Marble Mountain Air Facility supported USMC helicopter operations throughout southern I Corps. As the Marine platoon patrolled along the banks of the Yn, a heavy machine gun suddenly opened up. . Fourteen aircraft, six pieces of ground support equipment , five buildings, and another two vehicles sustained damage of one sort or another. 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. March 2, 1965 - Operation Rolling Thunder begins as over 100 American fighter-bombers attack targets in North Vietnam. Marine losses were 14 killed, Army losses were 18 killed, while PAVN/VC losses were in excess of 286. Landing in large bursts, about 50 to 75 artillery rounds fell on the lead column. According to intelligence reports, on 15 January, Group 44, the forward headquarters of the PAVN/VC Military Region 5, moved from the hills in western Qung Nam Province, to an advance position on G Ni Island. In Jun-Jul 1970 gave the base to the RVN and went back to DaNang. Rockey, the 3/5 Marines commander, commented on the "increasing frequency and ferocity" of enemy contacts. 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. 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. Newsreel story showing the aftermath of the shelling of an . Doc, as his friends called him, was one of 58,200 Americans that died during the Vietnam War. "We carried bullet clips in our pockets, but no weapons, because the rifle boxes were nailed shut in their shipping crates. [1]:154, At about 19:00 another reconnaissance patrol, Recon Team Rummage, about 30 kilometers south of Da Nang in the Qu Sn Mountains below An Ha, spotted a column of about 40 PAVN at the head of even a larger column moving east along a trail. It was the worst attack on Danang since July 5,. It wrapped around the base and city. Approximately 16 rounds impacted in the Marine Aircraft Group 16 sector and another four in the Army aviation company area. The South Vietnamese quickly rushed the newly arrived ARVN 5th Ranger Battalion into the area. soldier and wounding two. 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. 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. At 17:00 on 29 January, Westmoreland cancelled the truce in the entire I Corps sector. 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. [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. The only other Marine reserves available to the division were the provisional companies of the Northern and Southern Defense Commands. He was killed in action on January 21, 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. U.S. air policemen take cover and leave their jeep as they come under sniper fire near Da Nang Airbase in Vietnam on January 30, 1968, after it was hit by a rocket barrage. Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. The most eastern of the battalions, the 2nd, shared its area with the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, which was responsible for the coastal sand flats south of Marble Mountain. At that point, three fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopter gunships then bombed and strafed the enemy column. Da Nang Air Base had intelligence predicting a rocket attack any day. [1]:160, The fighting continued during the night and into the next day. 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." Da Nang Vietnam January 30, 1968 - Rocket attack on the Da Nang Air Base. Two LVTH-6s from the Marine 1st Armored Amphibian Company attached to the 11th Marines responded to a call from the U .S. Stationed with 1882n Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the Base Comm Center. 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. Soon reports came in that the base was under attack and a Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF headquarters. Would like to get in touch w/anyone attached to Security. *** The first time that rockets were used in RVN by the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . The AC-47 then called in Marine fixed-wing attack aircraft which dropped Napalm with "outstanding coverage of target." Obtenez des photos d'actualit haute rsolution de qualit sur Getty Images 29/30 January 1968 By the afternoon of the 31st, the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep. [1]:1601, On the morning of 7 February, Westmoreland called for a special meeting of the senior U.S. commanders in I Corps. Large numbers of flares shot high into the air and burst into . Again, the Marines killed the VC and once more foiled an apparent enemy demolition effort. Calling artillery upon the PAVN, the Marines then swept through the area and recovered about 17 60mm mortar rounds. The MPs shot one of the swimmers, took the other man prisoner and drove off the boats with a fusillade of bullets. Lieutenant Colonel William K . Da Nang, the main Seabee base in the I Corps area, which bordered North Vietnam, came under repeated attack from Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. [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. 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. Marine counter-rocket fire from the 11th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions. The Marines lost one helicopter and sustained damage to 29 others. The 1st MP Battalion completed three sweeps of the Air Base perimeter and the areas just southeast, southwest and just north of the airbase without incident. Missiles launched from nearby mountains have caused eight deaths, many injuries and. Captured 122mm Tripod Launcher. [1]:157, In other sectors of the Da Nang TAOR, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces. 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. [1]:1423, From other sources, the Marine command learned of other ominous measures taken by the PAVN/VC forces in the Da Nang sector. Rocket attack on the Da Nang Air Base that took place, Da Nang, Vietnam, January 30, 1968. The Marines and PF troops killed 22 VC and took another 23 prisoner. bagram air base distance to chinairidescent telecaster pickguard. [1]:163, The PAVN/VC offensive in the Da Nang sector had spent itself. Da Nang air base in the mid- to late-60s was the busiest (and possibly the largest) airport in the world. 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]: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. . 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. Communist attack of the war on an American stockade or brig. Posted: 02/01/2018. Fifteen minutes later, the enemy gunners followed with another 29 rockets, mostly aimed at the southern end of the Air Base. Darkness prevented Sailfish from observing the number of casualties that the artillery and air inflicted upon the enemy. Firing from well-concealed and dug-in firing positions, the PAVN machine gunners and infantry took a heavy toll of the Marines. The Flightline, Funny Money, Rocket shrapnel. [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. In the attack, the PAVN/VC fired 122mm rockets at Marine artillery positions at An Hoa, Hill 55 and Hill 10. 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. Freedom Hill 327 can be seen beneath the left flare, with convoy lights winding up the perimeter road. At about the same time, approximately 15 enemy 122mm rockets struck an artillery complex in the 11th Marines Northern Sector Defense Command which included a detachment from the 1st Armored Amphibian Company, the 155mm Gun and 8-inch Gun Batteries, as well as Batteries H, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines and M, 4th Battalion, 11th Marines. 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. You comrades should act as heroes of Vietnam and with the spirit and pride of combatants of the Liberation Army. Both Marine companies encountered heavy small-arms fire and RPGs as they approached their objectives. The fighting within the compound continued until daylight. [ Bob Kaatman photo ] Second cache of bombs ignites. After calling in helicopter gunships, the ROKMC, at 13:20, reached the MACV compound and linked up with U.S. advisors there. According to Marine sources, the heavy action on this small island resulted in 102 VC killed, 88 prisoners of war, 13 VC suspects and 70 laborers. 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. Da Nang Under Heavy Rocketing. 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. 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. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. In this fighting, which had lasted about three hours, the South Vietnamese defenders sustained casualties of three dead, seven wounded, and two damaged armored vehicles. 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. Newsreel reporting on a rocket attack on the Da Nang military base being used for US Marine Corps operations. The Sequence number refers to the sequence number assigned to all attacks on ten primary US Air Force operating bases in Vietnam. Among the casualties were two Marines killed, including Lieutenant Manning and six wounded from the 1st MP Battalion. 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. It was damaged by the fire of the adjacent aircraft (BuNo 152588) on the night of 29-30 January 1968. The PAVN fought a delaying action as they began to withdraw. Bringing up two artillery platoons , the ARVN gunners lowered their pieces and fired pointblank at the VC. "[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. The PAVN/VC attacked a Marine bunker and ran through the Communications Support Company area throwing grenades and Satchel charges in the living quarters. 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. 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. [1]:154, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the intensity of activity increased during the night. 1969. According to them their mission was to mine and interdict allied traffic in the Hi Vn Pass area. Manning defensive positions, the Marine communicators and engineers repelled the attacking force, killing four VC. The main body advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man. In addition, the 1st Marine Division alerted one company to participate in the relief of Hi An, if needed. In the assault, the PAVN/VC killed four Marines and wounded another seven before withdrawing. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. PAVN/VC fired rockets at both the Da Nang Air Base and Marble Mountain Air Facility. Lost him to a rocket attack. Guards beat off the . artillery and air, the ARVN successfully contained the PAVN/VC units in the Nam and Lin Chiu regions. This apparently broke the back of the VC resistance. One of the rockets damaged one of the missile launchers and wounded three of the Marines. Click here to view those.. Update: 12 December 2020. The Marine squad lost one killed. There were still ominous signs and actions that the enemy push on Da Nang was not over. According to Marine intelligence reports, on 9 February, the 2nd Division moved its headquarters back to the Go Noi from its more forward positions. Some viewers may find some scenes or audio in this archival material to be unsettling or distressing. [1]:153, The Marines now counterattacked supported by artillery and Marine gunships and fixed-wing air. In the pursuit, which amounted to a rout, the VC lost nearly 100 dead. In one contact about 16:45, Company M, 3/5 Marines met a force of 100 PAVN/VC troops. 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. The Marines killed two and wounded the third. After the fixed-wing aircraft and evacuation helicopter cleared the area, the 11th Marines saturated the area with artillery fire. At the meeting Westmoreland ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce Danang. In Vietnam this rocket comprised one of the primary means of inflicting standoff attacks against airfields and other . 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." While successfully beating back the PAVN attack, the CAP leader called for help. 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