The North Vietnamese offensive continues as Fire Base Bastogne, 20 miles west of Hue, falls to the communists. Fire Base Birmingham, 4 miles to the east, was also under heavy attack. As fighting intensified all across the northern province of South Vietnam, much of Hue's civilian population tried to escape south to Da Nang. Farther south in the Central Highlands, 20,000 North Vietnamese troops converged on Kontum, encircling it and cutting it off. Only 65 miles north of Saigon, An Loc lay under siege and continued to take a pummeling from North Vietnamese artillery, rockets, and ground attacks. To the American command in Saigon, it appeared that South Vietnam was on the verge of total defeat by the North Vietnamese, but the South Vietnamese were able to hold out.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Benito Mussolini executed, 1945
- American Revolution
- Colonel McIntosh writes to Washington, 1776
- Automotive
- Ferruccio Lamborghini born, 1916
- Civil War
- Union general who advocated for black troops is born, 1810
- Cold War
- U.S. troops land in the Dominican Republic, 1965
- Crime
- Jaycee Dugard's kidnappers plead guilty, 2011
- Disaster
- Gas pipe explodes in South Korea, 1995
- General Interest
- Mutiny on the HMS Bounty, 1789
- De Gaulle resigns as leader of France, 1969
- Red Army Faction trial ends, 1977
- Port Arthur Massacre in Australia, 1996
- Hollywood
- Comcast abandons bid to buy Disney, 2004
- Literary
- T.S. Eliot accepts a job at Faber and Faber publishers, 1925
- Music
- My Name is Barbra is Barbra Streisand's debut television special, 1965
- Old West
- Chickasaw and Choctaw abandon communal lands, 1897
- Presidential
- President Monroe is born, 1758
- Sports
- Muhammad Ali refuses Army induction, 1967
- Vietnam War
- Nixon approves Cambodian incursion, 1970
- North Vietnamese press South Vietnamese at Hue and Kontum, 1972
- World War I
- International Congress of Women opens at The Hague, 1915
- World War II
- Mussolini is executed, 1945
Apr 28, 1972:
North Vietnamese press South Vietnamese at Hue and Kontum
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Apr 28 - May 4
- Apr 28, 1970
- Nixon approves Cambodian incursion
- Apr 28, 1972
- North Vietnamese press South Vietnamese at Hue and Kontum
- Apr 29, 1970
- U.S.-South Vietnamese forces launch Cambodian "incursion"
- Apr 29, 1971
- New casualty figures released.
- Apr 29, 1975
- Operation Frequent Wind begins
- Apr 30, 1975
- South Vietnam surrenders
- May 01, 1969
- Senator criticizes Nixon's handling of the war
- May 01, 1972
- North Vietnamese troops capture Quang Tri
- May 02, 1964
- U.S. ship sunk in Saigon port
- May 02, 1970
- Joint forces continue attack into Cambodia
- May 03, 1965
- 173rd Airborne Brigade deploys to South Vietnam
- May 03, 1968
- Paris is chosen as site for peace talks
- May 04, 1961
- Rusk reports on Viet Cong strength
- May 04, 1970
- Four students killed at Kent State
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