Video: 'The battle for Quang Tri Vietnam April 1972: from the archive'

(Monday, May 1, 1972, afternoon local time; in the First Battle of Quang Tri, during the Easter Offensive, part of the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Indochina Wars) — The South Vietnamese abandoned Quang Tri, their northernmost province capital, today, giving the advancing North Vietnamese their biggest prize so far in their month-old Easter Offensive invasion.

The city, the first (and would be the only) provincial capital to be lost since the Easter Offensive began on March 30, 1972, was abandoned by government forces this afternoon after three days of shelling during which the enemy moved troops and tanks to the edge of the city.

The loss of Quang Tri city gave the North Vietnamese control of the entire northern province of the same name.

Video: 'Vietnam: A Television History (1983) – Ep 8/13: Vietnamizing the War (1968–1973)' (May 1, 1972, at 40:54)

About 80 American advisers, the commander of the South Vietnamese Third Division, and his staff were evacuated in the afternoon in four big rescue helicopters that flew through heavy enemy ground fire to get the men out.

United States B-52s reportedly bombed areas as close as one mile to the northeast of Quang Tri city starting at noon today in efforts first to beat off the enemy attack and then to cover the retreat of the government forces. One of the 14 missions was nine miles south of Quang Tri.

Meanwhile, South Vietnamese units retreated southward toward the even more important city of Hue, Vietnam’s ancient imperial capital. They were accompanied by 10 American advisers who had decided to stay with them.