This summer's almost certain standoff will either end in real give-and-take negotiations or terrible escalation; and for every means we have to escalate, the enemy can match us, and that applies to invasion of the North, the use of nuclear weapons, or the mere commitment of one hundred, or two hundred, or three hundred thousand more American troops to the battle The walls of the Citadel form a square with sides of 2,500 meters. [4]:201 That day at a meeting at Phu Bai between Generals Abrams, LaHue, Trng and South Vietnamese Vice President Nguyn Cao K, K approved the use of all necessary force to clear the PAVN-VC forces from the Citadel, regardless of damage to historic structures. Truck convoy enters gate of the camp. At Ba Long, the battalion then embarked upon motorized junks and reached the Citadel the following day. [12]:57, Gravel's 1/1 Marines had been clearing the area to the east and south of the MACV Compound and on 10 February they captured the soccer stadium (162801N 1073549E / 16.467N 107.597E / 16.467; 107.597), providing a second, safer helicopter landing zone. [9]:28086 After securing the Jeanne d'Arc High School, Company A, 1/1 Marines recaptured the Le Loi Elementary School. After the Vietnam War, Hue's unique history fell to ruin as the imperial era wasn't viewed favourably by the communist authorities. Although the PAVN battalion penetrated the division compound, an ad hoc 200-man defensive force of staff officers and clerks staved off the assaults. On 23 February, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau Canal. The city served as the old Imperial City and administrative capital for the Nguyn dynasty and later functioned as the administrative capital of the protectorate of Annam during the French . Trng then ordered the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment and the Hac Bao Company to recapture the Imperial Palace and this was achieved against minimal resistance by late afternoon. 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. A company from the 2/5th Marines finally relieved the MACV communications facility that morning. In addition, in any combat fight, there are going to be innocent civilian bystanders. 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. Other advisers were in the countryside accompanying ARVN units. [9]:346 As the 5/7th Cavalry approached Que Chu the command and control helicopter was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, the crew was rescued by a dustoff helicopter. In the resulting confusion, the convoy exchanged fire with a Marine unit already in the city. [4]:213 MACV gave figures of 5,133 PAVN-VC killed at Hu. [9]:269 The battalion consolidated its night defensive positions and waited to renew its attack the following day. [9]:290, Following the capture of the Treasury, Cheatham continued his methodical advance to the west leading with tear gas, M-48s and Ontos, followed by Mules and Marines, while PAVN-VC resistance lessened as its manpower and ammunition was depleted. The battalion returned to Camp Pendleton in 1971, and in 1975 participated in Operation New Arrival, the relocation of Southeast Asian Refugees. The Battle of Hue was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. [9]:370, On 11 February Company H, 2/5 Marines secured a bridge over the Phu Cam Canal (162725N 1073441E / 16.457N 107.578E / 16.457; 107.578) and the block on the opposite side of the canal. 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 . 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. The 804th Battalion of the newly created 4th Regiment was reported to be near Ph Lc District, 30 kilometers (19mi) southeast of the city. [9]:362 The "Report from Vietnam: Who, What, When, Where, Why?" This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. [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. Redding's experience in Hue began soon after the city fell. Meanwhile, two kilometers to the northwest, the remainder of the 5/7th Cavalry, resumed its advance toward Thon An. One had to do with machine guns, which he didnt elaborate on. The combined force then headed for the Mang Ca compound with the goal of neutralizing Trng's headquarters before it had time to organize the city's defenders. In another part of the city, where Downs company was flown in by helicopter, he was leading his men from building to building but had to use ingenuity and tear gas to do so. Virginia Historical Society, 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard The Modern War Institute recently launched an Urban Warfare Project Case Study Series. [4]:197, On 13 February Companies A and C, 1/5 Marines left Mang Ca and moved south along the eastern wall of the Citadel, while Company B remained in reserve. 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: While Downs was deciding how to approach this problem a young lance corporal and a private first class came up with an idea. Youve got to protect your corpsman, said Downs. We walked them down the streets until they were out of the line of fire. To date it is the only U.S. Navy ship named after a battle in the Vietnam War.[37]. [26] Bowden conservatively estimates that 2,000 people were executed. Under cover of supporting fire the Marines secured part of the ridgeline, killing three PAVN for the loss of one Marine killed. By the last week of January, most of its combat units had arrived, but many of the division's logistical components were still in transit. The Hu City Sapper Unit and the 12th Sapper Battalion were also located in Base Area 114. On 10 February 1968, CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite visited southern Hu to film footage for a special report on the Vietnam War. The General Uprising was the expectation that the oppressed South Vietnamese population would then spontaneously rise up and overthrow the Thiu-K government and that this would force the United States to withdraw in the face of the will of the people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfMocPJZvfQ&t=40s. [9]:17174 French journalists Catherine Leroy and Francois Mazure were captured by the PAVN, but were allowed to return to U.S. lines bringing photos of the PAVN side of the battle which were subsequently published in Life Magazine.[27]. [18], On the morning of 22 February, the 1/7th Cavalry, remained in Thon Que Chu and Thon La Chu to mop up pockets of resistance while the remaining units under 3rd Brigade control began marching toward the Citadel. ", Those identified by the PAVN-VC were initially marched out of the city for "reeducation". One Marine, Lance corporal Lester A. Tully, later awarded the Silver Star for his action, ran forward, threw a grenade, and silenced the gun. The enemy was 35 meters away and we were launching RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) at each other, said Christmas. The South Vietnamese armor pulled back. A Mule was brought forward to blow a hole in the building and the Marines advanced under cover of tear gas. The 2nd Airborne Battalion reinforced the convoy and conducted a flanking attack. Gravel met with Army Colonel George O. Adkisson, the senior U.S. advisor to the ARVN 1st Division. The Battle of Hu (also called the Siege of Hu), was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. [12]:38, A company each from the 815th and 818th Battalions entered the western edge of the new city around 04:50, eighty minutes behind schedule. The enemy was so close to us that when the round went up, it went up so high that we thought it was going to come down right on top of us.. [4]:192 The ARVN 2nd Troop, 7th Cavalry, equipped with fifteen M113s arrived at Mang Ca from Qung Tr to relieve the 3rd Troop. Marine ingenuity was showcased in the battle to retake Hue City. On 2 March 1968 the Marines concluded Operation Hu City. The Modern War Institute does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published. [4]:16, The headquarters of ARVN Brigadier General Ng Quang Trng's 1st Division was located in the Mang Ca Garrison, a minifortress in the northeast corner of the Citadel. [31][32], Militarily, Hu and the entire Tet Offensive were Allied victories. [12]:59, Also on 7 February, the North Vietnamese tried to bring their own air support into the battle, sending four Vietnam People's Air Force Il-14 transport aircraft from an airfield near Hanoi. The Terrible Toll. Hue's refined cuisine is the stuff of legend, and its leafy streets are lined with mossy pagodas, art dco mansions . Like previous case studies focusing on Stalingrad and Mosul, the Battle of Hue also plays an outsized role in the way the US military conceptualizes urban warfare. The ambush destroyed several vehicles and threw the 1st Troop, 7th Cavalry, into confusion. . Hue, city, central Vietnam. Downs said that Hue City has been rebuilt since the battle; however, there are still reminders of the fight that occurred there. The imperial city of Hue has for centuries played a significant role in Vietnam. The American command still had little realization of the situation in Hu. A U.S. Army UH-1 Huey piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Frederick Ferguson landed in the compound and rescued the crew under fire. The Tet Offensive began on January 30 as the North Vietnamese occupied Hue City. The Battle Christmas was leading Hotel Company into Hue City from the south. In the early morning hours of 31 January 1968, a division-sized force of PAVN-VC soldiers launched a coordinated attack on the city of Hu. The 6th Battalion, 24th Regiment, 304th Division, originally located near Khe Sanh, reached the Citadel after following a route that took it through Base Area 101, Base Area 114 and Thon La Chu and the 7th Battalion, 90th Regiment, 324B Division, was due to arrive a few days later after a forced march from the DMZ. But, the city overall is beautiful. [4]:20810, To the west, the South Vietnamese forces continued to meet stubborn resistance. To avoid ambushes it turned off Highway 1 a few kilometers north of the city, traveled east cross-country, and swung around the rear of Mang Ca through the Trai Gate. screened on 27 February 1968, Cronkite closed the report with the editorial comments: We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds. There are endless must-see historic sites, especially those that are UNESCO World Heritage designated. [5][6][21], 844 civilians were killed and 1,900 wounded during the battle. [9]:83, The ARVN and Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) were largely unprepared for the Tet Offensive. The lead elements of the southern wing, the 1st Sapper Battalion and part of the 804th Battalion, arrived two hours ahead of schedule, which meant that they reached the crossing well before the sun had set. I witnessed the fighting in Hue at close quarters and came away with the impression that it was a bloodbaththat neither side "won" or "lost." [21][4]:216[22], The PAVN-VC were generally greeted with little enthusiasm by the population of Hu. A special thanks to Modern War Institute intern Harshana Ghoorhoo, whose initial research and framework of this and following case studies set the conditions for success. Entering the building the Marines fought room by room, clearing the building, but many of the PAVN slipped away. On the 7th the 3rd Regiment, which had been futilely trying to break into the southeast corner of the Citadel, was moved by Mike boats to Mang Ca to reinforce his units inside the Citadel. 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. Meanwhile, 4km to the west of the city the PAVN 416th Battalion, 5th Regiment, as well as a local force company and a recoilless rifle company, swarmed into the villages of Thon Que Chu and Thon La Chu (162852N 1073014E / 16.481N 107.504E / 16.481; 107.504). [9]:35152, On 16 February deputy COMUSMACV General Creighton Abrams flew into PK-17 for a meeting with Tolson where Abrams expressed his displeasure at the Cavalry's slow progress. This can be a tricky situation for any Marine trying to save civilian lives while in the process of a firefight. The enemy usually pulls them all together and tries to build a buffer, said Christmas. We had 30 personal decorations awarded to the company and of the 30, 27 were enlisted with 24 being corporals and below, Downs said. The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense. 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. This time they crossed the An Cuu Bridge into the new city. 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. In one village, the troops dismounted and cleared the houses on either side of the main street before proceeding. "[4]:171, As the Marines approached the southern suburbs of the city they came under increasing fire from the PAVN 804th Battalion. [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. 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. 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. Over the next month, they were gradually driven out during intense house-to-house fighting led by the Marines and ARVN. 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. Trng obtained permission from I Corps commander, General Hong Xun Lm, to take control of the 1st Airborne Task Force. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense, or that of any organization with which the authors are affiliated, including the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Canadian Department of National Defence. The Tet Offensive was a military campaign . 1st Marine Regiment commander Colonel Stanley S. Hughes, ordered Captain George R. Christmas, commander of Company H, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines to relieve the CAP unit and Company H engaged the PAVN-VC as they withdrew from the CAP position. The Battle of Hu began on 31 January 1968 and lasted a total of 26 days. Other PAVN troops split off and attacked the Hu railway station and a police headquarters facility near the Bach Ho Railroad Bridge. Everybody will fight. [34] In his analysis of the Battle of Fallujah, Jonathan F. Keiler, a military historian and former officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps wrote:[36]. Hue City - MCA HIGH INTENSITY URBAN FIGHTING IN THE MIDST OF A JUNGLE GUERRILLA WAR. 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. 5) Walk Around the Thien Mu Pagoda. Supplies would remain tight for the next week as the Division's helicopters tried to build up a reserve of materiel. 2/5 Marines killed 18 PAVN or VC and captured one, at a cost of three Marines killed and 13 wounded. 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. [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. Hue was a major part of North Vietnam's Tet Offensive, and even. On the afternoon of 29 January, the main body of the southern wing, the 804th Battalion, the 1st Sapper Battalion, the 815th and 818th Battalions of the 5th Regiment, the southern wing command group, and various supporting units descended from their mountain staging area and headed for the T Trch River, which stood between the attacking force and Hu. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. [4]:168, Three USMC battalions were protecting Phu Bai Combat Base, Highway 1 and all western approaches to Hu. Also new to Tha Thin Province was the 5th Regiment, a three-battalion unit that normally operated from Base Area 101 near Qung Tr. The offensive was an attempt to foment rebellion among. 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. Nguyen Hue is now a walking street, where thousands of people get together every night for selfies and snacks. After marching southwest approximately 4 kilometers (2.5mi), the team concealed itself in some bushes near the river and waited. During the months and years that followed, dozens of mass graves were discovered in and around Hu. [9]:4244 H Ch Minh, Phm Vn ng, V Nguyn Gip and Ng nh Dim had all attended the lyce in the city. Also on 28 January, the 810th Battalion, 4th Regiment and the 2nd Sapper Battalion began marching toward the city from locations along the coast east of Hu. The PAVN's Department of Warfare gives figures of 2,400 killed and 3,000 wounded from 30 January until 28 March. Both battles also had insurgents and other forces utilizing snipers, significantly increasing the combat potential of the combatants, while the Marines also constituted the advanced fighting elements of the US forces deployed in both Hu and Fallujah. The outer stone wall is one meter thick, five meters high and is separated from the inner wall by dirt fill. On January 30, 1968, after months of preparation, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops and Viet Cong (VC) guerrillas launched a massive, coordinated assault on nearly every city, town, and. U.S. 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division base camp operations in Phu Bai near Hue, Vietnam. 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) Some elements of the battalion had been delayed by South Vietnamese paramilitary troops while others had gotten lost. [8] Other objectives included the Ty Lc Airfield and the Imperial Palace. Your email address will not be published. However, less is known about America's involvement with the city during World War II. (Eddie Adams/AP) As one of the CBS News correspondents who covered the Battle of Hue in 1968, I see no contradiction between what Cronkite said about the battle while he was in Viet Nam and what he said in his acclaimed documentary on CBS News some weeks later. A rotating group of staff personnel from the compound was stationed at Trng's headquarters day and night. Hu 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam Mark Bowden 4.32 6,405 ratings729 reviews Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best History & Biography (2017) In the early hours of January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched over one hundred attacks across South Vietnam in what would become known as the Tet Offensive. Some were marched north into captivity, while others were executed, including three West German doctors, two French Benedictine monks and two U.S. government employees. [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. The main body of the 818th Battalion had left camp later than planned and had gotten lost on its way to the city. Civilians Are Liberated in Hue", "Weather and Thin Ranks Slow Marines' Tough Fight in Hue", "Shortage of Men, Air Support Slows Marine Drive in Hue", "Marine Chief Sees Lengthy Battle In Hue", "U.S. Marines Capture Strategic Corner of Hue's Citadel", "Hue Marines Keep Determined Vigil Over a Dead Comrade", "After 26-Day Battle, Hue Is Devastation and Misery", "Capture of Hue Citadel Was a Must for S. Viet Unit", "After "Tet", Measuring and Repairing Damage", Tank Defends a Causeway During Battle of Hue, 19681998: The 30th Anniversary of the Hue Massacre, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Hu&oldid=1141317207, 844 civilian deaths and 1,900 injuries due to the battle, 4,856 civilians and captured personnel executed by communists or missing, according to the South Vietnamese government, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:50. Company D was also engaged by PAVN in the village of Lieu Coc and forced to withdraw. We would progress in this way throughout the fight, said Downs. [4]:171, While the fighting continued in the Truoi River and the Ph Lc sectors, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines had begun to move into Hu. [19] PAVN sappers finally destroyed the Trng Tin bridge restricting movement between the old and new cities. Part One is entirely about the Battle of Hue. Brigadier General Foster LaHue, the Task Force X-Ray commander, actually had very little reliable intelligence on the situation. They tried again five days later, but once again, bad weather prevented them from locating Mang Ca. U.S. Marines and Vietnamese troops move through the grounds of the Imperial Palace in the old citadel area of Hue, Vietnam, on February 26, 1968, after seizing it from Communist hands. All told, the PAVN-VC hit some 18 targets from bridges, CAP units, and company defensive positions. [9]:10607 The 802nd This lecture was part of the commemoration of the Vietnam War era. By dawn, our troops were still unable to advance". In one instance, Downs says there was a machine gun directly down a street that his Marines needed to cross to advance their attack. Its alive and well today and is in response to your leadership, said Downs to the SNCOs gathered in the lecture hall. Among the new arrivals was the 7th Battalion of the 29th Regiment, 325C Division, a unit that until recently had been laying siege to Khe Sanh. 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. Hue vietnam 1968 Stock Photos and Images. 358 Battle Of Hue Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 358 Battle Of Hue Premium High Res Photos Browse 358 battle of hue stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. At about 04:00 a PAVN company attacked the ARVN security detachment defending the Highway 1 bridge over the Truoi River (161916N 1074623E / 16.321N 107.773E / 16.321; 107.773) and the nearby CAP H-8. Highway 1, passing through the city of Hu, was an important supply line for Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and United States forces from the coastal city of Da Nang to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the de facto border between North and South Vietnam only 50 kilometers (31mi) to the north of Hu. The attack resumed the following morning and the ridge was secured with 20 PAVN and two Marines killed.