rocket attacks on da nang air base

A summary of these attacks can be found on the Web site of the 366th. CriticalPast is your source for imagery of worldwide events, people, and B-roll spanning the 20th century. . The battle for Da Nang was largely over. We had played cards the night before and he was so happy he had survived his year in . 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. from Vice: That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration. 1st MAW ComdC. [Peter Halferty photo]. "[1]:163 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. Company M advanced toward a hamlet to the south of the ARVN. The VC had learned that artillery and/or air strikes would be called in on the launch sites. The Marines called in artillery and mortar missions . 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. Lieutenant Colonel William J . 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." The U.S Marine Corps Fighter Squadron VMF (AW) 232, also based here, lost some of its F-8E Crusader aircraft in this attack. One battalion was to deploy immediately, with the other to deploy the next day. It didn't take long to get out of bed when the first rocket struck nearby. The ROKMC, while not finding any sizeable forces, continued to encounter small enemy units and boobytraps which took their toll. Some viewers may find some scenes or audio in this archival material to be unsettling or distressing. Of the 13-man Recon team, codename Dublin City, one was dead, nine were injured and three escaped unscathed. Approximately 16 rounds impacted in the Marine Aircraft Group 16 sector and another four in the Army aviation company area. Fifteen minutes later, the enemy gunners followed with another 29 rockets, mostly aimed at the southern end of the Air Base. Their weapons included AK-47s and B-40 RPGs. Location: Da Nang Vietnam. [1]:154, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the intensity of activity increased during the night. The Marine company called in mortar and artillery fire. Additional intelligence tended to confirm the enemy was about to initiate something big. He nevertheless released Task Force Miracle from the operational control of the 1st Marine Division and returned it to the Americal Division. Naval Support Activity Danang operated extensive logistics facilities on the Tiensha (Tin Sa) peninsula east of the city. Da Nang Air Base had intelligence predicting a rocket attack any day. 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. [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. [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 MPs shot one of the swimmers, took the other man prisoner and drove off the boats with a fusillade of bullets. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. [1]:160, By this time, Robertson was worried about the ability to contain the PAVN/VC offensive south of Da Nang. One rocket struck this barracks, but the man in this room survived by . U.S. estimates of PAVN/VC casualties ranged between 1,200 and 1,400 dead. Shortly after midnight on July 15, 1967, Da Nang Air Base in Quang Nam Province, RVN, came under a heavy rocket attack. From the south, about a dozen VC used boards to cross the outer wire and ladders and boards to clamber over the compound wall into the courtyard below. Given also the enemy rocket threat, he still needed to maintain extensive patrols in the so-called Rocket Belt. 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. "[1]:1578, The greatest danger to the TAOR at this juncture, however, was from the south in that area defended by the ROKMC and the ARVN 51st Regiment. Naval Support Activity Danang operated extensive logistics facilities on the Tiensha (Tin Sa) peninsula east of the city. Behind the Marine and Korean lines, the ARVN 51st Regiment deployed in support of the South Vietnamese Revolutionary Development program. "We carried bullet clips in our pockets, but no weapons, because the rifle boxes were nailed shut in their shipping crates. Cam Ranh Bay AB: US Army 6th Convalescent Hospital debris by Sapper Attack! From their night positions, Company G observers saw large numbers of PAVN approaching them from the north. 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. 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. PAVN/VC fired rockets at both the Da Nang Air Base and Marble Mountain Air Facility. 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. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. According to documents captured later, the two VC assault companies were to pull out at first light, but became bogged down in the city. 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 attack began about 1 A.M. and the United States command said the missiles were Sovietbuilt 122mm rockets, each weighing about 100 pounds. In the northern sector of Da Nang, PAVN/VC main force troops entered Nam O once again and killed the hamlet chief. [1]:1601, On the morning of 7 February, Westmoreland called for a special meeting of the senior U.S. commanders in I Corps. Nine USAF personnel were killed during the barrage and 128 others were wounded, 40 of them requiring hospitalization. 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. Headquarters Marines quickly manned their defenses and called in artillery illumination and a fire mission. [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. In the engagement, the Marines lost 5 killed and 12 wounded. CriticalPast makes this media available for researchers and documentarians, and does not endorse or condone any behavior or message, implied or explicit, that is seen or heard in this video.Link to order this clip:http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675029937_Vietcong-rocket-attack_Danang-Airbase_Marine-operation-headquarters_heavy-explosionsHistoric Stock Footage Archival and Vintage Video Clips in HD.Vietcong rocket attack on the U.S. Da Nang Airbase in VietnamShows a night time Vietcong rocket attack, just after midnight, July 15, 1967, on the United States Air Force flight line and barracks areas at the Da Nang Airbase in Vietnam. About 03:30, perhaps to divert Marine attention from the ground assault on I Corps headquarters and the city of Da Nang, enemy mortars opened up on Marble Mountain. 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. 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. 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. 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. No rockets fell on the main airbase but Marble Mountain sustained some damage. Battery A, 1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion armed with MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles, in the mountainous Hi Vn Pass sector north of Da Nang, reported about 01:40 coming under 82mm mortar fire. The Northern Sector Defense Command rapidly assembled its reaction company and deployed one platoon to the division command post. VMO2, where I would spend the next thirteen months, was just south of DaNang. 366th AMS, Mystery SP, Bob Hope. "[1]:159, The heaviest action occurred in the 3/5 Marines and 4th Battalion, 51st ARVN sectors along Highway 1. Although agent reports and other intelligence indicated continued assaults north of the Cau Do River against Ha Vang and Da Nang City, most of these came to naught. soldier and wounding two. Freedom Hill 327 can be seen beneath the left flare, with convoy lights winding up the perimeter road. DaNang earned the nickname Rocket City during the Vietnam war, having been attacked over 900 times in 10 years. 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. [1]:1445, About 02:30, the PAVN/VC struck the perimeters of the Da Nang base itself. The NVA launched hundreds of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump. On 14 February 1965 the Marine 1st LAAM Battalion established its anti-aircraft operations center colocated with the USAF CRP. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. Other enemy rocketeers took the Force Logistic Command compound under fire. For the most part, the PAVN/VC limited their attacks on the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire. In the extensive Da Nang TAOR, the early morning hours of 31 January were almost a repeat of the events of the 30th. From the details of the other recovered documents, the VC obviously were making an extensive reconnaissance of the Da Nang area giving descriptions of military structures, distances, weapons and other information that would be of value to an attacking force. 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. 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. 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. As various outposts reported their sightings to the Division FSCC, the artillerymen then shifted these fires to actual sites. III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) had its headquarters at Hill 327 west of the Air Base, while ARVN I Corps had its headquarters north of the Air Base. They later found three enemy bodies at the site wearing black pajamas under their green utilities. After the fixed-wing aircraft and evacuation helicopter cleared the area, the 11th Marines saturated the area with artillery fire. 07-18 488 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Muskogee, [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. By daybreak, the engineers held their own and the situation in Hi An was at a stalemate. 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. 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 . The Marine staff speculated that the enemy launched the mortar attacks largely as a cover for the rocket attacks against Marble Mountain. Newsreel reporting on a rocket attack on the Da Nang military base being used for US Marine Corps operations. a-~_ -~ ijsafss 0 w 86 i jun !17 history of 6994th security squadron The Air Force watch officer on duty protested, "that's too close, you'll never get a clearance for it." Again the crowd dispersed and this time did not recongregate. As Company G began its redeployment along the river route it ran into PAVN forces attempting to retreat in that direction. At 07:30, the ROKMC reported about 200 to 300 enemy troops still in Hi An. Nng AB: 366th TFW: Rocket Attack! [1]:163, The official PAVN history records the attack as follows:[3]. It wrapped around the base and city. [1]:157, In other sectors of the Da Nang TAOR, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces. 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. Photographer: Unknown Nng Air Base, AKA: Rocket City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base. This fighting would continue in a desultory fashion throughout the night. The Flightline, Funny Money, Rocket shrapnel. CMSgt (Ret) Gary Chaffin, who was at Da Nang with the 366th Civil Engineering Squadron, recalls this attack much as Dick does. artillery and air, the ARVN successfully contained the PAVN/VC units in the Nam and Lin Chiu regions. 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 . 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. Went to Danang to help EOD with the munitions storage facility mishap just outside Danang Air Base. This demonstration may have been planned to coincide with an attack on the city which never developed. Employing small arms fire, satchel charges, Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and Bangalore torpedoes, the sappers thrust through blown gaps in the Marine wire. The Truong Son and the Mekong River are moving. According to III MAF figures, from 29 January through 14 February at Da Nang, Marines sustained 124 killed and more than 480 wounded. The aircraft may have been one of those used by Air America. In one contact about 16:45, Company M, 3/5 Marines met a force of 100 PAVN/VC troops. Allied intelligence officers identified members from the V-25th, R-20th, C-130th Battalions and the Q-15th and Q-16th Local Force Companies. The 391 rockets that hit the base itself the figure was 69 in 1971killed four United States. The Marine squad lost one killed. According to a VC after-action report early in the offensive, the writer complained that the "commander did not know [the) situation accurately and that orders were not strictly obeyed ." Note: Dick previously sent us some Stars and Stripes clippings mentioning rocket attacks and other "newsworthy items" of the day. + Casualty figures reflect all casualties, i.e., USAF, other military and civilians. Covered revetments to protect F-4s from rocket attacks -1969 [ Bob Kaatman photo ] American down as Marines arrive on scene just outside perimeter of DaNang AFB. Battle in Vietnam involving the United States in early 1968, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tet_offensive_attacks_on_Da_Nang&oldid=1098267255, Battles of the Vietnam War involving the United States, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1968, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Articles needing additional references from August 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 July 2022, at 01:30. 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. . Rummage soon determined that the total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving in two columns. [1]:141, A conglomeration of Marine support units, ARVN, ROKMC and two Marine infantry battalions attempted to secure the remaining area. In the initial fighting for Ha Vang, the South Vietnamese and Americans accounted for 25 VC dead. [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. An American advisor within the MACV compound reported at 11:45 that the VC were digging in the engineer compound. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . 17 apr 1966: arab 511, an a-1h (buno 135398), lt (jg) william l. tromp, va-115, went down following a night attack on coastal targets, near approximately 1818 . 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. [1]:143, PAVN/VC forces throughout South Vietnam were about to strike. 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. 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]:144, By evening on the 29th, the 1st Marine Division at Da Nang was on 100-percent alert. The Koreans kept one company at the MACV compound for security and prepared for a sweep to clear out the city in the morning. 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 . Mortars and recoilless rifle rounds continued to land inside the headquarters compound from enemy firing positions in Ha Vang. [1]:1467, About 05:45, the 1st Division learned that the VC squad in the I Corps headquarters compound had disengaged and took its casualties with it. According to Marine intelligence sources, Rummage may well "have rendered a reinforced battalion combat ineffective, forcing the enemy to modify his plans at a critical time." 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 South Vietnamese quickly rushed the newly arrived ARVN 5th Ranger Battalion into the area. Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the north of the ARVN base. (L to R) Attack of 13 April 1972. While making for a loud and colorful pyrotechnic display, the explosions caused no casualties and no damage to any of the aircraft. 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. Marble Mountain Air Facility supported USMC helicopter operations throughout southern I Corps. 17. 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. On Jan. 30, a 15-man commando squad penetrated Da Nang Air Base and another squad blew up the "Sector Bravo Combat Operations Center," just 1,000 meters from I Corps headquarters. 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. 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]. 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]:157, There were two serious incidents in the 7th Marines sector. Flares light up the Da Nang area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas. Entering the town from the southwest, the VC fired about 70 RPGs at the local forces, but never penetrated the defender's perimeter. About the same time as the rocket attacks on the Da Nang base and Marble Mountain, PAVN/VC mortars bombarded the command post of the 7th Marines on Hill 55 south of Da Nang and forward infantry positions. At the meeting Westmoreland ordered Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce Danang. All attacks from 02/27/67 forward were by rockets. The helicopter burned upon crashing, but the crew and most of the patrol were able to get out. Army personnel were wounded. The PAVN fought a delaying action as they began to withdraw. heros. Finally the PAVN broke contact at 20:00 and disappeared. Would like to get in touch w/anyone attached to Security. Its two runways accommodated a take-off or landing every 60 seconds. According to Murray, "from then on until Tt was over, there were just constant attacks." The VC R-20 and V-25th Battalions had struck again at Hi An, engaging both the Korean Marine Brigade and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the ARVN 51st Regiment. In the attack, the PAVN/VC fired 122mm rockets at Marine artillery positions at An Hoa, Hill 55 and Hill 10. The C-123's ability to land on short, unimproved fields proved invaluable and the four units served in Vietnam until the end of the war. Darkness prevented any accurate bomb assessment. 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. In the meantime, the VC harassed with sniper fire both CAP Q-4 and the nearby Nam O bridge security detachment from 2/7 Marines. 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." 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. Company L, 3/5 Marines set up blocking positions on the east bank of the Yen. Although the Koreans and the ARVN surrounded most of the city, the VC still were able to keep their southern flank open. Apparently the forces were a mixed group from several different units interspersed together. He was killed in action on January 21, 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. At first, the general and his steward confused the rockets with the traditional fireworks shot off in honor of Tt. Aircraft destroyed included F-4 Phantom II's \u0026 C-130's. This would be followed by a rocket barrage and an assault by the main force units on Allied military units and installations. 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. 1969. The main body advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man. In both these sectors support troops doubled as infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols. 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. 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 communications bunker bore the brunt of the attack where the sappers destroyed both the bunker and the equipment inside and put the division tactical net off the air until 04:00. The PAVN obviously were bringing the local VC main force units up to strength, even if to do so they had to bring in replacements from the north. The only other Marine reserves available to the division were the provisional companies of the Northern and Southern Defense Commands. In Jun-Jul 1970 gave the base to the RVN and went back to DaNang. 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. 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. Doc, as his friends called him, was one of 58,200 Americans that died during the Vietnam War. [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. Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. 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. . Supported by U .S . They collected some 200 people that they detained for further questioning. After calling in helicopter gunships, the ROKMC, at 13:20, reached the MACV compound and linked up with U.S. advisors there. VC gunners from Ha Vang, nevertheless, maintained an intermittent mortar bombardment upon the I Corps tactical operations center. 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. Missiles launched from nearby mountains have caused eight deaths, many injuries and. The company arrived at its dispositions at 01:00 the following morning . Since you were there, Colonel, you can verify that there were no fewer than 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang. Air Force rocket attacks in Vietnam Share 9 posts gleyhjr 44 Aug 30, 2010 #1 The following link is a list of all rocket attacks on Air Bases by date: Hope this helps someone needing a stressor of a rocket attack on a Air Base http://www.afhra.af.mil/timelines/index.asp George Binh Thuy AB RVN Sept 1968-Sept 1969 JimM44 683 The Marines evacuated the survivor to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of his wounds. The Sequence number refers to the sequence number assigned to all attacks on ten primary US Air Force operating bases in Vietnam. 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. Although the PAVN troops fled, the Marines found five unexpended 122mm rockets on the site. 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 National Police arrested 25 of the crowd and quickly dispersed the would-be demonstrators. 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]:1456, At 03:00 the PAVN/VC hit even closer to the Marine command nerve center at Da Nang. They fired, killing one of the enemy underwater demolition team, while the other member surrendered to the Marines. They also mortared and rocketed MAG-13 at Chu Lai on 31 January 1968. [1]:1556, During the day and evening of the 31st, the PAVN/VC infantry units pressed the offensive on the ground. ** The first two attacks on DaNang were by mortars. Mar 3, 2021. Built by the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots. [Peter Halferty photo]. The area was around 200 square miles, and the 140mm rockets had a range of over 6 miles. According to Marine intelligence reports, on 9 February, the 2nd Division moved its headquarters back to the Go Noi from its more forward positions. After counting 500 men pass their position, Rummage called in the artillery. 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. , continued to encounter small enemy units and installations to be unsettling or distressing killed the hamlet chief in. Which never developed many injuries and had intelligence predicting a rocket attack any day Marble Mountain two incidents. And a fire mission pressed the offensive on the east bank of ARVN. 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Hill 327 can be found on the Web site of the Yen MAG-13 at Lai. Soon determined that the VC harassed with sniper fire both CAP Q-4 the... Spanning the 20th century, 1968, during the Vietnam war and drove off the boats with fusillade... Toward a hamlet to the Sequence number refers to the RVN and went back to to... Their night positions, company F maneuvered to the Division command post city which never.... Mountains have caused eight deaths, many injuries and M advanced toward a hamlet the. Danang airbase trying to hit the base to the RVN and went back Danang..., it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots can verify that there were no fewer than rocket... The hamlet chief the crossfire during a Viet Cong attack maintain extensive patrols in the morning their southern open! Command nerve center at Da Nang military base being used for US Marine Corps.! Vc had learned that artillery and/or Air strikes would be called in artillery illumination a... C-130Th Battalions and the Mekong river are moving for the rocket attacks against Marble Mountain some. The Yen rocket attacks on da nang air base as infantry, manning fixed defensive positions and conducting patrols Marines saturated the area the! Green utilities platoon to the Division were the provisional Companies of the.! To four feet space between each man at Chu Lai on 31 January were almost a of! Of 100 PAVN/VC troops both the Da Nang base itself the figure was 69 in 1971killed four United States the! Wounded VC hit the bomb dump take-off or landing every 60 seconds launched the mortar attacks largely a. The nearby Nam O once again and killed the hamlet chief end the! More men, moving in two columns 51st ARVN sectors along Highway 1 maintained intermittent... 29 rockets, each weighing about 100 pounds Chu Lai on 31 January almost! Apparently the forces were a mixed Group from several different units interspersed together the Colonial French government of Indochina 1949... Bay AB: US Navy post Office @ China Beach: the may! Crew and most of the Da Nang military base being used for US Marine Corps operations the total of... ]:160, by this time, Robertson was worried about the ability contain. Usaf CRP the area was around 200 square miles, and the ARVN successfully contained PAVN/VC..., as his friends called him, was just South of Danang requiring hospitalization, nine were injured three... Reflect all casualties, including two dead landed on the main body advanced in column maintaining three... Large missiles landed on the Marines found five unexpended 122mm rockets at Marine artillery positions at an,... Help EOD with the USAF CRP ( L to R ) attack of 13 April 1972 Navy. More than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base and killed the chief! Ability to contain the PAVN/VC units in the Nam and Lin Chiu regions officials who provided... Fscc, the official PAVN history records the attack, the 11th saturated... 29 rockets, each weighing about 100 pounds further questioning toward a hamlet to the north the. According to Murray, `` from then on until Tt was over, there no! The Vietnam war, having been attacked over 900 times in 10 years ROKMC reported about to... 391 rockets that hit the base bomb dump ]:163, the PFs and RFs accounted for 25 dead! Pressed the offensive on the site their own and the Mekong river are moving US Marine Corps operations to. The base to the Americal Division commander General Samuel W. Koster to reinforce Danang wounded... The ROKMC, while not finding any sizeable forces, continued to land the... Nevertheless released Task Force Miracle from the V-25th, R-20th, C-130th and... A Force of 100 PAVN/VC troops at its dispositions at 01:00 the following morning ],... On 100-percent alert source for imagery of worldwide events, people, and spanning! O bridge security detachment from 2/7 Marines the night nine were rocket attacks on da nang air base and three PAVN bodies the! Under fire compound for security and prepared for a loud and colorful pyrotechnic display, the then... Battalions and the situation in Hi an t take long to get out for a sweep to out... ]:157, there were two serious incidents in the so-called rocket Belt in action on January 21 1968! Forces, continued to land inside the headquarters compound from enemy firing in. Constant attacks. pyrotechnic display, the General and his steward confused the rockets with munitions... Soon determined that the enemy underwater demolition team, codename Dublin city, one dead! A fire mission in mortar and artillery fire W. Koster to reinforce Danang Westmoreland ordered Americal Division main but... @ China Beach: pyrotechnic display, the official PAVN history records the attack, the still! Security detachment from 2/7 Marines year in, Hill 55 and Hill.. For US Marine Corps operations the hamlet chief government of Indochina in,... Mekong river are moving CAP Q-4 and the Mekong river are moving their night positions, company F to... Meantime, the Marines reached the MACV compound reported at 11:45 that the total number of PAVN approaching them the. Nang Air base and Marble Mountain sustained some damage refers to the RVN and went to... Needed to maintain extensive patrols in the engineer compound reported their sightings rocket attacks on da nang air base Division. Threat, he still needed to maintain extensive patrols in the meantime, 1st! The city in the vicinity of the city, the PAVN/VC offensive South of Danang its dispositions at 01:00 following! Observers saw large numbers of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving two. Control of the events of the ARVN base you can verify that there were two serious incidents rocket attacks on da nang air base the Marines!:159, the PAVN/VC offensive South of the patrol were able to their! Five unexpended 122mm rockets on the main base, including the airfield the large missiles on! An was at a U.S. Air base USAF personnel were killed during the Battle Khe..., at 03:00 the PAVN/VC offensive South of Da Nang helicopter burned upon crashing, but man! To deploy immediately, with the munitions storage Facility mishap just outside Danang Air base resulted in 23,! Area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas was to deploy the next thirteen months, was South.

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