If you get emotional about it you wont.. On that first day, the two Marine companies in Hu had sustained casualties of 10 killed and 56 wounded. Youve got to protect your corpsman, said Downs. The South Vietnamese armor pulled back. [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. The Marine convoy stopped several times to eliminate resistance in heavy house-to-house fighting before proceeding again. The third installment aims to help answer those questions by examining the Battle of Hue. Attacking in a southeasterly direction, the two battalions would then attempt to close the PAVN-VC supply line into Hu. A great storm in 1904 closed the bridge until 1906; in . 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 Battle [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]. Meanwhile, the ARVN 3rd Regiment fought off a PAVN counterattack in the northwest corner of the Citadel. [9]:288 That evening VC sappers succeeded in blowing up the An Cuu bridge, cutting the road link to Phu Bai. [4]:16667 At 05:00 a reinforced company from the 1st Sapper Battalion On 4 January 1968, MACV J-2 (military intelligence staff) received a report that a Vietcong sapper team had obtained jobs at the Tan Son Nhut airbase from which they planned to attack MACV. RM JA01HR - Crowd at Ba Tang Cemetery where more than 400 victims of the 1968 Communist Tet Offensive lie in a mass grave, Hue, Vietnam, 1968. Supplies would remain tight for the next week as the Division's helicopters tried to build up a reserve of materiel. The Tet Offensive began on January 30 as the North Vietnamese occupied Hue City. But as the intensity of the battle increased, the policy was eliminated. The Battle of Hue, part of the Tet Offensive, 1968 The Tet Offensive. The Allied bombardment lasted intermittently from 17:30 until 03:30 the next day, forcing the entire southern wing to postpone the ferry crossing. One of the offensives chief targets was the city of Hue. 7) Walk Around the Thai Hoa Palace. See my book, "The Cat from Hue: a Vietnam War Story." 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. A forward fighting line was maintained directly opposite the Marines with a secondary line two blocks back. The Battle of Hue City, Vietnam has come to be regarded as one of the most infamous urban battles in Marine Corps history. A Mule was brought forward to blow a hole in the building and the Marines advanced under cover of tear gas. 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. 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. The Battle of Hu (31 January 1968 - 2 March 1968), also called the siege of Hu, was a major military engagement in the Tt Offensive launched by North Vietnam and the Vit Cng during the Vietnam War.After initially losing control of most of Hu and its surroundings, the combined South Vietnamese and American forces gradually recaptured the city over one month of intense fighting. [4]:177, On 2 February, the Marines made some minor headway and brought in further reinforcements. The walls of the Citadel form a square with sides of 2,500 meters. Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam is Black Hawk Down author Bowden's worthy effort to give the battle its due. 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. The headquarters of the PAVN 6th Regiment and two of its battalions were thought to be in Base Area 114, 30 kilometers (19mi) southwest of Hu, while the third battalion from the regiment was approximately 35 kilometers (22mi) northwest of the city, operating on the coastal flats. 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. 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]:33235 The Marines raised an American flag to celebrate their victory, but shortly thereafter were ordered to lower it, as according to South Vietnamese law, no American flag was permitted to be flown without an accompanying South Vietnamese flag. Of course, with any firefight, there will be mistakes made. As the PAVN-VC area of control within Hu shrank, the pace of executions increased to prevent the "enemies of the people" being freed by ARVN or U.S. forces or identifying the VC who had revealed themselves. Entering the building the Marines fought room by room, clearing the building, but many of the PAVN slipped away. CALL: 804.340.1800 or 800.358.8701 Gravel launched a two-company assault supported by tanks towards the Provincial Headquarters and Thua Thien Prison, seven blocks west of the MACV Compound where the ARVN were believed to still be holding out. The 815th Battalion had been delayed because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the battalion at a river crossing three kilometers south of the city. One company occupied a six-way intersection on Highway 1 a few blocks southeast of the MACV Compound to prevent Allied mechanized forces from entering the city. 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? 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. That evening Company B was replaced by Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. The Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty built their feudal capital along Hue's fertile riverbanks and atop its forested hills, but their imperial legacy is just one of many reasons to visit. Comments will be moderated before posting to ensure logical, professional, and courteous application to article content. The highway also provided access to the Perfume River (Vietnamese: Sng Hng or Hng Giang) at the point where the river ran through Hu, dividing the city into northern and southern parts. I know how to do this, said the lance corporal according to Downs. This was only beaten back with heavy artillery fire. On 23 February, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau Canal. Two platoons successfully made their way to the other side. News of the cancelled cease-fire never reached the MACV Compound. [4]:174, North of the Perfume River, on 1 February, the ARVN 1st Division enjoyed some limited success. The 4th Battalion, 3rd Regiment, south of the river, crossed the river and assaulted the Thuong Tu Gate near the eastern corner of the Citadel. "[33], The November 2004 anti-insurgent Marine operation in the city of Fallujah, which took place during the Iraq War, has been compared to the Battle of Hu. One of the aircraft returned safely; but the other, flying through dense fog, crashed into a mountain, losing all on board. In addition, in any combat fight, there are going to be innocent civilian bystanders. 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. To understand why, Mark Bowden's searing "Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam" takes us deep into the bloodiest single battle of that bitter conflict, tracking Americans . At the end of January in 1968, the Viet Cong launched an offensive that turned the tide of the Vietnam War. 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 804th Battalion, 4th Regiment, began marching from Ph Lc to a mountain camp 20 kilometers (12mi) south of Hu where the majority of the southern wing was gathered. Firing at long range, they missed their target and made no further effort to take the position. About mid-day, the PAVN continued to block any advance to the south. The patrol commander reported by radio what he had seen, Trng immediately dispatched a light observation airplane from the Ty Lc Airfield to look for the enemy force. 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. At 06:30, Hughes ordered the company to reinforce the Truoi River Bridge. [26] Bowden conservatively estimates that 2,000 people were executed. The Battle of Hue began early on January 31, 1968 and lasted until the first days of March, when US troops retook the city. 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. By the beginning of the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive on 30 January 1968, which coincided with the Vietnamese Tt Lunar New Year, large conventional American forces had been committed to combat operations on Vietnamese soil for almost three years. When the headquarters of 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division arrived at Camp Evans, 27 kilometers (17mi) northwest of Hu on 26 January, it found that the site held no stocks of ammunition or fuel. Task Force X-ray including 1/5 and 2/5 Marines (2,500) and 1st ARVN Battalion. With the number of wounded rising, the Marines commandeered some abandoned Vietnamese civilian vehicles and used them as makeshift ambulances to carry out the wounded. [4]:205 On the night of 16 February a radio intercept indicated that a battalion-size PAVN force was about to launch a counterattack over the west wall of the Citadel. [12]:29 The PAVN B5 Front created a special logistical and administrative zone known as the Hu City Front to manage the upcoming battle. Inguyen Anh, whose regal name was Gia Long, founded the new citadel of Hue in 1802. On the off chance that military and political analysts are right, in the next few months we must test the enemy's intentions, in case this is indeed his last big gasp before negotiations. Part One is entirely about the Battle of Hue. Its alive and well today and is in response to your leadership, said Downs to the SNCOs gathered in the lecture hall. No later than February 13, 1968, 1/5 Alpha Co, will rendezvous with 1st ARVN Division at the Northeast of the Citadel to clear Hue City in order to gain control of the city, removing all enemy fighters. [4]:167 At 04:40 sappers captured the Huu Gate and the command group of the PAVN 6th Regiment entered the Citadel. The PAVN-VC lost somewhere between 1,042 and 5,133 killed, while Allied forces lost 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. With the building secured the Marines then methodically cleared out the spider-holes, shooting their occupants. On the night of 23 February the PAVN attempted another counterattack, but were forced back by artillery fire. Finally, a small detachment of U.S. Navy personnel was stationed at a boat ramp just north of the MACV Compound. Although the PAVN battalion penetrated the division compound, an ad hoc 200-man defensive force of staff officers and clerks staved off the assaults. Whether you like it or not you are all leaders and someday, one way or another, you will be involved in urban operations, Christmas said. The General Offensive was to comprise conventional and guerilla military action aimed primarily at the "puppet" South Vietnamese military and government, attempting to destroy their legitimacy among the South Vietnamese population. [4]:20810, To the west, the South Vietnamese forces continued to meet stubborn resistance. [4]:211 The three-day operation netted hundreds of VC cadre, many of whom were university students who, according to local residents, had played a key role in rounding up government officials and intellectuals the PAVN/VC regarded as threats to their new regime. The fighting in Hue City, Vietnam, was as intense and confusing as anything the Marines there had ever seen. 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. [4]:206 On 18 February the 1/8th Cavalry was attacked by elements of the 803rd Regiment 20 kilometers (12mi) northeast of Hu, this second clash apparently convinced the PAVN command that the Regiment could not reach the Citadel. Meanwhile, the other two IL14s, which had been modified to drop bombs, had orders to bomb Mang Ca. [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. [People would say] that weapon isnt for use in an urban environment. Unable to enter the Citadel, the two battalions established their night positions outside the southeast wall of the Citadel. [9]:34749 On 9 February 5/7th Cavalry resumed their advance with artillery support from PK-17 and naval gunfire; they overran Lieu Coc finding PAVN bodies and fighting positions. Throughout the entire battle, the U.S. command consistently underestimated the size of the PAVN-VC forces engaged and the Allied forces necessary to deal with them. Beginning in February 1968, in the South Vietnamese city of Hue, 11 battalions of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), two U.S. Army battalions, and three U.S. Marine Corps battalions, for a total of 16 battalions, defeated 10 battalions of the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong. After a day of attacks the Marines withdrew to their night defensive positions. Some elements of the battalion had been delayed by South Vietnamese paramilitary troops while others had gotten lost. 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 Vietnam War is often pictured as a jungle conflict, punctuated by American troops fighting in rural hut-filled villages. Other advisers were in the countryside accompanying ARVN units. 1/7th Cavalry then dug in to night defensive positions. A native of Portsmouth, Ohio, then-First Lieutenant James K. Redding arrived in South Vietnam on January 7, 1968, and was assigned as the assistant American advisor to the 7th Airborne . With Company A, 1/1 Marines as the Phu Bai reserve, Hughes directed Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Gravel to prepare the company for any contingency. Lying on a plain backed by foothills of the Annamese Cordillera (Chane Annamitique) and situated 5 miles (8 km) from the South China Sea coast, Hue is traversed by the broad, shallow Huong River (Hue River, or Perfume River ). Company D was also engaged by PAVN in the village of Lieu Coc and forced to withdraw. The fighting that kicked off with the initial attack would last until early March, taking a heavy toll on both sides of combatants, noncombatant residents, and the city itself. 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. John Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, codirector of MWIs Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast. To date it is the only U.S. Navy ship named after a battle in the Vietnam War.[37]. [In urban combat] you may want to know that one of the things youre supposed to do is isolate the city, said Christmas. ARVN troops in the Citadel fired flares over the village to help the RF troops there assess the situation. 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. 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. Upon their flashlight signals, the 800th Battalion and several teams from the 12th Sapper Battalion rushed through the gate and headed northwest towards Ty Lc Airfield. 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