From the S&S archives:
Allies push in on Hue Citadel

(Click here to view a series of S&S photos of the battle)

SAIGON — U.S. Marines moving behind a protective umbrella of artillery pushed 400 yards through the rubbled ruins of Hue's Citadel Monday to the brink of one of the last Communist strongholds in the old capital.

As the battle for Hue raged through its 20th day, the Marines cleared the northeast wall of the old city, then wheeled to the right to begin a sweep along the south wall toward the Imperial Palace, which North Vietnamese troops have held since the battle began Jan. 31.

Military officers said suicidal Communist troops, some reportedly chained to machineguns be keep them from fleeing an allied assault, were punishing both U.S. and South Vietnamese Marines with heavy casualties.

While U.S. Marines were clearing the northeast wall, South Vietnamese troops pushed along the stone wall on the western side of the ancient walled city to tighten the vise on the 500 diehard North Vietnamese troops.

Low cloud ceilings prevented air strikes Monday in support of the Marines. But earlier, the light guided missile cruiser USS Providence, flagship of U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. William F. Bringle, turned her six-inch gars on suspected Communist command posts, tunnel complexes and the 15-foot high wall ringing the Citadel.

Associated Press correspondent George McArthur reported from the embattled city that allied guns also hammered a Communist pocket just outside the northeast wall of the Citadel near the Dieu De Pagoda, the last holdout during the 1966 Buddhist uprisings against the South Vietnamese government.

McArthur said the area outside the wall makes up about 10 per cent of the northern half of the city and has been totally overrun by the Communists.

The U.S. command said 53 Communist troops have been killed in Hue in the last 24 hours. U.S. casualties were not reported. Since the battle began Jan. 31, South Vietnamese forces and U.S. Marines claim they have killed a total of 1,512 Communist soldiers. More than 200 government troops have been killed and American losses are reported to be heavy.

The new reports of Communist troops being chained to machine-guns came from U.S. Army Capt. George W. Smith, an advisor to the first South Vietnamese Army Div.

He said he had received a report that a North Vietnamese battalion commander inside the walled city had been killed three days ago and his replacement had asked permission to withdraw his troops.

"He was refused permission and ordered to defend his position to the end." Smith said.