Hue 1968: Clearing the Citadel Block by Block
Case Study & AAR: U.S. Marine Corps tactics in the 26-day Battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive
31 January – 25 February 1968: Tet Offensive. NVA/VC launch surprise assault on Hue City, South Vietnam's ancient imperial capital. Objective: seize and hold the Citadel (walled fortress, 3 sq km) as political symbol.
U.S./ARVN Force Package
2/5 Marines, 1/5 Marines, 1st ARVN Division. M16s, M60s, 106mm recoilless, 8-inch howitzers (SP), Ontos (tracked 6×106mm). No tanks (M48s arrived Day 10). No dedicated breaching kits (improvised with beehive charges).
Outcome
26-day fight, house-to-house. 216 U.S. KIA, 1,364 WIA. ~5,000 NVA/VC KIA (est.). Citadel retaken 25 Feb; city declared secure 2 Mar.
Key TTPs That Won (Still Valid)
1. Mousehole Breaching
Marines blew 2×2 ft holes through 18-inch adobe walls with C-4 and 106mm beehive. Avoided doors/streets. Train: 4-man team, 1 lb C-4 per hole, 30-sec fuse. Practice in cinder-block shoot house.
2. Grenade-then-Enter
Two M67 frags through window → 5-sec pause → stack enters. Cleared 400+ rooms. Train: Live grenade range → immediate room entry with Simunition.
3. Ontos 'Street Howitzer'
6×106mm recoilless on tracked chassis. Fired flechette ('beehive') into bunkers at 50 m. Modern equiv: Train JLTV with M2 + Mk19 for direct-fire urban support.
The NVA TTP That Nearly Won
Prepared Fortress Defense: Citadel walls 8 m high, 2 m thick. Pre-stocked rice, ammo, med caches in pagodas. Tunnels under moat for night resupply. Sniper Overwatch Triangles: 3 snipers per block (1 high, 1 mid, 1 basement). Dragunov + AK; fired, displaced via mousehole.
Modern Echoes (2023–2025)
Hue 1968: Mousehole + grenade, CS gas in bunkers, Ontos 106mm. Gaza 2024: IDF 'sponge' charges, white phosphorus (alleged), Trophy APS on Merkava. Sudan 2025: RSF house-to-house in Khartoum, tear gas in Omdurman, technicals with SPG-9. Lesson: The physics of urban clearance hasn't changed—only the tools.
What to Train Next Week
Monday: Mousehole breaching – 1 lb C-4, 30-sec fuse, 4-man stack (2 hr, C-4 + det cord + shoot house)
Tuesday: Grenade-then-enter – 2×M67 → immediate entry (90 min, M67 frags + Simunition)
Wednesday: Rooftop bounds – ladder + covering fire across 2-story gap (1 hr, Ladders + blank ammo)
Thursday: CS integration – gas bunker, breach 30 sec later (1 hr, CS grenades + masks)
Friday: Live-fire shoot house – 3-room clear with mouseholes + Ontos sim (Mk19) (3 hr, Mk19 + Simunition)