February 14, 1968
Deadlock in the Citadel
US Marines on a street
US National Archives, Original Color, Film Still
The Citadel
At 0800 the Marines in the Citadel commenced their attack, with Charlie/1/5 advancing 100 yards with little resistance near the Imperial Palace, while Bravo/1/5 encountered heavy resistance near the Dong Ba Gate and quickly stalled. The NVA, which had been ejected from the tower over the gate with much difficulty yesterday, managed to retake the structure, once again raining deadly fire on the Americans in the streets below. Despite the clearing of the skies sufficiently for some air support to become available, the NVA refuses to budge, and in the afternoon the Marines begin to pull back to clear the area for another large artillery barrage, which begins so late in the day it is decided to wait until morning before resuming the attack.
An F4 Phantom drops ordinance on NVA positions in Hue
US National Archives
At 1700 USMC F4 Phantoms dropped CS gas canisters over the Citadel, but strong winds carried the clouds of gas away from the NVA onto the river, where the Marines of Delta/1/5 were crossing aboard an LCU. Most did not have gas masks, and were incapacitated by the friendly fire, and to make matters worse, the increase of NVA fire led to the Navy cancelling future movements of LCUs across the river, leaving much of Delta/1/5 stuck in the Triangle. Only the company command post unit was able to reach the Citadel in full strength, and other units were slowly ferried over the river aboard RVNN junks.
Marines watch for snipers as their LCU heads into Hue
US National Archives
Those that did make it were ordered to prepare to join the fighting for the Dong Ba Tower the next day, a prospect not appealing to the Marines as they entered a Citadel shrouded in smoke and the stench of death.
“Steve, hell is coming tomorrow. You’ve got to be ready.”
A Patton takes a hit from an NVA RPG
US National Archives, Original Color, Film Still
On the opposite side of the Walled City, today ARVN forces were able to break through the NVA that had surrounded the Chanh Tay Gate, relieving the ARVN troops there. In addition, the RVNMC units were finally in position to commence their attack by the afternoon, but the job of the Vietnamese Marines would be no easier than that of their American counterparts, as massive NVA reinforcements flooded the Citadel from the Huu Gate on the western wall.
US Marines advance with a Patton tank along the Citadel Wall
US National Archives
Also today, General Truong flew from Mang Ca to Phu Bai, where he met with South Vietnamese Vice President Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and MACV Deputy Commander General Creighton Abrams. During this conference, the restrictions on the use of fire support within the Citadel were universally lifted for all Allied forces, with the exception that the Americans were still prohibited from firing on the Imperial Palace with anything but small arms.
A ruined market in Hue
US National Archives
The civilians of the city also continued to endure the occupation from an increasingly vengeful communist force. As it became more obvious that the people were not going to rise en masse against the Saigon Regime, the VC that roamed the shrinking area of the city under their control began to execute people for increasingly minor offenses. In one home an entire family was shot for owning a television, which the VC claimed was a communications device for contacting the Americans. In another a group of toddlers with American heritage were found in a nursery, with VC swinging them by their ankles to crush their skulls against the walls.
The NVA was not the only hazard. As American shells fell around the city, the marketplace near the Dong Ba Gate was razed to the ground, and civilians trying to move under cover of darkness for food or water were as likely to be killed by the Americans and South Vietnamese who mistook them for the enemy as they were by the death squads. VC Commissar Nguyen Dac Xuan would later recall that by this stage of the battle there was no longer any time for political proselytizing. As he would put it, the days were spent with a rifle, the nights with a shovel, digging graves.
The Citadel: 2-14-1968
Mang Ca - ARVN 1st Division Headquarters
Tay Loc Airfield - RVNMC Position
Chanh Tay Gate - Surrounded ARVN troops are relieved today
Bravo/1/5 encounters heavy resistance near the Dong Ba Gate
Charlie/1/5 makes some gains against the NVA on the right flank of the USMC advance
As Delta/1/5 attempts to cross the river, they are hit by CS gas deployed by aircraft
Some elements of Delta/1/5 make it to the Citadel, where they will join the fight for the Dong Ba Gate tomorrow
Imperial Palace - NVA Headquarters. Despite the lifting of fire support restrictions today, the Palace is still off limits to American artillery and air support.
Dong Ba Gate - The NVA reoccupy the tower in the early morning, and the position remains defiant to the USMC advance throughout the day
Huu Gate - Large numbers of NVA reinforcements are flooding into the Citadel from this gate
Citadel Gates - Flags indicate controlling faction
The Hamlets
Today very little transpired aside from sporadic artillery and mortar fire between the US cavalrymen and the NVA near Thon La Chu.
The Hamlets: 2-13-1968
Thon Lieu Coc Thuong - 5/7 Cavalry position
Nui Nha Nhan - 2/12 Cavalry position
Thon Bon Tri - NVA remains in the hamlet
Thon Que Chu - NVA outer defenses
Thon La Chu - NVA Tri-Thien Hue Front Headquarters