Compound
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A United States compound in Hue City is under attack by NLF forces during the Tet Offensive.
History
Compound:
The MACV (Military Assistance Command Vietnam) compound in Hue was located in the modern city south of the Perfume River and the citadel. It occupied much of the block between corner of Trần Cao Vân street and Hùng Vương street and the corner of Nguyễn Tri Phương street and Bến Nghé street. In the northwest corner of the compound was an existing 3 story hotel. The hotel was "L" shaped with a the short arm of the "L" being 3 stories, and the long arm of the "L" being 2 stories. The hotel's first floor housed a dining hall which was also used as a meeting room and sometimes to show movies. The hotel's 2 upper floors were used as officers quarters. On the north side of the hotel was the motorpool. South-east of the hotel were 24 enlisted men's hooches organised in 3 rows of 8 hooches. The hooches were nicer than most enlisted men's hooches in vietnam, with solid walls made of masonry or concrete instead of the usual wood. The hooches had bathrooms, mosquito netting, and electricity and electric appliances such as fans and refrigerators. Slightly north of the rows of hooches was a church and a basketball court. Several other buildings were in the compound. The compound was staffed by a 12 marine security detail, and around 100 US army soldiers of MACV Advisory Team 3, who were providing support to the 1st ARVN division in Hue and other forces in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province.
Surrounding Area:
At the south-west corner of the block the compound was located in at the intersection of Hùng Vương and Nguyễn Tri Phương was an Esso gas Station. Northwest of the compound across the intersection of Trần Cao Vân and Hùng Vương was part of Hue University, including the music and chemistry rooms, and the music rotunda. The rotunda is featured in game south of the Compound objective. West of the compound across Hùng Vương was Duy Tân Hotel, west of which was Jeanne D'Arc high school. Across Trần Cao Vân from the north-east corner of the MACV Compound was the Vietnamese police compound.
Tet Offensive:
During the 1968 Tet Offensive the PAVN 4th Regiment 804th Battalion and along with a few NLF companies and a sapper battalion attacked the modern city, some of whom attempted to take the compound early in the morning of January 31st 1968. They were held off by a machine gunner in a guard tower and a few soldiers in a bunker who allowed the rest of the advisory team to get into defensive positions. The 4th Regiment gave up on assaulting the compound and besieged the compound instead, taking up positions in the surrounding area, including the police compound and Jeanne D'Arc high school. PAVN soldiers fired mortars, rockets, and small arms at the compound. About 3 hours into the firefight Sp4 Frank Doezema Jr of Advisory Team 3 joined three marines in post #2, the guard tower on the north east corner, which had already been hit and damaged by RPGs twice before. He fired a M1919 machine gun at PAVN soliders on Trần Cao Vân and in the police compound. Shortly after Doezema manned the gun the tower it was hit by a third RPG, the rocket wounded the marines Corporal Mishler, Corporal Robertson, and Hall, and blew Doezema's legs off, an attempt to medevac him was made, but PAVN snipers prevented the helicopter from landing. He bled to death. Doezema was later awarded the Distinguished Service cross and the compound was named after him. Around 3:15 pm A Company and headquarters 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, and G Company 2nd Battalion 5th Marines both of the 1st Marine Division and 3 M48A3 Pattons and one M67 "Zippo" from the provisional platoon of the 3rd tank Battalion reached the compound after fighting their way there. The PAVN 4th Regiment withdrew slightly. A Company stayed behind to secure the compound, while G Company briefly crossed the Perfume river via Cầu Trường Tiền bridge about 400 meters from the compound before being driven back and returning to the compound, which was being used as the marine's command post, and took up positions in the surrounding area. In total Marines of A & G Companies suffered 66 casualties, including 10 KIAs on January 31st in their push to get to the compound, and in combat in the surrounding area.
At 7 Am on February 1st both A and G companies and the tanks attempted to move down Trần Cao Vân to rescue a down helicopter crew, relive a MACV radio building, and relive ARVN forces defending Thừa Thiên provincial headquarters and prison 6 blocks northwest of the compound. Lt Mike McNeal's 1st Platoon, who were in the lead, immediately took sniper fire while trying to cross the intersection at Trần Cao Vân and Hùng Vương. It took several hours for the Platoon and the tanks to cross Hùng Vương and get to the wall bordering Hue university, only 50 to 100m from the compound. Once in position they slowly moved down Trần Cao Vân, with the infantry taking cover behind the M48A3s, taking small arms and RPG fire from PAVN soldiers who were firing from Jeanne D'Arc high school and Hue University. At some point one of the M48A3s was hit by a Chinese made Type 36 57mm recoiless rifle and knocked out. Around 3 PM Company F 2/5 Marines fought their way to the compound and joined up with the other forces, and participated in the push down Trần Cao Vân street. A and G companies had several casualties. F Company suffered 16 casualties, including 3 KIA on February 1st. The attempt to push down Trần Cao Vân lasted through the afternoon. They requested air support for the next day, but were denied.
The Marines finally reached the MACV radio building the morning of February 2nd. After 3 hours of fighting, the marines took control of Hue university, which was located diagonally across the intersection at Trần Cao Vân and Hùng Vương from the MACV compound. Around noon a Convoy made of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 2 M50 Ontos's from Anti Tank Company, 1st tank Battalion and army trucks armed with M45 quad M2HB gun turrets ran into the marines already in position near the compound, neither of them were expecting each other, and so while firing at PAVN soldiers who were firing rockets and small arms at the convoy, also briefly shot at each other in the confusion. No one was seriously injured, but one truck was disabled by a rocket. H company then linked up with the other marine units around the compound. The marines around the compound suffered 36 casualties including 2 KIAs on February 2nd. Another tank was knocked out, this time by a 75mm recoiless rifle.
At 1 pm February 3rd a convoy arrived with the 2nd battalion, 5th Marine HQ element, who set up a command post in the compound, and bringing equipment needed to clear out the surrounding area including M40 "106mm" recoiless rifles, M20 "Super Bazookas", E-8 CS (tear gas) launchers, and gasmasks which were heavily used in the fighting over the next week. Companies' H and F moved away from the compound area and attempted to assault other buildings, while G co stayed near the compound and moved north from the compound across Trần Cao Vân into the neighbouring Police Compound which had previously been occupied by NLF forces, but who had since mostly withdrawn.
On February 4th A Company 1/1 Marines tried to clear Jeanne D'Arc high school, but the fighting was room to room, with marines blowing holes in the walls with C4 and entering via the hole. 3rd Platoon, under the command of Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez, secured a wing of the school, but were stopped by RPGs. Gonzalez fired around 10 M72 LAWs, taking out 2 of the enemy rocket positions. He was then hit directly in the stomach with an RPG and died. Gonzalez was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. After much fighting, A company took the school. A Co then moved away from the compound area and attacked other targets, near where H and F Cos were fighting.
Fighting in the surrounding blocks continued for over a week, with areas withing 400m of the Compound not being retaken until February 10th. The fighting in the approximately 10 block area around the compound was extremely harsh, with the Marines suffering 38 men dead and 320 wounded. H Co got the worst of it, with every officer in H Co being wounded, and most NCOs too. The marines expended approximately 10 times the average amount of ammunition expended in combat, took 6 prisoners, detained 89 potential NLF members, and claimed over 1,000 enemy killed. '
The compound continued to be used as a command post and regimental aid station for forces attacking the Citadel during the rest of the battle of Hue.
Skirmish
Objectives:
- A. MACV Compound
- B. Admin Building
- C. Courtyard
| Faction |
|---|
| National Liberation Front |
| United States Marine Corps |
| Time |
| 10 Minutes |
Territories
Objectives:
- A. School Block A
- B. School Block B
- C. Admin Building
- D. MACV Compound
| Faction | Tickets | Role |
|---|---|---|
| National Liberation Front | 400 | Attacking |
| United States Marine Corps | 400 | Defending |
| Time | ||
| 10 Minutes | ||
Trivia
- Some of the developers from Antimatter Games had actually visited the MACV Compound while staying at a hotel there during their trip in Vietnam.
Gallery
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