The Tet Offensive 1968
The TET Offensive in 1968 marked the commencing of the year of the MONKEY in the Chinese/Vietnamese calendar
A ceasefire for the three days January 29th to January 31st 1968 was to mark the national holiday of Tet. Most of the Vietnamese units were at rest,, with most of their troops home for the holidays. The holiday was a declared cease-fire and no action was expected. The US, Commonwealth and south-east asian forces, meanwhile were at their military peak and ready to end the war.
The
Tet offensive began in the early hours of 31st January when over 80,000
NVA and VC attacked six major cities, thirty-six provincial capitals and
twenty-three airfields and military bases. The Major assaults were against
Saigon, Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Quang Tri, Kontum, Ban Me Thout, My Tho, Can
Tho, Ban Tre and many other cities and towns. The NVA and VC took temporary
control of ten of their major objectives. At Hue, US Marines and Vietnamese
forces took until 25th february before they evicted the NVA and VC forces
from the city. During Tet, the Australian contingent at Nui Dat repulsed
a Viet Cong attack on targets around Baria, the provincial capital, with
few casualties.
Both the Allied and Communist forces sustained heavy casualties. The US Forces lost 119 killed, with 961 wounded, ARVN Marine losses were 363 killed with 1,242 wounded, while the NVA/VC lost over 8,000 killed, with the number of wounded unknown. There were also 5,800 civilians killed, mostly executed by the NVA/VC during their occupation of Hue.
The offensive cost the NVA and VC forces dearly and was a victory for the Allied forces, but saw the beginning of the Vietnamization of the forces facing the NVA and VC and gradual withdrawal of the Allied forces from Vietnam and in political terms, the turmoil that followed the Tet offensive in 1968 signaled the end of the Allied involvement in the war.
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