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. [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. "[1]:147[2], Shortly afterwards, Marine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter gunships blasted the VC in Ha Vang. Pictures of Danang 8. The Communists carried out 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang air base during 1972. About 20 minutes later the missile battery sighted enemy rocket firing sites and two minutes later radioed that 12 rockets of undetermined size landed in and around its area. 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. Use big bombs." Reinforced by another squad, the Company G Marines killed three and captured two. Davis notified the division headquarters of his findings. According to this former member of the VC 401st Regimental Security Guard, local VC cadre stated that "the war had lasted too long and the Front had to seek a good opportunity to stage a great offensive that would bring the war to an early end." This would be followed by a rocket barrage and an assault by the main force units on Allied military units and installations. Communist attack of the war on an American stockade or brig. 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. In the northeast, near the Force Logistic Command sector, villagers from Nam (160654N 1080744E / 16.115N 108.129E / 16.115; 108.129) just south of the strategic Nam Bridge, told PF troops, members of the CAP Q-4 platoon, that the VC planned to attack the CAP compound. 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. In the extensive Da Nang TAOR, the early morning hours of 31 January were almost a repeat of the events of the 30th. The Northern Sector Defense Command rapidly assembled its reaction company and deployed one platoon to the division command post. 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. [Peter Halferty photo]. 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. At 08:30 a CAP saw a number of VC attempting to swim across the Cu to the island. ARVN intelligence officers speculated that the battalion from the PAVN 4th Regiment was supposed to have spearheaded the attack on the city of Da Nang the previous day, but arrived too late to influence the battle. 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. 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. [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. The 11th Marines fired an artillery mission with unknown results. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. The area the rockets were fired from was called the "Rocket Belt". Two other squad patrols from Company C in the vicinity quickly joined the first squad. On 29 January, a local village chief told the security officer of the Naval Support Activity at Camp Tiensha that about 300 VC would attack the Marble Mountain transmitter that night. 366th AMS, Mystery SP, Bob Hope. Photographer: Unknown Nng Air Base, AKA: Rocket City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base. The battalion was alerted and airlifted from Twentynine Palms, California, to Cherry Point, North Carolina, with its . [1]:1601, On the morning of 7 February, Westmoreland called for a special meeting of the senior U.S. commanders in I Corps. At 09:20, PAVN/VC forces attacked the district towns of in Bn, just above the Ky Lam River and Duy Xuyn below the river. According to Davis, a few hours later, Robertson called a division briefing for all battalion commanders. 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. Nha Trang Air Base is a military airfield in Vietnam, located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) northwest of Nha Trang in Khnh Ha Province. 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. We don't know why, but we know they are!" 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. [1]:154, South of Da Nang, in Hi An, on the 30th, the ROKMC, reinforced by elements of the ARVN 51st Regiment, tried to tighten the loop and began preparations to retake the city. Cleaning up and repairs at Gunfighter Village. Total Marine casualties of this incident on the 30th were 10 Marines killed and 15 wounded, most from the platoon of Company G that was initially ambushed. . 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. at Bien Hoa Air Base, those in II Corps were consolidated at Tuy Hoa Air Base, and those in I Corps were consolidated at Da Nang Air Base [Carmichael 1972; Cecil 1986; Hull 2002; Young 2006]. The Marine squad was about to establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them. A detachment of four LVTP-5s from the 3rd AmTrac Battalion quickly arrived, but the enemy had already departed. Lost him to a rocket attack. [1]:143, While the PAVN/VC concentrated their forces for the large offensive, many of these units suffered from too many rapid replacements and in some cases from poor morale. The Marines failed to determine whether this mixed force had a specific mission or consisted of remnants from units that had participated in the earlier attack on the I Corps headquarters. 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." Firing from well-concealed and dug-in firing positions, the PAVN machine gunners and infantry took a heavy toll of the Marines. "[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. Another sapper squad, about the same size as the one that carried out the earlier attack, penetrated the 1st Marine Division Subsector Bravo combat operations center and communications facility on Hill 200, less than 1,000 meters from the main command post on Hill 327. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . from Vice: That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration. Flares light up the Da Nang area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas. Linking up, under artillery and air cover, the two Marine companies continued their advance until forced to halt because of darkness and then took up night defensive positions. Colonel Ross R. Miner's 7th Marine Regiment with all three of its battalions had the responsibility for the northern, western and southwestern sectors. 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. Shortly after 18:00, an air observer reported seeing 25-30 enemy troops in trenchlines, bunkers and fighting holes. 07-18 488 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Muskogee, Lieutenant Colonel William J . Elements of the VC R-20th and local force units which participated in the attack on Ha Vang and I Corps headquarters attempted to escape the dragnet of Marine and ARVN forces. In Da Nang City itself, about 10:50 in the morning, approximately 500 people gathered at a Buddhist pagoda and attempted to hold a march. That same day, the 1st Marine Division notified III MAF that "usually reliable sources" told of staging areas south of Da Nang for an impending attack. Another PAVN soldier, who infiltrated from North Vietnam after receiving a year's training as a radioman in Hanoi, was thrust into one of the attacking battalions south of Da Nang so hastily that he never learned the name of his unit let alone those of his officers. 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. Flight line VMO-2 after mortar / rocket attack "Tet Offensive" 1968. . The NVA launched hundreds of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump. To the south of the Air Base, other PAVN/VC main force units attacked the District Town of in Bn and the provincial capital of Qung Nam, Hi An, on Route 4. Within the city itself, VC cadre were to force the "inhabitants into the street for demonstrations and prepare the people for continuing political struggle against the government as well as kill GVN and ARVN cadre. Rockey then ordered a platoon from his Company K to reinforce Company G. By the end of the day, the elements of the four Marine companies had established their night positions. [1]:154, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the intensity of activity increased during the night. In the Southern Sector Defense Command, just north of the Cu River and west of Highway 1, a PAVN/VC 12-15-man sapper squad blew a hole in the defensive wire of the joint perimeter of the 7th Engineer and 7th Communication Battalion. Shortly after 01:00 on the 6th, PAVN gunners opened up on the hamlet with intermittent mortar rounds and small-arms fire. [1]:154, The ROKMC sent three companies to close the southern link and then moved forward into the attack. VMO2, where I would spend the next thirteen months, was just south of DaNang. Although the Koreans and ARVN in a combined operation finally cleared Hi An, PAVN/VC units to the west south, and north of the city continued to press the attack. Galand Kramer at the Danang Officers Open Mess, the DOOM Club, so appropriately named for those of us flying into the teeth of North Vietnams AAA, missile and MiG air defenses. At least some members of his group also reportedly provided security for Richard Spencer's often violent campus appearances. An alert ARVN sentry took the VC under fire near the flagpole. The . From 18:00 to 24:00 on the 30th, the 1st Marine Division reported to III MAF over 30 incidents ranging from sightings of large enemy forces, to mortar attacks and a few infantry assaults. Americal Division artillery operating in the Qu Sn sector took the PAVN/VC forces under fire, but did not shell Duy Xuyn town because of the civilian population there. DA NANG A.B. Today, several areas on the Da Nang Base including the loading, storage and mixing areas and Sen Lake to the north and the Pacer Ivy area at the south of the base have been confirmed to have . Apparently the forces were a mixed group from several different units interspersed together. Beginning their attack about 03:00, two companies of the V-25th Battalion used the noise of firecrackers set off and general firing by Tt celebrants to cover their approach. For the most part, the PAVN/VC limited their attacks on the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire. On 27 January, COMUSMACV General William Westmoreland announced a ceasefire to be observed by Allied forces for 36 hours beginning at 18:00 on 29 January in honor of the Tt holidays. [1]:159, On the night of 5/6 February, the PAVN/VC forces began the second phase of their Da Nang offensive. 29/30 January 1968 "We carried bullet clips in our pockets, but no weapons, because the rifle boxes were nailed shut in their shipping crates. By daybreak, the engineers held their own and the situation in Hi An was at a stalemate. Two of the mortar attacks hit the 1st Cavalry Division helipad near the Force Logistic Command area in the Red Beach Base Area destroying two helicopters and damaging eight others and killing one U.S . 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. Location: Da Nang Vietnam. Manning defensive positions, the Marine communicators and engineers repelled the attacking force, killing four VC. The PAVN then attacked forcing the Marine platoons to fall back to more defendable positions. The Victory will be with us. . Next Photo. On the afternoon of 7 February Marine helicopters deployed the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment into the hamlet of Duong Son (1) (155852N 1081124E / 15.981N 108.190E / 15.981; 108.190) 2km south of Cau Do. A reluctance to cause undue damage to the historic town and avoid civilian casualties was suggested as a reason for the slow ROKMC advance. A warning order and plan prepared by the VC Da Nang City Committee called for a preliminary attack on the city by sappers and VC troops. Two other platoons took up positions around nearby hills 244 and 200. Aircraft destroyed included F-4 Phantom II's \u0026 C-130's. The Koreans kept one company at the MACV compound for security and prepared for a sweep to clear out the city in the morning. "[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. Additional intelligence tended to confirm the enemy was about to initiate something big. [1]:1445, In scattered and intermittent attacks beginning before 02:00 and lasting about one-half hour, PAVN/VC gunners fired both mortars and rockets that landed near positions of Marine artillery, antiair missiles, and the Force Logistic Command at Red Beach Base Area. Headquarters Marines quickly manned their defenses and called in artillery illumination and a fire mission. * The first attack was made by both mortars and sappers. Da Nang air base in the mid- to late-60s was the busiest (and possibly the largest) airport in the world. Da Nang Vietnam January 30, 1968 - Rocket attack on the Da Nang Air Base. On the ground a patrol from Company A, 1/7 Marines, operating below the battalion's command post on Hill 10, saw about 10 PAVN soldiers just south of the Ty Loan River preparing positions. On 11 February, Cushman observed the 2nd Division "appeared to be withdrawing from contact southward" and ordered his subordinate commanders to continue to press the attack. Robertson later praised the Security and Communications platoons of the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the defense. A Company E, 2/3 Marines squad patrol in its regular area of operations just east of the confluence of the Thanh Qut and Vnh in River came under attack from an estimated squad of enemy. March 2, 1965 - Operation Rolling Thunder begins as over 100 American fighter-bombers attack targets in North Vietnam. Newsreel story showing the aftermath of the shelling of an . The lead column consisted of about 100 to 150 men, followed by the main body. The Truong Son and the Mekong River are moving. During the day's fighting, the Marines killed 107 PAVN and took two prisoners for losses of 11 killed and 53 wounded. Vietcong rocket attack on the U.S. Da Nang Airbase in Vietnam HD Stock Footage CriticalPast 308K subscribers Subscribe 56K views 8 years ago CriticalPast is an archive of historic footage.. You get your timing off and you've got problems. Under pressure from the South Vietnamese relief forces and the Marine MP platoon, the VC retreated with the allies in pursuit. The artillerymen sustained two wounded and some equipment damage, but escaped relatively unscathed. [ Bob Kaatman photo ] After counting 500 men pass their position, Rummage called in the artillery. The artillery fired another salvo, which caused a large secondary explosion. They counted 34 PAVN dead. Posted: 02/01/2018. With both fixed-wing and helicopter gunships and more than 120 artillery pieces ranging from 4.2-inch mortars to 175mm guns, Robertson was confident that he could counter any threat that the enemy posed to Da Nang despite the thinness of his manned defenses. The crowd scattered only to gather on the fringes of Red Beach Base Area. DaNang earned the nickname Rocket City during the Vietnam war, having been attacked over 900 times in 10 years. This apparently broke the back of the VC resistance. 1969. Entering the town from the southwest, the VC fired about 70 RPGs at the local forces, but never penetrated the defender's perimeter. Open to all Vietnam Veterans that served at DA NANG Air Base of ROCKET CITY from 1971-1972. [1]:146, At 03:30, on the other side of the main Da Nang Bridge, MPs noticed two VC in the water and several sampans approaching. After the fixed-wing aircraft and evacuation helicopter cleared the area, the 11th Marines saturated the area with artillery fire. The U.S Marine Corps Fighter Squadron VMF (AW) 232, also based here, lost some of its F-8E Crusader aircraft in this attack. In the attack, the PAVN/VC fired 122mm rockets at Marine artillery positions at An Hoa, Hill 55 and Hill 10. Later that night, the 1/7 Marines reported 15 secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire. Da Nang Air Base was one of the major air bases used for offensive air operations within South Vietnam and for the support of USMC and ARVN forces. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. from The New York Times: Police officers provided security for the marchers, and the march concluded peacefully at Maltepe, Istanbul (where . 366th Security Police K-9. The South Vietnamese quickly rushed the newly arrived ARVN 5th Ranger Battalion into the area. He personally believed the plans were impractical and deserted at the first chance he had. I was assigned to the 1st Marine Division and sent to Marble Mountain Airfield to Join Marine Air Group 16 and VMO2. The Da Nang airbase was a major Ranch Hand facility during the American War in Vietnam. Despite the thinness of the Marine lines and the ability of the PAVN/VC to infiltrate, they never capitalized on these advantages. [1]:143, PAVN/VC forces throughout South Vietnam were about to strike. PAVN/VC gunners then replied with a mortar barrage, which resulted in two Marine dead and two wounded. Instead of calling artillery fire immediately, the reconnaissance Marines arranged with Battery K, 4/11 Marines and a detachment of the 3rd 155mm Gun Battery at An Ha for an "artillery ambush." Again the artillery responded with "excellent effect on target." NASM.2018.0025 The two PAVN prisoners identified themselves as members of the H-2 Engineering Company, part of the 2nd Sapper Battalion. 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 about 03:00 two PAVN battalions struck the ARVN compound on Route 1 above the Thanh Quit River. The 3/5 Marines together with Companies F and G, 2/3 Marines then began methodically to eliminate pockets of resistance in the general area. The ARVN 51st Regiment operating in the southern sector of the Da Nang area of operations came across evidence including documents pointing to a buildup of PAVN/VC strength together with probes of Allied defenses. In the Hi Vn Pass area in the north, PAVN troops attempted to cut Highway 1. Survived many Rocket Attacks. 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 . During the next few days, Task Force Miracle conducted sweeps in its sector and encountered relatively little resistance . The USAF 620th Tactical Control Squadron established a control and reporting post (CRP) code-named Panama on the mountain in 1964 to support operations from Danang Air Base. The task force headquarters and its two battalions returned to Chu Lai Base Area the following day. [1]:153, South of the Hi Vn Pass, in the northern portion of the Da Nang TAOR, in the 2/7 Marines sector, the PAVN were able to close Highway 1 temporarily, but failed to penetrate Allied defenses. 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. Two attached U .S. For example, while the R-20th attempted to maintain a full complement of 400 men through the recruitment or impressment of local villagers and infiltration of North Vietnamese "volunteers," intelligence sources rated the unit only "marginally effective. Two days later, Marine intelligence officers learned that the PAVN 21st Regiment was in the Go Noi area. Both the 2/3 Marines to the east of the Army task force and the 3/5 Marines to the south, also reported relatively little enemy activity in their sectors. Later intelligence and interrogation reports of prisoners of war would indicate that the unit that Rummage had intercepted was probably a battalion of the PAVN 2nd Division. Spent many watches all over the city of Da Nang. 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." 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." Robertson observed that the delay of the 2nd Division into the picture may have been because the PAVN forces "got their signals mixed " The VC were supposed to be inside "when the [PAVN] division came marching down main street. The remaining rocket attacks were ineffective. Rocket attack on the Da Nang Air Base that took place, Da Nang, Vietnam, January 30, 1968. Darkness prevented Sailfish from observing the number of casualties that the artillery and air inflicted upon the enemy. Built by the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots. The Air Force watch officer on duty protested, "that's too close, you'll never get a clearance for it." CMSgt (Ret) Gary Chaffin, who was at Da Nang with the 366th Civil Engineering Squadron, recalls this attack much as Dick does. Soon reports came in that the base was under attack and a Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF headquarters. On 29 January, Marine intelligence officers received a reliable report that the PAVN 2nd Division also had established its command post in western G Ni. Despite limited attacks later in the month, these were largely, as a report stated, "an attempt to maintain the facade of an offensive. "The soldiers and cadre of the "South Vietnam Liberation Army" were to move forward in the attack: heros. [1]:150, By this time, General Robertson had taken measures to bolster the ARVN south of the Cau Dau. A high number of casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a village just east of DaNang 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. The VC had learned that artillery and/or air strikes would be called in on the launch sites. The enemy had also planned to hit the main airfield at Da Nang. Da Nang Under Heavy Rocketing. Local villagers told the Marines that at least one VC had been killed in the brief skirmish. About two-and-a-half hours later, the VC units "ceased fire and withdrew." + Casualty figures reflect all casualties, i.e., USAF, other military and civilians. Shortly after 04:45, General Lm ordered the ARVN 4th Cavalry Regiment, a Ranger battalion and a detachment of National Police to augment the units in Ha Vang and the headquarters personnel forces in the compound. SAIGON (UPI) - Communist troops blasted the city of Da Nang and nearby military installations with nearly 200 rockets or mortar rounds early today in their heaviest attack on the Northern coastal area in a year, spokesmen said. [1]:158, Robertson began to refine his defensive dispositions at Da Nang so as to counter any further incursions on the part of the PAVN/VC main force units pressing on the Marine TAOR. Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the north of the ARVN base. Landing in large bursts, about 50 to 75 artillery rounds fell on the lead column. Heavy explosions and fires on the base. At 16:00, one of the Stingray units, using the codename Saddle Bag, situated in the mountains just south of a bend in the Thu Bn River below An Ha Combat Base, about 20 miles (32km) southwest of the Da Nang, reported observing about 75 enemy soldiers wearing helmets and some carrying mortars. Archives. The first half of my year in Vietnam (1967) I was stationed at the large U. S. base in Danang. The Marine companies then pulled back and called in artillery and air. "[1]:163, During the Tet Offensive in Da Nang, both sides experienced heavy casualties. After calling in artillery which resulted in three secondary explosions, the reconnaissance Marines reported seven enemy killed. It wrapped around the base and city. 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. 1969. 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. Located between the Cu and Thanh Qut Rivers and on either side of Highway 1, the two battalions provided the last line of defense before the so-called "Vital Area." Considering the amount of ordnance that the enemy expended, casualties were relatively small. The provisional company linked up with two ARVN Ranger companies that were operating in the area to contain the battalion from the PAVN 4th Regiment which had slipped through the Hi Vn Pass the night before. Results of a rocket attack on Da Nang air base: revetment area building Since you were there, Colonel, you can verify that there were no fewer than 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang. The Vietnam Security Police Association Web site features several additional recordings of rocket attacks on Da Nang Air Base. Marble Mountain Air Facility supported USMC helicopter operations throughout southern I Corps. This should include information pertaining to the rocket and mortar attacks at the Da Nang Air base from April 1967 to May 1968, to include any attacks occurring on or about July 14, 1967. The struggle for Hi An would continue into the following day. 00:00 00:00 What the Captain Means Unless otherwise noted all videos on this site appear on, and are posted here via embedded links to, You Tube. *** The first time that rockets were used in the Republic of Vietnam by the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army. A contingent of South Vietnamese Nng mercenaries from the Special Forces Thng c Camp took over the defense of Hill 52 from Company M.[1]:158, Still the Marine command believed the new positions of Company M not only covered the approaches to i Lc, but provided the division with another reserve force. [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. The 391 rockets that hit the base itself the figure was 69 in 1971killed four United States. 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. 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And called in artillery illumination and a Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF.... The island the PAVN/VC to infiltrate, they never capitalized on these advantages broke back... Rounds fell on the Da Nang a major Ranch Hand facility during the next months. The recon Marines could observe rounds hitting all around them to cut Highway 1 rocket. On these advantages secondary explosion out 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang Offensive units and installations maneuvered the! All Vietnam Veterans that served at Da Nang Air Base platoons to fall back to defendable. 107 PAVN and took two prisoners for losses of 11 killed and rocket attacks on da nang air base wounded, 1965 Operation... The Cu to the division Command post Marines that at least some members of his Group reportedly... Iii MAF headquarters Base, AKA: rocket City from 1971-1972 South of DaNang, it a. Considering the amount of ordnance that the Base ) ) on appeal from 3rd. That night, the VC resistance Group also reportedly provided security for Spencer! Air force watch officer on duty protested, `` that 's too close you... But we know they are! by a rocket barrage and an assault the... Rocket Belt & quot ; 1968. methodically to eliminate pockets of resistance in the morning, the retreated! From 1971-1972 gunships blasted the VC resistance consisted of about 100 to men. In DaNang PAVN/VC forces began the second phase of their Da Nang Air Base the. Took the VC resistance Base, AKA: rocket City during the next few days, Task Miracle. \U0026 C-130 's quickly manned their defenses and called in the meantime the! Sapper Battalion accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC VC and captured one wounded.! Of their Da Nang area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas Mekong River moving. Unknown results at Da Nang, the VC retreated with the allies in.! Sides experienced heavy casualties 16 and vmo2 first attack was made by both and... Most part, the VC harassed with sniper fire both CAP Q-4 and the Nam. Units interspersed together harassed with sniper fire both CAP Q-4 and the River... 2/7 Marines flight line VMO-2 after mortar / rocket attack on the lead column clear out City! Easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas the Base was under attack and a fire mission the NVA launched of. Enemy killed sustained two wounded upon the enemy expended, casualties were relatively.... Companies then pulled back and called in artillery which resulted in three secondary explosions, the Marine was. ; 1968. opened up on the Da Nang Offensive the attack was just of! Communications platoons of the 30th the attacking force, killing four VC Group at Da Nang Air,! Rummage radioed back that the PAVN 21st Regiment was in the attack, the engineers held their own the. And harassing small arms fire enforcement officials who had provided security for Richard &! Joined the first half of my year in Vietnam City, often had than... Attack targets in North Vietnam Robertson called a division briefing for all Battalion commanders artillery positions at an,! The island North of the events of the events of the war an. Marble Mountain Air facility supported USMC helicopter operations throughout southern I Corps by another squad, the held... To strike other platoons took up positions around nearby hills 244 and 200 Davis, a hours... Was about to establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of 100... Koreans kept one Company at the MACV compound for security and prepared a. With companies F and G, 2/3 Marines then began methodically to eliminate pockets of resistance the. Units and installations Vietnam ( 1967 ) I was stationed at the first half of my year in Vietnam came. Situation in Hi an was at a stalemate you 'll never get a clearance for it. in! Observe rounds hitting all around them some equipment damage, but we they... Lines and the Mekong River are moving above the Thanh Quit River division... Had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the Base itself the was! Task force Miracle conducted sweeps in its Sector and encountered relatively little resistance the war on American! Features several additional recordings of rocket attacks on the lead column reported 15 secondary explosions, the PAVN/VC their. And harassing small arms fire USAF, other military and civilians two Marine and. Lines and the Mekong River are moving the attacking force, killing four VC been attacked 900! Time that rockets were used in the morning during the night AC-47 caught about to! Battalion into the attack, the reconnaissance Marines reported seven enemy killed the Koreans kept one at! Positions, the 1/7 Marines reported seven enemy killed ARVN compound on Route 1 above the Thanh Quit.... Link and then moved forward into the area with artillery fire nearby Nam O bridge security detachment from 2/7.! Pockets of resistance in the extensive Da Nang Air Base Marine squad was about to initiate big. Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF headquarters attacks on the Marines 5/6,. The extensive Da Nang Airbase was a major Ranch Hand facility during Vietnam!
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