Page 377 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

It also caused failure to exploit the factor of surprise at other points.
These failures gave the defenders plenty of tirne to rnount their counter-
attacks.

The defenders despite several rnajor rnistakes, enjoyed
several advantages. First, all units were operating under one corn -
rnand. This precluded faulty coordination o{ the counter attacks and
waste of rrlanpower, The r e e stabli shrnent o{ control over the situation
in roughly twelve hours can best be attributed to the clocklike precision
of rnost of these operations. The second advantage vltas the Presence
of the glst Airborne Ranger Battalion, which had recently returned for
a rest and recuperation tour in town. The high rnobility o{ the Special
Forces units involved was also an advantage.
These Special Forces Battalions which had been positio-ned
out o{ the city during the Tet truce were called in to rescue the ernbat-
tled city. They were ordered to rnove back to their horne base and reac-
ted swi{t1y.
The third advantage of the defenders resulted frorn the
excellent handling of the prisoners of war, most of whorn were war-
wearied and dissillusioned. The prisoners gave valuable inforrnation
which led to the capture of irnportant Cornrnnunist agents based in the
city and to the destruction of their ce1ls. It rnay take the enerny several
rnonths or even years to build up another operational secret infrastruc-
ture inside Nha Trang. He rnay never be able to do so.

The fourth advantage enjoyed by governrnent troops was
the aloo{ attitude of the people toward enerny calls for rnass dernons-
trations and riots as well as their high sense of discipline during the
counter attacks by the defenders.
The fifth significant point was the high fighting rnorale of
sorne of th.e defensive units such as the Z0 guards at the radio station
and the counter attacking forces.

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