Tây Lộc Airfield (also known as Huế Citadel Airfield) is a former United States Air Force (USAF), U.S. Army and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) airfield located within the Huế Citadel in Thừa Thiên–Huế Province, Vietnam.

History

The airfield was originally built in the 1930s by the French to serve as the airfield for Bảo Đại, the last

Emperor of Vietnam An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

. USAF units based at Tây Lộc included: * 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron (20th TASS) detachments Hue Airfield 0-2 Taxiing, July - August 1967

US Army units based at Tây Lộc included: *

220th Aviation Company This is a List of aviation companies of the United States Army from the United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Army Aviation Branch is the administrative organization within the United States Army responsible for doctrine, manning ...

VNAF units based at Tây Lộc included: * 219th Squadron Kingbees

Battle of Huế

In the early morning of 31 January 1968 at the start of the

Battle of Huế The Battle of Huế (31 January 1968 – 2 March 1968), also called the Siege of Huế, was a major military engagement in the Tết Offensive launched by North Vietnam and the Việt Cộng during the Vietnam War. After initially losing cont ...

, the

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...

(PAVN) 800th Battalion of the 6th Regiment attacked the airfield which was defended by the Army of Vietnam (ARVN) "Black Panther" Reconnaissance Company of the 1st Division. The fight for control of the airfield continued until dawn when 1st Division commander General Ngô Quang Trưởng called the Black Panthers back to defend the 1st Division headquarters in the northeast corner of the Citadel. All aircraft at the airfield were destroyed in the fighting including 4 newly delivered O-2s. The airfield was recaptured on 3 February by the ARVN 3rd Infantry Regiment and 7th Armored Cavalry Squadron.

Current use

The airfield is now covered with housing while the former runway is now La Sơn Phu Tử road. The airfield's former control tower remains in a park area by the road.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tay Loc Airfield Installations of the United States Air Force in South Vietnam Military installations of South Vietnam Military installations closed in the 1970s Buildings and structures in Thừa Thiên Huế province