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)
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
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