Hue - 1968 — I Like to Hear Myself Talk History

The Imperial City

***The Citadel Flagpole, across from the Imperial Palace and facing the Perfume River***
*US Marine Corps Photo*

The city of Hue was situated along the Song Huong, or Perfume River, in South Vietnam’s Thừa Thiên Province, for which it served as capital. The city had been the seat of the Vietnamese Emperor, whose Imperial Palace was located near the center of the fortified citadel on the northern side of the river. This fortified city around the palace complex had only been built in 1802, despite its more ancient appearance, and was further fortified by the French Colonial administration, which retained the Emperor as a figurehead. With the end of the Second World War the Nguyen Dynasty would fall, with the new communist government based in the north, and the short lived State of Vietnam having relocated its capital to Saigon, well to the south. The city thus remained an important site of Vietnamese culture, a symbol of a unified Vietnam.

As the war for the country had escalated over the previous decade the city had managed to escape the worst of the conflict, but not all had been peaceful. Long a center of the Vietnam’s Buddhist community, the tensions between that religious community and the Catholic Diem Administration had come to a head here, with a shooting of protesting Buddhists being generally accepted as the starting point for the 1963 Buddhist Crisis that would culminate and the overthrow and assassination of President Ngo Din Diem.

***US troops tour the Pagoda of the Elderly Goddess in the Citadel, 1967***
*United States National Archives*

As the war had continued, both sides had avoided any acts of aggression against the city, and it was considered something of a backwater posting for US and ARVN troops, who also used the city as a R&R location. With its rich cultural heritage and numerous museums, temples and palaces it remained an impressive site, and as the celebrations for Tet in 1968 commenced, it belied the horror about to befall the Imperial City. The Vietcong had been observing the movements of US and RVN personnel throughout their daily routines, and had identified a list of targets to take in their opening moves as well as infiltration routes. Weapons and munitions had been smuggled into the city in false bottom junks as well as concealed inside wrapped gifts for the Tet holiday. Large NVA formations had been slowly infiltrating the countryside, positioning themselves to surround the city.

***Modern apartment buildings along a canal in Hue***
*US National Archives*

The South Vietnamese forces in Hue under General Truong had begun to fortify the gates of the citadel and recall their men, and reports had been coming in of NVA units moving around the city, but as the sun set on January 30, 1968 most of these preparations to counter an expected attack had barely begun.

The Citadel

The citadel was the home of three major objectives for the enemy attack: the 1st ARVN Division command compound at Mang Ca, the Tay Loc Airfield, and the Imperial Palace. In addition, the NVA plan required the rapid seizure of the citadel’s eleven gates to seal it from reinforcement.

Mang Ca

A bastion located in the northern corner of the citadel, this compound contained the headquarters of the ARVN 1st Division under General Truong, with the compound extending out into an open area with a parade ground, barracks and helipad. This was the main military target within the citadel, and mostly was manned by administrative personnel and staff officers.

Tay Loc Airfield

The Tay Loc Airfield was a small airstrip located in the western quadrant of the citadel, and was defended by the elite Hac Bao, or Black Panther, reconnaissance company of the 1st ARVN Division. Known for their black fatigues, these are considered some of the most capable troops in the entire ARVN. The southern end of the field also hosts the 1st ARVN Divisional Armory, defended by an ordinance company. If the NVA secures the field, it will cut off fixed wing aircraft from reinforcing or evacuationg personnel, and the armory can be put to use arming the planned general uprising in the city.

The Imperial Palace

Less a military target as than a symbolic one, the Imperial Palace was a microcosm for the city itself, with its own thick walls surrounding a Forbidden City built in the model of the Chinese. The huge Ngo Mon Flag Tower that fronted it along the wall facing the river was the Ngo Mon Flag Tower, with a massive gold and red RVN flag flying from the huge 179 foot pole, a symbol of visible from across the city. The VC had been tasked with making a special flag to replace the southern banner there, and its replacement before dawn was considered a top priority.

The Gates

The Citadel itself had eleven fortified gates allowing access through the massive walls after passing over the moat. These needed to be taken quickly in order both to allow reinforcement and resupply to the NVA forces in the city as well as to cut off the same from the ARVN troops there. Having grown concerned by the increasing activity around the city, General Truong had recalled as many of his men as possible, and had ordered the gates to be secured, with both ARVN regulars and Regional Forces (Ruff-Puffs) stationed at all of them.

**Mang Ca - 1st ARVN Davison HQ Compound**
**Outer Mang Ca - 1st ARVN Division Barracks and Helipad**
**Tay Loc Airfield - 1st ARVN Division Hac Bao Recon Company**
**1st ARVN Division Armory**
**Hau Gate**
**An Hoa Gate**
**Chanh Tay Gate**
**Huu Gate**
**Nha Do Gate**
**Thuong Tu Gate**
**Dong Ba Gate**
**Trai Gate**
**Imperial Palace**
***Waving Flag indicates the flag on the Ngo Mon Flag Tower***
*Map from US National Archives*

The Triangle

***A view of the MACV Compound in 1966***
*US National Archives*

MACV Headquarters in Saigon had already issued alerts for a possible attack during Tet, but still the general mood was that Hue would remain untouched. US and RVN personnel in the area of the city, the more modern Triangle, were in many cases settling in to spend a relatively quiet holiday, watching the fireworks over the citadel and the crowds of people streaming into the city. The NVA had a list of important targets here as well, and had pre-positioned forces for this purpose as well. The main targets were to be the Thua Thien Provincial Administrative Building, home of the local RVN administration, and the adjacent Provincial Prison, which would be seized and the inmates released and armed to aid in the uprising. The RVN National Police would also be hit in their offices and compounds near Highway 1. The ARVN had several small depots and camps, most notably a depot for M41 light tanks at Tam Thai on Highway 1, and the US had the MACV compound on Highway 1 near the river. The US Consulate was also to be taken, although the NVA neglected the US Navy ramp on the river near MACV, as well as the AFVN radio station on Dung Da Street, as well as several smaller posts.

Thua Thien Provincial Administration Building

The seat of the provincial government, this was a large concrete office complex dating to the French period. It was almost empty over the Tet holiday. The seizure of this structure was mostly symbolic, with the communist flag hoisted over the seat of Saigon’s power in Hue.

Thua Thien Provincial Prison

The prison was, on the other hand, an intimidating target. With thick walls and guard towers offering a commanding view, the ARVN troops and National Police guarding it were in a position to offer significant resistance, at least as long as supplies held out. The facility was home to a large number of inmates, including a significant quantity of communist sympathizers.

The National Police Buildings

The RVN National Police had three main buildings in the Triangle. Two were located along Highway 1 in the open cane field before entering the city proper, those being the city and regional police headquarters, as well as the Civil Guard compound (sometimes cited as the National Police Headquarters, sources differ) located just to the northeast of the American MACV compound. The seizure of these buildings would be another symbol of the fall of Saigon’s authority, as well as disrupt pacification efforts.

The MACV Compound

Located in a group of sequestered hotels along Highway 1, this complex was the headquarters for the American advisory forces to ARVN troops in the region. Surrounded by wire and with pillboxes and guard towers, this was a defensible position, but was manned primarily by staff personnel with only a small security detachment. Its capture by the NVA would severely disrupt US forces in the area, and effectively isolate the ARVN 1st Division. The symbolic significance of such a move, of course, could not be overstated.

Hue - 1968

The Imperial City

The Citadel

The Triangle

The Weapons: Northern Forces

I Like to Hear Myself Talk History