THE BATTLE OF HUE 1968 - FIGHT FOR THE IMPERIAL CITY
BY JAMES WILLBANKS OSPREY CAMPAIGN 371 ISBN 978 1 4728 4471 2 2021
The Tet New Year offensive was a surprise and a shift from North Vietnamese and Vietcong guerrilla warfare to conventional large scale attacks nationwide, planned to overrun the cities and ignite a popular uprising against the South Vietnamese government and US forces. Hue, the old capital in the north, was symbolically important, a fortress city with ramparts, high walls, formidable gate towers, surrounded by a moat and encircled by rivers and bridges. The Hue City Front, a division sized formation of NVA regiments, regular and local VC and sappers quickly captured the city, surrounding it with blocking forces to prevent reinforcement of trapped ARVN, US, and Allied forces in the Citadel and southern city. The initial US and Allied response was confused and slow, eventually reinforcements reaching Hue by road, helicopter and landing craft on the waterways. Largely an infantry battle, progress was slow for relief forces in the narrow streets, walled compounds and houses each becoming tenaciously defended NVA and VC strongpoints. M48 tanks and particularly useful M50 tracked recoilless rifle carriers led attacks blasting through thick walls. Eventually all Vietnam War munitions were deployed -teargas, artillery, naval gunfire, helicopter gunships, airstrikes and napalm. Only after US forces isolated the city from NVA reinforcement and resupply did the battle begin to turn, ending a 25 day siege. City plans plot progress of the battle in a somewhat US weighted narrative. Photos and artwork give a sense of the close quarter fighting. Recommended. Thanks to Osprey for the sample www.ospreypublishing.comJohn Ham