Battle of Huế: Vietnam’s Longest and Bloodiest Battle… 

During the 1980s the United States was still struggling to come to grips with its involvement in the Vietnam War and as part of that effort Hollywood churned out a number of movies with this conflict as the backdrop for younger audiences especially they provided an insight into what their fathers or older siblings may have been experiencing during their tours of Duty in the jungles of Southeast Asia one of the most seminal pieces produced in this period was 1987’s Full Metal Jacket directed by the legendary director dor

Stanley kubri the film demonstrates the process of turning ordinary young men into weapons to be used in war and how that impacts them when they get to the battlefield thus the movie starts in the US Marine boot camp and then transitions to the battlefield of Vietnam just as the Tet Offensive gets underway the main characters fighting in the streets of a city called whe for countless young people at the time this was likely the first time they would have heard of way or been made aware of the battle that was waged there but for the veterans who

fought in its streets early 1968 its name is as ingrained on their memories as ioimo or Inon was to the generations that came prior in this episode we are going to look at the origins of the battle chart some of the key events and discuss its aftermath this is the story of the battle of way welcome to Wars of the world [Music] [Music] January 1968 it had been almost 3 years since the US Military and a handful of allies such as Australia and South Korea escalated their support for the South

Vietnamese against the North Vietnamese backed communist Insurgency from an advisory role to a full combat Mission us bombers were continuing to hit Targets in North Vietnam in the hope of stemming support to Viet Kong and North Vietnamese troops traveling down the hoochi Min Trail through neighboring Lao and Cambodia and into South Vietnam under the banner of Operation Rolling Thunder on the ground meanwhile us and Allied troops found themselves fighting an area war against a ruthless and ingenious enemy using the countryside

for cover so effectively that often it was unclear exactly where the front lines were us strategy at this time was preoccupied with defeating the Communist forces in battle without waging an allout military campaign against the north which might even include an invasion which had happened over a decade earlier on the Korean Peninsula the fear in Washington amongst president Lyndon Johnson’s government was that an escalation would not only cost us lives and resources in an increasingly unpopular War but it might also drag the

Chinese or even the Soviet Union into the fight which had the potential for instigating a global maybe even nuclear conflict as such it was hoped a series of military successes on the battlefield coupled with a limited bombing of the north might dissuade the Communists from pursuing the war further and pushed them to the negotiation table however Rolling Thunder was heavily criticized as a wasteful Endeavor often avoiding strikes on key enemy infrastructure which would have had a major impact in the South this was

due to the targets being chosen by the White House who went to lengths to avoid unintentionally killing Soviet advisers who are often stationed at the key locations at the same time the nature of combat in the South meant that there was little to show for even successful us-led operations with the Communists often disappearing just when they had arrived in force and choosing instead to lay ambushes and conduct hitandrun raids knowing that to fight it out with the Americans and their heavy Firepower would simply be

suicidal yet despite these criticisms of the conduct of War thus far in January 1968 Johnson remained Resolute in maintaining these policies encouraged by a series of runaway successes the year before Johnson and his senior commander in Vietnam General William West Morland believed that with growing us strength in the region through simple attrition the Communists would be forced to the peace table if not by 1968 then certainly by 1970 however the situation in South Vietnam was viewed very differently by North Vietnamese leader hoi Min and his

government in Hanoi they saw the South as ripe for a general Uprising against the recently elected government of win van lock and his us supporters giving the political unrest that had plagued the country during the previous decade they thus conducted a plan to launch a major offensive in the South that would simultaneously kill many Americans leading to calls for us withdrawal back in America while at the same time to inspire this Uprising leading to a defeat of Van Lock’s government and the creation of a unified

communist Vietnam has the Communist plan for their massive defensive they came to realize that in order to be successful they would have to move quickly and surprise would be key they therefore decided to adopt a policy of deception instigating first a diplomatic effort which seemed aimed to holdt the bombing of North Vietnam much to Johnson’s Delight for it reinforced their belief that Rolling Thunder was succeeding as part of this effort the idea of a ceasefire for the Vietnamese New Year known as tet was floated and

then agreed upon with the US and the South Vietnamese government being blissfully unaware that they are being deceived despite receiving intelligence of a large movement of both men and supplies along the hoi Min Trail as such thousands of South Vietnamese troops were allowed to leave their units and return home to celebrate significantly weakening the South’s defensive posture then on April 30th 1968 all hell broke loose sitting almost centrally in relation to the extremities of both North and South Vietnam the city of hue

occupied a unique place in the history of the Vietnamese people between 1802 and 1945 the city served as the capital of Vietnam housing the Imperial Palace even after the start of the French Colonial period in 1877 and a brutal Japanese Occupation during the second world war all that changed with the abdication of Emperor Bai in 1945 following the conflicts for Independence and ideologies resulted following the return of the French as Vietnam fractured and the French were finally forced to withdraw for good new

Capitals in Hanoi for the North and Saigon in the South replaced Way’s political position but the city now firmly in South Vietnam with its stately Treeline boulevards Buddhist temples National University an ornate Imperial Palace within a massive walled City known as The Citadel remained a hub of Vietnamese cultural historical and religious significance by 1968 qu was the third largest city in South Vietnam with a population of around 140,000 people positioned arride National Highway one one of the principal land supply routes

to Alli troops in the region it was also situated approximately 50 Mi south of the D militarized Zone that separated the two vietnams and yet both sides had shown reluctance to engage in combat operations within its vicinity and as such even before the Vietnamese holiday period the city was lightly defended by comparison to other major cities defending the city in January 1968 was the first Army of the Republic of Vietnam or Arvin division under the command of Brigadier General no Quang Chong whose headquarters were situated

in the manga compound of the Citadel The Citadel was itself an imposing Fortress covering 3 square miles with a Labyrinth of readly defensible positions protected by an outer wall 30t high and up to 90 ft thick many parts of the wall featured numerous bunkers and tunnels built by the Japanese Army during their occupation while at the South End Of The Citadel lay another Enclave the Imperial Palace compound a square shaped complex encased within a 20ft high wall that measured 800 yd per side approximately 37,000 of the City’s

population live north of the perfume River within the Citadel while the remainder live south of the river in the more modern sector Chong was one of the more respected South Vietnamese commanders in the opinion of the US troops however he was blighted like so many of his compatriots in January 1968 by over half his division being granted leave for the Tet festivities and most of those who remained were guarding the vital Highway the main Force he retained inside the city was the famed hack bow or black panther reconnaissance company

comprised of well-trained and highly motivated volunteers who worked alongside the National Police to maintain order and security the only US military presence in wayi in January 196 68 was the military assistance command Vietnam or macv compound located just south of the win hang bridge on the Eastern edge of the modern sector the compound hous around 200 US Army and Marine Corps troops as well as a number of troops from the Australian Army who served as advisers to Chong’s division the nearest US combat forces

were at the fu Bai Marine base 8 mies to the South and housed Task Force X-Ray a forward headquarters of the first Marine Division that was made up of two Marine regimental headquarters and three Marine battalions descending on H were 8,000 communist troops the vast majority of whom were members of the North Vietnamese army or NVA who were well equipped to take on us and South Vietnamese forces supporting brand new Chinese and Soviet supplied AK-47 assault rifles RPD machine guns b40 rocket propelled grenade launchers and

various Rockets mortars and recoiless rifles the remainder were made up of Highly EXP erien Viet Kong or VC guerillas who as well as bolstering the NVA numbers brought with them vital local experience commanding the Communists was General Chan van Quang a highly experienced officer whose experience included playing a significant role in the pivotal Battle of dbn Fu in 1954 which finally ousted the French from Southeast Asia The Plan called for the bulk of the force to storm the city itself while a smaller blocking Force attempted to cut off all

land routes in and out of the city City to prevent Chong’s Force the ability to resupply or to retreat unmolested to that end the city was divided into four tactical locations based on local intelligence thanks to the city having an open policy prior to 1968 van Quang planned to take full advantage of the poor weather of the season to help cover his force from US air strikes which had proven so decisive in previous engagements as part of the assault special snatch squads were given an extensive list of people living in the

city who were designated as cruel tyrants and reactionary elements these people were to be rounded up and then marched out into holding areas in the jungle to answer for their so-called crimes against the people this list included South Vietnamese government and military officials civil servants Educators the local clergy and other so-called enemies of the people who would likely be opposed to the ideals of the Communist Party the list also included a number of foreign civilians working in the city the Tet Offensive would see some of the

bloodiest fighting of the entire Conflict for the future of Vietnam and would also see some of the Communists boldest moves including attacking the US Embassy itself in Saigon and yet the element of surprise so vital to the Communist plan was almost lost before it even started US military intelligence had detected a buildup of forces in the days leading up to the Tet holiday but they presumed they would not be committed and until after the agreed ceasefire had ended however it would be the Communists themselves who nearly

tipped off the forces defending the South a simple yet overlooked Factor was that North and South Vietnam used very different calendars and as a consequence some communist units attacked ahead of the schedule in Hue Chong like so many commanders was surprised by the news that the ceasefire was being broken but given how little fighting had been taking place in the city he wasn’t overly concerned and instead focused on protecting the vital Highway while the Black Panthers took up defensive positions around the thailock air strip

He was unaware of the danger already within his city as hundreds of Viet Kong troops walked the streets disguised as revelers enjoying the festivities as they took up their positions at 0340 hours on January 31st Chong’s held belief that wayi would be spared was smashed into pieces as the city was hit by rocket and mortifier at the same time four NVA troops disguised as members of Chong’s division approached the Western gate to the Citadel and after killing the unsuspecting guards opened them up for waves of the mv’s sixth regiment to

swarm into the ancient sector of the city both Chong and the Black Panthers soon found their respective positions surrounded and recognizing this precarious position he ordered his Elite troops to withdraw from the Airfield to his headquarters where they could combine their defensive effort in the face of a numerically Superior enemy it was a running firefight all the way but eventually they made it although this meant that by Dawn Chong headquarters was the only part of the Citadel not under the Communist flag which now

flapped proudly over the ancient city on the southern side of the perfume River things were a little better the MCV compound was hit hard and many of the Defenders found themselves clambering for any weapon they could use to repel the Communist troops intense defensive fire and poor cohesion amongst the attacking Force meant that by Dawn the compound was still alive and kicking forcing Quang to order his troops to consolidate their position and lay Siege to The Defenders elsewhere the Marines at Fu byai had troubles of their own and had only a

fleeting idea of what was happening at wayi as Communications were disrupted what was known was that River traffic into the city had stopped following the destruction of a ramp built for marine landing craft Chong made contact with some of his troops outside of the occupied Citadel and ordered them to enter the old sector and fight their way to the headquarters these troops included armored Cavalry and despite heavy combat they successfully fought their way into the compound by mid-afternoon but at a cost of 40 killed

and over twice that wounded Chong and the US troops fighting for their lives in way were dealt a further blow when they were informed the restrictions have been placed on artillery and air power concerning the city this was due to the historical significance placed upon the Citadel this despite the fact that NVA and Viet Kong troops were using every weapon they had available regardless of the damage inflicted on the ancient statues and buildings at fuay the US Marines prepared to send a relief Force to fight

their way to the max ma V compound but intelligence was so patchy that it was presumed that only a small communist Force had surrounded it therefore just a single company Marines company a first Battalion first Marines were loaded into trucks and sent down Highway 1 they were joined by four M48 tanks but as they crossed the bridge on the fuam canal just short of their objective they came under heavy fire it was obvious now that enemy strength was significant and a second relief force was dispatched with additional tanks to First assist company

a and then together continue the Advance on the macv compound successful they arrived at the compound at 155 hours but with 10 Marines killed and 30 wounded the objective now was to relieve Chong under the command of leftenant Colonel Marcus gravel the relief Force now comprising members of the MCV team and the South Vietnamese Army moved to cross the win hang Bridge with the m48s remaining on the Southern Bank to provide fire support crossing the bridge proved deadly despite the support from the tanks as the Marines faced a hail of

gunfire despite a small Force making it across grael realized the enormity of the task and ordered his outnumbered men to retreat back across the bridge fighting continued around the bridge until 2 days later when an NVA sappa team destroyed it to prevent any more US Marines Crossing by the next morning it was becoming apparent that this was not going to be a brief battle that had hitherto been the norm as the Communists inside the Citadel prepared their positions while continuing to lay Siege to Chong and his men planning ahead it

was decided the South Vietnamese forces would force on clearing the Citadel while the US Marines under the local command of Colonel Stanley Hughes would focus on the modern sector the first task however would be to cut off the flow of supplies to the Communists in the city on February 2nd the first air Cavalry division’s third Brigade landed in strength to the North and the west of the city in an effort to isolate the troops inside the Citadel while in the coming days US forces conducted a number of sweep and clear operations along

known or suspected supply routes the Communist troops would not be dislodged however and for over a week and a half the jungle west of hue saw vicious combats between the two sides yet these actions did succeed in at least slowing the Communist supply chain meanwhile the Marines battle for the city was hampered by a dramatic turn in the weather heavy rain and strong winds may just moving difficult to say nothing of being on the lookout for skilled enemy snipers hiding in buildings or on rooftops Hughes established his new

command post at the macv compound on February 2nd while gravel and his men went on to First relieve a nearby communication post and then fight on to the university one of their main priorities being to safeguard US citizens not already rounded up by the snatch squads in the city Hughes then ordered gravel to secure the roots to the West for the flow of supplies while additional Marine and army units began the arduous process of clearing the streets of communist troops their stage in ground being the University

campus with gravel anchoring the Western flank back to the fuam canal Marines under leftenant Colonel Ernest chiam Jr a former NFL player and Veteran of the Korean war known as Big Ernie to his men marched northwards towards the treasury building however progress was painfully slow and he wouldn’t reach his objective until the morning of February 5th over the next week the Marines continue their battle for the modern sector of the city until on February 14th the fighting was reduced to mopping up actions of some of the VC who tried

to dissolve back into the general population and Escape sporadic combat in this area would continue but the battle for the modern sector had been won by the US however across the river the Communist flag was still flying over the Citadel while Chong’s men had managed to recapture the taoc Airfield and use it as a staging ground on February 2nd the battle had been costly and despite REM enforcements flown in by US Marines Chong had been unable to make any kind of successful breakout this prompted the Marines to

send in some of their own men to support Chong’s troops beginning on February 11th initially by helicopter and then by landing craft across the river which also carried a small number of M48 tanks moving towards the Imperial Palace the Marines faced heavy rain and even heavier enemy fire the thick walls and narrow Pathways favoring the Communist Defenders if anything the fighting in the Citadel was even more Savage than in the modern sector the effort to cut off the Communist from resupply and reinforcements proving only partially

successful but fortunately for the Marines and Chong earlier restrictions on heavier Firepower had been lifted as the fighting continued the battle lines fluctuated repeatedly then on February 14th a US Marine radio operator detected an NVA broadcast revealing an influx of reinforcements through the Western gate US Artillery pounded these forces as they approached preventing them from influencing the battle over the coming days the US and South Vietnamese fought to control this Western sector securing it after intense

street fighting on February 21st the remaining MVA and Viet Kong were now finally isolated from support and trapped in the southwest corner of the Citadel around the palace where they were slowly being strangled to death by the Marines and Chong’s forces despite the Marines being instrumental in the battle for the Citadel it was decided that for political reasons South Vietnamese troops should retake the palace despite stiff and determined resistance the Communists were now only fighting for time and on February 24th the South

Vietnamese flag was raised over the Citadel once again the last MVA and Viet Kong troops not already killed or captured disappeared into the population or out into the jungle towards Lao in a desperate effort to get back on the hoochi Min Trail to continue the fight Elsewhere on March 2nd 1968 the battle was formally declared as a victory in both both Washington and Saigon the battle Fue at that point was the longest single infantry Battle of the Vietnam conflict it cost the Arvin 385 men and the US Marine Corp another

147 but over 5,000 communist troops were killed however in the weeks that followed the true scale of death that encapsulated the battle came to be better known as mass graay would discovered containing the bodies of those who had been rounded up in the city in what was nothing short of a massacre the exact death toll has risen and fallen over time as historians continue to debate which deaths were due to this murderous Purge and which were a result of collateral damage during the combat but most published figures are in

the region of 4,000 dead although numbers higher and lower are frequently quoted reports from Witnesses describe communist troops undertaking an orgy of murder and violence which was not limited to the name on their list his entire families were butchered all together the Tet Offensive continued on after H and would provide the backdrop for some of the most brutal fighting of the war in Vietnam ultimately US forces would gain the upper hand and the expected Uprising in the South never took place forcing the fighting to go on

however in an ironic twist despite its strategic failure the Communist offensive accelerated calls in the US for troops to be withdrawn the following year US troops in Vietnam began to be be drawn down as president Richard Nixon adopted a policy of Vietnamization of the war which aimed to build up the South Vietnamese Army to such an extent that they could adequately take over all combat operations themselves this policy failed miserably for various reasons and in 1975 Vietnam was United under the Communist Banner