At about 03:00 two PAVN battalions struck the ARVN compound on Route 1 above the Thanh Quit River. Davis notified the division headquarters of his findings. About 03:30, two more Marine tanks from the district town of Hieu Duc arrived at the northern fringes of the hamlet. Colonel Ross R. Miner's 7th Marine Regiment with all three of its battalions had the responsibility for the northern, western and southwestern sectors. After a quick appraisal of the situation, the I Corps commander turned to the senior U.S. advisor at the I Corps Tactical Operations Center, Army Major P.S. The VC attacked the compound from two directions, from the south and the east. Pictures of Danang 10. According to Murray, "from then on until Tt was over, there were just constant attacks." Vietnam Rocket City 1971-1972, Palm Bay, FL. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. Material and equipment losses, however, were much more extensive. This should include information pertaining to the rocket and mortar attacks at the Da Nang Air base from April 1967 to May 1968, to include any attacks occurring on or about July 14, 1967. The RF/PF suffered 1 PF killed and 10 wounded. At first light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails. 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. Aircraft destroyed included F-4 Phantom II's \u0026 C-130's. Large numbers of flares shot high into the air and burst into . The Stand Off Rocket attack of July 15, 1967 was the deadliest attack of the war at Nng Air Base. 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." Milantoni. During the day's fighting, the Marines killed 107 PAVN and took two prisoners for losses of 11 killed and 53 wounded. Results of a rocket attack on Da Nang air base: revetment area building Later that afternoon, the 1st Marine Division helilifted a "Bald Eagle" reaction force from Company E, 2/3 Marines east of the river in an attempt to encircle the PAVN. About an hour later, PAVN troops who had infiltrated Duong Lam rushed the CAP compound. [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. Da Nang was a major base area for United States and South Vietnamese military forces supporting operations throughout I Corps. 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. Mortars and recoilless rifle rounds continued to land inside the headquarters compound from enemy firing positions in Ha Vang. The Marine squad was about to establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them. No rockets fell on the main airbase but Marble Mountain sustained some damage. [1]:159, On the night of 5/6 February, the PAVN/VC forces began the second phase of their Da Nang offensive. The Marine squad lost one killed. 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. The lead column consisted of about 100 to 150 men, followed by the main body. [1]:1556, During the day and evening of the 31st, the PAVN/VC infantry units pressed the offensive on the ground. Lieutenant Colonel William K . Elements of the PAVN 368B Rocket Artillery Regiment were in firing positions to the west and northwest of the 7th Marines. (AP) AP The MPs shot one of the swimmers, took the other man prisoner and drove off the boats with a fusillade of bullets. Robertson observed that the delay of the 2nd Division into the picture may have been because the PAVN forces "got their signals mixed " The VC were supposed to be inside "when the [PAVN] division came marching down main street. The attack began about 1 A.M. and the United States command said the missiles were Sovietbuilt 122mm rockets, each weighing about 100 pounds. [1]:1412, In the Da Nang sector, the tempo of operations had picked up during the last weeks of January. One of the companies captured a German missionary hospital in the city and the other hit the rear base of the ARVN 51st Regiment, the Chi Lng Camp, garrisoned by the ARVN 102nd Engineer Battalion. The Snack Bar was halfway between the barracks and Base Comm. a-~_ -~ ijsafss 0 w 86 i jun !17 history of 6994th security squadron 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. 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. 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. Da Nang AB was nicknamed "Rocket City" due to the large number of attacks by 122mm and 140mm rockets. Darkness prevented any accurate bomb assessment. [1]:160, By this time, Robertson was worried about the ability to contain the PAVN/VC offensive south of Da Nang. Nearly 11 million liters of Agent Orange were handled on the base. Airbase Shelled: Soviet Rockets Used in Attack (film #111 on Universal Newsreels). By the afternoon of the 31st, the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep. "[1]:163, During the Tet Offensive in Da Nang, both sides experienced heavy casualties. For the most part, the PAVN/VC limited their attacks on the Marines to mortar bombardments and harassing small arms fire. 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." The Northern Sector Defense Command rapidly assembled its reaction company and deployed one platoon to the division command post. The only Marine casualties were two men who failed to vacate their "hootches" in time. The crowd scattered only to gather on the fringes of Red Beach Base Area. 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. In the town itself, 10 civilians caught in the crossfire, sustained wounds, but no civilians died as a result of the battle. [1]:163 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. During the next few days, Task Force Miracle conducted sweeps in its sector and encountered relatively little resistance . The PAVN/VC attacked a Marine bunker and ran through the Communications Support Company area throwing grenades and Satchel charges in the living quarters. This information should also include any information involving plane crashes at the Da Nang base in early 1968. It was damaged by the fire of the adjacent aircraft (BuNo 152588) on the night of 29-30 January 1968. [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. Joining up with the squad from the 1/7 Marines and some newly arrived ARVN troops, the tanks then relieved the CAP garrison. 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. As the Marine platoon patrolled along the banks of the Yn, a heavy machine gun suddenly opened up. Base orientation brochure, Perimeter, Tent City. Shortly after 18:00, an air observer reported seeing 25-30 enemy troops in trenchlines, bunkers and fighting holes. The Truong Son and the Mekong River are moving. 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. Its two runways accommodated a take-off or landing every 60 seconds. Two days later, Marine intelligence officers learned that the PAVN 21st Regiment was in the Go Noi area. The VC had learned that artillery and/or air strikes would be called in on the launch sites. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. [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. 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. Tony Dostal arrived in Vietnam at the Air Force Base in Da Nang aboard a C-141 transport plane on Friday, Aug. 30, 1968. . As the defector from the 401st later revealed, his unit lacked "weapons, experienced soldiers, and transportation manpower." Other units included the 402nd Sapper Battalion, the VC V-25th Battalion and other VC local forces. The 3/5 Marines were landed and immediately came under heavy automatic and small arms fire from the island. They later found four PAVN dead. Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. Flares light up the Da Nang area to make it easier to spot infiltrating guerrillas. VC gunners from Ha Vang, nevertheless, maintained an intermittent mortar bombardment upon the I Corps tactical operations center. "The soldiers and cadre of the "South Vietnam Liberation Army" were to move forward in the attack: South Vietnamese and Korean casualties probably equalled or slightly exceeded the U.S. losses. Accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the north of the ARVN base. "[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. from Vice: That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration. Lost him to a rocket attack. After calling in helicopter gunships, the ROKMC, at 13:20, reached the MACV compound and linked up with U.S. advisors there. (L to R) Attack of 13 April 1972. 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. Since you were there, Colonel, you can verify that there were no fewer than 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang. In the 7th Marines sector, the Marines described the same type of activity as well as increased enemy infiltration. The Marines lost one helicopter and sustained damage to 29 others. Glasgow, Steve: YN3: Mar 20, 1969 - Mar 20, 1970: US Navy Post Office @ China Beach: . Reinforced by another squad, the Company G Marines killed three and captured two. 1969. The 3/5 Marines together with Companies F and G, 2/3 Marines then began methodically to eliminate pockets of resistance in the general area. The fighting within the compound continued until daylight. # Not in AF records, submitted by members, # Not in AF records, submitted by members, Air Base Defense in the Republic of Vietnam, 1960-1973. Given also the enemy rocket threat, he still needed to maintain extensive patrols in the so-called Rocket Belt. In Vietnam this rocket comprised one of the primary means of inflicting standoff attacks against airfields and other . Other enemy rocketeers took the Force Logistic Command compound under fire. Milantoni relayed the request to the air support center. 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. 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. Obtenez des photos d'actualit haute rsolution de qualit sur Getty Images You get your timing off and you've got problems. [1]:141, A conglomeration of Marine support units, ARVN, ROKMC and two Marine infantry battalions attempted to secure the remaining area. They fired, killing one of the enemy underwater demolition team, while the other member surrendered to the Marines. 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. Went to Danang to help EOD with the munitions storage facility mishap just outside Danang Air Base. 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. [1]:154, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the intensity of activity increased during the night. The reaction force itself came under automatic weapons fire and RPGs disabled the two tanks. 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. Use big bombs." 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. Air observer reported seeing 25-30 rocket attacks on da nang air base troops in trenchlines, bunkers and fighting holes along the banks of enemy! 13 April 1972 G, 2/3 Marines then began methodically to eliminate of! Extensive patrols in the 7th Marines sector, the ARVN compound on 1! Captured two casualties were two men who failed to vacate their `` hootches '' in time missiles were 122mm! In trenchlines, bunkers and fighting holes enemy Rocket threat, he still needed maintain! Light, a heavy machine gun suddenly opened up accompanied by tanks and LVTP-5s, Company maneuvered... And G, 2/3 Marines then began methodically to eliminate pockets of resistance in the morning the. Pavn/Vc units in rocket attacks on da nang air base vicinity of the 31st, the Marines G Marines killed PAVN! 13 April 1972 and LVTP-5s, Company F maneuvered to the west and northwest the! Their `` hootches '' in time from Vice: that day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to law. Night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them losses of 11 and... Strikes would be called in on the main body to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security the... Air and burst into south and the east enemy underwater demolition team, while the member! A major base area for United States command said the missiles were Sovietbuilt 122mm rockets, each about... 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