First North Vietnamese Invasion of South Vietnam: Tet Offensive (1968)


Figure 1.--The American media largely portrayed the Tet Offensive as the failure of the American war effort. In fgactt, the Viet Cong largely battered by 3 years of heavy fighting was laargely eliminating as an effective fighting force. As long as they limited themselves to raids and fighting in remote areas, losses were limited. The frontal attacks in major population centers exposed them to American fire power. As a result, the rest of the war would have to be carried by the regular NVA Army. Here two yoiuthful Viet Cong fighters after Tet turned themselves in to the South Vietnamese police. The Press cation read, "Viet Cong 'Gun Kids' Surrender: Nguyen Van Trung, 16, left, and 12-year-old Phan Van Ty, members of the Viet Cong's Dong Nai Regiment , pose with their weapons at police headquartersnin GianDinh. a suburb od Saigon, South Vietnam, after surrendering to South Vietnamese Government Marines June 13. They hold their AK47 automatic rifles and wear the heavy ammunition chest belts they used in battles. The two were among a squad of 12 men and boys of the Viet Cong regiment who gave up."

The North Vietnamese launched their General Offensive-General Uprising (Tet Offensive) in 1968. It is generally considered to be the turning point in the War. American forced were caught largely by suprise. There were, however, warnings. American intelligence noted unusually large quantities of supplies moving down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The North Vietnamese (NVA) was carefully planning a major offensive. Three North Vietnamese Division Headquarters and seven regiments (about 15,000 men) arrived in the Khe Sanh area, north of Hue. U.S. analysts did not fully appreacitae the Viernamese preparations. Tet is the lunar new year and the most important festival in Vietnam. Many South Vietnam Army (ARVN) units gave large numbers of men home furloughs and when the NVA struck were at half strength. The NVA struck during the night of January 3, 1968,at South Vietnam's five most important cigties as well as 36 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, and 50 hamlets. The attack on the northern city of Hue was especially feroious. The NVA attacked with 8 battalions and isolated the U.S. Advisory team. There were also carefully coordinateds attacks in Saigon, including some of the key U.S. facilities in Vietnam: three U.S. military barracks, the Presidential Palace, the city radio station, Ton Son Nhut Air Base, and the newly constructed U.S. Embassy. Tet was the first major action fought in Vietnamese cities. The U.S. military reacted immediately. Small units resisted stubbornly until major unit actions could be organized. The most prlonged battle was in Hue where fighting continued for a month. NVA losses were substantial. They are believed to have lost 45,000 men, more than half of the force committed. NVA units did not stage another major attack untikl 1970. The American public watched nightly graphic images nightly on the evening news. Many who had believed that that great progress was being achieved in Vietnam began to question the Johnson administration and the War itself. As with the War itself, there is a wide range of opinion about Tet. Some believe that if the military had been allowed to followup on the devestating defeat inflicted in the NVA during Tet that the War could have been won. Many others believe that Tet demonstrated that the U.S. Forces depite a huge involvement had made little progress and that the War was unwinable.

Surprise Offensive

The North Vietnamese launched their General Offensive-General Uprising (Tet Offensive) (January 30, 1968). It is generally considered to be the turning point in the War. American forced were caught largely by suprise. There were, however, warnings. American intelligence noted unusually large quantities of supplies moving down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The North Vietnamese (NVA) was carefully planning a major offensive.

Khe Sahn

Three North Vietnamese Division Headquarters and seven regiments (about 15,000 men) arrived in the Khe Sanh area, north of Hue and surrounded the a marine outpost. They began a night and day artillery bombardment and coordinated attacks on the outposts around the main position. The 6,000 U.S. Marines at Khe Sahn dug in and held off 30,000 NVA regulars for 77 days fom their remot mountain stronghold. Khe Sahn would develop into the biggest battle of the War. Finally the Marines stuck back in a series of bold asaults the NVA did not expect. One author writes, "At 5:37 a.m., a platoon of Special Forces operators assigned to the morning's opeations lpped out of the FOB-3 compound along the southwestperimeter of Khe Sahn Combat Base. Twenty-three minutes later, at six o'clock sharp, the fifty-odd Marines and corpsmen of Bravo's 2nd platoon marched through the southeastern perimeter wire, and disappeared inyo the fog-shrowded gloom. The rest of the company followed, taut young marines and corpsmen moving silently through rows of razor-sharp concertina wire and mine fields, toward a battalion or more of Norh Vietnamese Army soldiers dug in a few hundred meters off to the east. O'Hara nd the rest of the 2nd Platoon fanned out to secure the jumping-off point for the designated assault forces, Bravo's 1st and 3rd platoons. When everyone was in place, Ken Pipes isued a command that sent a chill through the ranks. 'Fix bayonets,' he ordered. It was time for payback." [Jones]

Tet

U.S. analysts did not fully appreacitae the Viernamese preparations. Tet is the lunar new year and the most important festival in Vietnam. Many South Vietnam Army (ARVN) units gave large numbers of men home furloughs and when the NVA struck were at half strength.

Targets

The NVA struck during the night of January 3, 1968,at South Vietnam's five most important cigties as well as 36 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, and 50 hamlets. The attack on the northern city of Hue was especially feroious. The NVA attacked with 8 battalions and isolated the U.S. Advisory team. There were also carefully coordinateds attacks in Saigon, including some of the key U.S. facilities in Vietnam: three U.S. military barracks, the Presidential Palace, the city radio station, Ton Son Nhut Air Base, and the newly constructed U.S. Embassy. Tet was the first major action fought in Vietnamese cities.

American Response

The U.S. military reacted immediately. Small units resisted stubbornly until major unit actions could be organized. The most prlonged battle was in Hue where fighting continued for a month.

Impact

The Viet Cong was largely destroyed as an effective fighting force. After Tet, the rest of the Vietnam War was largely carried out by the NVA. NVA losses were also substantial. They are believed to have lost 45,000 men, more than half of the force committed. NVA units did not stage another major attack untikl 1970. The American public watched nightly graphic images nightly on the evening news. Many who had believed that that great progress was being achieved in Vietnam began to question the Johnson administration and the War itself. As with the War itself, there is a wide range of opinion about Tet. Some believe that if the military had been allowed to followup on the devestating defeat inflicted in the NVA during Tet that the War could have been won. Many others believe that Tet demonstrated that the U.S. Forces depite a huge involvement had made little progress and that the War was unwinable.

Sources

Jones, Greg. Last Stand at Khe Sahn: The U.S. Marines Finest Hour in Vietnam (2014), 352p.







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Created: 4:37 AM 3/19/2014
Last updated: 4:38 AM 3/19/2014