February 15, 1968
The Dong Ba Tower
US Marine artillery fire from batteries at Phu Bai had been ongoing through the night against NVA positions south of Mai Thuc Loan Street. Despite the massive amount of firepower brought to bear, the NVA continues to replace their men at an astonishing rate.
US Marines load a 105mm howitzer
US National Archives
The Citadel
The Americans opened their attacks for the day at 0800, with the Marines of the newly arrived Delta/1/5 jumping off against the tower as Bravo/1/5 and Charlie/1/5 attacked across Mai Thuc Loan Street. Bravo and Charlie Companies advance with limited resistance, by Delta again runs into a wall of fire from the NVA dug in at the Dong Ba Tower. The battle would drag on without major developments until 1400, when the Marines were able to climb atop the wall north of the gate. The massive fortification was in some places 75 meters thick, and the top was built up in some areas, leading to another difficult fight, but at least now progress was being made.
Marines in action near the Dong Ba Gate
US National Archives, Film Still, Original Color
The fighting for the Dong Ba Tower and Gate would continue throughout the day, with an M48 tank being used as well, although its 90mm cannon proved ineffective against the masonry of the tower. The NVA fire in the streets remained intense, and Captain Myron Harrington, the commander of Delta/1/5, was forced to spot targets using his radio, rather than the field phone attached to the rear of the tank.
While this was going on, the marines pushed along the top of the wall toward the tower. Private First Class Willie Smith would receive the Silver Star for his actions here, climbing up and down the wall unbidden to retrieve wounded and carry up supplies, all whilst wounded himself. The fight was brutal, but by 1600 the Marines atop the wall had reached the base of the Dong BaTower. At the same time, Harrington and his men began to assault down the street below, clearing the buildings along the path to the gate. The vast number of RPGs fired throughout the narrow street lead to it being christened “Rocket Alley” by the Marines, and after it was all over the crews of the tanks all suffered severe headaches from the concussions of repeated rocket hits.
The commander of an M48 in the hatch of his tank
US National Archives
As they approach, they are engaged by NVA in a trench dug in front of the gate, as well as a brick pillbox. With a barrage of covering fire from the Marines’ small arms as well as an M48, more Marines scale the crumbling wall to join the attack on the tower, storming it as the NVA barraged them with fire from the surrounding buildings. The NVA fights savagely for the tower, with some using spiderholes to engage the Marines, in some cases even with suicide attacks. One NVA soldier grabbed Cpl. Maury Whitmer, one of the Marine squad leaders, and attempted to pull him into a hole with an armed bomb. Whitmer responded by kicking the bomb into the hole, leaving the now panicked NVA soldier to be blasted in the hole. In another area, Whitmer fell through a hole into an old Japanese bunker in the wall, a remnant of their occupation during the Second World War. The bunker was filled with NVA, who opened fire, as does Whitmer, who began firing on fully automatic into the NVA. He was hit several times, but remained in the fight as he clambered out thanks to his flak jacket stopping the worst of the damage.
Reduced to little more than a pile of broken rubble, the NVA still refused to be driven from the ruin for another half hour until, with danger close mortar fire, the Marines finally took the blasted wreck, securing the tower and the gate. Running low on ammunition, some had been forced to resort to using knives and even bricks to clear the last NVA holdouts from the structure. Exhausted by the day’s fighting and with night approaching, the Marines dug in for the night.
Civilians line up to tell a reporter about the situation in the city
US National Archives
As the struggle for the tower raged on the left flank of the Marine advance, on the right a new problem was becoming apparent: the NVA remained ensconced in the Imperial Palace complex, and could use it to flank the American drive for the southern wall. To counter this move the Marines of Charlie/1/5 were ordered to divert westward to seal off the Palace, with Bravo/1/5 extending its line on Mai Thuc Loan Street to compensate.
In the western Citadel, today the Vietnamese Marines began their own drive southward, encountering increasing evidence of massacres against the citizens of Hue as they do so. In the ensuing battle, the ARVN also intercepts NVA radio traffic, and surmises that the commanding officer of the 6th NVA Regiment had been killed in action during the fighting along the western side of the Citadel.
The Citadel: 2-15-1968
Mang Ca - 1st ARVN Division Headquarters
Tay Loc Airfield
RVNMC begins their attack today from the area between Tay Loc Airfield and the Chanh Tay Gate
USMC Delta/1/5 spends the day attacking the area around the Dong Ba Gate, finally taking it in the afternoon
USMC Charlie/1/5 is sent westward around the Imperial Palace to prevent the NVA from using it to flank the Americans
Imperial Palace - NVA Headquarters
The NVA commits significant forces to holding the Dong Ba Gate, but are pushed out in the afternoon
NVA counterattack toward the Chanh Tay Gate is defeated by the RVNMC
Huu Gate - This remains the main artery for NVA resupply and reinforcement in the Citadel
Citadel Gates - Flags indicate controlling faction
The Hamlets
Today the cavalrymen at Thon Lieu Coc Thuong received the encouraging news that additional naval artillery support had become available as more ships arrived offshore in the South China Sea. In addition, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment (Delta/2/501 Airborne) was formally the operational control of 5/7 Cavalry from the 101st Airborne Division. As the paratroopers moved down Highway 1 to Thon Lieu Coc Thuong they were ambushed by an NVA force, with the resulting fight leaving 58 NVA dead as they completed their move, with some elements of Bravo/5/7 Cav and Charlie/5/7 Cav having moved up to assist them. In addition to these reinforcements, an additional battery of 105mm howitzers was made available, although no 8’’ heavy howitzers could be found.
Thus reinforced, plans were made to airlift 2/12 Cavalry from their position at Nui Nha Nhan to Thon Lieu Coc Thuong, where they would form the left flank of the next major attack on the NVA dug in at Thon La Chu.
The Hamlets: 2-15-1968
Thon Lieu Coc Thuong - 5/7 Cavalry is reinforced today by Delta/2/501 Airborne today
Nui Nha Nhan - 2/12 Cavalry remains here today, but plans are in place to airlift them to Thon Lieu Coc Thuong soon
Thon Bon Tri - NVA remains in the hamlet
Thon Que Chu - TT-Woods and the attached hamlet remain under NVA control
Thon La Chu - NVA Tri-Thien Hue Front Headquarters