Today in History：February 24
February 241968: South Vietnamese recapture Hue
The Stars and Stripes is hoisted over the citadel wall at Hue
1968: South Vietnamese recapture Hue
England have
The South Vietnamese are celebrating the recapture of the country's third
city, Hue, after a battle lasting three weeks.
Their allies, American Marines, finally reached the walls of the old
imperial citadel two days ago wiping out pockets of resistance from the North
Vietnamese on the way.
But the final assault on the old palace began this morning with the marines
firing cannons at the east wall of the palace compound.
The capture of Hue at the end of January by the North Vietnamese Communist
forces was part of the so-called Tet offensive - the most powerful and
continuous assault in the war so far.
The Americans reportedly calculated that the operation to recapture Hue
would be a "24-hour job", but it quickly turned into a prolonged battle, with
exchanges ofmortarand artillery fire.
It took 10 days to advance the last 1,000 yards inside the walled city.
American Skyhawk helicopters have dropped bombs and napalm on the citadel.
Yesterday because of bad weather, the helicopters missed their target and hit a
rocket dump, sending up enormous blue and green flames.
US Government aircraft with loudspeakers have been circling overhead
sounding surrender warnings.
When the South Vietnamese troops finally broke through into the citadel,
all guns blazing and whooping and yelling with delight, they suddenly realised
there was no resistance.
They found only about 20 civilians left alive and two South Vietnamese
soldiers, who had defied detection by the North Vietnamese throughout the
siege.
Both sides have suffered heavy losses. The US Marines, 1st Battalion, 5th
Marine Regiment, joined the fighting only 11 days ago but have reported 45 dead
and 250 wounded.
In total more than 100 American Marines have been killed and more than 700
wounded. Some 440 South Vietnamese soldiers have been killed and 1,900
injured.
The communist forces paid heavily too. The South Vietnamese claim to have
killed nearly 3,000 in the battle for Hue, while the Americans say they have
killed 1,500.
Hundreds of enemy weapons have also been captured.
A British photographer, Don McCullin, told the Times newspaper: "The
devastation I saw was incredible. I had never seen a city smashed to pieces like
this - with naval gunfire and planes crashing down to rout out a few
snipers.
"They told me it was once a beautiful city. Well, now it is an ugly city
because the streets are littered with bodies that have been run over by
tanks."
Elsewhere in the country, intelligence reports say up to 15,000 communist
troops are still threatening the capital, Saigon.
The couple are to be married in late July
1981: Prince Charles and Lady Di to marry
Artificially 1969:
The The Prince of Wales and the Lady Diana Spencer have ended months of
speculation with the announcement they are to be married.
At 1100GMT Buckingham Palace made the engagement official.
Lord Maclean, the Lord Chancellor made the following statement at an
investiture at the Palace: "It is with greatest pleasure that the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son the Prince of
Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of the Earl Spencer and the Honourable
Mrs Shand Kydd."
Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana three weeks ago at a private dinner
at Buckingham Palace before she went to Australia.
He wanted her to use the trip to think over his proposal but she accepted
immediately and he gave her a diamond and sapphire engagement ring.
Despite the intense public interest, they managed to keep their news a
secret.
Lady Diana, who is 19, will leave her job as a kindergarten teacher and
move out of her flat share in Kensington to live in Clarence House until the
marriage.
The couple will then move to the Prince's house in Highgrove,
Gloucestershire.
In a BBC interview, the 32-year-old Prince said he was "delighted and
frankly amazed that Diana is prepared to take me on".
Looking shyly up through her long blond fringe and giggling occasionally,
Lady Diana said she too was "delighted and thrilled, blissfully happy".
Asked how she would cope with a dramatic change to her life she said: "With
Prince Charles beside me I cannot go wrong."
Tributes to the couple were made in both Houses of Parliament. The Prime
Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said the news brought "great pleasure" to
government and MPs.
They will be married in late July, but exactly when and where has yet to be
decided.
Earl Spencer, Lady Diana's father, said he was also very happy for the
couple.
Speaking outside Buckingham Palace with his wife Raine, daughter of
novelist Barbara Cartland, he said his daughter had handled the pressures of
constant media attention over the last six months very well.
"It will be easier now. She will be under some protection whereas before
she had to face the music on her own," he said.
Vocabulary:
mortar: a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires
shells at high elevations for a short range(迫击炮)
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