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Tet Offensive 1968: Battle of Hue

Operation
Title
Tet Offensive 1968: Battle of Hue
Start Date
1/31/1968
End Date
2/25/1968
CTZ
I
TAO
Hue City
Objective
To retake the City of Hue during the Tet Offensive
Description
The Battle of Hue was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Tet Offensive. The battle began on 31 January, though the ARVN commander had already put his 1st Division on alert because he had received reports of early Tet attacks in the south on the 30th. This move helped keep the communists from completely taking Hue. Inside the city, VC and sapper regiments had been preparing for months. Because of fog on the 31st, battalion-sized PAVN forces advanced easily on the city from the west. Mortar and rocket fire followed. The 6th PAVN Regiment attacked toward the Citadel while the 4th PAVN Regiment attacked the southern part of the city and the MACV compound. By dawn the next day, the PAVN held the south part of the city, including Gia Hoi and the southern half of the Citadel. Up until this point U.S. combat forces had not been allowed in Hue and the city was very lightly defended. The PAVN easily took control of parts of the city. They began a systematic roundup of enemies of the people and marched them off to their graves. 3,000 civilians were never accounted for. Meanwhile, ARVN troops still held the northern half of the Citadel. Also, the Americans and Australians continued to hold the MACV compound, from which they called for aide. Because of these two Allied areas, the Communists could not take the city. The relief force sent by the USMC at Phu Bai was too small to help. Eventually, a larger Marine force was ordered to join with the ARVN forces, but they were pushed back. They continued to fight without clearing the city. The PAVN troops had captured an ARVN depot with U.S. weapons and ammunition, and their supply lines were still open. The Communists were very well-supplied. PAVN also received 5 reinforcing battalions. Meanwhile, the U.S. was restricted on mobility because of the nature of urban fighting and was not able to utilize its advantage in firepower due to the wish to not damage Hue. The ARVN commander ordered his 3d Regiment to relieve the city. On the evening of 31 January the 3d, reinforced by the 2d, 7th, and 9th ARVN airborne battalions, arrived in the city. The ARVN forces mounted an attack to retake the Citadel and north bank of the river. On 2 February, the 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry began an air assault to cut the communist supply lines. However they ran into a blocking Communist force. The 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, which was to join the 2d, also ran into delays. Many of the PAVN forces in the area were ones that the U.S. had thought were around Khe Sanh. Also on 2 February, the 3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and the 101st Airborne held blocking postions to prevent PAVN reinforcements. The 3d Brigade attacked from the west and north and the 101st from the south. The Marines continued to bring forces to Hue. On 4 February, the Marines, with the support of Naval gunfire, began to fight house-to-house to clear the south bank. Finally on 11 February, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines crossed the river to join the fight for the Citadel. The ARVN Division, reinforced by the VNMC and the Marines, fought house-to-house until on 21 February they met up with the 1st Cavalry Division which had been attacking from the west. On 25 February, ARVN troops found that PAVN troops had deserted the Imperial Palace. At the end of this bloody battle, about half the city was destroyed. Thousands were homeless and as many as 5,700 had been executed by the Communists. This battle helped change the attitude of the population against the Communists. There were 89 PAVN/VC POWs.
Allied Units Involved
Unit
2d, 7th and 9th Battalions, 3d Regiment
Branch
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Branch Abbrv.
ARVN
Unit
ARVN 1st Division
Unit
VNMC
Unit
1st Battalion, 1st Marines (USMC
Unit
1st and 2d Battalions, 5th Marines
Branch
United States Marine Corps
Branch Abbrv.
USMC
Unit
1st Division
Branch
United States Marine Corps
Branch Abbrv.
USMC
Unit
2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Branch
United States Army
Branch Abbrv.
USA
Unit
5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Branch
United States Army
Branch Abbrv.
USA
Unit
3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
Branch
United States Army
Branch Abbrv.
USA
Unit
101st Airborne Division
Branch
United States Army
Branch Abbrv.
USA
Killed in Action
74 (USA); 142 (USMC); 384
Wounded in Action
507 (USA); 857 (USMC); 1,830 ARVN
Enemy Units Involved
Unit
VC 12th Battalion
Unit
Hue City Sapper Battalion
Unit
6th PAVN Regiment
Unit
4th PAVN Regiment
Unit
24th Regiment, 304th Division (PAVN)
Unit
29th Regiment, 325C Division (PAVN): 99th Regiment, 324B Division (PAVN)
Killed in Action
5,000-5,113 (PAVN/VC)
Wounded in Action
POW 89 (PAVN/VC)
Sources
Author
Shelby L. Stanton
Title
Vietnam: Order Of Battle
Author
Spencer C. Tucker
Title
The Encyclopedia Of The Vietnam War: A Political, Social & Military History
Author
Harry G. Summers, Jr.
Title
Historical Atlas Of The Vietnam War

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