Page 446 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

three pointsrr (1). With this tactic, the enerny launched flarne throwers
frorn rnore than one side into the Loc Ninh post and the district head-
quarters as well, burning down the whole c ornpound and its defense
structure. Only an underground {ortress, built by the Japanese duri-ng
World War I1 was able to resist until reinforcernents arrived the next
rnorning. The C ornrnunists then tried hard to rnaintain their pressure
on the post while hitting at the newly arrived reinforcernents (cong
don da wien), using rnany antiaircraft guns. But they were finally
defeated by the nurnerous reinforcernents with a powerful air support
and operating on a relatively flat battlefield.

The battle of Dak To also had the characteristics of a
selected battleground alrnost sirnilar to the Plei Mei battle on the
highlands in October 1965, There was a difference however : while at
Plei Mei enerny forces withdrew in cornplete disorder and suffered
heavy losses as they went. They were pursued by the US First Air
Cavalry Division up to the Chu Phong rnountain. Well organized
resistance positions were set up by the enemy at Dak To and through-
out the battlefield to check the allied pursuit operations. As a result
bloody battles were fought and our forces were only able to take
control of the battlefield after suffering heavy casualties (2).
The enerny initiated battles of late 1967 therefore
could be described as testing actions through which the enerny weighed
its own forces while diverting allied troops toward the border area
with the cities being left without proper defense,
C. - INCREASING INFILTRATION OF ARMS AND MEN

In preparation for their general offensive, the C orn-
rnunits also increased their infiltration of arrns and rnen into the South.

(f) The rtba cong ba rnuitr (three attacks, three points)tactics actually
does not differ rnuch frorn the rrnhat diern luong dienrt (one prirnary
objective with two secondary objectives) tactics because in the battle
of Loc Ninh the enerr,y launched three sirnultaneous attacks against
the post while the rrnhat diern luong dienrt tactics would consist of one
rnajor thrust against the weakest target with the two rrdienl being
diversion and support.
)
(Z The battle of Plei Mei lasted rnore than a rnonth during whi.ch tirne
6,000 enerny soldiers were kil1ed" The battle of Dak To Iasted ZZ
days, and both sides suffered casualties, with the heavier losses on
the Cornrnunist side.

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