Page 165 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

These units were rnore successful si.nce they succeeded
in penetrating sorrre of the populoua areas and were able to 6tay
there, The reason for their relative 6uccess is attributed to the weak
defense line rnaintained in this part of the rnetropolis.

Prior to the May offensive defense around Saigon ir:Iuded
only ten battalions deployed as follows : the first Airborne Task Force
in Go Vap and An Nhon, the Fifth Ranger Group in Phu Tho Hoa,
Marine Task Force rrArr in the area of Binh Loi and highways bridges.
Within Saigon there was only the Riot Police.

Considering the few units the Jefense of Saigonrs
southern section was rather weak. The southern approach was given
1itt1e attention by the allied high cornrnand. Further to the South there
were sorne deployed US infantry battalions of the Ninth and 25 lnfantry
Divi s ion s.

The Arnerican battalions, rnoreover, were strong forces
that were only efficient against big enemy units. Against the many
srna1l groups of cornrnunist infiltrators the Arnericans could not do
rnuch, Cnce the Cornrnunists had entered the city, they tried their
best to keep to populated areas to prevent strong allied reaction. The
first infiltrators were to establish sorne kind of bridgehead for later
reinforcernent which together were to rnake a thrust against the center
of the c ity.

With this tactic enerny troops did all they could to occupy
a large area west and south of Saigon. To cope with the rnounting
danger, the allies had to call in airpower and the intervention of US
ground troops. These, however, resulted in over 8,000 houses
destroyed in the Pharn The Hien area alone.

North of Saigon the enerny failed prior to entering the
outlying areas. The 101st Viet Cong Regirnent, reputedly one of the
best for street-fightingr was destroyed by governrnent airborne
forces-
In surnrnaryr the second Viet Cong offensive resulted
in a collapse of the rnorale of Viet Cong troops. It was also the first
tirne cornrnunist soldiers surrendered en rrlasse rnore than once.
Such famed units as the Dong Nai and Quyet Tien Regirnents were
completely destroyed during this phase of the attack, The battle
resulted in the death of sorne 3, 500 corrrrrunist soldiers out of a total
deployrnent of sorne 7,000. Cver 55% of the initial Viet Cong force

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