Page 359 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

nroverrrent into the city. The rnortar crews in charge of supporting the
assault were of cornpany size, stationed just west of the airfield. They
were elernents of the enernyrs 188 Regirnent. They fired both 8Zrnrn
rnortars and 7 5rnrn recoilless rifles.

Nha Trang, Iike rnany other towns and cities of Vietnarn,
celebrated the holiday in a rnost turnultuous way. Days be{ore Tet Day
the people were ready to prepare the festivities. There was so rnuch
shopping that rnany shops sold out their wares as early as three days
before the holiday really started. A pack of sorne I00 firecrackers
costs the conaurrrer 80, then 100 and then 150 piastres. This was the
first Tet in eight years where the central governrnent in Saigon allowed
everyone to enjoy the traditional firecrackers.

By the time both the local and central governrnents were
fully aware of enerny general of{ensive plans against all tov'/ns and
cities it was too late to persuade people to abstain frorn setting off fire
crackers, The explosions of firecrackerg sound aknost like those of

rrrany s rnall arms ,
Nha Trangts downtown streets were still crowded by
rnidnight on Tetrs Eve. The crowds of rnerryrnakers were far larger
than those noticed on preceding Tets. This alone encouraged people
to set off even rrlore firecrackers than usual. The firecrackers confu-
sed the situation when the enerny fired his rnortars signaling the ground
assault, The lack of vigilance arnong the troopers added to the confusion,
After Province Chief Lt Col Le Khanh hurried back to his headquarters
frorn a traditional religious service at Thap Ba shrine the rnortar
sh€lls hit the city,

According to enerny docurnents and captivest staternents
the enerny cornrnitted an estirnated 800 rnen to the ground assault.
These rnen were divided into two groups, the first with sorne 500 rnen
and the second with 300.

Group I included the 7fI8B Battalion with 200 rnen, the
Sapper Cornpany T88 with 60 rnen, the Engineer Cornpany T89 with 30
rnen, the Sapper cornpany K90 with 26 rn.en, theSapper Cornpany K9l
with 3 0 rnen, the S apper Cornpany K92 with I I rnen, the SZrnrn Mortar
and 7 5rnrn Recoilles s Rif le Cornpany with 50 rnen, the Nha -T rang
Guerrilla Platoon with I4 rnen, the cornrnand and support personnel
staff with ten rnen and wornen, and an estirnated 100 town-based under-
ground agents. This group had partly infiltrated the city several days
-threes
before the actual assault started. They infiltrated by twos, or

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