Colonel Ross R. Miner's 7th Marine Regiment with all three of its battalions had the responsibility for the northern, western and southwestern sectors. Menu. 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). Nine USAF personnel were killed during the barrage and 128 others were wounded, 40 of them requiring hospitalization. The RF/PF suffered 1 PF killed and 10 wounded. The Marines called in artillery and mortar missions . The mortar attacks resulted in only five wounded and none killed among the Marine defenders. 149 likes. 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. 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. [1]:157, In other sectors of the Da Nang TAOR, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces. By 11:00, Marine helicopters evacuated the most seriously wounded and brought in the rest of Company G into blocking positions on the western bank of the Yn. 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. In the pursuit, which amounted to a rout, the VC lost nearly 100 dead. 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. The 3/5 Marines were landed and immediately came under heavy automatic and small arms fire from the island. At 07:30, the ROKMC reported about 200 to 300 enemy troops still in Hi An. It was the worst attack on Danang since July 5,. *** The first time that rockets were used in the Republic of Vietnam by the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army. The struggle for Hi An would continue into the following day. Two separate occurrences may have frustrated this attack. There were still ominous signs and actions that the enemy push on Da Nang was not over. [1]:163, From almost every account, the PAVN/VC attack in the Da Nang TAOR was very inept. 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. 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. [1]:157, There were two serious incidents in the 7th Marines sector. "[1]:147[2], Shortly afterwards, Marine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter gunships blasted the VC in Ha Vang. 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. 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." [1]:1502, On the morning of the 31st, the Marines of Company I, now reinforced by the ARVN and the AmTrac Marines, surveyed the results of the fighting and continued to mop up the remnants of the VC force. Fourteen aircraft, six pieces of ground support equipment , five buildings, and another two vehicles sustained damage of one sort or another. 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." Marine counter-rocket fire from the 11th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions. Rummage reported about 50 PAVN dead with another 100 "probable." Apparently the forces were a mixed group from several different units interspersed together. Despite the Marine patrolling, PAVN sappers, probably from the 2nd Sapper Battalion, blew three bridges and one culvert over Highway 1 in the pass area. One rocket struck this barracks, but the man in this room survived by . Would like to get in touch w/anyone attached to Security. 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. During the night, VC resistance dwindled to sniper fire on the ROKMC positions. 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. Company M advanced toward a hamlet to the south of the ARVN. He seems to think there was only one rocket attack at Da Nang in 1972. 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. 180 Da Nang Air Base Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 180 Da Nang Air Base Premium High Res Photos Browse 180 da nang air base stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. It wrapped around the base and city. DaNang earned the nickname Rocket City during the Vietnam war, having been attacked over 900 times in 10 years. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. The U.S. major remonstrated that the site was relatively close to the compound, but Lm insisted that the air strikes be flown. 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. Headquarters Marines quickly manned their defenses and called in artillery illumination and a fire mission. [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. An American advisor within the MACV compound reported at 11:45 that the VC were digging in the engineer compound. Because of an air observer on station, the Marine gunners checked their fire. Next Photo. The two PAVN prisoners identified themselves as members of the H-2 Engineering Company, part of the 2nd Sapper Battalion. We don't know why, but we know they are!" At first light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails. Surprised by the initial assault, the engineers fell back, giving up half the camp to the attackers. Additional intelligence tended to confirm the enemy was about to initiate something big. A second platoon from Company G arrived at the site and attempted to maneuver to the PAVN flank. As the defector from the 401st later revealed, his unit lacked "weapons, experienced soldiers, and transportation manpower." [1]:156, The Da Nang Northern Sector Defense Command dispatched a provisional company to assist the CAP Marines as well as the security detachment. The United States Air Force took control of the base in the late 1960s. In I Corps, the Allies learned from a defector that the enemy planned an attack against Qung Ngi City. The National Police arrested 25 of the crowd and quickly dispersed the would-be demonstrators. The helicopter burned upon crashing, but the crew and most of the patrol were able to get out. Missiles launched from nearby mountains have caused eight deaths, many injuries and. About two-and-a-half hours later, the VC units "ceased fire and withdrew." Note: Dick previously sent us some Stars and Stripes clippings mentioning rocket attacks and other "newsworthy items" of the day. [1]:1456, At 03:00 the PAVN/VC hit even closer to the Marine command nerve center at Da Nang. Landing in large bursts, about 50 to 75 artillery rounds fell on the lead column. 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. Pictures of Danang 10. We had played cards the night before and he was so happy he had survived his year in . 17. Scheduled to last eight weeks, Rolling Thunder will instead go on for three years. According to the Marine after-action report, 3/5 Marines and the attached two companies from the 2/3rd Marines accounted for more than 320 PAVN/VC dead in less than 36 hours. [1]:149, About 5,000 meters to the east, in Hi An, however, PAVN/VC forces gained somewhat the upper hand. They collected some 200 people that they detained for further questioning. According to a South Vietnamese account, the ARVN Rangers killed 150 of the enemy and captured another 18 in the battle for Nam O and in other fighting below the pass through 31 January. Caught east of the Cm L Bridge and Highway 1, on a small island formed by the convergence of the Cu , a small tributary of the river and the Vien Dien River, the VC turned to fight. 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." Still photo images extracted from the vintage footage are also available for immediate download. The company arrived at its dispositions at 01:00 the following morning . Bldg. He moved Company M, 3/7 Marines from its fairly remote position on Hill 52 in the far western reaches of the Vu Gia River Valley above the An Hoa Basin to the more centrally located Hill 65. 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. **** TET 1968 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. The South Vietnamese quickly rushed the newly arrived ARVN 5th Ranger Battalion into the area. [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. A summary of these attacks can be found on the Web site of the 366th. 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