NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Easter Offensive

The Easter Offensive, officially, the Nguyen Hue Offensive and also Chiến dịch Xuân hè 1972 in Vietnamese) was a military campaign conducted by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the United States between 30 March and 22 October 1972, during the Vietnam War.^[5] This conventional invasion (the largest offensive operation since 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" had crossed the Yalu River into South Korea during the Korean War) was a radical departure from previous North Vietnamese offensives. Although not designed to win the war outright, North Vietnam hoped to gain as much territory and destroy as many units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) as possible. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Image File history File linksMetadata Drva. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area - Total - % water 173,809km² N/A population - Total - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Vietnam. ... Anthem Thanh niÃªn HÃ nh KhÃºc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last PresidentÂ¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War - Regime change June 14, 1955 - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area - 1973 173,809 kmÂ² 67,108... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_North_Vietnam. ... Anthem Tiáº¿n QuÃ¢n Ca (Army March) Location of North Vietnam Capital Hanoi Language(s) Vietnamese Government Socialist republic First president Ho Chi Minh Historical era Cold War - Independence proclaimed (from Japan) September 2, 1945 - Recognized 1954 - Disestablished July 2, 1976 Area 157,880 kmÂ² Population - est. ... Image File history File links FNL_Flag. ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Lam Hoang Xuan Lam (1928-) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and a native of the city of Hue. ... General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng was born in 1933, Vietnam. ... Ngo Dzu (1926-) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ... Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Toan Nguyen Van Toan (6 October 1932 -) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ... Nguyen Van Minh was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. ... VÄƒn Tiáº¿n DÅ©ng (May 2, 1917 â€“ March 17, 2002) was Chief of the General Staff for the Peoples Army of Vietnam from 1953 to 1978 and Minister of Defense of Vietnam from December, 1980 to 1986. ... Tran Van Tra (1918 â€“ 20 April 1996) was the military leader of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam; a member of the Central Committee of the Lao Dong Party; a lieutenant general in the army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam); chairman, Military Affairs Committee... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders unknown battalion commander Bui Dinh Dam John Paul Vann Strength 350 1,400 Casualties 18 dead 39 wounded 83 dead 108 wounded The Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War that resulted in the first... Belligerents Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Tran Dinh Xu Franklin P. Eller Strength Estimated at 1,800[2] 4,300[3] Casualties and losses 32 confirmed killed[4] 201 killed (5 Americans killed) 192 wounded (8 Americans wounded) 68 missing (3 Americans missing). ... Combatants Viet Cong United States South Vietnam Casualties U.S casualties: 8 killed, 109 wounded and 20 aircraft destroyed or damaged. ... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Casualties 85 Dead 49 ARVN dead 5 American dead The Battle of Song Be was a major action between the NLF (Viet Cong) and ARVN, the South Vietnamese army. ... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Le Trong Tan Cao Van Vien, Charles W. Williams Strength 1,500 10,000 Casualties 700+ estimated KIA ARVN: 800+ killed U.S: 7 killed, 15 wounded and 13 missing The Battle of Dong Xoai was a battle that occurred during the... Combatants United States Viet Cong Commanders General Lewis W. Walt Strength 5,500 1,500 VC 1st Regiment Casualties 45 killed 203 wounded >614 killed 9 captured Operation Starlite was the first offensive military action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants Viet Cong Australia Commanders Unknown John Healy Casualties Unknown 6 wounded 2 missing presumed dead The Battle of Gang Toi was fought on November 8, 1965. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong United States Commanders Nguyen Huu An Thomas W. Brown Harold G. Moore (X-Ray) Robert McDade (Albany) Strength More than 4,000 (Albany and X-Ray) Over 1,000 (Albany and X-Ray) Casualties X-Ray: Est. ... Operation Hastings was an American military operation in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States South Vietnam Republic of Korea North Vietnam Viet Cong Casualties 288 killed 990 wounded 2232 killed Operation Masher was a combined US, ARVN, and ROKA that began on January 28, 1966. ... Combatants United States South Vietnam North Vietnam Strength 395 2,000 Casualties U.S: 8 killed, 12 wounded and 5 missing South Vietnam: 47 killed or missing Unknown (U.S estimates put the number at 800) The Battle of A Shau was waged in 1966 during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States Viet Cong Strength 134 400+ Casualties 38 killed 71 wounded Unknown Vietnam War Ap Bac â€“ Binh Gia â€“ Pleiku â€“ Song Be â€“ Dong Xoai â€“ Starlite â€“ Gang Toi â€“ Ia Drang â€“ Hastings â€“ Masher/White Wing â€“ A Shau â€“ Xa Cam My â€“ Duc Co â€“ Long Tan â€“ Attleboro â€“ Cedar Falls â€“ Tra Binh Dong â€“ Bribie... Combatants North Vietnam South Korea Commanders Byung Soo Choi Casualties 134+ killed 7 killed 46 wounded In 1966, the Battle of Duc Co was a major engagement between the North Vietnamese 5th Battalion of the 88th Regiment and the South Korean 3rd Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Regiment. ... Combatants Australia, New Zealand, United States Viet Cong, North Vietnam Commanders Harry Smith Nguyen Thanh Hong Strength 108 1,500-2,650[1] Casualties 18 killed, 21 wounded Estimates range from about 50 killed, to 800 casualties total. ... Combatants United States North Vietnam Viet Cong Commanders Major Guy S. Meloy Unknown Casualties 155 US killed 494 US wounded At least 1,106 killed Operation Attleboro was a search-and-destroy operation by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. ... Operation Cedar Falls was conducted by the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War on January 8 â€“ January 26, 1967 to rout out Viet Cong base camps in the so-called Iron Triangle. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Korea Commanders Unknown commander Captain Jin-Kyung Chung Strength 2,400+ 294 Casualties 200+ killed and 2 captured 15 killed and 33 wounded The Battle of Tra Binh Dong was probably the most famous battle fought by the South Korean Marines during the Vietnam... Combatants Australia Viet Cong Commanders Lt. ... Operation Junction City was one of the largest airborne operations since Market Garden in the latter half of World War II, and one of the largest operations of the Vietnam conflict. ... Operation Union was a military operation that took place in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants NVA United States Casualties 947 killed 455 killed, 455 wounded The Battle of Hill 881 was a battle between soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army and U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War. ... Operation Union II was a military operation that took place in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States Viet Cong Commanders Lt. ... Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Maj. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam, United States, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Australia National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders William C. Westmoreland VÃµ NguyÃªn GiÃ¡p Strength 1. ... Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders David E. Lownds (local), William C. Westmoreland (theater) Tran Quy Hai (local), Vo Nguyen Giap (theater) Strength 6,000 ~30,000 Casualties 730 killed in action, 2,642 wounded, 7 missing[2] Unknown; estimated between 10,000 and 15... Combatants South Vietnam United States North Vietnam Viet Cong Commanders William Westmoreland Vo Nguyen Giap Strength ? 35 Battlions Casualties ? ? The First Battle of Saigon fought during the Tet Offensive was the coordinated attack by the NVA and VC, by which they attacked South Vietnams Capital Saigon from all sides. ... Combatants South Viet Nam United States North Viet Nam Viet Cong Commanders Ngo Quang Truong Foster C. LaHue Tran Van Quang Strength Over 30,000 8,000, later 12,000 Casualties ARVN: 452 KIA; 2,123 WIA US: 216 KIA; 1,584 WIA[1] Total: 668 KIA; 3,707 WIA... Combatants North Vietnam United States Commanders Unknown Capt. ... Combatants United States Thailand Hmong guerillas North Vietnam Pathet Lao Commanders Vang Pao Vo Nguyen Giap Strength 1,300+ 3,000+ Casualties 8 Americans dead 42 Thai and Hmong Unknown The Battle of Lima Site 85 was a battle of the Vietnam War. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong United States South Vietnam Australia Strength 10,000+ 1,760+ Casualties ??? 270+ killed or missing 9 aircraft loss The Battle of Kham Duc was the struggle for the United States Army Special Forces camp located in Quang Tin province, South Vietnam. ... Operation Speedy Express was a United States military operation of the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States Marine Corps North Vietnamese Army Commanders Colonel Robert H. Barrow N/A Strength 5,000+ Casualties 130 killed, 932 wounded (USMC account) 1617 killed, unknown number wounded (USMC account) Operation Dewey Canyon was the last major offensive by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. ... Tet 1969 refers to the attacks mounted by principally North Vietnamese forces in February 1969 in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. ... Belligerents United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Melvin Zais Unknown Strength estimated at 1,800 estimated at 1,500 Casualties and losses 70 killed, 372 wounded 630+ dead The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought between the United States and the... Combatants Viet Cong North Vietnam Australia Casualties 91 killed 1 killed, 8 wounded The Battle of Binh Ba was a battle between soldiers of the Australian Army and NVA and VC soldiers during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants South Vietnam United States Viet Cong Commanders Do Cao Tri â€ } Nguyen Van Minh Bui Thanh Danh Le Nam Phong Strength 2,000 20,000 Casualties 37 killed, 167 wounded, 74 missing Unknown (South Vietnam claimed 1,043 killed) The Battle of Snuol was a major battle of the Vietnam... Combatants Democratic Republic of Vietnam United States Commanders Vo Nguyen Giap Chu Phong Doi Andre Lucasâ€ Ben Harrison Strength 9 battalions 1 battalion Casualties 2400+ KIA 250~ KIA, 1,000+ WIA Wikisource has original text related to this article: After action report: Firebase Ripcord, 23 July 1970 The Battle of... Operation Tailwind was a covert incursion into southeastern Laos by a company-size element (Hatchet Force) of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACSOG or SOG) on 11 September 1970, during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Combatants Khmer Republic North Vietnam Commanders Brig. ... Combatants North Vietnam United States Commanders unknown Brig Gen. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Hoang Xuan Lam Le Trong Tan (military) Le Quang Dao (political) Strength ARVN: 20,000 troops U.S.: 10,000 troops in support ~25,000 - ~35,000 troops Casualties ARVN: 8,483 killed 12,420 wounded 691 missing U... Combatants North Vietnam Khmer Republic Commanders Unknown Brigadier General Hou Hang Sin Strength VPA 9th Division 10 FANK Battalions Casualties Unknown Decimation of the FANK Battalions Operation Chenla II was launched on August 20, 1971 by the Cambodian military (or FANK) as an attempt to regain territories lost to the... Combatants South Vietnam United States North Vietnam Pathet Lao Commanders Lt. ... Combatants United States Viet Cong Commanders Lt. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Vietnam Strength 30,000+ 8,000+ The First Battle of Quang Tri resulted in the first major victory for the North Vietnamese Army during the Nguyen Hue Offensive of 1972. ... Combatants South Vietnam, United States Viet Cong, North Vietnam Commanders Mark A. Smith â˜ Tran Van Tra Strength 1,000+ 40,000+ Casualties Unknown 10,000+ The Battle of Loc Ninh was a major battle fought during North Vietnams Nguyen Hue Campaign and lasted from April 4 to April 7... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Combatants South Vietnam North Vietnam Commanders Col. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Vietnam The Second Battle of Quang Tri began on June 28 and lasted until September 16, 1972, when the Army of the Republic of Vietnam defeated the North Vietnamese and recaptured most of the province. ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders Gen. ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army National Liberation Front Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders General Van Tien Dung President Nguyen Van Thieu (Until April 5) Strength 300,000+ (est. ... Combatants Army of the Republic of Vietnam Vietnam Peoples Army Commanders Maj. ... Combatants Democratic Republic of Vietnam Republic of Vietnam Commanders Hoang Cam, Hoang The Thien Le Minh Dao Strength 40,000 6,000 Casualties ~5,000 dead and wounded ~2,036 dead and wounded The Battle of Xuan Loc also known as The last stand at Xuan Loc, was the last... Combatants North Vietnam South Vietnam The Battle of Truong Sa was a naval battle that resulted in the capture of the South Vietnamese-held Truong Sa Islands by North Vietnamese forces on April 29, 1975. ... Belligerents Democratic Republic of Vietnam National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Republic of Vietnam Commanders Van Tien Dung Tran Van Tra Hoang Cam Le Duc Anh Nguyen Van Toan Nguyen Hop Doan Strength 100,000 [1] 30,000 [1] Casualties and losses Unknown Unknown The Fall of Saigon... Combatants United States of America Democratic Kampuchea Commanders Lt. ... Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift. ... Operation Ranch Hand was a part of the Vietnam War, lasting from 1962 until 1971. ... Operation Pierce Arrow was a U.S. military operation during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States (U.S.) Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Kingdom of Laos Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) Pathet Lao (PL) Casualties Unknown Unknown Operation Barrel Roll was a covert U.S. Air Force 2nd Air Division (later the Seventh Air Force) and U.S. Navy Task Force 77, interdiction and... For the American mail service, see Pony Express. ... During the Vietnam War, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson in February 1965 ordered a series of reprisal air strikes after a number of attacks on U.S. bases, particularly on a U.S. installation at Pleiku. ... Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Joseph H. Moore, William W. Momyer, George S. Brown Phung The Tai (Air Defense), Nguyen Van Tien (Air Force) Casualties United States: ~835 killed, captured, or missing VNAF: Unknown ~20,000 military, ~72,000 civilian Operation Rolling Thunder was... Operation Steel Tiger was a covert US Air Force aerial interdiction effort targeted against North Vietnamese infiltration through southeastern Laos during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52 heavy bombers to bases in Guam. ... Barrell Roll/Steel Tiger/Tiger Hound Areas of Operations, 1965. ... Combatants United States Air Force North Vietnamese Air Force Commanders Robin Olds Unknown Strength 56 F-4C Phantom IIs (26 participated) 16 MiG-21 Fishbeds (11-14 engaged) Casualties None seven Mig-21s confirmed destroyed two MiG-21s probably destroyed Operation Bolo was a famous air battle fought in the... Text on this page is modified (with permission) from Paul N. Edwards, The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996). ... Combatants United States, Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Operation Commando Hunt was a covert Seventh/Thirteenth United States Air Force offensive initiative that took place during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Combatants United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Operation Menu was the codename of a covert U.S. Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombing campaign conducted in eastern Cambodia from 18 March 1969 until 26 May 1970, during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Combatants United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam Khmer Rouge Operation Freedom Deal was a US Seventh Air Force interdiction and close air support campaign waged in Cambodia from 19 May 1970 until 15 August 1973, during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders John W. Vogt, Jr. ... Combatants United States (U.S.) Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) Commanders John W. Vogt, jr. ... Combatants United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam During the 1960s the United States military worked hard to interdict the movement of men and materiel along the Ho Chi Minh trail. ... The Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area - Total - % water 173,809km² N/A population - Total - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Amnok River, or the Yalu River, is a river on the border between China and North Korea. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ...

The allied high command had been expecting an attack sometime during 1972, but the size and ferocity of the assault caught the defenders off balance because the attackers struck on three fronts simultaneously with the bulk of the North Vietnamese army. This first attempt by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to invade the south since the Tet Offensive of 1968 became characterized by conventional infantry/armor assaults backed by heavy artillery, with both sides fielding the latest in technological advances in weapons systems. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam, United States, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Australia National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders William C. Westmoreland VÃµ NguyÃªn GiÃ¡p Strength 1. ...

In the I Corps Tactical Zone, North Vietnamese forces overran South Vietnamese defensive positions in a month-long battle and captured Quang Tri city before moving south in an attempt to seize Hue. PAVN similarly eliminated frontier defense forces in II Corps and advanced to seize the provincial capital of Kontum, which would have opened the way to the sea, splitting South Vietnam in two. Northeast of Saigon in III Corps, the communists overran Loc Ninh and advanced to assault the capital of Binh Long Province at An Loc. The campaign can be divided into three distinct phases: April was a month of communist advances and allied withdrawals; May became a period of equilibrium; in June and July the South Vietnamese forces counterattacked, culminating in the recapture of Quang Tri City in September. Quang Tri Province is a region and province in central Vietnam near (north) the ancient capital of Huế. ... An image with the hues cyclically shifted The hues in the image of this Painted Bunting are cyclically rotated with time. ... There is a historical website that is nonprofit dedicated to the 1972 Easter Offensive in the Kontum area. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: ThÃ nh ChÃ Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... An Loc is a small town in South Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). ...

On all three fronts of the offensive, initial North Vietnamese successes were hampered by high casualties, inept tactics, and the increasing application of U.S. and South Vietnamese air power. One result of the offensive was the launching of Operation Linebacker, the first sustained bombing of North Vietnam by the U.S. since November 1968. Although South Vietnamese forces withstood their greatest trial thus far in the conflict, the North Vietnamese accomplished two important goals: they had gained valuable territory within South Vietnam from which to launch any future offensives, and they had obtained a better bargaining position at the peace negotiations being conducted in Paris. Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders John W. Vogt, Jr. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

Background

Planning

In the wake of the failed South Vietnamese Operation Lam Son 719, the Hanoi leadership began discussing a possible offensive during the 19th Plenum of the Central Committee of the Lao Dong Party in early 1971.^[6] By December the Politburo had decided to launch a major offensive early in the following year. 1972 would be a U.S. presidential election year, and the possibility of affecting the outcome was enticing and there was increasing anti-war sentiment among the population and government of the U.S.^[7] With continuing American troop withdrawals, South Vietnamese forces were stretched to the breaking point along a border of more than 600 miles (1,000 km), and the poor performance of ARVN troops in the offensive into Laos promised an easy victory. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Hoang Xuan Lam Le Trong Tan (military) Le Quang Dao (political) Strength ARVN: 20,000 troops U.S.: 10,000 troops in support ~25,000 - ~35,000 troops Casualties ARVN: 8,483 killed 12,420 wounded 691 missing U... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Hoang Xuan Lam Le Trong Tan (military) Le Quang Dao (political) Strength ARVN: 20,000 troops U.S.: 10,000 troops in support ~25,000 - ~35,000 troops Casualties ARVN: 8,483 killed 12,420 wounded 691 missing U... Hanoi (Vietnamese: HÃ Ná»™i, HÃ¡n Tá»±: æ²³å†…) , estimated population 3,145,300 (2005), is the capital of Vietnam. ... The Communist Party of Vietnam (Äáº£ng Cá»™ng sáº£n Viá»‡t Nam) is the currently ruling, as well as the only legal political party in Vietnam. ... Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ...

This decision marked the end of three years of political infighting between two factions within the Politburo: those members grouped around Truong Chinh, who favored following the Chinese model of continued low-intensity guerrilla warfare and rebuilding the north; and the "southern firsters" centered around Defense Minister Vo Nguyen Giap and supported by First Party Secretary Le Duan (both of whom supported the Soviet model of big offensives).^[8] The failure of the Tet Offensive of 1968 had led to a downgrading of Giap's influence during the ensuing years, but the victory achieved over South Vietnamese forces during the Laotian incursion brought Giap's strategy back into the ascendant.^[9] As a result, Le Duan was given responsibility for the key planning decisions for the operation, but Giap never rose to his former prominence, dealing chiefly with logistical matters and the approval of operational planning.^[10] The officer entrusted with the actual conduct of the offensive was the PAVN chief of staff, General Van Tien Dung. Image File history File links Giap. ... Image File history File links Giap. ... General VÃµ NguyÃªn GiÃ¡p (born circa 1912[1]) Vietnamese general and statesman. ... Truong Chinh (pseudonym meaning Long March, born Äáº·ng XuÃ¢n Khu) (1907 - 1988) was a Vietnamese communist political leader and theoritician. ... Guerrilla redirects here. ... Le Duan Le Duan (April 7, 1907 - July 10, 1986) was an original founder of the Indochinese Communist Party, having been introduced to communism while he was a railroad worker during the 1920s. ... CCCP redirects here. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam, United States, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Australia National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders William C. Westmoreland VÃµ NguyÃªn GiÃ¡p Strength 1. ... VÄƒn Tiáº¿n DÅ©ng (May 2, 1917 â€“ March 17, 2002) was Chief of the General Staff for the Peoples Army of Vietnam from 1953 to 1978 and Minister of Defense of Vietnam from December, 1980 to 1986. ...

The central questions then became where and with what forces the offensive would be launched and what its goals were to be. Although North Vietnam had utilized the border regions of Laos and Cambodia as supply and manpower conduits for a decade and a half, it was quickly decided that the main thrust of the offensive would be launched across the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone that separated the two Vietnams. There the line of communication would be shortest and forces could be concentrated where "the enemy is weakest...violent attacks will disintegrate enemy forces...making it impossible for him to have enough troops to deploy elsewhere."^[11] This was an important consideration, since the northern thrust would serve to divert South Vietnam's attention and resources while two other attacks were also to be launched: one into the central highlands in order to cut the country in two; and another that would move east out of Cambodia to threaten Saigon. In military terms, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers (or alliances), where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice or other bilateral or multilateral agreement. ...

The offensive was given a title steeped in Vietnamese history. In 1773 the three Tay Son brothers (so-called because of the place of their origin) united a Vietnam divided by civil war and social unrest. The youngest brother, Nguyen Hue, then defeated an invading Chinese army on the outskirts of Hanoi in 1788. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 452 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (804 Ã— 1065 pixel, file size: 360 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From George L. MacGarrigle, The United States Army in Vietnam: Combat Operations, Taking the Offensive, October 1966-October 1967. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 452 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (804 Ã— 1065 pixel, file size: 360 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From George L. MacGarrigle, The United States Army in Vietnam: Combat Operations, Taking the Offensive, October 1966-October 1967. ...

Although the campaign eventually employed the equivalent of 14 divisions, winning the war outright was not part of North Vietnam's game plan. The goals were much more limited. There was the distinct possibility of destroying or at least crippling large elements of the ARVN; possibly deposing of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu; convincing the U.S. as to the hopelessness of continued support to the South; and demonstrating the failure of Vietnamization. The prospect of seizing a South Vietnamese provincial capital, which could then be proclaimed as the seat of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, was also enticing.^[12] The attitude of the North Vietnamese leadership was illustrated in an article in a 1972 party journal: "It doesn't matter whether the war is promptly ended or prolonged...Both are opportunities to sow the seeds; all we have to do is to wait for the time to harvest the crop."^[13] President Nguyen Van Thieu Nguyen Van Thieu, (April 5, 1923 â€“ September 29, 2001) was a former General and President of South Vietnam. ... The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (See Secret War) and in bombing runs (Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. ... (Caution: Saigon was renamed Há»“ ChÃ Minh City on May 1, 1975 after the Fall/Liberation of Saigon. ...

The northern leadership was taken aback during the summer of 1971 when an announcement was made that U.S. President Richard M. Nixon would visit the People's Republic of China on a diplomatic mission sometime before May 1972. The Chinese placated the suspicions of their ally by reassuring North Vietnam that even more military and economic aid would be forthcoming in 1972. The Soviet Union, perceiving the growing antagonism between the People's Republic and North Vietnam, sought to widen the rift by also agreeing to "additional aid without reimbursement" for North Vietnam's military forces.^[14]^[15] Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 â€“ April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

These agreements led to a flood of equipment and supplies necessary for a modern, conventional army. This included 1,000 T-54 and Type-59 (a Chinese version of the T-54) medium and PT-76 light amphibious tanks; hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles, including the shoulder-fired, heat-seeking SA-7 Grail (called the Strela in the West); anti-tank missiles, including the wire-guided (AT-3 Sagger); and heavy-caliber, long-range artillery. To man the new equipment, 25,000 North Vietnamese troops received specialized training abroad, 80 percent of them in the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe.^[16]^[17] The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... The Chinese Type 59 Main Battle Tank is a copy of the ubiquitous Russian T-55/54 medium tank. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank which was introduced in early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armies. ... A soldier posing with a Strela launcher. ... AT-3A Sagger missile The AT-3 Sagger is the NATO reporting name for the 9M14 Malyutka (little or tiny baby) MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile of the Soviet Union. ... Statistical regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked red): Northern Europe Western Europe Eastern Europe Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current borders: Russia (dark orange), other countries formerly part of the USSR...

Miscalculation

During late 1971 U.S. and South Vietnamese intelligence estimates of communist intentions were mixed. An offensive was expected, but intelligence as to its timing, location, and size were confusing. The communists had mounted an offensive inside South Vietnam in 1968, but it was conducted mainly by the by southerners of the NLF, which had essentially been destroyed in the process. Without NLF support inside South Vietnam, a large-scale PAVN offensive was considered highly unlikely. A North Vietnamese thrust across the DMZ was also considered unlikely. Past infiltration and offensive operations had been conducted through and from Laotian and Cambodian territory, and besides, a DMZ offensive would be a blatant violation of the Geneva agreement that North Vietnam was adamant in defending.

In December, intelligence began to firm up. PAVN units that had been supporting Khmer Rouge operations in Cambodia began returning to the border areas. In both Laos and Cambodia there was also an unusual expansion of infiltration. Within North Vietnam, there was a noticeable increase in military recruitment. In January, Defense Intelligence Agency officers briefed Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, stating that PAVN would attack sometime after the Tết holidays and that the offensive would make widespread use of armored forces.^[18] Laird was unconvinced, telling the United States Congress in late January that a large communist offensive "was not a serious possibility".^[19] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 784 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1470 Ã— 1125 pixel, file size: 580 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The U.S. Army Center for Military History (USACMH) Purpose: CMH Online is an outreach service provided by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 784 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1470 Ã— 1125 pixel, file size: 580 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The U.S. Army Center for Military History (USACMH) Purpose: CMH Online is an outreach service provided by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. ... Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Lam Hoang Xuan Lam (1928-) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and a native of the city of Hue. ... General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng was born in 1933, Vietnam. ... General Richard G. Stilwell (1917-1991) served as Commander, U.S. Forces Korea and Acting Commander of the U.S. Army, Pacific from September to December of 1974. ... Some of the Khmer Rouge leaders during their period in power. ... The Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, is a major producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Melvin Robert Laird (born September 1, 1922) was a Republican congressman from Wisconsin who served as Richard Nixons Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973. ... Táº¿t display in Ho Chi Minh City Táº¿t NguyÃªn ÄÃ¡n , more commonly known by its shortened name Táº¿t, is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...

U.S. and South Vietnamese intelligence services had no clear consensus as to communist intentions. MACV, on the other hand, was suspicious. It sent several reconnaissance teams into the Mu Gia and Ban Karai pass areas, and they discovered a heavy buildup in PAVN forces and equipment. MACV then decided that the North Vietnamese were building up for an offensive in the central highlands and the northern provinces of South Vietnam. The brunt of any such attack would, however, have to be borne by South Vietnamese forces, since U.S. troop strength had been reduced to 69,000 troops, most of whom were in support roles, and that number was to be reduced to 27,000 by 30 November.^[20] The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV, pronounced as mac vee) was the United States command structure during the Vietnam War from 1962 until the wars end. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The U.S. commander, General Creighton W. Abrams, was convinced an offensive was likely, if not imminent, but he was also convinced that the attack would begin during or near the Tet holidays at the beginning of the year. He notified Admiral Thomas Moorer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the North Vietnamese might attempt to "duplicate the effects of the 1968 offensive, perhaps by a limited operation aimed less at inflicting defeat on the battlefield than in influencing American public opinion."^[21] The consensus at MACV, however, was that such an offensive would be launched against II Corps, in the Central Highlands. When the offensive did not occur, both he and his headquarters were ridiculed in the American press for crying wolf.^[22]^[23] The moment of crisis seemed to have passed, and, by the end of March, allied forces that had been standing in readiness were returned to pacification efforts.^[24] U.S. Ambassador, Ellsworth Bunker, left for Nepal while General Abrams went to Thailand to spend the Easter holiday with his family.^[25] Creighton W. Abrams watches Bob Hope at Long Binh in Vietnam Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. ... Thomas Hinman Moorer (1912 February 9 - 2004 February 5) was a U.S. admiral. ... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ... The Boy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Milo Winter in a 1919 Aesop anthology For other uses, see Cry Wolf (disambiguation). ... Ellsworth Bunker (born May 11, 1894 in Yonkers, New York, deceased September 30, 1984) was an American diplomat. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ...

The ARVN units upon which the initial might of the North Vietnamese was to fall included the 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces, and the 2nd Division, further south. This force was supplemented by two brigades of Marines (the 147th and 258th), the 51st Infantry Regiment, the 1st Ranger Group, and Regional and Popular Forces - approximately 30,000 men.^[26] The units were, however, fixed in static defensive positions and lacked adequate mobile reserves.^[27] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 394 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (3366 Ã— 5115 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 394 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (3366 Ã— 5115 pixel, file size: 4. ...

Bearing the initial brunt of the attack would be the 3rd Division, created in October 1971 and located in an arc of outposts near the DMZ to replace departing American troops. To create the new unit, the 1st Division (arguably ARVN's best unit) was stripped of its 2nd Regiment, and the 11th Armored Cavalry was brought up from the I Corps reserve. Both units were experienced, well-trained, equipped, and led. The 3rd Division's other two regiments, the 56th and 57th, however, were made up of recaptured deserters, men released from jail, and regional and provincial forces.^[28] It was led by cast-off officers and sergeants from other units. Like other ARVN units at this stage of the conflict, the division was suffering from a dearth of American advisors, who by then served only at regimental, brigade, and divisional headquarters.

Because of the general belief that the North Vietnamese would not violate the sacrosanct boundary, the unit was stationed in the relatively "safe" area directly below the DMZ. The division was commanded by newly-promoted Brigadier General Vu Van Giai, the former deputy commander of the 1st Division. The I Corps commander, Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Lam was an officer who epitomized the indecisiveness and ineffectiveness of Saigon's command structure, as had been discovered all too blatantly during Operation Lam Son 719.^[29] Lam concentrated on administrative matters and left tactical decisions to his subordinate commanders. Considering the circumstances, this was a workable solution, but only so long as his division commanders encountered no major difficulties. Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Lam Hoang Xuan Lam (1928-) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and a native of the city of Hue. ...

U.S. intelligence had been squabbling over a possible PAVN cross-DMZ attack during the months preceding the offensive. DIA analysts "cautiously" predicted such a contingency, while the CIA downplayed the possibility. The General Lam's American advisors agreed with his assessment that a blatant North Vietnamese violation of the Geneva accord was unlikely.^[30] When the weekend of Easter 1972 arrived, General Giai had planned to rotate the operational areas of his 56th Regiment (along the central DMZ) with the 2nd Regiment (around the artillery base at Camp Carrol in the west). Because of a truck shortage, however, the units were moved simultaneously and became hopelessly intermixed and disorganized. At 11:30 on 30 March, both unit's headquarters shut down their radios for the exchange of operational areas.^[31] With communications fragmented, its units entangled, and the weather bad enough to prevent aerial operations, the 3rd Division offered the massed PAVN forces to the north an irresistible target.^[32] A jinx, or personal jinx, is a childrens game (although not necessarily played only by children) with a myriad of highly varied rules and penalties that occurs when two people accidentally speak (or type) the same word or phrase simultaneously. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Offensive

Northern collapse

The offensive began at noon on 30 March 1972, when an intense artillery barrage rained down on the northernmost ARVN outposts in Quang Tri Province. Two PAVN divisions (the 304th and 308th - approximately 30,000 troops) supported by more than 200 tanks then rolled over the Demilitarized Zone to attack I Corps, the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese 308th Division and two independent regiments assaulted the "ring of steel," the arc of ARVN firebases just south of the DMZ. From the west, the 334B PAVN Division, including an armoured regiment, moved out of Laos along Highway 9, past Khe Sanh, and into the Quang Tri River Valley. Significantly, allied intelligence had failed to predict either the scale of the offensive or the method of attack, giving PAVN "the inestimable benefit of shock effect, a crucial psychological edge over defenders who had expected something quite different."^[33] is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 1 April, General Giai, ordered a withdrawal of the 3rd Division south of the Cua Viet River in order for his troops to reorganize. The following morning, ARVN armoured elements held off a PAVN attempt to cross the river at Dong Ha by destroying the bridge there.^[34] The initial PAVN units were then joined by the 320B and 325C Divisions. Simultaneously, the 324B Division moved out of the A Shau Valley and advanced directly eastward toward Fire Bases Bastogne and Checkmate, which protected the old imperial capital of Hue from the west. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 655 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1245 Ã— 1140 pixel, file size: 158 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Airpower and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 655 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1245 Ã— 1140 pixel, file size: 158 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Airpower and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The A Shau Valley is a valley in Vietnam. ...

The North Vietnamese advance had been timed to coincide with the seasonal monsoon, whose 500-foot cloud ceilings negated many U.S. airstrikes.^[35] PAVN advance elements also soon followed by antiaircraft units armed with new ZSU-57-2 tracked weapon platforms and man-portable, shoulder-fired Grail missiles, which made low-level bombing attacks hazardous. For other uses, see Monsoon (disambiguation). ... A ZSU-57-2 SPAAG. Photo by GulfLINK. The ZSU-57-2 (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka) is a lightly armoured, self propelled Soviet air defence cannon ( SPAAG). ...

Camp Carrol, an artillery firebase halfway between the Laotian border and the coast, was the linchpin of the South Vietnamese northern and western defense line and was the strongest obstacle to the North Vietnamese before Quang Tri City. On 2 April Colonel Phan Van Dinh, commander of the 56th ARVN Regiment, surrendered the camp and his 1,500 troops with barely a shot being fired.^[36] Later in the day, ARVN troops abandoned Mai Loc, the last western base. This allowed North Vietnamese forces to cross the Cam Lo bridge, 11 kilometers to the west of Dong Ha. PAVN then had almost unrestricted access to western Quang Tri Province north of the Thach Han River. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 399 pixelsFull resolution (1546 Ã— 772 pixel, file size: 510 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Airpower and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 399 pixelsFull resolution (1546 Ã— 772 pixel, file size: 510 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Airpower and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The PAVN advance was slowed by delaying actions for three weeks, and the South Vietnamese launched several counterattacks, but on the morning of 27 April, the North Vietnamese came on again, launching multi-pronged attacks against Dong Ha (which fell on the following day) and advancing to within 1.5 kilometers of Quang Tri City. General Giai had planned a staged withdrawal from the city to consolidate south of the Thach Han, but bewildered by conflicting orders from Lam and Giai, most ARVN formations splintered and then collapsed, conceding most of the province north of the city.^[37] On 29 April, Giai ordered a general retreat to the My Chanh River, thirteen kilometers to the south. U.S. military advisors in Quang Tri called for emergency helicopter extraction and, on 1 May, 132 survivors were evacuated from Quang Tri, including 80 U.S. soldiers. is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The exodus of ARVN forces was joined by tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians fleeing from the fighting. As the mass of humanity jostled and shoved its way south on Highway 1, it presented an inviting target for North Vietnamese artillerists.^[38] They were soon joined by PAVN infantry, who moved by the flank to attack the column. ARVN units, with no leadership and all unit cohesion gone, could muster no defense. Meanwhile, to the west, Fire Support Bases Bastogne and Checkmate had fallen after staunch ARVN defense and massive B-52 strikes, which inflicted heavy casualties.^[39] On 21 April Abrams notified the U.S. Secretary of Defense that Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 507 pixels Full resolution (1293 Ã— 819 pixel, file size: 536 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 507 pixels Full resolution (1293 Ã— 819 pixel, file size: 536 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ...

Giai evacuated the last of his forces from Quang Tri City, which fell to PAVN forces on 2 May. That same day General Lam was summoned to Saigon for a meeting with President Nguyen Van Thieu. He was relieved of command of I Corps and replaced by Lieutenant General Ngo Quang Truong, commander of III Corps and one of the ablest ARVN generals.^[41] Truong's mission was to defend the old imperial capital of Hue, minimize further losses, and retake captured territory. Although saddled with raw troops and constantly countermanded by his superiors, General Giai had conducted a reasonably good defense. Even Truong pleaded his case with Thieu, wanting to keep Giai in command of the 3rd Division.^[42] It was in vain. Giai, who was to be made the scapegoat for the collapse, was tried for "desertion in the face of the enemy," and sentenced to five years in prison.^[43] is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... President Nguyen Van Thieu Nguyen Van Thieu, (April 5, 1923 â€“ September 29, 2001) was a former General and President of South Vietnam. ... General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng General NgÃ´ Quang TrÆ°á»Ÿng was born in 1933, Vietnam. ...

An Loc

The initial wave of the offensive was followed on 5 April by a PAVN advance out of Cambodia into Binh Long Province, northeast of Saigon. Its targets were the towns and airfields at Loc Ninh, Quan Loi, and An Loc. The possible initial goals of the offensive in III Corps remain unclear, but probably began as probes that, if successful, could be easily reinforced.^[44] The invasion was launched from Cambodian Base Area 708 by the B-2 Front's 5th PAVN/NLF Division and 203rd Armoured Regiment, which advanced down Highway 9 toward the border outpost of Loc Ninh. There, the 2,000 men of the ARVN 9th Regiment and a battalion of Rangers beat back five separate infantry/armor assaults before collapsing under the attack on 7 April.^[45] The North Vietnamese then isolated the 25th ARVN Division in neighboring Tay Ninh Province by sending two regiments to attack its forward outposts. Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 642 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1440 Ã— 1344 pixel, file size: 202 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 642 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1440 Ã— 1344 pixel, file size: 202 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

Sensing that the provincial capital of An Loc would be the next target, the III Corps commander, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Minh dispatched the 5th Division to hold the town. They were reinforced by two battalions of the Ranger Group (on 7 April) and by two additional infantry battalions (on 10 April and 11 April).^[46] The 21st Infantry Division, which had been stationed in the Mekong Delta, was rushed to Chon Thanh to join a regiment of the 9th Infantry Division as a relief force. All forces in the area were placed under the command of Brigadier General Le Van Hung, commander of the 5th Division.^[47] Nguyen Van Minh was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mekong River Delta from space, February 1996 Mekong Delta, February 2005. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

The move was fortuitous for the South Vietnamese, since communist forces were indeed proceeding eastward toward An Loc. Simultaneously, the 7th PAVN Division bypassed the town and moved south along Highway 13 to block any relief effort launched from Chon Thanh. The communists had decided that An Loc, with its close proximity to Saigon, would be proclaimed as the capital of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, but even if they had been able to seize the town, they would never have been able to hold it. American air power would have made such an eventuality impossible.^[48]

By 13 April, An Loc was surrounded and under a combined artillery, armored, and infantry attack by the 9th PAVN/NLF Division. North Vietnamese forces advanced on the town through a deluge rockets, bombs, and napalm delivered by U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft supported by massed artillery, tank, and small arms fire. Inside the town, the contingent of U.S. advisors became essential to the defense, serving as a separate staff organizing fire and air support, logistics, and intelligence. Colonel William Miller, the senior U.S. advisor, was not happy with General Hung's continuous reluctance to launch counterattacks and his reliance on U.S. air power to defeat the North Vietnamese. His hesitation and lack of motivation prompted Miller to report that: "He is tired - unstable - irrational - irritable - inadvisable - and unapproachable."^[49] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 581 pixelsFull resolution (3048 Ã— 2214 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 581 pixelsFull resolution (3048 Ã— 2214 pixel, file size: 2. ... The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon or LAW) is a portable one-shot 66 mm anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Talley Defense Systems, produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A simulated Napalm explosion during MCAS Air Show in 2003. ...

The communist attacks persisted and PAVN forces eventually battered their way into the town, seizing the airfield and reducing the ARVN perimeter to about a square kilometer. During another assault on the 21st, PAVN tanks actually forced their way through the defense perimeter but were held at bay and then destroyed by anti-tank weapons and helicopter gunships. North Vietnamese infantry did, however, manage to seize most of the northern sector of the town, where they began digging in (often right across the street from the ARVN defenders). The initial shock of ARVN troops instilled by North Vietnamese armor was soon abated when they discovered that, because the supporting infantry failed to advance with the tanks, they became easy prey for anti-tank weapons.^[50] On other occasions, the opposite would occur, with massed infantry assaults moving forward without armored support. This failure of tactical coordination was one of PAVN's prime weaknesses during the offensive, and one that the allies were quick to exploit.

As a result of his failure to seize the town quickly, the commander of the 9th Division was officially reprimanded and local command was handed over the senior officer of the 5th PAVN/NLF Division.^[51] Besides the lack of coordination, the major difficulty for the North Vietnamese was the rain of ordnance delivered upon them by incessant air strikes, which further reduced manpower and made resupply difficult. After the failure of the assault on 21 April, the battle devolved into a siege, with the North Vietnamese pounding An Loc and its defenders with 1,200 to 2,000 mortar, rocket, and artillery rounds per day.^[52] An Loc was completely surrounded and could only be resupplied by air, a situation made more difficult by the loss of the airfield. Resupply was accomplished, however, by 448 aerial missions which managed to deliver 2,693 tons of air-dropped food, medical supplies, and ammunition.^[53] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 418 pixelsFull resolution (5451 Ã— 2845 pixel, file size: 6. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 418 pixelsFull resolution (5451 Ã— 2845 pixel, file size: 6. ... The Bell AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

From 22 April to 10 May the tactical situation remained stable at what the Paris Match was calling "a Verdun or a Stalingrad" in III Corps.^[54] On the morning of 11 May, another North Vietnamese assault was launched after being preceded by an artillery bombardment that fired over 8,300 shells into a defense perimeter that had shrunk to a mere 1,000 by 1,500 yards before the day was over.^[55] PAVN forces again forced their way into An Loc, but the effort collapsed in the face of tremendous aerial attack which cost the North Vietnamese 40 tanks and over 800 men.^[56] The reasons for the failure were not hard to discern. Beginning at 05:30 that morning and continuing for the next 25 hours, the U.S. Air Force delivered a B-52 strike every 55 minutes to support the defense.^[57] For the next three days, each time PAVN troops assembled to resume the attack, the were bombed in their assembly areas. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 493 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1133 Ã— 1377 pixel, file size: 840 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Joel D. Meyerson, Images of a Lengthy War. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 493 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1133 Ã— 1377 pixel, file size: 840 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Joel D. Meyerson, Images of a Lengthy War. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Capital Verdun Government Republic Historical era Middle Ages - Established Uncertain - Three Bishoprics annexed by France 1552 - Treaty of Westphalia recognises annexation 1648 For other uses see Verdun (disambiguation) Verdun (medieval German: Wirten, official name before 1970 Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city and commune in the Lorraine rÃ©gion, northeast... Stalingrad is the former name of two cities: Volgograd, Russia Karviná-Nové Město, near Ostrava, Czech Republic Other uses: The Battle of Stalingrad (a major turning-point of World War II and arguably the bloodiest battle in human history) Stalingrad (German film set during the above battle) Stalingrad (metro station... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A relief effort had been launched by the 21st ARVN Division, but it never arrived at An Loc. For three weeks the division crept northward along Highway 13 but it was held up by constant delaying actions by smaller PAVN forces. Although the division never reached its goal, it may have inadvertently saved the beleaguered city by eventually diverting almost all of the elements of the 7th PAVN Division from the fighting. The climactic attack on An Loc was launched on 14 May, when the North Vietnamese attacked directly into the teeth of the ARVN defense. The failed assault was described by Colonel Walt Ulmer, the 5th Division's senior advisor: "they were simply trying to pile on and pile on and pile on. They frittered away an awful lot of manpower."^[58] May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Although North Vietnamese forces remained in the area and continued to shell An Loc heavily, the impetus of their offensive was over. By 12 June the last PAVN forces were driven from the city and its environs and over 1,000 ARVN wounded were evacuated.^[59] Slowly, the decimated North Vietnamese units faded away to the north and west as others covered their withdrawal. On 18 June the headquarters of III Corps declared the siege to be over. The Saigon government claimed that 8,000 South Vietnamese had been killed or wounded at An Loc, approximately 1,000 of whom were civilians. American sources claimed that 25,000 PAVN or NLF troops had been killed during the action, although those numbers could never be confirmed.^[60]. is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Kontum

The objective PAVN forces during the third phase of the Nguyen Hue Offensive was to seize the cities of Kontum and Pleiku, thereby overrunning the Central Highlands. This would then open the possibility of proceeding east to the coastal plains, splitting South Vietnam in two. The highlands offensive was preceded by NLF diversionary operations that opened on 5 April in coastal Binh Dinh Province which aimed at closing Highway 1, seizing several ARVN firebases, and diverting South Vietnamese forces from operations further west. North Vietnamese forces, under the command of Lieutenant General Hoang Minh Thao, commander of the B-3 Front, included the 320th and 2nd PAVN Divisions in the highlands and the 3rd PAVN Division in the lowlands - approximately 50,000 men.^[61] Combatants South Vietnam North Vietnam Commanders Col. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Arrayed against them in II Corps were the ARVN 22nd and 23rd Divisions, two armored cavalry squadrons, and the 2nd Airborne Brigade, all under the command of Lieutenant General Ngo Dzu. It had become evident as early as January that the North Vietnamese were building up for offensive operations in the tri-border region and numerous B-52 strikes had been conducted in the area in hopes of slowing the build-up. ARVN forces had also been deployed forward toward the border in order to slow the PAVN advance and allow the application of airpower to deplete North Vietnamese manpower and logistics.^[62] The Binh Dinh offensive, however, threw General Dzu into a panic and almost convinced him to fall for the North Vietnamese ploy and divert his forces from the highlands. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 648 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1233 Ã— 1140 pixel, file size: 165 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 648 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1233 Ã— 1140 pixel, file size: 165 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Ngo Dzu (1926-) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ...

John Paul Vann, director of the U.S. Second Regional Assistance Group, reassured Dzu that it was only a ruse and to remain ready for the main blow, which he was convinced would come from western Laos.^[63] John Vann, although a civilian, had been granted the unique authority to command all U.S. military advisors within his region.^[64] Vann worked day and night, utilizing his extensive civilian and military contacts to channel U.S. support (especially air support) to the region. Major General John Hill, Dzu's senior military advisor, described Vann's extraordinary actions: "The rest of us organized around Vann's personal efforts and concentrated on getting the resources marshalled to take advantage of the leadership he was exerting with the Vietnamese."^[65] John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 â€“ June 9, 1972) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War. ...

To counter the possible threat from the west, Dzu had deployed two regiments of the 22nd Division to Tan Canh and Dak To II and two armored squadrons to Ben Het.^[66] On 12 April, the 2nd PAVN Division, elements of the 203rd Tank Regiment, and several independent regiments of the B-3 Front attacked the outpost at Tan Canh and the nearby firebase at Dak To. When the ARVN armor moved out of Ben Het toward Dak To II, it was ambushed and eliminated. Overwhelmed, the South Vietnamese defense northwest of Kontum quickly disintegrated, placing the command of III Corps in a quandary. With the rest of the 22nd Division covering the coast, there were few forces left to defend the provincial capital of Kontum. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 592 pixels Full resolution (1617 Ã— 1197 pixel, file size: 979 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 592 pixels Full resolution (1617 Ã— 1197 pixel, file size: 979 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 â€“ June 9, 1972) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Inexplicaby, the North Vietnamese southern advance halted for three crucial weeks. While the northern crisis waned, however, General Dzu began to unravel, finding it increasingly difficult to make decisive decisions. Vann gave up all pretext of South Vietnamese command, took over himself, and openly issued orders. He placed responsibility for the defense of the city of Kontum on the shoulders of Ly Tong Ba, commander of the 23rd Division.^[67] Vann then utilized massive B-52 strikes to hold the North Vietnamese at arm's length and reduce their numbers while he managed to find additional troops with which to stabilize the situation.

By 14 May, North Vietnamese forces had reached Kontum and launched their main assault. The 320th PAVN Division, the 1st and 141st Regiments of the 2nd PAVN Division, and elements of the 203rd Tank Regiment attacked the city from the north, south, and west. By the time of the assault, the city mustered a defensive force that consisted of the 23rd Division and several Ranger groups. Their three-week delay cost the North Vietnamese dearly. By 14 May the worst of the fighting in I and II Corps was over and a majority of the B-52s were free to concentrate on the Central Highlands.^[68] During the North Vietnamese attack, the positions of the 44th and 45th ARVN Regiments crumbled and were overrun, but a well-placed B-52 strike landed directly on the PAVN attackers at the point of the breakthrough. The next morning, when the South Vietnamese returned to their former positions unopposed, 400 bodies were discovered, along with seven destroyed tanks.^[69] May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

At Vann's insistence, a personnel shake-up took place in III Corps when President Thieu replaced Dzu with Major General Nguyen Van Toan, whose outwardly confident and assertive nature was the complete opposite of Dzu's.^[70] The actions at Kontum for the following two weeks became characterized by massed PAVN assaults that were lashed by B-52, tactical air, and helicopter gunship attacks. ARVN troops then counterattacked over the remains of the attacking wave. On 26 May, four North Vietnamese regiments supported by armored forces managed to punch a hole in the defense, but their advance was halted by U.S. helicopters firing new, tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles. During the following three days of fighting, 24 North Vietnamese T-54 tanks were destroyed by TOWs and the breach was sealed.^[71] The Douglas A-1 (formerly AD) Skyraider was a U.S. single-seat attack bomber of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. ... Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Toan Nguyen Van Toan (6 October 1932 -) was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A tow is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments. ...

With the aid of the U.S. and South Vietnamese air forces and despite severe losses, ARVN managed to hold Kontum during the remainder of the battle. By early June, the North Vietnamese faded back to the west, leaving behind over 4,000 dead on the battlefield.^[72] It was estimated by U.S. intelligence that total PAVN casualties in the Central Highlands during the offensive totaled between 20,00 and 40,000 troops.^[73] John Vann did not have time to savor his victory. While returning to Kontum from a briefing in Saigon on 9 June, he was killed in a helicopter crash.^[74] is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Air support, Freedom Train, and Linebacker

The North Vietnamese had timed their offensive well by having it coincide with the end of the annual winter monsoon when low cloud cover and rain provided a blanket under which the offensive could proceed without interference by allied aerial attack. Air strikes were possible only by all-weather fighters or bombers, which could deliver their ordnance accurately through the cloud cover by radar direction or LORAN.^[75] Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders John W. Vogt, Jr. ... LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) is a terrestrial navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters that use the time interval between radio signals received from three or more stations to determine the position of a ship or aircraft. ...

These missions were conducted by aircraft assigned to the U.S. Seventh Air Force and Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force in South Vietnam and Thailand or by the U.S. Navy's Task Force 77, offshore in the South China Sea. Besides the weather the most serious problem facing the Americans was that the drawdown of U.S. forces during the previous four years had included valuable ground support aircraft and their maintenance crews. By the spring of 1973, the U.S. Air Force had only three squadrons of F-4 Phantoms and one of A-37 Dragonflys available in the Republic of Vietnam, a total of 76 aircraft. Another 114 fighter-bombers were stationed at various bases in Thailand. 83 B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers were located at U-Tapao RTAFB and at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.^[76] Task Force 77 had four carriers assigned to it, but only two, Coral Sea and Hancock were on station at the onset of the offensive. Their air wings totaled 140 strike aircraft.^[77] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 520 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1308 Ã— 1508 pixel, file size: 722 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Bernard C. Nalty, Air War Over South Vietnam, 1968-1975. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 520 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1308 Ã— 1508 pixel, file size: 722 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Bernard C. Nalty, Air War Over South Vietnam, 1968-1975. ... A U.S. Air Force F-111 The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (the nickname was unofficial for most of its lifespan, but it was officially named Aardvark at its retirement ceremony for the United States Air Force) is a long-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft. ... â€œF-4â€ redirects here. ... Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility and is the home of the RTAF Wing 4, 401, 402, 403 squadrons. ... The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. ... Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force. ... The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... The Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force was organized on 6 January 1966 and stationed at Udon Thani, Thailand. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Task Force 77 is an aircraft carrier task force in the United States Navy, and was the Carrier Strike Force of the U.S. Seventh Fleet in several conflicts. ... Filipino name Tagalog: Timog Dagat Tsina (Dagat Luzon for the portion within Philippine waters) Malay name Malay: Laut China Selatan Portuguese name Portuguese: Mar da China Meridional Vietnamese name Vietnamese: The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... T-37s in formation One of the most prominent of the trainer-attack type aircraft is the Cessna T-37/A-37, known in various forms as the Tweety Bird, Tweet, Dragonfly, or Super Tweet. ... â€œB-52â€ redirects here. ... U-Tapao (Thai: ; also spelt Utapao and U-Taphao) (IATA: UTP, ICAO: VTBU) is both an active civil airport (U-Tapao International Airport) and home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing (U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield). ... A B-1B at Andersen This B-2 Spirit was photographed in 2004 at Andersen Andersen Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. ... USS Coral Sea (CV/CVB/CVA-43), a Midway-class aircraft carrier, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. ... The fourth USS Hancock (CV-19) of the United States Navy was an Ticonderoga-class aircraft carrier. ...

To rectify the aircraft shortage, from 7 April to 13 May 176 F-4s and 12 F-105 Thunderchiefs were transferred from air bases in the Republic of Korea and the continental U.S. to Thailand during Operation Constant Guard I-IV.^[78] Between 5 February and 23 May, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) reinforced Guam during Operation Bullet Shot I-V with a further 124 bombers, bringing the total available in-theater to 209.^[79] The Seventh Fleet was also beefed up by the addition of four aircraft carrier groups, including those of the Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Midway, and Saratoga. This made four carriers available at any one time to conduct aerial operations.^[80] The South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) at this time consisted of nine squadrons of A-1 Skyraiders, A-37s, and F-5 Freedom Fighters, a total of 119 strike aircraft. There were also two squadrons of AC-47 or AC-119 fixed-wing gunships, totaling of 28 aircraft.^[81] April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, commonly known as the Thud by its crews, was a single-seat supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. ... South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK; Korean: Daehan Minguk (Hangul: 대한 민국; Hanja: 大韓民國)), is a country in East Asia, covering the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film) The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. ... The United States 7th Fleet is a naval military unit based in Yokosuka, Japan. ... The supercarrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), formerly CVA-63, is the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers first flight. ... USS Constellation (CV-64), a Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the new constellation of stars on the flag of the United States. ... USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II. Active in the Vietnam War and in Operation Desert Storm, as of 2007 she is a... USS Saratoga (CV-60), formerly CVB-60 and CVA-60, is the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the American Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga, was a Forrestal-class supercarrier. ... // The VNAF (abbreviation for Viet Nam Air Force, Vietnamese is Khong Quan Viet Nam) started off as a few hand picked men chosen to fly the worlds 6th largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974. ... The Douglas A-1 (formerly AD) Skyraider was a U.S. single-seat attack bomber of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. ... The F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger II) is a low cost entry level supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in 1962. ... The AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. ... The AC-119 Shadow and Stinger were developed during the Vietnam War. ...

The weather conditions made early ground support haphazard, and these difficulties were compounded by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft units, which advanced behind the front line elements. PAVN moved 85 and 100 mm radar-directed batteries south of the DMZ and, on 17 February, 81 SA-2 Guideline missiles were launched from the DMZ area, downing three F-4s.^[82] This heralded the furthest southern advance of SA-2 units thus far during the conflict. This classic high-low anti-aircraft coverage made aerial attacks extremely hazardous, especially when it was enhanced by the new shoulder-fired Grail. Image File history File links Sa-2camo. ... Image File history File links Sa-2camo. ... An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...

The loss of the northern firebases early in the offensive in I Corps made U.S. naval gunfire the primary source of artillery support in that area. U.S. Marine Corps gunfire observers were then assigned to fly with forward air controllers, providing coordinates for shore targets.^[83] At the height of the offensive three U.S. cruisers and 38 destroyers were providing naval gunfire support.^[84]

With clearing weather the number of aircraft sorties soard. Between April and June there were 18,000 combat sorties flown to support the ARVN defense, 45 percent by the U.S. Air Force, 30 percent by the Navy and Marine Corps, and 25 percent by the VNAF. B-52s flew an additional 2,724 sorties. Ten U.S. and six VNAF aircraft were lost to SAM or anti-aircraft fire.^[85] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 523 pixelsFull resolution (1295 Ã— 847 pixel, file size: 174 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Soviet ZSU-57-2 self propelled air defence cannon in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 523 pixelsFull resolution (1295 Ã— 847 pixel, file size: 174 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Soviet ZSU-57-2 self propelled air defence cannon in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. ... A ZSU-57-2 SPAAG. Photo by GulfLINK. The ZSU-57-2 (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka) is a lightly armoured, self propelled Soviet air defence cannon ( SPAAG). ...

On 4 April, reacting to the fierceness of the offensive, President Nixon authorized tactical airstrikes from the DMZ north to the 18th parallel, the southern panhandle of North Vietnam. This supply interdiction effort was the first systematic bombing carried out in North Vietnam proper since the end of Operation Rolling Thunder in November, 1968. Airstrikes north of the 20th parallel were authorized on 5 April under the cover name Operation Freedom Train.^[86] The first B-52 strike of the new operation was conducted on the 10th. President Nixon then decided to up the ante by targeting Hanoi and Haiphong. Between 1 May and 30 June, B-52s, fighter-bombers, and fixed-wing gunships had carried out 18,000 sorties over North Vietnam and suffered 29 aircraft losses.^[87] is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants United States Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Commanders Joseph H. Moore, William W. Momyer, George S. Brown Phung The Tai (Air Defense), Nguyen Van Tien (Air Force) Casualties United States: ~835 killed, captured, or missing VNAF: Unknown ~20,000 military, ~72,000 civilian Operation Rolling Thunder was... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 8 May Nixon authorized the launching of Operation Duck Hook, the aerial mining of Haiphong and other North Vietnamese ports. Nixon had taken a gamble that Soviet Union, with which he was conducting negotiations for a strategic arms limitation treaty (SALT I), would withhold a negative reaction in return for improved relations with the West. He was correct. The People's Republic of China also muted any overt response to the escalatory measures for the same reason. Emboldened, Nixon decided to launch Operation Linebacker a systematic aerial assault on North Vietnam's transportation, storage, and air defense systems on 10 May. During Linebacker, the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps lost 134 aircraft while their North Vietnamese opponents lost 54.^[88] Image File history File links A U.S. military photo taken from http://www. ... Image File history File links A U.S. military photo taken from http://www. ... A soldier posing with a Strela launcher. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... SALT I is the common name for the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Hue and the counteroffensive

Hoping to break the stalemate that was developing on the northern front, Lieutenant General Tran Van Quang, commander of the B-4 Front, attacked west from the A Shau Valley toward Hue with the 324B Division. Spoiling attacks by the 1st ARVN Division, however, threw off the timetable.^[89] On 28 April the 29th and 803rd PAVN Regiments seized Firebase Bastogne, the strongest anchor on Hue's western flank.^[90] This made Firebase Checkmate untenable, and it too was evacuated that night. This exposed Hue to a direct thrust along Route 547. On 2 May PAVN forces south of Hue tried to surround the city.^[91] is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The North Vietnamese also attempted to press their attack southward down Highway 1 and across the Thach Han to Hue, but, fortunately for the South Vietnamese, after Truong took command, the 1st and Marine Divisions were reinforced by the 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the Airborne Division (which now totaled three brigades), and the reorganized 1st Ranger Group, raising the ARVN manpower total to 35,000.^[92] Also fortuitous was a one-week clearing of the weather, which allowed the application of massive U.S. bombing. The North Vietnamese advance was halted on 5 May. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 702 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1548 Ã— 1323 pixel, file size: 267 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 702 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1548 Ã— 1323 pixel, file size: 267 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Major A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By mid-May, Truong felt strong enough to go on the offensive in a series of limited attacks, feints, and raids codenamed Song Than (Tidal Wave) that were planned to throw the North Vietnamese off balance, enlarge the defensive perimeter around Hue, and deny the enemy time and space to maneuver.^[93] Between 15 and 20 May, Firebases Bastogne and Checkmate were recaptured. PAVN forces then launched another attempt to take the city on 21 May, losing 18 tanks and approximately 800 men in the process. On 25 May a second North Vietnamese assault managed to cross the river, but ARVN defenders put up ferocious resistance, forcing their enemy back across on the 29th.^[94] This was the last serious assault on the defenses of Hue. Major General Frederick J. Kroesen, senior U.S. advisor in I Corps, believed that the fall of Quang Tri should have heralded the fall of Hue, but the North Vietnamese had not exploited their opportunity quickly enough. "That he failed completely to take advantage of the moment must be classed as another great blunder of the Quang Tri campaign."^[95] is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Frederick James Kroesen, Jr. ...

By mid-June, clearing weather allowed more accurate aerial bombardment and shelling from U.S. warships offshore. On the 14th, Truong briefed President Thieu and MACV on his planned counterattack to retake Quang Tri Province. Thieu was not convinced, preferring a smaller-scale operation.^[96] The persistent Truong finally convinced the president, emphasizing that such an effort would be possible "employing the superior firepower of our American ally."^[97] Thieu finally approved the concept. Truong launched Operation Lam Son 72 on 28 June. The 1st Division continued its westward push toward Laos while the Airborne and Marine Divisions, the 1st Ranger Group, and the 7th Armored Cavalry moved north to retake Quang Tri. The Airborne Division led the way and, utilizing airmobile end-runs and the North Vietnamese were slowly levered out of their defensive positions.^[98] The division then advanced to the outskirts of Quang Tri City within ten days, but then President Thieu intervened in the operation. Truong had planned to bypass the city and push on quickly to the Cua Viet River, thereby isolating any PAVN defenders.^[99] Thieu, however, now demanded that Quang Tri be taken immediately, seeing the city as "a symbol and a challenge" to his authority.^[100] is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

It was not going to be an easy task for General Truong. The ARVN assault bogged down in the outskirts and the North Vietnamese, appraised of the plans for the offensive, moved the 304th and 208th Divisions to the west to avoid the U.S. airpower that was about to be unleashed upon Quang Tri.^[101] The defense of the city and its walled citadel was left to PAVN replacement units and militia. Recalled one participant: "The new recruits came in at dusk. They were dead by dawn...No one had time to check where they were from, or who was their commander."^[102] Others described the defense as a "senseless sacrifice" and referred to Quang Tri as "Hamburger City".^[103] On 11 July the ARVN Marine Division launched a heli-borne assault north and east of the city which would cut the last remaining road and force the North Vietnamese to reinforce and resupply across the Thach Han River, making them vulnerable to air strikes. After a vicious, three-day battle against the 48th Regiment of the 320B PAVN Division, North Vietnamese forces broke and withdrew.^[104] is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the month of July, American aircraft flew 5,461 tactical sorties and 2,054 B-52 strikes to support the counteroffensive.^[105] On 27 July, the ARVN Marine Division was ordered to relieve the Airborne units as the lead element in the battle. But progress was slow, consisting of vicious house-to-house fighting and incessant artillery barrages by both sides. On 8 September the assault to capture the heavily-defended citadel was launched and it was finally taken on 16 September. Truong's forces then advanced to the southern bank of the Thach Han River, where they halted, exhausted and depleted by heavy casualties and unable to push on to Dong Ha.^[106] is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Aftermath

At the conclusion of the ARVN counteroffensive, both sides were too exhausted to continue their efforts. Both sides, however, considered their efforts to have been successful. The South Vietnamese and Americans believed the policy of Vietnamization had been validated.^[107] The ARVN, despite suffering battlefield reverses and heavy losses, had repulsed the most massive communist offensive thus far in the conflict—although this attitude was tempered by the realization that success had been made possible only by the massive application of U.S. airpower. The internal weaknesses of the South Vietnamese command structure, which had been rectified somewhat during the emergency, also reappeared once it had passed. During the operations, more than 25,000 South Vietnamese civilians had been killed and almost a million became refugees, 600,000 of whom were living in camps under government care.^[108] American casualties for all of 1972 totaled only 198, most of whom were killed during the offensive.^[109] ...

Hanoi, which had committed 14 divisions and 26 independent regiments to the offensive (virtually its entire army), had suffered approximately 100,000 casualties and 450 tanks destroyed.^[110] In return, it had gained permanent control of half of the four northernmost provinces—Quang Tri, Thua Thien, Quang Nam, and Quang Tin—as well as the western fringes of the II and III Corps sectors (around ten percent of the country). The North Vietnamese leadership had made two grave miscalculations concerning the abilities of its enemies. The first was to underestimate the fighting ability of the ARVN, which by 1972 had become one of the best-equipped armies in the world; the second was a failure to grasp the destructiveness of American air power unleashed against an enemy that was now fighting a conventional battle. Combined with these strategic errors, PAVN commanders had also thrown away their local numerical superiority by making repeated frontal attacks into heavy defensive fire, and suffered massive casualties as a consequence. Hanoi, however, wasted no time in making use of what it had gained. The North Vietnamese immediately began to extend their supply corridors from Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam. The PAVN rapidly expanded port facilities at the captured town of Dong Ha, and within a year over 20 percent of the materiel destined for the southern battlefield was flowing across its docks.^[111] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 557 pixels Full resolution (1440 Ã— 1002 pixel, file size: 759 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 557 pixels Full resolution (1440 Ã— 1002 pixel, file size: 759 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ...

In Paris the peace negotiations continued, but this time round, both sides were willing to make concessions. The chief American negotiator, Dr. Henry Kissinger, offered a cease-fire in place, recognition of the PRG by the Saigon government, and total American withdrawal from South Vietnam as incentives. These terms were actually enough to meet the criteria for victory that Hanoi's leaders had established before the offensive began.^[112] The only obstacle to a settlement then became Nguyen Van Thieu, whose government would have to assent to any agreement. Due to Thieu's intransigence (and his demand that the U.S. not abandon his nation after any agreement) and new demands from Hanoi, the peace talks stalled in December. This led President Nixon to launch Operation Linebacker II, a bombing campaign aimed at North Vietnam's transportation network, especially around Hanoi and Haiphong. The Paris Peace Accords, signed in January 1973, confirmed that PAVN troops would remain in South Vietnam in the areas that they then occupied. Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, and 1973 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ... Combatants United States (U.S.) Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) Commanders John W. Vogt, jr. ... The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973 by the governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV or North Vietnam), the Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam), and the United States, as well as the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) that represented indigenous South Vietnamese revolutionaries. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

The U.S. ended its involvement in South Vietnam in April 1973. The North Vietnamese then launched their third general offensive (the Ho Chi Minh Campaign) in 1975, and toppled the Saigon government. For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army National Liberation Front Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders General Van Tien Dung President Nguyen Van Thieu (Until April 5) Strength 300,000+ (est. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

^ Army:410,000 Air Force:50,000 Marines:14,000 RF:284,000 Total:742,000 Brigadier General James Lawton Collins, Jr., The Development and Training of the South Viet Namese Army (Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 1975), p. 151.
^ Karnow, p. 600.
^ Marc Leepson & Helen Hannaford, Dictionary of the Vietnam War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999, p. 115. Missing figure from Sorley, p. 339.
^ For a comparison of casualty figures, see Lewis Sorley, A Better War. New York: Harvest Books, 1999, Chapt. 20, fn. 49. Although North Vietnamese casualties were horrendus, the figure of 100,000 dead, often quoted in historical sources, is only an approximation. See Dale Andrade, Trial by Fire. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1995, p. 531.
^ Military operations are generally designated by the title attributed to them by the attacking force. During the Cold War this convention was disregarded. Thus the communist General Offensive, General Uprising of 1968 became known in the West as the Tet Offensive. Returning to the previous convention, the 1972 Spring offensive has returned to its correct designation.
^ David Fulgham & Terrence Maitland, South Vietnam on Trial. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1984, p. 122.
^ Dave R. Palmer, Summons of the Trumpet. New York: Ballentine, 1978, pgs. 310-311.
^ Andrade, pgs. 36 & 37.
^ Andrade, pgs. 36 & 37.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 122.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 122.
^ Andrade, p. 43.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 122.
^ At the time, it was assumed that the Soviet Union was supplying the bulk of North Vietnam's military needs, but of the $1.5 billion in military aid sent to North Vietnam between 1970-1972, two-thirds came from China.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 120.
^ For instance, more than 3,000 PAVN tank crews received training at the Soviet armor school in Odessa, in the USSR.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 120.
^ Andrade, p. 27.
^ Andrade, p. 28.
^ Bernard C. Nalty, Air War Over South Vietnam. Washington DC: Air Force History and Museums Program, 2000, p. 348.
^ Nalty, p. 326.
^ Andrade, p. 238
^ Life magazine, 24 March 1972.
^ Palmer, p. 316.
^ Palmer, p. 316.
^ Andrade, p. 46.
^ Andrade, p. 47.
^ Andrade, p. 49. This contention was challenged by General Ngo Quang Truong as false in his The Easter Offensive of 1972. Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1984, p. 18.
^ Andrade, p. 46.
^ Andrade, pgs. 67 & 68.
^ Andrade, p. 52.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 129.
^ Palmer, p. 317.
^ Truong, p. 29.
^ This situation was exacerbated by the attempt to rescue Air Force pilot LtCol Iceal Hambleton ("Bat-21"), who had been shot down on the 2nd by a surface-to-air missile behind PAVN lines. During the 12-day attempt to rescue him, a no-bombing/no-shelling zone was imposed south and west of the Cam Lo River, a tragic decision for the 3rd Division. Andrade, pgs. 94-95.
^ Truong, p. 30.
^ Truong, p. 38. See also Fulgham & Maitland, pgs. 145-147. For those units that did not fall apart, see ibid., p. 147. For Lam's culpability, see Andrade, p. 150.
^ Truong, pgs. 45 & 46.
^ Sorley, p. 329.
^ Sorley, p. 330.
^ Andrade, p. 171. Instead of sacking Lam for poor leadership, Thieu promoted the politically connected general to the Ministry of Defense.
^ Truong, pgs. 62 & 166.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 150.
^ Andrade, p. 373.
^ Truong, p. 115.
^ Truong, p. 116.
^ On 30 April 1975, Le Van Hung, "the hero of An Loc," committed suicide rather than surrender to victorious PAVN forces.
^ Andrade, p. 373.
^ Andrade, p. 439.
^ Truong, p. 119.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 153.
^ Maj A.J.C. Lavalle, Air Power and the 1972 Spring Invasion. Washington DC: Office of Air force History, 1985, p. 86.
^ General William W. Momyer, The Vietnamese Air Force. Washington DC: Office of Air Force History, 1975, p. 50.
^ Paris Match, 5 July 1972.
^ Andrade, p. 472.
^ Momyer, p. 47.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 153.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 154.
^ Lavalle, p. 104.
^ Andrade, pgs. 499 & 500.
^ Andrade, p. 241.
^ Andrade, p. 241.
^ Andrade, p. 252.
^ A civilian official had never before in American history assumed the position of a general and commanded U.S. military forces in the field during wartime. Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie. New York: Random House, 1988, p. 749. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel with ten years of experience in Vietnam, Vann had become notorious for his outspoken criticism of both his superiors and the U.S. conduct of the war after his arrival in South Vietnam in 1962, and had been forced to resign his Army commission. Almost a decade after leaving the U.S. military under a personal and professional cloud, Vann had risen to the equivalent rank of general.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 156.
^ The forward deployment of the division had actually been Vann's idea. Although Dzu would not always do as Vann wanted, he did so enough times for the more xenophobic members of his staff to mock him as "the slave of John Paul Vann." Sheehan, p. 759.
^ Andrade, p. 286. It was indicative of the ARVN command structure that Ba, a skilled and aggressive commander with few political connections, was the only divisional commander of such low rank.
^ It was not uncommon for Vann to lobby hard to obtain 21 of the 25 B-52 flights coming into South Vietnam every day. Between 14 May and 7 June, approximately 300 B-52 strikes were conducted in the environs of Kontum. Sheehan, p. 783.
^ Andrade, p. 322.
^ Toan, one of South Vietnam's most undistinguished officers, had been General Lam's assistant operations officer in I Corps during the opening phase of the offensive and had no wish to follow his former commander into ignominy. He assumed administrative control and conceded all command functions to Vann and Ba. Andrade, p. 313.
^ 85 TOWs were fired in combat during the offensive, only ten of which were counted as misses. Andrade, p. 318.
^ Andrade, p. 356.
^ Andrade, p. 368. These figures were derived from Project CHECO's "Kontum: Battle for the Central Highlands," 27 October 1972, pgs. 88-89.
^ Plaudits were showered upon Vann after his death. He had risen to become "the indispensable man" and "the heart and soul of the defense of Kontum." Andrade, p. 363. Even his enemy paid him a reverse tribute by exulting in his end, calling the death of "this outstanding chief advisor" "a stunning blow" against the U.S. and Saigon. Sheehan, p. 786.
^ Nalty, p. 358.
^ Earl H. Tilford, Setup. Maxwell Air force Base AL: Air University Press, pgs. 223-224.
^ John Morocco, Rain of Fire. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1984, p. 170.
^ Lavalle, pgs. 19 & 23-26.
^ Tilford, p. 224. See also Lavalle, p. 27.
^ Lavalle, p. 17.
^ Nalty, p. 333.
^ Lavalle, p. 34.
^ Lavalle, p. 46.
^ Sorley, p. 326.
^ Nalty, p. 369-370.
^ Tilford, p. 228.
^ Michael Casey, Clark Dougan, Samuel Lispman, et al, Flags into Battle. Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1987, p. 39.
^ Tilford, p. 245.
^ Andrade, pgs. 181 & 182.
^ Truong, p. 49.
^ Andrade, p. 187.
^ Truong, pgs. 56 & 57. See also Andrade, p. 190.
^ Andrade, p. 198.
^ Lavalle, pgs. 56-58.
^ Andrade, p. 176.
^ Truong, p. 66.
^ Nalty, p. 391.
^ Truong, p. 65.
^ Truong, p. 67.
^ Truong, p. 89.
^ Andrade, pgs. 211 & 213.
^ Andrade, p. 213.
^ Andrade, p. 213.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 178-180.
^ Andrade, p. 212.
^ Almost one out of every four of the 8,000 ARVN Marines in the division had been killed or wounded during Lam Son 72. Andrade, p. 226.
^ Palmer, p. 324.
^ Andrade, p. 529.
^ Andrade, p. 531.
^ Andrade, p. 536.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p. 183.
^ Fulgham & Maitland, p.183.

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Contents

Background

Planning

Miscalculation

Offensive

Northern collapse

An Loc

Kontum

Air support, Freedom Train, and Linebacker

Hue and the counteroffensive

Aftermath

Notes

Sources

Published government documents

Secondary sources

Contents

Background GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Planning

Miscalculation

Offensive

Northern collapse

An Loc

Kontum

Air support, Freedom Train, and Linebacker

Hue and the counteroffensive

Aftermath

Notes

Sources

Published government documents

Secondary sources

Background