May offensive research notes

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363-01809 to 363-01820.pdf
Digital Object Identifier
363-01809 to 363-01820
Title
May offensive research notes
Description
Research notes for Keever's May Offensive articles
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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
(W? [Westmoreland?]) SD [Sa Đéc province]
VC [Viet Cong] change SD province in now 5 slices of a pie with Saigon in center
Special zone
Saigon colon- SD word [shorthand] called military zone 4 of [shorthand] 1960 to end 1964- [shorthand] of activity was not military. main purpose political economic-social objectives.
When [illegible] not phone of entrust [shorthand] in military zone of S C[?] southwest- 1965 military zone stated training 6 months southwest twisted training in Dec/’65 some of recruits called it military zone
M[?] of US buildup from 1965 A regiment.- Capital military Regiment [shorthand] called F-100- U.S. foiled offensive in '65 and regiment changed capital zone as military zone 4.
Since ‘65- Nov '67 [shorthand] change it- same channel of command [shorthand] 6 districts (both VC) SVN [South Vietnam] 6 districts in Southwest and 1 district [shorthand] - 1966 [shorthand] around 2 districts [shorthand] R[?]/SVt [South Vietnam?] ARVN as a special zone.
In Nov '67 all military-political zone were ordered to integrate into 1 [shorthand] zone under district command of Companies VN [Vietnam]- Supreme political-economic-military NLF [National Liberation Front, i.e. Viet Cong] command.
Nov '67 T-700 Codename- new [shorthand] province [shorthand] district surrounding former military zone 4 (Sm[?]-Ch[?]-SD) [illegible] Nov.
They divide zone into 6 sub-commands and 6 TAOR [Tactical area of responsibility]- [shorthand] Central VC. High command [illegible] down to direct 6 TAOR. [shorthand] command of En.[?] Sub-zone is [shorthand] at first 1 representative [shorthand].
2 districts [shorthand] B During and 7 part of zone C are East zone of North Ambo.[?]
TAOR 1- territorial command of T-700- includes [?]tiary district of B Built (used to part of zone C). Now part system SD. Ben Cat [Bến Cát]
2 districts cut out [shorthand] integrated into [shorthand] one- all of Cu Chi [Củ Chi] district [shorthand] 1/2 of Cu Chi- [shorthand] especially [shorthand] was [illegible] shower CE[?] part of southwest
25 miles north of Saigon- South VAp[?] [shorthand] HM[?] of SD province.
Now in TAOR 1- SVN district 4 onto mobile battalions of Regiment 165A. These 4 battalions are [illegible] A number of unidentified Huy [Hue?] [illegible] units and NVA (North Vietnamese Army) elements.
([shorthand] into TSN [Tan Son Nhut Air Base] area)
4 battalions Main Force
Beside [shorthand] VC system forms [illegible] co. gln syd.[?] plate supper
But these 4 Battalions and 7 border Saigon. SD command MR-4 [Military Region 4]-now inside district command of Communist North
Sub-Command T-700
TAOR 2
B Chanh [Bình Chánh] town B district of SD- and 2 district of HN [Hậu Nghĩa] Duc Hoa [Đức Hòa district] and [illegible]
1 battalion of 165A regiment
1 battalion of Heavy weapons
3 battalion of VC 9 division 1 regiment
1 battalion of report formally of SD district 6 battalion
[shorthand] local recruits ended training in '65- played main role of guiding [shorthand] battalions [shorthand] Heavy weapons- new elements [shorthand] sent in so alert of [illegible] because area 199 Brigade.
TAOR 3
Military N Be [Ninh Bình province?] of southwest and 3 districts of L An [Long An province]
Can Sivoc[?], Can Duoc [Cần Đước District], Tan Tru [Tân Trụ]- part 15 upper Long An Eastern
South of Saigon
L An #1 priority
N Be in a lot of infiltration
506 Battalion- [shorthand] known battalion. military defeated [shorthand] used [shorthand] LA [Long An province] battalion.
4 main battalion, 1/2 [shorthand] LA, 1/2 NVA
508 battalion and [shorthand] L An. 2 full battalion of NVA- 2 with elements of VC, but use none of Phu Loi battalion- looks [shorthand] of old P Loi [Phu Loi]. Used [shorthand] in B Duong [Bình Dương province]- Dong Ngui[?] 3- no longer. 1 Dong Ngui VN looks [shorthand] BH [Biên Hòa] but actually NVA with [shorthand] VC to deal with local people.
Gla[?] into Company- Sapper units
506 [shorthand] 508 used under command of P Loi of [illegible] command- central zone of Nam Bo [Nam Bộ].
TAOR 4
1) Thu Dui [Thủ Đức] of southwest
2) all of Long Khonh [Long Khánh] province
3) P Tuy [Phước Tuy] province
4) Long Tranh [Long Thành District] of BH
70 km East
55 miles East [shorthand] Southeast
1) only 1 battalion of 165A Regiment- US guide
2) 2 Companies of NVA
3) 1 battalion of 274th Regiment, 5th Division.
Are [shorthand] on 2 companies. Heavy Weapons
Probable but not continued
Several regional district companies. [illegible] 6 companies of Eng.[?]- (sabotage build roads- build bunkers) results tunnels.
[shorthand] 6 Eng[?] or sapper companies. unit 3 companies of river specialists- [illegible] river fighting- by news 3 to fight on sapper 3 river
Small units of troops out to support [shorthand]
5) TAOR 5- (now number BH)
1) whole P. Thanh [Phước Thành] province (now part of BH. US 1st [illegible] over)
2) North B Duong [Bình Dương province]
3) city of BH
City of BH has a special sub-division called V-1 mile of ambre[?] Long Bott[?]- U1
To ARVN [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] in TAOR 5 has a special command of U1 to help T-700
1) 1 Dong Ngui reg 3-4 battalions
2) 1 P Loi battalion end VC battalion (Phu Loi 1)
3)
TAOR 6
Saigon colon proper all 9 permits of Saigon and SD city
TSN A/B in [shorthand]
VC Saigon capital command
[shorthand] capital command
Urban Area
Has 3 sub-commands
1) 1 special in colon all colon prevents
2) 1 Saigon proper
3) 1 SD
Under capital command
F-100 battalion- now called battalion #10 subtype sapper attack on Embassy [illegible]
divided into squads plot highly compartmentalized- 1 plot per precinct.
En.[?] Command has 1 company of armed propaganda
better coordinate both
All unit in En. TAOR under En TAOR company- promoted in effort to ARVN [shorthand] keep c.o. of TAOR or depart so send [shorthand] ARVN to take over
[shorthand] a number of ARVN [shorthand] down to [illegible]
8 is those who deserve [shorthand] promoted are ARVN- those not capable are deputy
Main purpose-
1) Better coordination future attack
2) swift heat- direct control of [illegible] first in SVN zones.
3) Any [shorthand] after Tet can [illegible] on spot [illegible] two red type
4) Cut out zone command- internal zone- non direct
5) [shorthand] cadre feel [shorthand] same [shorthand] to [shorthand] harder- promotion automatic [shorthand] or shifted.
Advantages
[shorthand] fight around cities.
Continuous attack- fifty around cities.
6 can shift units [shorthand] TAOR to another port mobile VC NVA units now
Reason shift of strategy to city-fighter
7 Shift only top command small units still review order [shorthand] former commands. district only with new [illegible] on top.
Not [shorthand] Chy[?] [shorthand] VN echelon down or on political echelon.
only 1 company is [illegible] central ARVN [shorthand] support Csn[?] local echelon.
No [shorthand] of shooting en. [shorthand] of they both command
MARN[?] forward ARVN forward
Military report
Another to I Corps
Direct political comfort with [shorthand] in Saigon number. Documents interrogation of POW [Prisoner of War]- piecing together.
'65 pushed out- now since Tet pushed in
Not command structure change
other zones [shorthand] almost same but using Can Tho [Cần Thơ] zone 3.
[shorthand] military region close to Can Tho. Used to [shorthand] under command of province command in military zone 3. Now military 3 has a forward command Can Tho.
All took part in attack on Saigon [shorthand] Tet.
Date
1968
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Strategy; Military roads; Research
Location
South Vietnam
Coordinates
10.8231; 106.6297
Size
19 x 31 cm
Container
B32, F7
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