What Happened During the Fall of Da Nang?

Da Nang was an important city in what was South Vietnam, and its north-central location made it an important air base for the US Air Force (USAF), US Marines (USMC) and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) during the Vietnam War. As a major military installation, the air base became a major target of North Vietnamese forces after they invaded the country. It came under attack and was seized by the North Vietnamese in 1975, during the collapse and conquest of South Vietnam.

Backdrop

The US government began withdrawing forces and handing the conduct of the war over to South Vietnamese forces in 1971. This process was confirmed in the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. However, peace was never actually achieved on the ground, or even so much as a lasting ceasefire. At best, the Paris Peace Accord and its surrounding events tamped down combat operations, rather than halted them. The North Vietnamese used the relative lull to build up the Ho Chi Minh Trail and improve their ability to support a major offensive. Viet Cong guerrillas, supported by North Vietnamese regular army formations, launched a small but successful offensive during the dry season of 1973.

South Vietnam Falls Apart

Encouraged by their success, the North Vietnamese launched a much larger dry season offensive, starting in December 1974. The provincial capital of Phouc Long Province fell, and the South Vietnamese pleas for aid from the United States went unanswered. In March 1975, the Communists launched a major offensive into the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese forces in the area collapsed, offering little resistance. Chaos reigned, contradictory orders were common, and the Republic of Vietnam's army (ARVN) disintegrated while retreating. Hue, the imperial capital that was savaged in the 1968 Tet Offensive, was captured on March 31.

Da Nang Falls

With Hue was under seige, Da Nang and its major airbase became exposed. Within days of Hue being placed under siege, the North Vietnamese began shooting rockets into the city and air base. Although ARVN forces in the area outnumbered the Communists by three to one, they were demoralized and lacked leadership. More than 100,000 soldiers surrendered or were captured. The few isolated groups of soldiers that were still functioning as combat units were easily overwhelmed. Along with Hue, the city of Da Nang was captured, and then all of the northern part of the country fell.

The Exodus

Those soldiers that were not killed, captured or did not surrender joined the flight of people from the city. With most landward escape routes cut off, their only option was to flee by sea. Many of these troops used their weapons to commandeer at gunpoint whatever boats were available to secure their--and sometimes their families'--escape.

The War Ends

After the fall of Da Nang and the north, the Communists moved on to conquer the rest of the country. The utter collapse of the government and military of South Vietnam made this a relatively easy matter. Within a month, Saigon was captured, and the war was effectively over.