Research notes on strategy and Tet

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363-01682 to 363-01693.pdf
Digital Object Identifier
363-01682 to 363-01693
Title
Research notes on strategy and Tet
Description
Keever's research notes on military strategy and Tet for an article
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
Transcript
Artillery and Armor Bus in each layer
2/3 VN [Vietnam] South Regiment in Saigon
Inside Saigon Perimeter + 3 west [illegible]
3 VN Airborne Bus in Hoc Mon [Hóc Môn] and Go Van[?]
3 VN Airborne Bus in Reserve at Tan Son Nhut
4 VN Marine Bus in Thi-Nghi[?] of 9th Precinct
+1 Armor Regiment
+1 Security Regiment
+1 Special Force
+1 Field Police (16 [illegible])
First layer
4 Brigades US
1 Brigade of 25th Division
1 Brigade of 1st Division
1 99th Brigade
1 Brigade of 5th Division Hawk's Battalion
VN
RF+PF+RD+PRU+ROK [Regional Force + Popular Force + Revolutionary Development + Provincial Reconnaissance Unit + Republic of Korea] Emergency Unit
2nd layer
5 US Brigade 2 Allies
U.S. and Allied units
1 Brigade + of the 25th Division
1 Brigade + of the 9th Division
1 Brigade + of the 1st Division
1 Brigade - of the 101st Division
1 Task force of Australia + NZ [New Zealand]
1 Regiment of Thai
VN 7 Regiment VN
3 Regiments of 25th Division
3 Regiments of 5th Division
1 Regiments of 18th Division + RF + PF + Special Force CID [US Army Criminal Investigation Division] 6+PRU, RD etc...
3rd layer
3 Brigade Allies
US + Allied troops
1 Brigade - of the 2nd Division
1 Brigade - of the 9th Division
1 Brigade - of the 1st Division
1 Task Force of Australian + NZ
2 Regiment VN
VN
2 Regiments of 18th Division+RF+PF+CID6+Special Forces, PRU, RD etc.
Strategy '68
1) Carry operations in priority order
a) contain or carry the anti-invasion force [shorthand] US forces available along DMZ [Demilitarized Zone] and Cambodian sanctuary. Invasion
b) 2nd priority is offensive operations- in order to maintain sustained unrelenting pressure on VC-NVA [Viet Cong-North Vietnamese Army] troops, particularly main bases with SVN [South Vietnam]. VC bases
c) [shorthand] available energy forces of contained [illegible] these 2 shield of containment to launch offensive operations and at SAM [surface-to-air missile?] [shorthand] to contain [shorthand] 2nd to attack. VC in South and to help VN Pacification [shorthand]. Offensive operations to support SVN pacification
4 Prior areas- Border, VC bases, uncontained area, 2 central area
Now- Tet offensive
Enemy strategic plan
“endeavor to regain unit to attain an overall official posture [shorthand] '68- So what [shorthand] in ‘67 was to export maximum attract US allied troops to seize and clutch opportunity for aggression to annihilate a number of units to win a number of victories of high psychological importance. So the enemy coordinates mfglos.[?] As [shorthand] as local forces to harass [shorthand] instill [shorthand] force as [shorthand] as allied forces to disrupt the RD part to include the intensity of gla.[?] operation
Every [illegible] base in SVN a [shorthand] a sort or border [shorthand] in remote areas to defeat [shorthand] to consume strength of a number of elements there elements evaded [illegible] with US type a kind of general reserve forces. In means they [shorthand] continue political effort in interim aiming to resist further with action to improve political posture.
Every capability '68
1)to attack DMZ with up to 4 divisions
2) to isolate [shorthand] dominate the Northern province of I corps political Qt[?] [shorthand].
3) [illegible] official operations of [illegible] size in widely scattered area.
Elsewhere in SVN if they obtain [shorthand] victories at a certain point these put [shorthand] in a forward position to initiate the negotiations. If they cannot carry out plan [shorthand] win victory, they'll withdraw to [shorthand] bases to save military force. But same [shorthand] in [shorthand] warfare to tie us down [shorthand] So they continue (if take 2nd course) to disperse to tie down [shorthand] isolate VN troops. [shorthand] Allies in Highland area in order to give base over, then carried of infiltration
[shorthand] NVN [North Vietnam] capability
Facing with these capabilities
Used to redeploy [shorthand] control provinces in effort to lessen allied presence in control and with [shorthand] reduce happening attack this at SVN. If we redeploy [shorthand], they'll take [shorthand] it to win [shorthand] warfare in points of Number of [shorthand] every [shorthand] continue planning coordination of prolonged [shorthand] control over protracted war of attrition with all means available.
Tet
Change of communist strategy into cities- elements into internal zone to support airborne troops to attack the cities.
[illegible] that strategy with [shorthand] with Paris US election Use [shorthand] to carry out defensive strategy center VC offensive in order to defend
1) Saigon
2) main cities
3) [illegible] US strongholds
4) installations
So redeploy troops [illegible] over a 3 layers of defense:
1) outside to clear VC out men [illegible] 20-30%
2) 2nd layer- 50% of troops blocking reserve force
3) 3rd layer 20-30%
Da Nang-Huế-An Thọ
Flexible but concept is
2nd layer is blocking force -outside is also- inside out troop infiltrate into 1st layer- purpose
1) Provide defense of city
2) inflict as [shorthand]ing as possible so next year they can't carry the offensives.
1st layer: 17 US Bus 20-30%
1 Brigade of 25th Division
1 Brigade of 1st Division
199th light infantry Brigade
1 Brigade of 9th Division
Artillery Armor Units
2nd Layer: 50%
1 Brigade + of 20th US Division
1 Brigade + of 9th US Division
1 Brigade + of 1st US Division
1 Brigade - of 101st US Air cavalry division
elements of 11 Armor Cavalry Artillery
3rd layer: 20 to 30%
1 Brigade - of 25th US Division
1 Brigade - of 1st US Division
1 Brigade - of 9th US Division
element of 11th American Cavalry
[Hand drawn map showing the placement of US, Thai, ARVN, and Australian troops around Saigon, including highways and villages.]
Strategy
1) Battlefield is SVN [shorthand] emphasis
2) US troops to [shorthand] used to secure VN population [illegible] offensive operation. This [shorthand] means South [shorthand] total.
3) [shorthand] US with established results expected [shorthand] VN
4) Almost all facts of policy [shorthand] on US side [shorthand] of Saigon. Level based on what is mandatory internally instead of expedient externally. Combat units of 5-6 [shorthand] under Ambassador to [shorthand] by divisions on US side and then to coordinate with VN this [shorthand] or US side with [shorthand] coordinate with VN a resurgence of US with authority over US military
5) Land reform can [?] skirted securing open up vast tracts of new lands P of R[?] new homestead but speed tests for CH [Chiêu hồi] and Communist press and Defectors
6) Revaluation
7) [Illegible]
Date
1968
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Strategy; Tet Offensive, 1968; Research
Location
South Vietnam
Coordinates
10.8231; 106.6297
Size
20 x 26 cm
Container
B66, F4
Format
research notes
Collection Number
MS 363
Collection Title
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
Creator
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Collector
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Copyright Information
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
Publisher
Archives & Special Collections
Language
English