Page 151 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

2nd Phase battles

The Znd Phase of the Cornrnunist Offensive can be divided
into two periods, the fir6t f rorn 5 to I Z May and second f rorn 25 May
to 16 June 1968,
Unlike the initial pha se,Comrnunist troops during the
second phase did not seek to attack any of the rnilitaly installations
and nerve centers in Saigon but sirnply tried to penetrate populated
areas to create as rnuch destruction as possible. The tactics ernployed
by the enerny can be called one of city guerrilla warfare,since they
sirnply dug themselve s in while trying to keep the f ight on f or as long
as possible,thus creating as rnuch darnage as possible.

The {irst period of this phase of offensive ended speedily,
for the Allies readily accepted the risk of destruction of civilian homes.
Although expelled frorn the city the enerny 6oon returned' His efforts
were successful because of the great extent of the front line and the
tiredness of the defenders,who had been fighting for rnany weeke with-
out any re spite.
The second period was to last longer,for enerny troops
by then had acquired sorne experience in the street fighting. During
this period,although the enerny succeeded in bringing about the destruc-
tion of thousands of houses,he lost two full regirnents of troops either
through fighting or surrender' Most noticeable in this period was the
rrrass surrender of over one hundred hardcore enemy' a phenornenon
that proved the low rnorale of the enerny.

FIRST PERIOD
5 Mav 1958. The attacks on Saigon began with a rnortar
and rocket barrage a little past rnidnight' The Cornrnunist warheads
fel1 on many areas of the sprawling capital and its suburbs. These can
be broken down as f ollows :
Many rockets fell on Tan Son NhutAirport but resulted
in no extensive darnage. One round fell near the residence of U.S.
Arnbassador Ellsworth Bunker. Another round irnpacted near the
Central Market. Still another destroyed a power transforrner facing
the Phuoc Thien Hospital and a buildilg nearby on Nguyen Trai Street.
Eleven others scattered on Tu Do, Thong Nhut, Hoang Dieu, Huynh
Thuc Khang and Ngo Duc Ke Streets.

- r54 -