased withdrawal from the Citadel, leaving through the Huu and Nha Do (162750N 1073430E / 16.464N 107.575E / 16.464; 107.575) Gates and making their way southwest to return to their bases in the hills. On the south side of the river was the new city of Hu, which contained most of the government buildings, schools, and the university, set on wide boulevards. Company B joined the assault and after six hours the Marines had secured the base of the gate and later the entire gate, at a cost of six Marines killed and 50 wounded and 20 PAVN killed. What Happened Here. The 815th Battalion had been delayed because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the battalion at a river crossing three kilometers south of the city. But, also like Stalingrad and Mosul, Hue was also a fundamentally unique battle in certain key ways, and the case study sheds light on the unique lessons that can be derived from it. . Its not easy, said Christmas. In spite of the beating they took in November, they will continue to assert they repelled the initial attack and fought well thereafter. He led an armored column toward Hu, but like the other South Vietnamese units, found it impossible to break through. Meanwhile, the team of thirty sappers who had scaled the northwestern wall overpowered the guards standing watch at the An Hoa and Hau Gates, then opened their doors to the infantry company waiting outside. The Tet Offensive began on January 30 as the North Vietnamese occupied the city of Hue . [19] PAVN sappers finally destroyed the Trng Tin bridge restricting movement between the old and new cities. Unknown to the Marines, the ARVN Airborne had withdrawn from the area two days previously when the Vietnamese Marines began to arrive at Mang Ca and the PAVN defenders had used this opportunity to reoccupy several blocks and reinforce their defenses, Company A was engaged by the PAVN and quickly suffered 35 casualties. Afterward, massive reconstruction and rehabilitation had been undertaken to restore the precious historic relics in the ancient capital. One of the offensives chief targets was the city of Hue. 12 February - 5 March 1968 - Operation "HUE CITY." Citadel Fortress of Hue. Beginning at 1:15 AM January 31, 1968, 2 battalions of the 6th NVA Regiment spookily sauntered through the Chanh Tay Gate west of the Imperial Citadel in Hue, Vietnam. This is called lance corporal ingenuity and Pfc. But as the intensity of the battle increased, the policy was eliminated. An allied aircraft spotted the units and reported their position. The two aircraft radioed that they were scrubbing the mission, then headed out to sea to jettison their bombs. This equipment was loaded onto a convoy which arrived at the MACV Compound at 13:00 on 3 February. There are endless must-see historic sites, especially those that are UNESCO World Heritage designated. While the helicopters and men of the Division were soon in position, most of their heavy and support equipment was loaded on trucks that would have to proceed by convoy up Highway 1. [9]:23943, Many of the Marines of Task Force X-Ray had little or no urban combat experience and the U.S. troops were not trained for urban close-quarters combat, so this battle was especially tough for them. Approximately 10.5 miles north of the city in Thua Thien Province, the ARVN 1st Airborne Task . The 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry was to arrive in the landing zone first, followed by the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry to be inserted near PK-17. One of my more memorable experiences during the monthlong battle for Hue City, February 1968, was when my assistant machine-gunner, Marcus, and I were ordered to stay behind on the enemy's side of . Vietnam (Physiography) 2001 (1.6MB) and pdf format (1.9MB) Vietnam (Political) 2001 (208K) and pdf format (214K) Vietnam (Political) 1992 (189K) and pdf format (202K) Vietnam (Shaded Relief) 2001 (258K) and pdf format (261K) Gravel left the armor behind on the southern bank to provide direct fire support. [4]:18586 PAVN tactics were to hold the Marines close, negating the use of artillery and air support. 2 kilometers (1.2mi) south of the Perfume River and just west of Highway 1 was the Tam Thai military camp, headquarters of the ARVN 7th Armored Squadron Regiment equipped with M41 Walker Bulldog tanks. [12]:38, Just before dawn the 804th Battalion reached the eastern outskirts of the new city, three hours behind schedule. At the Chanh Tay gate (162826N 1073340E / 16.474N 107.561E / 16.474; 107.561) on the west wall of the Citadel, a six-man PAVN sapper team dressed in ARVN uniforms killed the guards and opened the gate. He essentially made a memorial of each Marine by keeping a book in which he wrote down the names and dates of all Marines killed and injured during the battle. CALL: 804.340.1800 or 800.358.8701 Its alive and well today and is in response to your leadership, said Downs to the SNCOs gathered in the lecture hall. 3 kilometers (1.9mi) southwest of the Citadel, on the north bank of the Perfume River, was the Van Thanh divisional training center and a two-gun detachment of 105mm howitzers. We are going to have to fight our way in piecemeal and then gather up and retake the city from within.. The Battle of Hue City occurred during the Tet Offensive, where. A U.S. Army UH-1 Huey piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Frederick Ferguson landed in the compound and rescued the crew under fire. [31][32], Militarily, Hu and the entire Tet Offensive were Allied victories. By John Walker. The 1st Battalion encountered the 810th Battalion which had been deployed to block the eastern approaches to the new city, running low on ammunition Captain Phan Ngoc Luong, the commander of the 1st Battalion, retreated with his unit to the coastal Ba Long outpost, arriving there with only three eight-round clips per man for their World War II vintage M1 Garand rifles. Where emperors lived and died. A VC company armed with 82mm mortars and 57mm recoilless rifles veered north and took up a position near PK17 outpost to shell the ARVN airborne and armored units stationed there once the offensive began. At 06:30, Hughes ordered the company to reinforce the Truoi River Bridge. [14]:105 On 13 February, Abrams established MACV Forward at Phu Bai, effectively replacing Cushman and assuming overall control of all U.S. forces in I Corps. Theyll pull their heads and you can run the whole company across the street if you want. Thats exactly what Downs decided to do, and it worked. This article is about the Vietnam War battle during the Tet Offensive. The Best Things To Do In Hue, Vietnam. They dropped their cargoes in a large lagoon for local forces to retrieve. Outside the Citadel walls sapper teams failed to destroy the Bach Ho and Trng Tin Bridges after being ambushed by RF troops. The Vietnam War is often pictured as a jungle conflict, punctuated by American troops fighting in rural hut-filled villages. . A company from the 2/5th Marines finally relieved the MACV communications facility that morning. Y Young Ki Moon Hue city 1968 Usmc Marines Staff Sergeant Korean War The walls of the Citadel form a square with sides of 2,500 meters. [9]:470, Foreign civilians captured in the city received varying treatment. Comments will be moderated before posting to ensure logical, professional, and courteous application to article content. Retired Sgt. Youve got to protect your corpsman, said Downs. [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. Christmas was leading Hotel Company into Hue City from the south. [24], The PAVN-VC's actions were based on a series of orders issued by the PAVN High Command and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG). [5][6][21], 844 civilians were killed and 1,900 wounded during the battle. Other advisers were in the countryside accompanying ARVN units. General Christmas is president and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The strategic objective at Hu was to capture (or "liberate") and hold the city, leading to the establishment of a revolutionary government. [16]:228 On the night of 31 January, the PAVN-VC launched a mortar attack on Camp Evans which caused an ammunition dump to explode, disabling most of the helicopters of the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion. At dawn the only areas of the new city still under Allied control were the prison defended by a Hac Bao platoon; the Le Loi transportation camp; the Huang Giang Hotel; the MACV Compound; the communications facility; and the Navy loading dock. On 24 February, the 5/7th Cavalry, rejoined its detached company and the armored cavalry platoon from the 3/5th Cavalry, near the western corner of the Citadel. delivered a Banner Lecture entitled The Battle of Hu City, South Vietnam, 1968.. The deteriorating weather forced the squadron to cancel the remaining lifts with about half of the battalion in the Citadel. [34][35] Both battles were fought in close quarters in an urban setting where the enemy ensconced itself in the midst of civilians. Battle of Hue During the TeT Offensive - Vietnam 1968. [4]:191 The PAVN forces in the new city, worn down by more than a week of incessant combat and effectively cut off from their comrades on the other side of the river, began to slowly abandon the city, the 815th and 2nd Sapper Battalions moved to the southern side of the Phu Cam Canal, where the 818th Battalion was already in place. [12]:27 The 1st Division's units were spread throughout I Corps, two battalions of the 3rd Infantry Regiment were west of Hu, one on a routine sweep mission and the other undergoing training at the Van Thanh center, while the remaining two battalions of the regiment were searching for the PAVN-VC near the coast southeast of Hu. 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. While Downs was deciding how to approach this problem a young lance corporal and a private first class came up with an idea. As LaHue later wrote: "Initial deployment of forces was made with limited information. [12]:45 On 5 February Trng exchanged the Airborne with the 4th Battalion, which had become stalled. Required fields are marked *. This was an operational area that actually required two complete regiments to secure. Company D was also engaged by PAVN in the village of Lieu Coc and forced to withdraw. (Eddie Adams/AP) [9]:125 While a few joined the PAVN-VC and others supported them by digging fortifications and preparing food, most of the population either tried to flee behind the ARVN-U.S. lines or took shelter in their homes or in churches and pagodas, which they hoped would be safe. 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