Page 448 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

quently reduced frorn 70, 000 regular rnen to 35, 000 or 36,000. Hanoi
had to rnaintain a high infiltration rate to replenish the Cornrnunist
forces in the South,

In 1967, an average of 7, 000 rnen infiltrated frorn North
Vietnarn into the South each rnonth, The figure for January 1958 only
rose to 22,000 rnen. It went down to 15,000 rnen in February 1968 and
rose again during the following rnonths.
By the end of. 1967, there were 95,000 North Vietnarnese
troops in the South.

The Viet Cong, who had had recruiting problerns since
early 1967, were able to recruit cnly 3,500 rnen each rnonth during
1967 as cornpared with 7,500 rnen each rnonth in 1966.

Before the general offensive of Tet Mau Than, the
enerny strength was estirnated at 325,000 men including 147,200
belonging to cornbat and guerilla units. There were at least 79, 000
North Vietnarnese soldiers belonging to purely North Yietnarnese
units, and 16,000 North Vietnarnese in the so-called Viet Cong ranks,
In reality, 75/a of the enerny cornbat regirnents were North Vietnarnese.
This figure could even be higher.

In the rneantirne, enerny efforts were being rnade
toward the forrnation of a nurnber of regi.onal units,

The enerny L'adlZ9,200 cornbat and guerilla soldiers
before the general offensive andI47,000 when the offensive started.
These belonged to I0 divisions (instead of 9 before the offensive), 52
regirnents (instead of 45 before the offensive) and 274 battalions
(instead of 230 before the offensive),
Thus, the entire rnilitary stxength of North Vietnarn
was deployed into the South through in-filtration in the course of 1967,
C ornrnunist returnees frorn the VC 308th and 32Oth Divisions at Carn
Lo (Quang Tri) on January 26, 1968 revealed that only 3 or 4 divisions
stayed behind in North Vietnarn and these were corrlposed of youths
in rnilitary service. Docurnents published in Hanoi showed that by
the end oL 1967, North Vietnarnrs potential rnilitary manpower was
3, 200, 000 including all rnale citizens frorn 18 to 45 years old, HalJ
of this nurnber was used in rnilitary, para-rnilitary and civilian
activities as follows | 425,000 rnen in the regular forces (including
those on duty in the South) ; 230,000 rnen in the security force;
160, 000 dead; 1, 000, 000 in the po^:ular and public service force,

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