Urban Brawl: An Analysis of the Battle of Hue CityTet Offensive, Vietnam 1968

PROJECT ALBERT

BY: SEAN TOOLAN, MIDSHIPMAN 1/c, USN

USNA CLASS OF 2005

PROJECT MENTOR:

SARAH KNIGHT, MITRE CORPORATION

SPECIAL THANKS

•SARAH KNIGHT, MITRE CORP.

•JOHN WASSER, PROJECT ALBERT

•DR. GARY HORNE, PROJECT ALBERT

•ALL OF THE MITRE CORPORATION-PROJECT ALBERT TEAM

OVERVIEW

• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND• HISTORICAL QUESTIONS• DATA FARMING RESULTS• FURTHER AREAS OF STUDY FOR THE

BATTLE• FURTHER AREAS OF STUDY FOR

MANA

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• HUE- THE SACRED IMPERIAL CAPITAL OF VIETNAM

• TET OFFENSIVE 1968

• ATTACK BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT JANUARY 30-31, 1968

31 jan – 9 feb 1968

• NVA SEIZES ALL OF HUE WITH EXCEPTION OF ARVN HQ AND MACV COMPOUND

• USMC & ARVN REINFORCEMENTS FIGHT OUTNUMBERED HOUSE-TO-HOUSE

• US ARMY REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE, HEAVY GUNFIRE APPROVED

9 feb – 25 feb 1968

• ALLIED FORCES DRIVE NVA FROM SOUTH HUE

• ALLIED FORCES PUSH INTO CITADEL, EVENTUALLY TAKING IT

• REMAINING NVA ATTEMPT TO FLEE FROM CITY

OUTCOME OF BATTLE• HUE SECURED,

RETURNED TO S. VIETNAMESE CONTROL

• BLOODIEST ENGAGEMENT OF VIETNAM WAR

• CASUALTIES- ENEMY=5113 KILLED & 89 CAPTURED, ARVN = 384 KILLED & 1800 WOUNDED, USMC = 142 KILLED & 857 WOUNDED, USA=74 KILLED, 507 WOUNDED

HISTORICAL QUESTIONS• IMPACT OF HEAVY

GUNFIRE SUPPORT (TIMING, POLITICS)

• WHAT IF NVA PRESSED NUMBERS ADVANTAGE? IMPACT OF COMMS

• IMPORTANCE OF PERFUME RIVER MAIN BRIDGE

• EFFECT OF ARMOR• URBAN COMBAT

LESSONS

MANA COMBAT MODEL SETTINGS

• 40 MEN (1 PLATOON) = 1 AGENT

• AVERAGE SIZES OF UNITS ARE ASSUMED (EXACT NUMBERS WERE NOT FOUND TO BE DOCUMENTED)

• ALLIED FORCES HAVE BETTER CAPABILITIES (ASSUMING SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY)

MANA COMBAT MODEL

MANA COMBAT MODEL

MANA COMBAT MODEL

MANA COMBAT MODEL

DATA FARMING RESULTS

SCENARIO 1 – HEAVY GUNFIRE SUPPORT

SCENARIO 1 – HEAVY GUNFIRE SUPPORT

SCENARIO 2 – NVA STRATEGY/COMMS IMPACT

SCENARIO 2 – NVA STRATEGY/COMMS IMPACT

SCENARIO 3 – THE “BRIDGE” SCENARIO

SCENARIO 4 – ARMOR IMPACT

URBAN COMBAT LESSONS-!!INTERESTING FIND!!

CONCLUSIONS• HEAVY GUNFIRE WOULD HAVE

SAVED ALLIED LIVES AND HAD GREAT IMPACT-MORE CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES

• MORE NVA CASUALTIES WITHOUT CONCENTRATED ASSAULT & ALLIED FORCES ARE ABLE TO PREVENT MORE CASUALTIES

• DESTROYING THE BRIDGE WOULD HAVE HAD MEANT MORE CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES, ALLIED FORCES MAY STILL HAVE PREVAILED

• COMMS=NO GREAT DIFFERENCE IN THIS BATTLE

• ARMOR SAVES LIVES

FURTHER AREAS OF STUDY FOR THE BATTLE

• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF CLUSTERING?

• WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION AND PLACEMENT?

• WHAT IF THE NVA IS ABLE TO CONCENTRATE FORCES AND SEIZE ARVN AND MACV HQ’S?

FURTHER AREAS OF STUDY FOR MANA

• EASIER-TO-USE APPLICATIONS

• MORE LIFE-LIKE MOVEMENT(NOT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON WAYPOINTS)

• BETTER WAY TO DEVELOP BASE CASE SCENARIOS

• ABILITY TO SIMULATE FASTER IS NEEDED

• VERY GOOD WORKING MODEL OVERALL

• GREAT VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF COMBAT DYNAMICS

“FORTUNE FAVORS THE BRAVE.”-TERENCE (190-158 b.c.)

“The Battle of Hue City was an urban brawl between two armed and largely adolescent tribes, a street fight of fast action and merciless bloodletting.”-John Laurence