Battle of Quang Tri

As the Easter Offensive begins, four North Vietnamese army divisions, with nearly 200 armored vehicles and tanks, move into I Corps. They rout the South Vietnamese 3d Division and attack Quang Tri City. Cloud cover hinders the effectiveness of U.S. air support, and the city’s civilians flee south toward Hue. Many of them are killed by North Vietnamese artillery on Highway 1 and near the Truong Phoc Bridge.

North Vietnamese forces capture Quang Tri City on May 1. South Vietnamese forces retake the city on September 15. Casualties on both sides are very high, and the city is left largely destroyed.¹