[Peter Halferty photo]. In the assault, the PAVN/VC killed four Marines and wounded another seven before withdrawing. The United States Air Force took control of the base in the late 1960s. They later found three enemy bodies at the site wearing black pajamas under their green utilities. By the afternoon of the 31st, the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep. Liked the Oriental rock bands came to the Club: Rummage reported about 50 PAVN dead with another 100 "probable." Just 19 when he arrived, the horrors he witnessed would forever shape him. The AC-47 then called in Marine fixed-wing attack aircraft which dropped Napalm with "outstanding coverage of target." He remembered that because of the number of casualties his battalion sustained, "it was necessary to employ administrative personnel on patrols" with "clerks, cooks, and drivers" on line. Robertson remembered that "the ceasefire was to be in effect and the regimental commanders reported intense fire from the enemy and requested authority to continue artillery fire, if necessary" Robertson granted the request and then "about 18:40 we got the word from III MAF that the ceasefire had been called off.[1]:142, For some time, the American forces had been aware that the PAVN/VC was about to launch some type of major offensive. He arrived with 19 other soldiers, eight of whom were embalmers. A summary of these attacks can be found on the Web site of the 366th. From their night positions, Company G observers saw large numbers of PAVN approaching them from the north. The PAVN then attacked forcing the Marine platoons to fall back to more defendable positions. Rummage radioed back that the AC-47 caught about 50 PAVN crossing a stream and the recon Marines could observe rounds hitting all around them. Doc, as his friends called him, was one of 58,200 Americans that died during the Vietnam War. from The New York Times: Police officers provided security for the marchers, and the march concluded peacefully at Maltepe, Istanbul (where . by Edward H. Phillips 2/1/2017. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. In the 3/7 Marines area of operations, about 2,000 meters west of Hill 55 on the other side of a bend in the Yen River, a squad from Company L at 11:45 ran into what eventually turned out to be a fairly large-sized PAVN unit. The only Marine casualties were two men who failed to vacate their "hootches" in time. A conglomeration of internal security forces threw back the VC force from the east that tried to use similar tactics to get inside the compound from that direction. Shortly after 01:00 on the 6th, PAVN gunners opened up on the hamlet with intermittent mortar rounds and small-arms fire. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In addition to the VC R-20th Battalion, south of Da Nang, the VC 1st and PAVN 3rd Regiments both part of the 2nd Division started to deploy toward G Ni Island. In one contact about 16:45, Company M, 3/5 Marines met a force of 100 PAVN/VC troops. DaNang Air Base was known as "rocket city" for the number of attacks that occurred there between 1965 and 1973. "[1]:1545, By this time, the Tet Offensive was in full bloom, not only at Da Nang, but throughout South Vietnam. [1]:160, By this time, Robertson was worried about the ability to contain the PAVN/VC offensive south of Da Nang. The reaction force itself came under automatic weapons fire and RPGs disabled the two tanks. "[1]:159, The heaviest action occurred in the 3/5 Marines and 4th Battalion, 51st ARVN sectors along Highway 1. The company arrived at its dispositions at 01:00 the following morning . [1]:147, After a lull of about an hour to an hour and a half, the enemy gunners renewed their assault on the Air Base and Marble Mountain Air Facility. From May 1968 to July 1970, the Army sergeant came of age in the U.S. Army mortuary at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon. Click here to view those.. Update: 12 December 2020. While the 1st MP Battalion supported by the 1st Tank Battalion established blocking positions north of the Cu River, the ARVN 3rd Battalion, 51st Regiment swept the sector south of the river. According to the U.S. West runway cratered, east runway open. Milantoni. With the departure of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in mid-January for Phu Bai Combat Base, the 3/7 Marines extended its area of operations to include An Hoa Combat Base to the south. During the Cuban missile crisis, the U.S. Marine Corps deployed a Hawk air defense missile battery from the 3d Light Antiaircraft Missile (LAAM) Battalion to Guantnamo Bay, Cuba, to protect the U.S. naval base from a surprise low-level air attack by Soviet and Cuban aircraft. Again, the Marines killed the VC and once more foiled an apparent enemy demolition effort. Vietnam Rocket City 1971-1972, Palm Bay, FL. Rocket attacks in 1972 Da Nang Vietnam a425couple Aug 29, 2017, 4:51:30 PM to Rocket attack 72 redhorse compound DaNang on: August 24, 2009, 08:06:45 pm Does anyone remember the date of. Moreover, once the PAVN units arrived south of Da Nang they "made no further attempts at maneuver even while being hunted by Marine and Army units, and when engaged, seldom maneuvered, except to withdraw." Photographer: Unknown Nng Air Base, AKA: Rocket City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base. Company M advanced toward a hamlet to the south of the ARVN. Air Vietnam also used the facility from 1951 to 1975 for civilian domestic and international flights within Southeast Asia. From the recovery of Lam's notebook and a detailed sketch map of Hill 10, the location of the 1/7 Marines' command post, the R-20 commander was obviously on an exploration mission to discover any vulnerability in the Marine battalion's defences. The first U.S. air strikes also occur against the Ho Chi Minh trail. They also mortared and rocketed MAG-13 at Chu Lai on 31 January 1968. [1]:142, While activity in the Army's 23rd Infantry (Americal) Divisions areas of operations in Qung Ngi and Qung Tn Provinces was somewhat diminished, there was enough enemy in northern and central I Corps to cause concern for both the American and South Vietnamese commands. 14 New Guns For 2022 by B. GIL HORMAN; A First-Year Magnum: Shooting The S&W "Pre-29" by JUSTIN DYAL; Contact; Donate; Eye Candy for the Gentlemen out there There were still ominous signs and actions that the enemy push on Da Nang was not over. You get your timing off and you've got problems. During one attack I was writing a letter home and thought my guys were injured because of the rocket attack and I remember the no smoking sigh flapping in the wind because of the scrapnel. "[1]:158, While the PAVN/VC forces continued to harass allied positions on the night of 31 January/1 February, the intensity of combat did not match that of the previous two nights. Da Nang was a major base area for United States and South Vietnamese military forces supporting operations throughout I Corps. Some viewers may find some scenes or audio in this archival material to be unsettling or distressing. Soon reports came in that the base was under attack and a Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF headquarters. The first half of my year in Vietnam (1967) I was stationed at the large U. S. base in Danang. NASM.2018.0025 . The aircraft may have been one of those used by Air America. with rocket and mortar attacks at the Da Nang and Marhle Mountain Airfields on 30 January, and hit the Marble Mountain facility once again on 31 January, They hit the new Quang Tri airstrip with Doth rockets and mortars on 24, 27, and 29 January. More like this Camp Friendship Korat Cat Air Force Special Operations Vietnam War Photos May Bay North Vietnam Air Force Bases Vietnam Veterans According to an NCO from the PAVN 31st Regiment captured in the fighting, the mission of his unit was to "attack Hi An, five times if necessary, and set up a liberation government. In the town itself, 10 civilians caught in the crossfire, sustained wounds, but no civilians died as a result of the battle. Hill received a telephone call at 03:45 on the 30th from Colonel Thomas Randall, the III MAF G-3, who asked him "to send three platoons to blocking positions south of I Corps headquarters." Apparently the forces were a mixed group from several different units interspersed together. According to Davis, a few hours later, Robertson called a division briefing for all battalion commanders. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. It also served to block one of the principal avenues of approach to Da Nang from the south. The Snack Bar was halfway between the barracks and Base Comm. "[1]:142, On the evening of 28 January, just west of Hiu c, a Marine squad from Company C, 1/7 Marines ambushed a three-man VC reconnaissance patrol. Attacks on DaNang Air Base "Rocket City" Information in this table is extracted from, Appendix I, "Air Base Defense in the Republic of Vietnam, 1960-1973" by Roger P. Fox. Two other squad patrols from Company C in the vicinity quickly joined the first squad. [1]:1601, On the morning of 7 February, Westmoreland called for a special meeting of the senior U.S. commanders in I Corps. In the pursuit, which amounted to a rout, the VC lost nearly 100 dead. Suspected excavations camouflaged with tree branches were seen on a peninsula 6 miles southwest of Da Nang. In the attack on the I Corps headquarters and in the defense of Ha Vang village the Allies sustained losses of nine dead and several wounded. However, because we did not have a firm grasp on the situation, our preparations had been cursory, the movement of our forces forward to seize attack positions had not been well organized and because enemy forces were too numerous and responded fiercely when we attacked, the forces that attacked the city on the night of 29-30 January were unable to seize their assigned objectives. Rising Storm 2: Vietnam - Check Out Chivalry 2https://store.steampowered.com/app/1824220/Chivalry_2/Green Army Thanksgiving!It is turkey time, so we have a Green Army . "We carried bullet clips in our pockets, but no weapons, because the rifle boxes were nailed shut in their shipping crates. Because of the location of Hill 65, just above Route 4 about 4,000 meters west of the district town of i Lc and below Charlie Ridge (155610N 1080542E / 15.936N 108.095E / 15.936; 108.095), where the VC had heavy machine gun emplacements which precluded any helicopter lift, the Marine company had to make the move on foot. Approximately at 02:00, about four of the 122mm rockets fell in or near the compound, one landing near the 1st Cavalry Division helipad temporarily located there, damaging four of the helicopters, but resulting in no Marine or Army casualties. To the south, in the Korean sector, the ROKMC with the assistance of the ARVN again drove PAVN/VC forces out of the Hi An environs. On 2 February, the Marines received a report that the PAVN 2nd Division had moved its headquarters 4 miles (6.4km) north, to a position above Route 4, from its previous location on Go Noi Island. The fighting during the preceding week had drawn down the strength of the ARVN and the two Marine battalions and the PAVN 2nd Division still had uncommitted units that it could throw into the fray. The lead column consisted of about 100 to 150 men, followed by the main body. The mortar attacks resulted in only five wounded and none killed among the Marine defenders. The NVA launched hundreds of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump. Marine counter-rocket fire from the 11th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions. The 3/5 Marines reported "a definite increase of enemy harassment" and the movement of sizeable enemy units into the Go Noi Island area (.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}1551N 10812E / 15.85N 108.2E / 15.85; 108.2). Captured 122mm Tripod Launcher. Base orientation brochure, Perimeter, Tent City. According to Marine intelligence reports, on 9 February, the 2nd Division moved its headquarters back to the Go Noi from its more forward positions. In both these sectors support troops doubled as infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols. Surprised by the initial assault, the engineers fell back, giving up half the camp to the attackers. Able to establish clear fields of fire in the rice paddy where the heaviest firefight occurred, the PAVN prevented the 7th Marines elements from closing with them. 366th AMS, Rocket attack BX, Gunfighter Pilots. The bulk of the attack force remained in Ha Vang Village bogged down in a firefight with local Popular Force (PF) and Regional Force (RF) troops reinforced by a USMC Combined Action Platoon (CAP), E-3. Archives. Company L, 3/5 Marines set up blocking positions on the east bank of the Yen. At 07:30, the ROKMC reported about 200 to 300 enemy troops still in Hi An. [1]:159, On the ground in the 7th Marines sector, PAVN units hit several of the CAPs, especially in the 3rd and 1st Battalion areas. During the night, VC resistance dwindled to sniper fire on the ROKMC positions. After the fixed-wing aircraft and evacuation helicopter cleared the area, the 11th Marines saturated the area with artillery fire. [1]:146, Lieutenant Colonel Twyman R. Hill's 1st MP Battalion operated directly under III MAF and was responsible for the "close-in defense" of the Da Nang Air Base, the two bridges between Tiensha Peninsula, Marble Mountain Air Facility and the Naval Hospital on the Tiensha (Tin Sa) Peninsula. The vintage footage in this video has been uploaded for research purposes, and is presented in unedited form. After a brief firefight, the VC troops withdrew taking any casualties with them. Finally, according to Marine intelligence officers, another "very reliable source" flatly stated "that the time of attack throughout MR (Military Region) 5 would be" at 01:30 and no later than 02:00 on 30 January. The U.S. major remonstrated that the site was relatively close to the compound, but Lm insisted that the air strikes be flown. "[1]:143, Throughout the Da Nang area of operations, the PAVN/VC began to move into attack positions. The only other Marine reserves available to the division were the provisional companies of the Northern and Southern Defense Commands. The nickname for DaNang was "Rocket City" garnering that appellation from the frequent attacks on it by means of the "Katyusha" which is the name given the Soviet BM-21 122mm artillery rocket. In a 1st Marine Division analyses, the author commented that the PAVN 2nd Division's approach was "along a single axis of advance so that his eventual target was easily identifiable." [1]:157, There were two serious incidents in the 7th Marines sector. The III MAF Command Center later that evening radioed MACV in Saigon: "Although the enemy has suffered heavy losses within his local and main force VC units during the past two days, he still possesses a formidable threat utilizing [PAVN] troops poised on the periphery of the Da Nang TAOR. These rockets had a range of several miles and were deadly. [1]:1589, For the next few days, there was a relative lull in the Da Nang sector, at least as compared to the last two days of January. While the Marine battalions successfully kept these initial assaults on the night of 5/6 February in check, Robertson was not sure how much longer they could. Robertson later compared the enemy activity that night to a "10-ring circus." Robertson shared these concerns with General Robert E. Cushman Jr., the III MAF commander. CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage. In the morning when searching the battle area, the Marines would find "ample evidence of enemy casualties, but only two enemy bodies." [1]:1423, From other sources, the Marine command learned of other ominous measures taken by the PAVN/VC forces in the Da Nang sector. Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the north of the ARVN base. According to the prisoner accounts, they were from the PAVN 3rd Battalion, 31st Regiment and confirmed that "Da Nang itself was the ultimate objective. The 11th Marines fired an artillery mission with unknown results. The attack started at 12:25 AM and an estimated 50 rounds of 122mm rockets were fired at the installation. in foreground gives perspective. [1]:159, While the Marines successfully thwarted this attempt, between 01:00 and 05:00 on the morning of the 6th, PAVN/VC gunners mortared or rocketed all of the command posts, fire bases and company combat bases in the 7th Marines sector. The attack force would consist of two groups, one to move by land and the other by water to knock out the bridge separating the city from Tiensha Peninsula and to capture the I Corps headquarters. With the PAVN too close to call in artillery or fixed-wing air, the Marines radioed for reinforcements. In the Hi Vn Pass area in the north, PAVN troops attempted to cut Highway 1. Aircraft destroyed included F-4 Phantom II's \u0026 C-130's. Although the Koreans and the ARVN surrounded most of the city, the VC still were able to keep their southern flank open. The Victory will be with us. Guards beat off the . At first light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails. One of the nicest persons died there on the day he was turning his outside plant tool kit. About 09:00, Lieutenant Colonel Rockey, the 3/5 Marines commander, ordered a small command group and two companies, Company M of his battalion and Company F, 2/3 Marines attached to his command, to the relief of the ARVN camp. One battalion was to deploy immediately, with the other to deploy the next day. They collected some 200 people that they detained for further questioning. According to Marine pilot reports, the PAVN/VC had approximately 250 men in the area equipped with automatic weapons, including at least one .51-caliber machine gun. Although authorizing the ceasefire, he warned all American commanders to be unusually alert because of "enemy increased capabilities ." [1]:154, The ROKMC sent three companies to close the southern link and then moved forward into the attack. In the northern sector of Da Nang, PAVN/VC main force troops entered Nam O once again and killed the hamlet chief. Scheduled to last eight weeks, Rolling Thunder will instead go on for three years. (L to R) Attack of 13 April 1972. Da Nang air base attacked in Vietnam by 40mm rockets 7 miles away, 47 killed many from local village (partial newsreel) Addeddate 2005-04-08 19:44:43 Color b&w Identifier 1967-03-03_Airbase_Shelled . Throughout the day, however, Marine units throughout the TAOR reported incidents. At 09:15, a squad from Company G, 2/7 Marines providing road security for a Marine engineer mine-sweeping team on Route 1 just below the pass, encountered a small PAVN sapper detachment. The Front announced that the 1968 Tt greeting of "Chairman Ho [Chi Minh] is actually a combat order for our entire Army and population. The fighting within the compound continued until daylight. Countermortar fire quickly silenced the enemy tubes. [1]:144, Shortly after midnight, Marine sentries from the 1st MP Battalion, posted near the main I Corps Bridge connecting Da Nang to the Tiensha (Tin Sa) Peninsula, spotted two swimmers near the span. Note: Dick previously sent us some Stars and Stripes clippings mentioning rocket attacks and other "newsworthy items" of the day. The armored force pushed through the hamlet and encountered only occasional small-arms fire. Miner attached two additional companies to the 3/7 Marines, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and Company H, 2/7 Marines to cover its extended area. [Peter Halferty photo]. Heavy explosions and fires on the base. In fact, elements of both regiments had reached jump-off points just south of the Cau Do River. . Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . The Koreans kept one company at the MACV compound for security and prepared for a sweep to clear out the city in the morning. Four ARVN M113 armored personnel carriers reinforced by a reconnaissance squad maneuvered to contain the attackers. Date: July 15, 1967.Visit us at www.CriticalPast.com:57,000+ broadcast-quality historic clips for immediate download.Fully digitized and searchable, the CriticalPast collection is one of the largest archival footage collections in the world. Use big bombs." 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines was in the north, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines was in the center and 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines was in the south. About 50 minutes later, another recon team, Air Hose, about 2,000 meters to the northeast of Saddle Bag, saw more than 50 enemy troops moving eastward. [1]:153, The attack on the western perimeter was probably the most serious thrust against Marine positions on the day and evening of 30 January. After dark, both sides withdrew, the Marines to night defensive positions and the PAVN to the west. Milantoni relayed the request to the air support center. AP Photo U.S. Marines landing in Da Nang, March 8, 1965. 1970, 1st Marines, AFVN, Armed Forces Vietnam Network, Assassination . Calling artillery upon the PAVN, the Marines then swept through the area and recovered about 17 60mm mortar rounds. . "[1]:144, By evening on the 29th, the 1st Marine Division at Da Nang was on 100-percent alert. On January 29, 1968, the night sky above the sprawling Bien Hoa Air Base, where I was on sentry patrol, appeared to be on fire. At the briefing, the division G-2 or intelligence officer, told the assembled officers that "they are finally going to come out and fight. 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