February 4, 1968
The Treasury Falls
The fifth day of the fighting would see Cheatham’s tactics paying off, with the Americans pushing hard in the Triangle, while the ARVN also gains more ground in the Citadel. Despite this, the NVA had no intention of giving up, and resistance from here on would only intensify.
A Patton fires on a target
US National Archives, Original Color
The Citadel
Unlike the situation in the Triangle, the ARVN in teh Citadel were not nearly as badly outnumbered by the NVA at this stage of the battle. They had over the preceeding days successfully broken out of their headquarters in Mang Ca at the northernmost corner of the Citadel. This operation had seen the recapture of the Tay Loc Airfield, and today ARVN troops pushing along the northern wall would secure the An Hoa Gate, effectively cutting off the northern routes into the Citadel for the communists. Despite these gains, 2/3/ARVN and 3/3/ARVN remained trapped outside the citadel wall and surrounded. 4/3/ARVN was able to break out of its encirclement, and arrived at the MACV compound in the triangle, reduced to only 170 men.
The Citadel: 2-4-1968
Mang Ca - ARVN 1st Division Headquarters
Tay Loc Airfield
An Hoa Gate - Today the ARVN took control of the An Hoa Gate, thus cutting off the north wall from the NVA
Position of 3/1/ARVN and 4/1/ARVN - The two ARVN battalions remain surrounded against the wall near the southern corner of the citadel, but are holding
Imperial Palace - NVA Headquarters
Pfc. James Jones of Hotel/2/5 helps a child climb through a window
US National Archives
The Triangle
In the Triangle the US Marines remained bogged down in front of the Treasury Building on Ly Thuong Kiet Street. Marines had managed to take the adjacent Public Health Department yesterday, but had been forced to abandon it when the Treasury proved resilient. Colonel Cheatham had been preparing to renew the attack in the morning, with a redeployment of heavy weapons to aid in the attack. One notable change is an order to fire the bazookas against the walls of the building, as firing the 90mm rockets through the windows had proven less effective. Firing them at the walls allowed the bazookas to operate to their full effect: designed as anti-tank weapons, their shaped charge warheads would penetrate the wall and fill the room beyond with shrapnel.
Marines move up Tran Cao Van Street with a Patton, with the MACV fence on the left
USMC Photo
The attack began at 0700, with the Marines opening fire with small arms and backed by a mortar barrage. Notably, the mortars are firing at extreme close range, and operate with great skill and accuracy. The greatest problem currently facing them remained the DShK heavy machine gun nest in Le Loi Elementary School, and a plan is devised to neutralize it with a 106mm recoilless rifle. The weapons would be mounted on a mechanical mule to roll it quickly into the street and destroy the nest. As an added bonus, the backblast from firing the weapon would create an excellent smokescreen for the Marines to cross the street.
A 106mm recoilless rifle fires from a mechanical mule on Ly Thuong Kiet Street
US National Archives
When the moment arises, Cheatham himself goes out into the street to mark the nest for the 106. He, like all officers, carries a load of tracer rounds for his M16, and he finds a spot where he can see and fire at the MG without the enemy being able to traverse the weapon low enough to hit him. Firing bursts of tracers to mark the target, the mule is driven into the street, and with a single shot destroys the nest. Screened by the backblast, the Marines of Hotel/2/5 charge across the street as the 106 withdraws, reentering the Public Health Department.
Marines from Alpha/1/1 led by Gunny Canley outside the Joan of Arc Church
USMC Photo
As the attack on the Treasury continued, Alpha/1/1 was pushing through the Joan of Arc School complex to secure the flank. The school itself consisted of two “L” shaped buildings with a central courtyard, as well as a church. The church was targeted first, with the Marines blasting a hole in the wall to make entry before clearing the NVA from the sanctuary, with several NVA firing down on them from the rafters. They eventually push the Marines back out, but a counterattack with support from a recoilless rifle and a Patton allows them to take the building.
Their advance continues until 0900, when after taking the first “L” shaped classroom building they are bogged down in the courtyard by intense enemy fire. The NVA had allowed them to take the first building, and had fortified the other. It is here that Sgt. Alfredo Gonzalez, who had already distinguished himself on the drive into the city on January 31, would go even further above and beyond the call of duty.
Hotel/2/5 Marines enter the Public Health Department through a hole in the wall
US National Archives
By 1145 the Public Health Complex had again been taken, and the Marines of Hotel/2/5 began to spread out to secure the surrounding structures. Meanwhile, Major John Salvati, the XO of 2/5 had been ordered to assist with hauling a 106mm recoilless rifle up to a second floor classroom of Hue University, which was positioned to blast the heavy steel doors of the treasury when the assault began. In addition, Major Salvati had acquired an E8 launcher from an abandoned ARVN depot he had passed on the way to MACV this morning, and he positioned this to fire at teh building to open the attack. The E8 was a simple fiberglass backpack unit that could fire a barrage of CS gas (tear gas) cannisters at a target. This would disorient the NVA, and the Marines of Foxtrot/2/5 had been issued with gas masks to allow them to remain effective.
Marines load a 106mm recoilless rifle in a Hue University Classroom
The first attempt to fire the launcher fails when the lanyard simply breaks when Salvati pulls it. In response, the Major and another nearby officer are able to jury rig a crank field telephone to generate the needed charge to fire the launcher, which quickly covers the Treasury in a cloud of gas. This is followed up with a blast from the 106 in the University classroom, which smashes in the doors (and collapses the classroom with backblast). Backed up by an M48 tank, the Marines of Foxtrot/2/5 were able to gain entrance to the building, clearing it methodically room by room. The lobby is empty aside from RVN money blowing across the floor, but some NVA remained in the upper story of the building. By the time it is secure, the company has suffered 18 wounded in the capture of the building, including in a brief fight with the NVA in the back courtyard as the communists attempted to retreat.
Sgt. Alfredo Gonzalez, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor today during the fighting for Joan of Arc School
Meanwhile, the gas from the attack on the treasury had wafted down the street, causing some difficulties for the Marines of Alpha/1/1, who lacked gas masks. Despite this, the acting CO, Lt. Ray Smith, recognized the usefulness of such a weapon, and immediately sent a man to fetch another for his platoon. One is brought up, but firing it ends in disaster, as it spins on its mount, firing gas into the Marines’ position as well as even sending some rounds over the buildings and into the MACV. Lt. Smith himself takes one of the cannisters directly to the chest, wounding him.
As this is ongoing, Sgt. Gonzalez takes several M72 LAW rocket launchers to the second floor, running between windows and firing them at the NVA in the other classroom building. This allows his fellow Marines to gain a foothold in the NVA stronghold, but Gonzalez eventually takes an NVA RPG rocket directly to the chest, which nearly tears the man in half. A corpsman is able to reach him, giving him morphine and reciting the Lord’s Prayer before being driven off by NVA fire. “Freddy” Gonzalez never wakes up, and is posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Marines in the yard of the Health Department
US National Archives
By 1700, the Public Health Department, Treasury and Post Office have all been secured, although the NVA is still stubbornly holding on at the Joan of Arc School. The fighting within the remaining classroom building had devolved into a hand to hand melee for the structure. Eventually they secure it along with a small chapel nearby. The two priests there are unhappy with the Marines for the damage that has been done, but eventually constent to pose for photographs with them
An Alpha/1/1 Marine takes cover in the doorway of a chapel
USMC Photo
As the day winds down, at 1904 the NVA fire at the Marines in the Treasury from a bunker near the Post Office, and the Marines respond by throwing CS gas canisters into the bunker’s ventilation stack, leading to the surrender of an NVA officer. The remaining NVA in the bunker refuse to surrender, prompting the Marines to fire a LAW rocket into it. An inspection after the fact reveals 24 NVA soldiers killed within. The bunker itself had been a weapons dump.
Back at Joan of Arc, Alpha/1/1 was able to secure teh building after an M48 arrived with a spotlight, allowing a final tally of 22 NVA KIA within the school. The Marines then move into and secure the mostly abandoned Le Loi Elementary School, where they stand down for the night. They had suffered almost 50% casualties today.
In one last action for the day in the Triangle, the VC were finally able to destroy the An Cuu Bridge, severing Highway 1 from Hue to Phu Bai.
The Triangle: 2-4-1968
MACV Compound
Doc Lap Park LZ
LCU Ramp
Hue University/Treasury/Public Health Department - After heavy fighting, the Marines are able to take control of these buildings, pushing the front line still further westward.
Joan of Arc School - Alpha/1/1 was able to secure the school today after heavy fighting. Sgt. Alfredo Gonzalez posthumously won the Congressional Medal of Honor here.
USAF Communications Post - The Americans still have not reached the post, but are now extremely close.
AFVN Detachment 5 - Today the Americans lose power, and the NVA is seen massing troops outside their building.
4/3/ARVN manages to break through to MACV, but is down to only 170 men
An Cuu Bridge - In the evening the VC managed to destroy the bridge over the Phu Cam Canal, cutting Highway 1 to Phu Bai.
Thua Thien Provincial Administration Building
A trooper of 2/12 Cav near Camp Evans
US National Archives, Original Color
The Hamlets
Near the village of Thon La Chu the US Army’s 2/12 Cavalry remained surrounded through the night. The area, simply named “This Fucking Place”, or TFP, by the troopers, consisted of a small perimeter built from the NVA positions captured the previous afternoon. The situation was very nearly critical. When three volunteer crews join Bill Scudder to fly their Hueys into TFP to extract wounded they were successful, but in the process the helicopters took so much damage that they had to be written off.
The day’s troubles began at TFP at 0300, when the NVA hit the American position with four mortars. These combine with sporadic trip flares being fired ensure the defenders get no sleep before the main attack begins at 0800. At that time, 200 mortars pound the position, followed by mass charges by the NVA from all sides. The perimeter holds, but the attackers nearly reach hand to hand range before being turned back. The troopers are left with low ammunition reserves, and become even more reliant on artillery fire to prevent losing their position. 2/12 Cav suffers 11 dead and 51 wounded in the attack, for 8 confirmed dead NVA and one captured. Only 200 troopers remain combat ready.
The artillery is the one area in which improvement can be noted. The rest of the 1st Cavalry Divisional Artillery had been redeployed to PK17 by truck, and were joined by the USS Northampton in the South China Sea. The enemy has their own mortars as well, however, including a mortar close by firing from a ruined chapel. The walls prevent the Americans from hitting the position, but one trooper, Pfc. Daniel T. Bolsky, is able to lob a hand grenade 40 meters through the roof. This destroys the mortar, and prompts Bolsky to reveal he had played baseball professionally in civilian life.
By mid morning another huey is able to reach TFP to evacuate the wounded, but due to the large number of casualties Lt. Col. Sweet is forced to begin sorting the wounded according to their odds of survival. Another major attack at 1100 adds to the problem, forcing Sweet to contract his perimeter again as casualties mount further. Another load of casualties are evacuated at 1345, with 12 literally thrown onto the Huey under enemy fire. A final 15 are loaded at dusk on another helicopter, along with one deserter who jumps aboard as the aircraft lifts off. The overloaded bird sways ominously before the pilot corrects and flies out.
“If we continue our present mission and attack toward Hue via Thon La Chu, we’ll be cut down. If we defend our present position, we’ll be nickel and dimed to pieces. If are exfiltrated to gain a more defensible position, we can flank the enemy stronghold and disrupt him. I recommend we do it.”
As darkness fell, Sweet and his officers came to the decision that they needed to break out of the encirclement with a night maneuver, as they would likely be destroyed if they remained at TFP for another day. The dead could not be evacuated, and were buried in a shell crater with a note in crude Vietnamese stating that it was a grave and asking the NVA not to disturb it.
Preparations began at 1800, with the cavalrymen making dummies in their foxholes to prop up when they leave, as the engineers rig the gear they can’t take with them for destruction with timed charges. Special orders are issued for all the men to secure any items that could rattle on their persons, as well well as a ban on smoking.
Night maneuvers were not commonly performed by mainline US units in Vietnam, but 2/12 Cav had the bonus of having been recently run through training in such tactics when Sweet took command in January. The lack of a moon tonight would also be helpful for accomplishing the breakout.
At 2000 the troopers quietly set up the dummies in their foxholes and assembled, physically shaking each other to ensure that nothing would make noise to betray their movement. Orders are issued to not return fire under any circumstances, and the wounded are slung between men in ponchos. All radios are ordered shut off, as Sweet fears that the breakout will be cancelled by headquarters.
A gap had been identified in the NVA line to the north of TFP, and the troopers begin to creep through it single file, managing to get past it with only two incidents. At one point the sound of a machine gun being cocked splits the night near the Americans, but nothing comes of it. Later, one man accidently fires his M79 into the ground. It doesn’t detonate and embeds itself in the mud, and again the sound of the weapon does not incur any attacks.
All of the artillery at PK17 commenced a saturation bombardment of TFP after 2/12 Cav withdrew. As 7,000 shells slam into the area, the cavalrymen locate a ford to cross the Khe Soi, which takes another two hours. As midnight approaches, they are continuing toward a new position outside of Hue.