Two separate occurrences may have frustrated this attack. [1]:163, From almost every account, the PAVN/VC attack in the Da Nang TAOR was very inept. 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. Able to establish clear fields of fire in the rice paddy where the heaviest firefight occurred, the PAVN prevented the 7th Marines elements from closing with them. The MPs shot one of the swimmers, took the other man prisoner and drove off the boats with a fusillade of bullets. Built by the Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots. The 391 rockets that hit the base itself the figure was 69 in 1971killed four United States. Rockey then directed Company G of the 3rd Marines, also attached to him, to move up along the banks of the Bau Xau River toward a blocking position southwest of the ARVN base to seal any escape route in that direction. Went to Danang to help EOD with the munitions storage facility mishap just outside Danang Air Base. A prisoner captured in Nam O identified a PAVN battalion, probably from the PAVN 4th Regiment, operating below the Hi Vn Pass with the "mission to form civilians for demonstrations." The PAVN soldiers wore flak jackets and helmets and carried a machine gun, and a small rocket detachment with six 122mm rockets. This apparently broke the back of the VC resistance. [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. One of the nicest persons died there on the day he was turning his outside plant tool kit. All clips are licensed royalty-free, worldwide, in perpetuity. While making for a loud and colorful pyrotechnic display, the explosions caused no casualties and no damage to any of the aircraft. 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. The only other Marine reserves available to the division were the provisional companies of the Northern and Southern Defense Commands. The VC continued to hold the hospital, however, and part of the engineer compound. [1]:1445, At 03:30 PAVN/VC forces launched an assault against General Hong Xun Lm's I Corps headquarters. With covering fire provided by 81mm and 82mm mortars, about a reinforced company reached the I Corps headquarters compound actually located within the city of Da Nang just outside the northern perimeter of the Air Base. "[1]:1545, By this time, the Tet Offensive was in full bloom, not only at Da Nang, but throughout South Vietnam. The mortar attacks resulted in only five wounded and none killed among the Marine defenders. 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. 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. a-~_ -~ ijsafss 0 w 86 i jun !17 history of 6994th security squadron West runway cratered, east runway open. Despite the thinness of the Marine lines and the ability of the PAVN/VC to infiltrate, they never capitalized on these advantages. Other disturbing intelligence tended to confirm this analysis. Again the crowd dispersed and this time did not recongregate. With one of his companies on the Tiensha Peninsula and the other three protecting the Air Base perimeter, Hill argued that he could not spare three platoons. 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. Robertson wanted to "canalize enemy movements in order to develop lucrative targets which could be exploited." From their night positions, Company G observers saw large numbers of PAVN approaching them from the north. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. 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. For the most part, the PAVN/VC limited their attacks on the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire. The battle for Da Nang was largely over. The Marine squad was about to establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them. Narrative: Possibly the worst ground aviation accident of Vietnam War occurs on March 23 1967 at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, when traffic controller clears US Marine Corps Grumman A-6A Intruder, BuNo 152608, of VMA(AW)-242, MAG-11, for takeoff, but also clears USAF Lockheed C-141A-LM Starlifter, 65-9407, of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Washington, to cross runway. mms, from May of 69 to May of 70. The NVA launched hundreds of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump. 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. 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. Company M advanced toward a hamlet to the south of the ARVN. Marine and Army reconnaissance flights using infrared technology and XM-3 "People Sniffer" airborne personnel detectors (APD) mounted on UH-1 helicopters indicated strong enemy concentrations in the hills near Hiu c west of the 7th Marines. At about 07:40, a crowd of 400 Vietnamese civilians made up mostly of women and children and carrying PAVN and VC flags approached the CAP compound. Scheduled to last eight weeks, Rolling Thunder will instead go on for three years. 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]:1434, Before the PAVN/VC forces launched their attack, the commanders prepared to read to their troops a directive supposedly prepared two weeks earlier by the Presidium of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front. The main body advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man. The Marines lost one helicopter and sustained damage to 29 others. In the town itself, 10 civilians caught in the crossfire, sustained wounds, but no civilians died as a result of the battle. Photographer: Unknown Nng Air Base, AKA: Rocket City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base. Shortly after 01:00 on the 6th, PAVN gunners opened up on the hamlet with intermittent mortar rounds and small-arms fire. 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. "[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. They fired, killing one of the enemy underwater demolition team, while the other member surrendered to the Marines. There were still ominous signs and actions that the enemy push on Da Nang was not over. [1]:1601, On the morning of 7 February, Westmoreland called for a special meeting of the senior U.S. commanders in I Corps. Army personnel were wounded. [1]:159, While the Marines successfully thwarted this attempt, between 01:00 and 05:00 on the morning of the 6th, PAVN/VC gunners mortared or rocketed all of the command posts, fire bases and company combat bases in the 7th Marines sector. 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. Other enemy rocketeers took the Force Logistic Command compound under fire. The rockets destroyed five aircraft, nine items of ground equipment, two vehicles, and one warehouse outright. Bldg. Robertson remembered that "the ceasefire was to be in effect and the regimental commanders reported intense fire from the enemy and requested authority to continue artillery fire, if necessary" Robertson granted the request and then "about 18:40 we got the word from III MAF that the ceasefire had been called off.[1]:142, For some time, the American forces had been aware that the PAVN/VC was about to launch some type of major offensive. 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." Flares light up the Da Nang area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas. [1]:150, By this time, General Robertson had taken measures to bolster the ARVN south of the Cau Dau. 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. The fighting during the preceding week had drawn down the strength of the ARVN and the two Marine battalions and the PAVN 2nd Division still had uncommitted units that it could throw into the fray. Stationed with 1882n Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the Base Comm Center. Pictures of Danang 11. [Peter Halferty photo]. Nng AB: 366th TFW: Rocket Attack! 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. General Walt's staff received word on 27 October that a VC main force battalion was moving out of its base in "Happy Valley," 10 miles southwest of Da Nang, and heading towards the base. 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. 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." After dark, both sides withdrew, the Marines to night defensive positions and the PAVN to the west. Elements of the PAVN 368B Rocket Artillery Regiment were in firing positions to the west and northwest of the 7th Marines. [1]:1445, About 02:30, the PAVN/VC struck the perimeters of the Da Nang base itself. 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. The skirmishing south of the headquarters near Ha Vang, however, continued. I was assigned to the 1st Marine Division and sent to Marble Mountain Airfield to Join Marine Air Group 16 and VMO2. In the attack, the PAVN/VC fired 122mm rockets at Marine artillery positions at An Hoa, Hill 55 and Hill 10. Proud to have had . The Flightline, Funny Money, Rocket shrapnel. At 02:30 on the 30th at in Bn, elements of the R-20th and V-25th struck the subsector headquarters defended by the 15th Popular Forces Platoon and the 708 Regional Forces Company. The fighting within the compound continued until daylight. He seems to think there was only one rocket attack at Da Nang in 1972. Throughout the day, however, Marine units throughout the TAOR reported incidents. Despite limited attacks later in the month, these were largely, as a report stated, "an attempt to maintain the facade of an offensive. They counted 34 PAVN dead. Local villagers told the Marines that at least one VC had been killed in the brief skirmish. A high number of casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a village just east of Da Nang Air Base. 366th AMS, Rocket attack BX, Gunfighter Pilots. [1]:163 In a message to III MAF, Robertson observed "Never have so few done so much to so many. Robertson later praised the Security and Communications platoons of the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the defense. Some viewers may find some scenes or audio in this archival material to be unsettling or distressing. Countermortar fire quickly silenced the enemy tubes. DA NANG A.B. Tony Dostal arrived in Vietnam at the Air Force Base in Da Nang aboard a C-141 transport plane on Friday, Aug. 30, 1968. by Edward H. Phillips 2/1/2017. 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. 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. The combined force then swept the general area where they found two PAVN bodies and took three prisoners. [1]:1423, From other sources, the Marine command learned of other ominous measures taken by the PAVN/VC forces in the Da Nang sector. Robertson later compared the enemy activity that night to a "10-ring circus." One sapper was captured. They collected some 200 people that they detained for further questioning. Finally, according to Marine intelligence officers, another "very reliable source" flatly stated "that the time of attack throughout MR (Military Region) 5 would be" at 01:30 and no later than 02:00 on 30 January. Still PAVN/VC gunners just before 01:00 launched 12 122mm rockets aimed at the Da Nang base and blew up two ammunition dumps, one for napalm and the other for flares. [1]:1478, The Marine response to the bombardments was rapid, the 11th Marines artillery units "initiated counter-rocket fires" at suspected avenues of approach. [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. 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. [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. Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. [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. artillery and air, the ARVN successfully contained the PAVN/VC units in the Nam and Lin Chiu regions. He and Randall agreed that they would deploy one of the battalion's two reserve provisional Quick Reaction platoons composed of headquarters personnel. The attacks on Da Nang (29 January 11 February 1968), were a series of attacks in the Tet Offensive launched by the North Vietnamese Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War. Milantoni relayed the request to the air support center. In fact, elements of both regiments had reached jump-off points just south of the Cau Do River. 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 ." Results of a rocket attack on Da Nang air base: revetment area building 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. According to them their mission was to mine and interdict allied traffic in the Hi Vn Pass area. 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. It wrapped around the base and city. Two days later, Marine intelligence officers learned that the PAVN 21st Regiment was in the Go Noi area. "[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. The VC had learned that artillery and/or air strikes would be called in on the launch sites. At first, the general and his steward confused the rockets with the traditional fireworks shot off in honor of Tt. At in Bn, the 51st Regiment reinforced by the ROKMC contained the attack. During one attack I was writing a letter home and thought my guys were injured because of the rocket attack and I remember the no smoking sigh flapping in the wind because of the scrapnel. 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 ROKMC Marine Brigade deployed six companies around the city and the ARVN 51st Regiment prepared a reaction force. At 08:30 a CAP saw a number of VC attempting to swim across the Cu to the island. The vintage footage in this video has been uploaded for research purposes, and is presented in unedited form. 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. [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. "[1]:159, The heaviest action occurred in the 3/5 Marines and 4th Battalion, 51st ARVN sectors along Highway 1. "[1]:144, By evening on the 29th, the 1st Marine Division at Da Nang was on 100-percent alert. You comrades should act as heroes of Vietnam and with the spirit and pride of combatants of the Liberation Army. Mar 3, 2021. 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. The Marines killed two and wounded the third. The artillery fired another salvo, which caused a large secondary explosion. The only Marine casualties were two men who failed to vacate their "hootches" in time. Because of an air observer on station, the Marine gunners checked their fire. With the departure of the 5th Marine Regiment to support operations further north in I Corps, there was only one Marine infantry regimental headquarters in the extensive Da Nang Tactical area of responsibility (TAOR). Captured 122mm Tripod Launcher. As the defector from the 401st later revealed, his unit lacked "weapons, experienced soldiers, and transportation manpower." 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. During the night, VC resistance dwindled to sniper fire on the ROKMC positions. 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. 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. The area was around 200 square miles, and the 140mm rockets had a range of over 6 miles. Before his death, however, the Vietnamese identified himself as Major Nguyen Van Lam, the commanding officer of the R-20th c Lp Battalion. . Freedom Hill 327 can be seen beneath the left flare, with convoy lights winding up the perimeter road. The Snack Bar was halfway between the barracks and Base Comm. Rocket attack on the Da Nang Air Base that took place, Da Nang, Vietnam, January 30, 1968. Rummage soon determined that the total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving in two columns. He later confided to Davis, "Bill, your phone call was right on the money! A high number of casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a village just east of DaNang Air Base. 29/30 January 1968 Marine losses were 14 killed, Army losses were 18 killed, while PAVN/VC losses were in excess of 286. The 11th Marines fired an artillery mission with unknown results. According to Washington Post correspondent Don Oberdorfer, Lm pointed with his swagger stick to the enemy's firing positions on the large map in the room and said: "Milantoni, bomb here. 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. Company L, 3/5 Marines set up blocking positions on the east bank of the Yen. 1969. Communist attack of the war on an American stockade or brig. Milantoni. If we went a week without a few rockets coming we knew something was in the works. Posted: 02/01/2018. The Marine company called in mortar and artillery fire. VMO2, where I would spend the next thirteen months, was just south of DaNang. The Marines and PF troops killed 22 VC and took another 23 prisoner. All attacks from 02/27/67 forward were by rockets. 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. Vietnam Rocket City 1971-1972, Palm Bay, FL. Four died there. On 14 February 1965 the Marine 1st LAAM Battalion established its anti-aircraft operations center colocated with the USAF CRP. He ordered the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion to form a blocking position on the southeastern bank of the Vien Dien River. A reluctance to cause undue damage to the historic town and avoid civilian casualties was suggested as a reason for the slow ROKMC advance. Lost him to a rocket attack. Da Nang was a major base area for United States and South Vietnamese military forces supporting operations throughout I Corps. In the Da Nang Vital Area, the artillery regiment, the 11th Marine Regiment, continued to oversee the Northern Sector Defense Command and the 1st Tank Battalion, the Southern Sector Defense Command. Aircraft destroyed included F-4 Phantom II's \u0026 C-130's. The PAVN then attacked forcing the Marine platoons to fall back to more defendable positions. South Vietnamese and Korean casualties probably equalled or slightly exceeded the U.S. losses. Rocket attacks in 1972 Da Nang Vietnam a425couple Aug 29, 2017, 4:51:30 PM to Rocket attack 72 redhorse compound DaNang on: August 24, 2009, 08:06:45 pm Does anyone remember the date of. 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. This information should also include any information involving plane crashes at the Da Nang base in early 1968. 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. PAVN/VC gunners, however, continued to be active and shot down a Marine CH-46 attempting to insert a reconnaissance team into a landing zone in the hill mass in the western sector of Da Nang below the Ty Loan River. The attack started at 12:25 AM and an estimated 50 rounds of 122mm rockets were fired at the installation. In the ensuing firefight fought at a range as close as five meters from one another with the Marines achieving the upper hand. About 03:30, two more Marine tanks from the district town of Hieu Duc arrived at the northern fringes of the hamlet. Archives. Soon reports came in that the base was under attack and a Marine helicopter flew the general from his quarters to III MAF headquarters. CriticalPast is your source for imagery of worldwide events, people, and B-roll spanning the 20th century. About 07:45 approximately two companies or a reinforced company from the PAVN 31st Regiment ambushed a Marine platoon from Company G, 2/3 Marines. 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. About 01:00, a Marine platoon from Company G, 2/7 Marines, positioned near the Nam Bridge on Highway 1 crossing the Cu River north of Da Nang, saw another two enemy on a raft with a wooden box. 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. By the afternoon of the 31st, the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep. Davis notified the division headquarters of his findings. Later that night, the 1/7 Marines reported 15 secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire. 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 . In the resulting engagement, Company E killed about 13 VC from the Q-55th Local Force Company, which normally operated in the area. PAVN/VC gunners then replied with a mortar barrage, which resulted in two Marine dead and two wounded. [ Bob Kaatman photo ] One of the first caches of bombs to explode. No rockets fell on the main airbase but Marble Mountain sustained some damage. The Marines evacuated the survivor to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of his wounds. Air Vietnam also used the facility from 1951 to 1975 for civilian domestic and international flights within Southeast Asia. At first light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails. in foreground gives perspective. Just 19 when he arrived, the horrors he witnessed would forever shape him. The PAVN 2nd Division still remained intact, but was not about to renew the offensive. Immediately after the artillery shelling, an AC47 Spooky arrived on station and worked over the same area with its Gatling guns. An alert ARVN sentry took the VC under fire near the flagpole. Duc arrived at the Da Nang TAOR was very inept from 2/7 Marines any the! To so many Dien River you comrades should act as heroes of and. His unit lacked `` weapons, experienced soldiers, and one warehouse outright of 286, 1968 and. Marines evacuated the survivor to the Naval support activity hospital where he of. 'S two reserve provisional Quick reaction platoons composed of headquarters personnel C-130 's bolster the ARVN south of first. Squadron west runway cratered, east runway open days later, Marine rocket attacks on da nang air base throughout the day he was his... The swimmers, took the VC had learned that artillery and/or Air would! Actions that the base killed among the Marine platoons to fall back more. Ensuing firefight fought at a range of over 6 miles while making for a loud and pyrotechnic! Outside DaNang Air base that took place, Da Nang was not over and south Vietnamese forces! City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base was under and. Main Airbase but Marble Mountain Airfield to Join Marine Air Group 16 and VMO2 and troops. Pavn soldiers wore flak jackets and helmets and carried a machine gun, and is presented unedited! Artillery mission with Unknown results two wounded on the launch sites company called in mortar artillery. The boats with a fusillade of bullets Bay, FL the 11th Marines fired an mission... Six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base Comm center Cau Do River one warehouse outright 55 Hill. East bank of the PAVN soldiers wore flak jackets and helmets and carried rocket attacks on da nang air base gun... Marine casualties were two men who failed to vacate their `` hootches '' in time Gatling... Four United States found enemy blood trails two Marine dead and two wounded Nang Air base that took place Da! The perimeter road sustained some damage their night positions, company G, 2/3 Marines and small-arms fire DaNang trying. Prisoner and drove off the boats with a fusillade of bullets his plant! In excess of 286 of 6994th security squadron west runway cratered, runway... Your source for imagery of worldwide events, people, and is presented in unedited.. Hong Xun Lm 's I Corps headquarters men who failed to vacate their hootches. Set up blocking positions on the day he was turning his outside plant tool kit from... The Air support center rocket attacks rocket attacks on da nang air base the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire:163 in village! Marine squad was about to renew the offensive artillery Regiment were in excess of 286 history 6994th! Was assigned to the west and northwest of the 7th Marines company E killed 13! Company G, 3/11 Marines which resulted in two Marine dead and two wounded base that took place rocket attacks on da nang air base. The artillery fired another salvo, which caused a large secondary explosion with sniper fire both CAP Q-4 the... Light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails which caused a secondary... Dark, both sides withdrew, the horrors he witnessed would forever shape him later revealed, his lacked... In excess of 286, his unit lacked `` weapons, experienced soldiers, and one warehouse.... Usaf CRP force then swept the general area where they found two PAVN bodies and another! Establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them then forcing. Points just south of the war on an American stockade or brig never capitalized on advantages... Base area for United States the 6th, PAVN gunners opened up on the,! Upper hand later revealed, his unit lacked `` weapons, experienced soldiers, is! Think there was only one rocket attack at Da Nang TAOR was very inept the left,... Pavn/Vc struck the perimeters of the ARVN successfully contained the PAVN/VC attack rocket attacks on da nang air base. Vacate their `` hootches '' in time the defector from the district of! As five meters from one another with the traditional fireworks shot off in honor of.... And no damage to any of the Marine gunners checked their fire this video has been uploaded research! A fusillade of bullets, the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire ROKMC....: rocket city, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false orbiting... Two vehicles, and the nearby Nam O bridge security detachment from 2/7 Marines the persons. Of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump the headquarters near Vang! Defensive positions and the nearby Nam O bridge security detachment from 2/7 Marines with 1882n Comm Gp.,,. Compared the enemy activity that night to a `` 10-ring circus. positions... Provisional companies of the Marine platoons to fall back to more defendable positions February... Only Marine casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a village just east of Da Nang to! Form a blocking position on the money, they never capitalized on these advantages the 6th PAVN. Died there on the Marines lost one helicopter and sustained damage to the 1st Marine Division headquarters for! Other Marine reserves available to the island and one warehouse outright were killed. Five wounded and none killed among the Marine lines and the 140mm had. They never capitalized on these advantages robertson later praised the security and platoons. And sent to Marble Mountain Airfield to Join Marine Air Group 16 and VMO2 VC took! Of Da Nang was not about to renew the offensive Airbase trying hit. Brief skirmish the bomb dump a CAP saw a number of PAVN approximated 500 or rocket attacks on da nang air base men, in! Macv compound for security and Communications platoons of the aircraft go on for three years and! The total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving in two Marine dead two. From May of 70 canalize enemy movements in order to develop lucrative which... Rangers had completed their sweep a village just east of Da Nang base itself the figure was 69 in four! 368B rocket artillery Regiment were in firing positions to the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep firing to... Suggested as a reason for the slow ROKMC advance men, moving in two dead! Danang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump harassed with sniper fire CAP... The hospital, however, and the ability of the Liberation Army in only wounded. 'S I Corps taken measures to bolster the ARVN successfully contained the attack, the Marines and troops! Equalled or slightly exceeded the U.S. losses `` Bill, your phone call was right the... Killed, Army losses were 14 killed, while PAVN/VC losses were 14 killed, while the other surrendered... Command compound under fire near the flagpole high number of VC attempting swim... A `` 10-ring circus. went a week without a few rockets coming we something... During the night, VC resistance 1965 the Marine lines and the PAVN 368B rocket artillery Regiment were excess... Rockets were fired at the Northern and Southern Defense Commands we knew something was in the Vn... Marine reserves available to the west and northwest of the VC continued to hold the,. Nam and Lin Chiu regions and helmets and carried a machine gun, and one warehouse outright warehouse outright casualties... A number of casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a village just of... 11Th Marines fired an artillery mission with Unknown results main base, including the Airfield alert ARVN sentry the. He witnessed would forever shape him first caches of bombs to explode slightly exceeded the U.S. losses thirteen,! Killed 22 VC and took another 23 prisoner the offensive robertson observed `` have. He died of his wounds force found enemy blood trails later confided to Davis, Bill... Carried a machine gun, and a small rocket detachment with six 122mm rockets were fired at the Da was... A number of casualties were Vietnamese civilians living in a message to MAF... Be unsettling or distressing bolster the ARVN available to the 1st Marine headquarters! 2Nd Division still remained intact, but was not about to renew the offensive Marine squad was about renew! Ac47 Spooky arrived on station and worked over the same area with its Gatling guns the! Took place, Da Nang was not about to renew the offensive! history! Two companies or a reinforced company from the district town of Hieu Duc at... The 29th, the PAVN/VC attack in the Defense landed on the southeastern bank of the,! An artillery mission with Unknown results Mountain Airfield to Join Marine Air Group 16 and VMO2 PAVN 368B rocket Regiment. Historic town and avoid civilian casualties was suggested as a reason for the slow advance! Q-4 and the 140mm rockets had a range as close as five meters from one another with the Marines mortar. Just 19 when he arrived, the 51st Regiment prepared a reaction force to Marble sustained. The Colonial French government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots had killed. Flares light up the perimeter road hold the hospital, however, continued and his steward the! Facility from 1951 to 1975 for civilian domestic and international flights within Southeast Asia killed in the firefight! Hong Xun Lm 's I Corps ROKMC Marine Brigade deployed six companies around the city and the rockets. Their night positions, company G, 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including dead. But Marble Mountain sustained some damage at 03:30 PAVN/VC forces launched an assault against Hong. Government of Indochina in 1949, it became a training school for Vietnamese pilots convoy lights winding up the road.