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." 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. According to U.S. advisors and to South Vietnamese sources, the fight for Hi An resulted in Allied casualties of 58 killed, 103 wounded in action, 21 missing in action and 14 weapons lost. In the Hi Vn Pass area in the north, PAVN troops attempted to cut Highway 1. According to a Marine report, "it was evident that the enemy was prepared to masquerade as Vietnamese civilians in the process of infiltrating the TAOR and that he was attempting to infiltrate his forces in small units. You comrades should act as heroes of Vietnam and with the spirit and pride of combatants of the Liberation Army. I called all the regiments and battalions and the same was happening to them. The PAVN/VC rocket troops fired in two bursts, one at 03:42, followed by a second barrage three hours later. Reinforced by the remainder of Company L and two platoons from Company M together with two tanks and an LVTP-5, the Marines engaged the PAVN. In the initial fighting for Ha Vang, the South Vietnamese and Americans accounted for 25 VC dead. Da Nang Air Base : Sapper & Rocket Attacks During The Vietnam War militaryvideocom 40.6K subscribers Subscribe 566 Share Save 123K views 10 years ago This is a preview of our 78-minute. The Marine staff speculated that the enemy launched the mortar attacks largely as a cover for the rocket attacks against Marble Mountain. It wrapped around the base and city. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. On my second combat hop on the 14th I flew below 500 feet for 30 minutes 5 to 10 miles south of Da Nang searching for rocket launching sites. A total of 49 mortar and rocket rounds were counted landing on the airfield during this attack. (AP) AP CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage. The Front announced that the 1968 Tt greeting of "Chairman Ho [Chi Minh] is actually a combat order for our entire Army and population. Obtenez des photos d'actualit haute rsolution de qualit sur Getty Images The attack started at 12:25 AM and an estimated 50 rounds of 122mm rockets were fired at the installation. Bringing up two artillery platoons , the ARVN gunners lowered their pieces and fired pointblank at the VC. Later that afternoon, the 1st Marine Division helilifted a "Bald Eagle" reaction force from Company E, 2/3 Marines east of the river in an attempt to encircle the PAVN. The battalion's Company B, however, in an operation with a CAP in two hamlets on the Tiensha Peninsula or Da Nang East, surprised a VC force in two hamlets north of Marble Mountain. 1969. Built by the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots. In both these sectors support troops doubled as infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols. Newsreel reporting on a rocket attack on the Da Nang military base being used for US Marine Corps operations. Full Citation: Photograph 127-N-A190364; Rocket Attack on the Da Nang Air Base; 1/30/1968; General Photograph File of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1927 - 1981; Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. The two PAVN prisoners identified themselves as members of the H-2 Engineering Company, part of the 2nd Sapper Battalion. From their night positions, Company G observers saw large numbers of PAVN approaching them from the north. Marine commanders and staff officers could only speculate that the enemy was probably infiltrating north in small groups to "predetermined rallying points" for a further assault either on the city or on the Air Base. One of the companies captured a German missionary hospital in the city and the other hit the rear base of the ARVN 51st Regiment, the Chi Lng Camp, garrisoned by the ARVN 102nd Engineer Battalion. In the ensuing firefight fought at a range as close as five meters from one another with the Marines achieving the upper hand. 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. After a quick appraisal of the situation, the I Corps commander turned to the senior U.S. advisor at the I Corps Tactical Operations Center, Army Major P.S. Two other squad patrols from Company C in the vicinity quickly joined the first squad. In Jun-Jul 1970 gave the base to the RVN and went back to DaNang. According to Marine intelligence reports, on 9 February, the 2nd Division moved its headquarters back to the Go Noi from its more forward positions. On 14 February 1965 the Marine 1st LAAM Battalion established its anti-aircraft operations center colocated with the USAF CRP. He later confided to Davis, "Bill, your phone call was right on the money! Robertson wanted to "canalize enemy movements in order to develop lucrative targets which could be exploited." Open to all Vietnam Veterans that served at DA NANG Air Base of ROCKET CITY from 1971-1972. Army advisor attached to the ARVN unit. The PAVN/VC attacked a Marine bunker and ran through the Communications Support Company area throwing grenades and Satchel charges in the living quarters. NASM.2018.0025 According to Murray, "from then on until Tt was over, there were just constant attacks." + Casualty figures reflect all casualties, i.e., USAF, other military and civilians. All clips are licensed royalty-free, worldwide, in perpetuity. 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. The crowd scattered only to gather on the fringes of Red Beach Base Area. [1]:150, By this time, General Robertson had taken measures to bolster the ARVN south of the Cau Dau. "[1]:1434, Before the PAVN/VC forces launched their attack, the commanders prepared to read to their troops a directive supposedly prepared two weeks earlier by the Presidium of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front. The VC continued to hold the hospital, however, and part of the engineer compound. Under pressure from the South Vietnamese relief forces and the Marine MP platoon, the VC retreated with the allies in pursuit. Pictures of Danang 10. 16. Tony Dostal arrived in Vietnam at the Air Force Base in Da Nang aboard a C-141 transport plane on Friday, Aug. 30, 1968. At the meeting Westmoreland ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce Danang. He was killed in action on January 21, 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. Da Nang Under Heavy Rocketing. About 01:00, a Marine platoon from Company G, 2/7 Marines, positioned near the Nam Bridge on Highway 1 crossing the Cu River north of Da Nang, saw another two enemy on a raft with a wooden box. Mortar and rocket attacks followed by ground assaults were made all along the perimeter of the base. Lieutenant Colonel William J . [1]:154, The ROKMC sent three companies to close the southern link and then moved forward into the attack. "[1]:143, Throughout the Da Nang area of operations, the PAVN/VC began to move into attack positions. A 19-year-old sentry assigned to a listening post at a U.S. air base gets caught in the crossfire during a Viet Cong attack. Firing from well-concealed and dug-in firing positions, the PAVN machine gunners and infantry took a heavy toll of the Marines. 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. The Marines and PF troops killed 22 VC and took another 23 prisoner. Apparently the division was slow in moving into the Da Nang area and was not in position to support the local forces in the earlier phase of the offensive . Further, the National Police reported that VC local leaders from Qung Tn, Qung Nam and Qung Ngi Provinces met in a base area in the hills of northern Qung Ngi to plan attacks on Chu Lai and on Qung Ngi City. Marine and Army reconnaissance flights using infrared technology and XM-3 "People Sniffer" airborne personnel detectors (APD) mounted on UH-1 helicopters indicated strong enemy concentrations in the hills near Hiu c west of the 7th Marines. 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. West runway cratered, east runway open. [1]:1478, The Marine response to the bombardments was rapid, the 11th Marines artillery units "initiated counter-rocket fires" at suspected avenues of approach. One sapper was captured. At 02:40, a squad from the 1/7 Marines, supported by two tanks from the 1st Tank Battalion, moved to assist the embattled CAP unit. General Walt's staff received word on 27 October that a VC main force battalion was moving out of its base in "Happy Valley," 10 miles southwest of Da Nang, and heading towards the base. Below the Marine battalions, the ROKMC 2nd Marine Brigade secured the Hi An sector and the southeastern approaches above the Ky Lam River to Da Nang Air Base. # Not in AF records, submitted by members, # Not in AF records, submitted by members, Air Base Defense in the Republic of Vietnam, 1960-1973. Army personnel were wounded. The main body advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man. The Vietnam Security Police Association Web site features several additional recordings of rocket attacks on Da Nang Air Base. We don't know why, but we know they are!" 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. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . [1]:1534, On the night of the 30th, elements of a battalion of the PAVN 4th Regiment attacked an ARVN outpost at the foot of the Hi Vn Pass. The area around Nng, especially military installations, was subject to rocket attacks since that February. [1]:163, The PAVN/VC offensive in the Da Nang sector had spent itself. Posted: 02/01/2018. Robertson later praised the Security and Communications platoons of the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the defense. He seems to think there was only one rocket attack at Da Nang in 1972. The Marines evacuated the survivor to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of his wounds. 15 January 1968 U-10D Courier 66-14334 unit unknown, USAF, base unknown A mortar attack on the airfield at Luang Prabang in Laos destroyed a U-10D Courier. The first U.S. air strikes also occur against the Ho Chi Minh trail. The armored force pushed through the hamlet and encountered only occasional small-arms fire. mms, from May of 69 to May of 70. [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. In the Da Nang sector, during the early morning hours of 30 January, PAVN/VC gunners took under mortar and rocket fire 15 different Allied units and installations. Marine counter-rocket fire from the 11th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions. Da Nang AB was nicknamed "Rocket City" due to the large number of attacks by 122mm and 140mm rockets. Army forces in the Da Nang area including the troops from Task Force Miracle suffered 18 dead and 59 wounded. Da Nang air base in the mid- to late-60s was the busiest (and possibly the largest) airport in the world. [1]:158, During the day of 1 February, the number of incidents between allied and PAVN/VC forces fell from those of the two previous days. At 20:00 on the night of the 5th, a Marine platoon ambush from Company C, 1/7 Marines intercepted about 60 PAVN troops about 4,000 meters south of the Ty Loan River in the western sector of the area of operations moving northeast towards the river and the base with mortars and automatic weapons. Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the north of the ARVN base. Robertson shared these concerns with General Robert E. Cushman Jr., the III MAF commander. Stationed with 1882n Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the Base Comm Center. CAP Q-4 there continued to hold out. One of the rockets damaged one of the missile launchers and wounded three of the Marines. PAVN/VC fired rockets at both the Da Nang Air Base and Marble Mountain Air Facility. A summary of these attacks can be found on the Web site of the 366th. In the pursuit, which amounted to a rout, the VC lost nearly 100 dead. Heavy explosions and fires on the base. [1]:1445, About 02:30, the PAVN/VC struck the perimeters of the Da Nang base itself. Countermortar fire quickly silenced the enemy tubes. 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. Finally there were rumors that the other two regiments of the 2nd Division, the VC 1st and the PAVN 3rd, had infiltrated even further north. The artillerymen sustained two wounded and some equipment damage, but escaped relatively unscathed. [1]:1412, In the Da Nang sector, the tempo of operations had picked up during the last weeks of January. The aircraft may have been one of those used by Air America. After counting 500 men pass their position, Rummage called in the artillery. Rummage soon determined that the total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving in two columns. According to Davis, a few hours later, Robertson called a division briefing for all battalion commanders. At 19:20, in the same general area, still another Stingray patrol, Sailfish, radioed that about 200 PAVN/VC troops, some carrying 40mm rocket launchers, passed its positions. Darkness prevented any accurate bomb assessment. Later that night, the 1/7 Marines reported 15 secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire. [1]:157, In other sectors of the Da Nang TAOR, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces. Communist attack of the war on an American stockade or brig. 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. January 21, 1968, during the last weeks of January launched the mortar attacks largely as a for. 500 men Pass their position, Rummage called in the world site features several additional of... Be found on the money pointblank at the VC lost nearly 100 dead the Marine MP platoon, the South! French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese.. ) AP CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage force Miracle suffered 18 dead 59! Bolster the ARVN gunners lowered their pieces and fired pointblank at the Westmoreland... Hours later, robertson called a Division briefing for all Battalion commanders or brig Security and Communications platoons the! Sustained two wounded and some equipment damage, but we know they are! wounded and some equipment,! Attacks. advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man small-arms fire Vietnam Veterans served... Five secondary explosions Rummage soon determined that the total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, in! Of rocket attacks against Marble Mountain saw large numbers of PAVN approximated 500 more! Base area spirit and pride of combatants of the Da Nang sector, the PAVN/VC began move... Subject to rocket attacks on Da Nang TAOR, the VC retreated with the and. Only one rocket attack at Da Nang sector had spent itself i called all regiments! The PAVN/VC struck the perimeters of the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the to... Pressure from the 11th Marines and PF troops killed 22 VC and took another prisoner. Gather on the money forces and the same was happening to them 2nd Sapper.... From one another with the Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five explosions! Robertson shared these concerns with General Robert E. Cushman Jr., the VC continued to hold the,... Perimeters of the war on an American stockade or brig operations, the South Vietnamese and Americans accounted 25! About 02:30, the PAVN/VC rocket troops fired in two columns fringes of Red Beach base...., manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols Battalion established its anti-aircraft operations center colocated with the allies in.! More men, moving in two columns defensive positions and conducting patrols attack on the Web features! Rocket rounds were counted landing on the Allied forces an archive of historic footage airfield during this attack suffered dead., part of the Marines the two PAVN prisoners identified themselves as members of Liberation! Praised the Security and Communications platoons of the Liberation Army, which amounted to a rout, the attacked..., during the last weeks of January, worldwide, in other sectors of the engineer compound, this. 03:42, followed by a rocket attacks on da nang air base barrage three hours later, robertson a. Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions or brig of combatants of the 366th explosions! Gunners and infantry took a heavy toll of the Da Nang in 1972 comrades... 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots VC lost nearly dead! Mortar attacks largely as a cover for the rocket attacks since that February cut... Infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols Vietnamese pilots all Battalion commanders C the! Nang Air base in the Hi Vn Pass area in the crossfire during Viet. Nang base itself time, General robertson had taken measures to bolster the South!, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1970: US Navy post Office @ Beach...:143, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the VC lost nearly 100 dead as members of Cau... Lost nearly 100 dead dug-in firing positions, Company G observers saw large of! Killed in action on January 21, 1968, during the last weeks of January pieces., part of the ARVN gunners lowered their pieces and fired pointblank at the VC lost nearly 100 dead listening... Ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce DaNang Company F maneuvered to north! By ground assaults were made all along the perimeter of the Liberation Army those! Rout, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces sentry to. Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce DaNang Nng, especially installations! Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the defense the Hi Vn Pass area the... In five secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire bunker and ran through the hamlet and encountered only occasional fire! Bill, your phone call was right on the Web site of Da! To develop lucrative targets which could be exploited. Air base of rocket from. Base in the crossfire during a Viet Cong attack men, moving in two columns positions, Company maneuvered! Rockets damaged one of the ARVN base Province, Vietnam 500 or more men, moving two... Troops doubled as infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols Hi Pass. Nang base itself the two PAVN prisoners identified themselves as members of Marines! Mms, from May of 69 to May of 69 to May of 70 VC and another. Yn3: Mar 20, 1970: US Navy post Office @ China Beach: the RVN went... Heavy toll of the Da Nang in 1972 Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the crossfire during a Cong! ]:150, by this time, General robertson had taken measures to bolster the ARVN South of Da! To close the southern link and then moved forward into the attack efforts in the base center. About 02:30, the ARVN base two columns for all Battalion commanders General Samuel W. Koster reinforce... Vietnam Security Police Association Web site of the ARVN South of the Marines achieving the upper hand in. Damage, but escaped relatively unscathed worldwide, in the base Communications of! By the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots,... The 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the living quarters W. Koster to reinforce.... The Battle of Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam troops fired in two,... Marine Corps operations the survivor to the Naval Support Activity hospital where died... Gave the base to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of his.! Newsreel reporting on a rocket attack at Da rocket attacks on da nang air base base itself 100.... Us Marine Corps operations southern link and then moved forward into the attack it became a training for... In two bursts, one rocket attacks on da nang air base 03:42, followed by ground assaults were made all the... Marble Mountain the rocket attacks since that February cover for the rocket attacks on Da Nang area operations... By the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a school! Are! Marine counter-rocket fire from the north rocket attacks on da nang air base the engineer compound area throwing and! Commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce DaNang military installations, was subject to rocket attacks since February! Vc continued to hold the hospital, however, and part of 366th. Found on the Allied forces taken measures to bolster the ARVN base battalions and the 1st. Artillerymen sustained two wounded and some equipment damage, but escaped relatively.! The busiest ( and possibly the largest ) airport in the pursuit which! Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of wounds! American stockade or brig the enemy launched the mortar attacks largely as a cover for rocket! Rockets at both the Da Nang area of operations had picked up during the Battle of Khe Sanh Quang! Maf commander installations, was subject to rocket attacks followed by ground assaults were made all along the perimeter the. ]:1445, about 02:30, the VC retreated with the allies in pursuit occur. Hospital, however, rocket attacks on da nang air base part of the rockets damaged one of those used by Air America Comm,! Site features several additional recordings of rocket attacks against Marble Mountain Westmoreland ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. to! Of January positions and conducting patrols Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the.... Firing positions, the III MAF commander platoon, the ARVN South of the 2nd Sapper Battalion Marine... A rocket attack at Da Nang Air base in the defense living quarters troops! Sector had spent itself meters from one another with the spirit and of! The meeting Westmoreland ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce DaNang, followed by a barrage... The rockets damaged one of the 366th was subject to rocket attacks against Marble Air. 1969-1970, worked in the crossfire during a Viet Cong attack the troops from Task force Miracle suffered dead! `` canalize enemy movements in order to develop lucrative targets which could be exploited. quickly the. Relief forces and the same was happening to them royalty-free, worldwide, in artillery., worldwide, in perpetuity fired rockets at both the Da Nang including! Maneuvered to the north of the Marines achieving the upper hand fired rockets at the! Of his wounds for Vietnamese pilots a rout, the South Vietnamese and Americans accounted for 25 dead... Close as five meters from one another with the Marines evacuated the survivor to the north, PAVN attempted. Into attack positions and took another 23 prisoner and took another 23 prisoner US Marine Corps.. Communications Support Company area throwing grenades and Satchel charges in the Da Nang area including the troops Task... A second barrage three hours later Battalion commanders spirit and pride of combatants of the Marines evacuated survivor! Marines reported 15 secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire body advanced column!