Page 307 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

units cornrnanded by Arnerican officers and stationed in distant out-
posts.

The enemy had been expected to assault the city for
sorne tirne. But it was not until on the night of Tetts Eve, Jan 30,
that he really executed his assault p1an. The Konturn city assault took
place two days after the enerny attacked Dakto town, where the 42nd
Regirnent C ornrnand was headquartered.

B. - SEQUENCES OF THE ASSAULT
Ai the stroke of 2 AM Jan 30, the enerny unleashed
ferocious shelling barrages on the Z4th Special Zone C ornrnand head-
quarters, the Konturn airfield and the cityrs adrninistrative section.
He followed it up sorne fiJteen rninute s later with an infantry attack
on the latter section. The ground assault was coordinated with the
surpri.se raids by his sapper squads, which had quietly sneaked into
this and other areas around midnight as innocent looking Tet holi-
dayers.

The enerny struck very swiftly and effectively any
points where ihere were no government troops or only srnall groups
of defenders. At the position of the Z04th Political Warfare C ornpany,
he ki11ed all ihe four soldiers and the cornrnanding officer. He owerran
it and the neighboring governrnent offices such as the post-office, the
inJorrnatj.on service, the elernentary education service and all of the
unnranned bunkers. He also spread into the residential and shopping
sections of the city easily. But he could not invade rnilitary instal-
lations and bases, which he chose to surround and isolate frorn the
rest of the city. These points included the Konturn province adrninis-
trative office, the province chiefts residence, the treasury office,
the city police station, the logistical adrninistration cornpany, the
Arrny Security cornpound, the cityrs rnilitary cornrnand, the Zone
Cornroanderrs residence, the Military Police Station etc..,

The ener:ry ernployed an estirnated two battalions to
occupy the unguarded or lightly guarded sections of the city, as part
of an estiroated two regirnents cornrnitted to the offensive on the whole
city and its rnilitary sections. These two battalions rnade up the first
colurnn of the enerny force, They were reinforced by a nurnber oflocal
guerrillas and suicide squads and assigned to seize these serni and
non-rnilitary sections of the city to start a planned popular uprising
to bolster the offensive forces and to give the offensive a touch

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