rocket attacks on da nang air baserocket attacks on da nang air base

by Edward H. Phillips 2/1/2017. CMSgt (Ret) Gary Chaffin, who was at Da Nang with the 366th Civil Engineering Squadron, recalls this attack much as Dick does. Reinforced by another squad, the Company G Marines killed three and captured two. CAP Q-4 there continued to hold out. 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. [1]:154, Throughout the Da Nang TAOR, the intensity of activity increased during the night. Marine commanders and staff officers could only speculate that the enemy was probably infiltrating north in small groups to "predetermined rallying points" for a further assault either on the city or on the Air Base. Colonel Ross R. Miner's 7th Marine Regiment with all three of its battalions had the responsibility for the northern, western and southwestern sectors. 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. The skirmishing south of the headquarters near Ha Vang, however, continued. The Koreans kept one company at the MACV compound for security and prepared for a sweep to clear out the city in the morning. Military Photo: Rocket Attack On The Eve Of The Tet Offensive. Mortars and recoilless rifle rounds continued to land inside the headquarters compound from enemy firing positions in Ha Vang. [1]:1445, About 02:30, the PAVN/VC struck the perimeters of the Da Nang base itself. Naval Support Activity Danang operated extensive logistics facilities on the Tiensha (Tin Sa) peninsula east of the city. [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. The 11th Marines fired an artillery mission with unknown results. 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. They counted 34 PAVN dead. 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. Other enemy rocketeers took the Force Logistic Command compound under fire. 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. 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. [1]:157, There were two serious incidents in the 7th Marines sector. 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 . The first U.S. air strikes also occur against the Ho Chi Minh trail. He personally believed the plans were impractical and deserted at the first chance he had. The rockets destroyed five aircraft, nine items of ground equipment, two vehicles, and one warehouse outright. On 2 February, the Marines received a report that the PAVN 2nd Division had moved its headquarters 4 miles (6.4km) north, to a position above Route 4, from its previous location on Go Noi Island. Two other platoons took up positions around nearby hills 244 and 200. Robertson wanted to "canalize enemy movements in order to develop lucrative targets which could be exploited." The Sequence number refers to the sequence number assigned to all attacks on ten primary US Air Force operating bases in Vietnam. The area the rockets were fired from was called the "Rocket Belt". The RF/PF suffered 1 PF killed and 10 wounded. 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. In addition to the VC R-20th Battalion, south of Da Nang, the VC 1st and PAVN 3rd Regiments both part of the 2nd Division started to deploy toward G Ni Island. 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. At first, the general and his steward confused the rockets with the traditional fireworks shot off in honor of Tt. Beginning their attack about 03:00, two companies of the V-25th Battalion used the noise of firecrackers set off and general firing by Tt celebrants to cover their approach. Even at Marble Mountain the damage was relatively contained. from Vice: That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration. 1969. . Darkness prevented Sailfish from observing the number of casualties that the artillery and air inflicted upon the enemy. The area was around 200 square miles, and the 140mm rockets had a range of over 6 miles. 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. [1]:153, The most serious ground attack against a Marine unit occurred in the western portion of the Da Nang TAOR just below the Ty Loan and Cu Rivers near the eastern bank of the Yn River. The ROKMC Marine Brigade deployed six companies around the city and the ARVN 51st Regiment prepared a reaction force. [1]:1556, During the day and evening of the 31st, the PAVN/VC infantry units pressed the offensive on the ground. Behind the Marine and Korean lines, the ARVN 51st Regiment deployed in support of the South Vietnamese Revolutionary Development program. Freedom Hill 327 can be seen beneath the left flare, with convoy lights winding up the perimeter road. (AP) AP Supported by U .S . in foreground gives perspective. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. Landing in large bursts, about 50 to 75 artillery rounds fell on the lead column. 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. VC gunners from Ha Vang, nevertheless, maintained an intermittent mortar bombardment upon the I Corps tactical operations center. Suspected excavations camouflaged with tree branches were seen on a peninsula 6 miles southwest of Da Nang. [1]:1445, In scattered and intermittent attacks beginning before 02:00 and lasting about one-half hour, PAVN/VC gunners fired both mortars and rockets that landed near positions of Marine artillery, antiair missiles, and the Force Logistic Command at Red Beach Base Area. At the briefing, the division G-2 or intelligence officer, told the assembled officers that "they are finally going to come out and fight. 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. At in Bn, the 51st Regiment reinforced by the ROKMC contained the attack. 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. 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. One of the major attacks was against CAP B-3 in the hamlet of Duong Lam (1) just below the Ty Loan River. "[1]:159, The heaviest action occurred in the 3/5 Marines and 4th Battalion, 51st ARVN sectors along Highway 1. In the morning, the Marines discovered blood trails and three PAVN bodies in the vicinity of the explosions. Another PAVN soldier, who infiltrated from North Vietnam after receiving a year's training as a radioman in Hanoi, was thrust into one of the attacking battalions south of Da Nang so hastily that he never learned the name of his unit let alone those of his officers. The task force headquarters and its two battalions returned to Chu Lai Base Area the following day. This fighting would continue in a desultory fashion throughout the night. The remaining rocket attacks were ineffective. Base orientation brochure, Perimeter, Tent City. Click here to view those.. Update: 12 December 2020. AP Photo U.S. Marines landing in Da Nang, March 8, 1965. 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. Its two runways accommodated a take-off or landing every 60 seconds. "[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. Note: Dick previously sent us some Stars and Stripes clippings mentioning rocket attacks and other "newsworthy items" of the day. [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. . 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 . [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. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. It was damaged by the fire of the adjacent aircraft (BuNo 152588) on the night of 29-30 January 1968. 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. Rummage soon determined that the total number of PAVN approximated 500 or more men, moving in two columns. [1]:1478, The Marine response to the bombardments was rapid, the 11th Marines artillery units "initiated counter-rocket fires" at suspected avenues of approach. All attacks from 02/27/67 forward were by rockets. You comrades should act as heroes of Vietnam and with the spirit and pride of combatants of the Liberation Army. 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. [ Bob Kaatman photo ] Second cache of bombs ignites. Tony Dostal arrived in Vietnam at the Air Force Base in Da Nang aboard a C-141 transport plane on Friday, Aug. 30, 1968. The Marines evacuated the survivor to the Naval Support Activity hospital where he died of his wounds. In the morning when searching the battle area, the Marines would find "ample evidence of enemy casualties, but only two enemy bodies." Shortly after 18:00, an air observer reported seeing 25-30 enemy troops in trenchlines, bunkers and fighting holes. 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. 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. Nine USAF personnel were killed during the barrage and 128 others were wounded, 40 of them requiring hospitalization. The main body advanced in column maintaining about three to four feet space between each man. NMCB-7 sends a Disaster. Both the 2/3 Marines to the east of the Army task force and the 3/5 Marines to the south, also reported relatively little enemy activity in their sectors. 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. If we went a week without a few rockets coming we knew something was in the works. Of the prisoners, the South Vietnamese identified six as military, 109 as workers, and the remaining 80 as VC cadre. The 6252nd Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Da Nang on 18 July, 1965, and was responsible as the host unit for operational squadrons assigned to Da Nang, including the 8th and 13th Bombardment Squadrons. About two-and-a-half hours later, the VC units "ceased fire and withdrew." Stationed with 1882n Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the Base Comm Center. Firing 290 105mm shells, the tractor artillery reportedly killed about 80 of the PAVN attackers caught in the open. Approximately at 02:00, about four of the 122mm rockets fell in or near the compound, one landing near the 1st Cavalry Division helipad temporarily located there, damaging four of the helicopters, but resulting in no Marine or Army casualties. In the resulting engagement, Company E killed about 13 VC from the Q-55th Local Force Company, which normally operated in the area. [1]:157, About 5,000 meters to the northwest, later that night, a squad from Company C, 1/7 Marines encountered an enemy force possibly from the same PAVN regiment. In addition, the 1st Marine Division alerted one company to participate in the relief of Hi An, if needed. The attack began about 1 A.M. and the United States command said the missiles were Sovietbuilt 122mm rockets, each weighing about 100 pounds. Nha Trang Air Base is a military airfield in Vietnam, located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) northwest of Nha Trang in Khnh Ha Province. Their weapons included AK-47s and B-40 RPGs. CriticalPast offers immediate downloads of full-resolution HD and SD masters and full-resolution time-coded screeners, 24 hours a day, to serve the needs of broadcast news, TV, film, and publishing professionals worldwide. 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 Robertson later compared the enemy activity that night to a "10-ring circus." More like this Camp Friendship Korat Cat Air Force Special Operations Vietnam War Photos May Bay North Vietnam Air Force Bases Vietnam Veterans Two days later, Marine intelligence officers learned that the PAVN 21st Regiment was in the Go Noi area. konstantin guericke net worth; xaverian brothers high school nfl players; how is the correct gene added to the cells; hong kong supermarket flyer calgary; ben fogle: new lives in the wild do they get paid; See our A-Level Essay Example on Vietnam war, Modern European History, 1789-1945 now at Marked By Teachers. Again the artillery responded with "excellent effect on target." 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. After dark, both sides withdrew, the Marines to night defensive positions and the PAVN to the west. The Marines killed two and wounded the third. 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. [1]:1445, At 03:30 PAVN/VC forces launched an assault against General Hong Xun Lm's I Corps headquarters. According to III MAF figures, from 29 January through 14 February at Da Nang, Marines sustained 124 killed and more than 480 wounded. Large numbers of flares shot high into the air and burst into . In Da Nang City itself, about 10:50 in the morning, approximately 500 people gathered at a Buddhist pagoda and attempted to hold a march. English: A damaged U.S. Marine Corps Grumman A-6A Intruderof Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 242 (VMA(AW)-242) "Bats" at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, 30 January 1968. By the afternoon of the 31st, the Marines and Rangers had completed their sweep. As the defector from the 401st later revealed, his unit lacked "weapons, experienced soldiers, and transportation manpower." From firing positions southwest of the base, 28 122mm missiles fell on the airfield, destroying one aircraft and damaging six others. The NVA launched hundreds of rocket attacks on DaNang Airbase trying to hit the bomb dump. Again, the Marines killed the VC and once more foiled an apparent enemy demolition effort. 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. [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. "The soldiers and cadre of the "South Vietnam Liberation Army" were to move forward in the attack: 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. 366th AMS, Rocket attack BX, Gunfighter Pilots. In Vietnam ]:1556, during the night of 29-30 January 1968 engagement Company! Along Highway 1, 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including dead. 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