Page 440 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

regarded as of prirne irnportance both strategically and tactically by
the Cornrnunists because it is adjacent to North Vietnarn whose front-
line is in the South, The Tri Thien area, furtherrnore, serves as
supply channel frorn the North to the South. Consequently, to the Com-
rnunists, the city of Hue is just as vital as Saigon frorn both rnilitary
and political points of view.
At the sarne tirne as their rnilitary areas in the III
Corps were reorganized, the Cornrnunists also revarnped their Tri
Thien Zone into four areas, each forming a battlefront in the same
way as the sub-zones in the III Corps. The Tri-Thien-Hue zone had
forrned until then two distinct fronts, one ca1led B5 front running
frorn Highway 9 to the North, and one cal1ed 87 frorn Highway 9
toward Hue,
As Hue had been the hotbed of several anti-governrnent
rnovernents, and a comrnunist victory there would entail significant
developments, the enerny decided to forrn two other fronts, one run-
ningfrornThuaThientoHueandtheotherfrornsouthofThuaThien
and Phu Loc to the Hai Van Pass.
The {our fronts were established by May, 1967 with
special assignrnents to a total of 50 Cornrnunist battalions, under
cornbined cornrnands in preparation for the general offensive. Terri-

torial cornponents of the four areas were as follows :
- Area I Gio Linh, Carn Lo, North Hung Hoa, Hy Lap.
- Area II TrLeu Phong, Hai Lang, Quang Ha city.
- Area III Huong Thuy, Phu Vang, l{uong Tra, Quang
Dien, Phong Dien (Hue area).
- Area IV Phu Loc (South of Hue vicinity of Hai Van
Pass).
This shows that any reforrn, territorial or otherwise,
rnade by the Cornrnunists irnplies serious planning for action, and
that their general offensive of 1968 had been prepared since rnid-1957
with Saigon and Hue as the tv/o rnain targets'

During the 25 days o{ fighting in Hue they were able to
set up a revolutionary adrninistration with the so-called Alliance of
Dernocratic and Peaceful Forces. The Cornrnunists considered this
as a rnajor political victory that could serve as a pattern for future at-
tacks against the cities. Although the battle o{ Hue was characterized
by a relatively strong, combined US - Vietnarnese force which included
the US lst Marine Division, lst Airborne Division, and the RVN Ist

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