Page 54 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

The May Offensive

The second phase of the Cornrnunist Winter-Spring
Carnpaign, which journalists were to call trthe May Offensiverr, was

launched 5 May 1968.
Following their failure to achieve anything of lasting
effect in the first days of the Tet attacks, the C ornrnuni sts launched
a second wave of attacks on I? February with the apparent airn of
ernulating their cornrades in Hue who were still rnaintaining a hold on
the forrner irnperial capital. The assaults were airned rnainly at
Saigon but enerny trooPs were stopPed at the gates of the capital' Also
on 5 March the insurgents shelled many South Vietnarnese cities but
this last atternPt aroused only rninor interest. Frorn 5 March until
the beginning of the second phase of the offensive, enerny activities
f ollowed their usual pattern and intensity.

The South Vietnarnese adrninistration reacted rnost cau-
tiously taking additional precautionaly rrreasures for the defense of
potential target areas, especially Saigon. knrnediately after ttie first
wave of attacks a curfew was placed in effect throughout the territory'
As early as 28 February, Prirne Minister Nguyen Van Loc signed a
decree stopping the dernobilization of al1 conscripts and recalling a1I
reserve elernents.
Beginning in March all rnale teaching staffs between the
ages of 18 and 45 were ordered to go through sorne rnilitary training'
They *e"e to be followed by university students and senior high school
pupils. The youths were also organized into uni'ts ready to take part
in the def ense of their home towns.
In rnany provincial capitals self-defense grouPs were
forrned upon the initiative of the local iuthorities. These were to be
later incorporated into a nation-wide rnovernent called the Peoplers
Self-Defense Force (PSDF). At ttre sarne tirne political parties and
organizations also showed a renewed interest in organizing thern-
selves into an e{fective anti- C ornrnuni st instrurnent' The National
Salvation Front (NSF) was created and it soon elected a steering
c ornrnittee under ihe chairrnanship of Senator Tran Van Don' While
President Nguyen Van Thieu was considering the advisability of order-
ing general rnobilization and dra{ting all rnen between the ages of 18
and 40, the 500,000 strong Arrned Forces were put on a state of full
alert. Troops were also ordered to Strengthen their defensive positions.

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