Table Of ContentTheUh/shrated
histOTY of Hie confrkfin
J^
Southeast
Over550actionphotographs
Fullioiorweapons section
HHore than40maps
anddiagrams
'1^ Edited byRayBonds
Foreword by CENTRAL WILLIAM WESTMORaAND, USArmy,retired
C.
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0-517-536129
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Theillustrated
historyofHieconflictin
A^
Southeast
Edited byRayBonds
Foreword by
GENERALWILLIAM C.WESTMORELAND,
US Army, retired
248pages. Morethan 550action photographs.Over40
mapsanddiagrams.100,000wordsoftextand data.Full-
colortechnicalsection detailingspecial weaponsand
techniquesused inVietnam
Thereis nodoubtthatthewarsinSoutheastAsia havehad,and
will continuetohave,worldwideramifications.Atonetimeor
anotherall theworld'ssuperpowers-theUnitedStates,the
SovietUnionandChina-havebeendeeplyinvolved inthe
conflict,and nationsasfarapartasAustraliaand France, Britain
andJapan, haveengaged in bittercombatintheregion.
Vietnam, nowthethird mostpowerfulCommunist nation, has
beenthesceneofoften unmitigatedviolenceona horrendous
scaleformorethanthirtyyears.
AsFrancefailedto regaincontroloveritsIndochinesecolonies
followingWorldWar theUnitedStatespoured massive
II,
militaryand economicaid upontheSouthVietnamese,fearing
thatthewholeregion mightcomeunderCommunistcontrol.
Therefollowedoneofthebloodiestconflictsinthehistoryof
warfare,andtheincrediblestoryunfoldsinthisfascinating,
action-packed book. Militaryanalystsandveterans,andthose
whofollowedtheyearsofintensewarfare,will beenthralled
withanoverallviewaswell asaccountsofboth hand-to-hand
combatandadvancedtechnologyatwar,writtenwith great
authoritybycommentatorswithaccesstothemostdetailed
information,andtheclosesttieswiththewar-manyofthem
i tookpartin it!
Hundredsofauthentic photographscombinewith lucid,
authoritativetexttoemphasisethetremendouslydifficult JI*
military and political problems encountered in SoutheastAsia,
and describe how in facttheconflicthas continuedto rageso
fiercelythat major powers could be brought into a potentially
disastrousglobal confrontation. Even nowVietnameseforces
are engaged in bitterclasheswith Khmer Rougeguerrillas in
Kampuchea (formerly Cambodia), in an attemptto quell
resistancetotheVietnamese"blitzkrieg" invasion early in 1 979.
And, even moreserious, China hascarried out a short, punitive
invasion ofVietnam in responseto hundredsof provocative
border incursionswhich China believesto bepart of a Soviet-
influenced aggressive and adventuristcampaign in Indochina.
Thailand, suspicious ofVietnamese intentionsand fearful of
hervast armedforces, has placed hertroops on the alertand is
thrusting back acrossher bordersthousands of Kampuchean
refugees (including murderous Pol Potguerrillas) who have
fled beforetheviolentVietnameseadvance. Thegovernments
of Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia arealso becoming
increasinglyconcerned asthe once-criticised "domino
theory" hastaken on a new significance. Thewarcontinues
In an era of increasing instability,the onlyenduring certainty
isthat Southeast Asia will continueto astonish and i olvethe
rest oftheworld with its problems.
*
Crown Publishers Inc.
3 1111 00666 8550
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:
1983
MAR 3 ^ 1983^
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illustrated
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Published by Crown Publishers, Inc
NEW YORK
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Salamander Book Editors
Acknowledgements
First published 1979 in the United States by
Crown Publishers, Inc.,
NOneewPYaorrkk,AvNeenwueY,ork 10016, In the process of preparing this timely volume for publication I have
been fortunate in having received the help and advice of very many
United States of America.
people and organizations. It is not possible to mention them all here,
Published in Canada by General Publishing Company Limited but I do thank them for their assistance. In particular, I am extremely
grateful for all the efforts of and the support from the consultant,
First published in the United Kingdom in 1979 by Bernard C. Nalty, Charles B. MacDonald of the US Army Center for
Salamander Books Ltd. Military History, Lt. Col. Lane Rogers for much enlightening
© Salamander Books Ltd., 1979 iMnafjoorrmaDtiaovni,daMnildletrw.o other authors, in England, Richard O'Neill and
Salamander House,
2L7onOdlodnGWloCu1ceNst3eArFS,treet, Each of the US Services has been extremely helpful, and I accordingly
United Kingdom. thank the offices of Information of the Department of Defense, the
Army, the Navy, the Air Force and Marine Corps, and other US
Second impression 1979. Government organizations and agencies In the United States and In
Europe.
This book may not be sold outside the United States of America and
Canada Ray Bonds
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Bonds, Ray
The Vietnam War Credits
Con1fl.ictV,i1et9n6a1m-es1e97Co5n—flTiecct,hn1o9l6o1gy-.1975I.. Ti2t.le. Vietnamese
DS557.7.N34 1979 959.704'3 78-16288 Editor: Ray Bonds
ISBN 0-517-53612-9
Color drawings: Wilf Hardy, pages 20-21, 28-29, 32-33, 38-39,
W
44-45 (© Salamander Books Ltd.); and John Wood & Associates,
pages 18-19, 22-27, 30-31, 34-37, 40-43 (© Salamander Books Ltd.)".
Maps: Peter Sarson and Tony Bryan {© Salamander Books Ltd.)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, Filmset by SX Composing Ltd., England.
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without Color reproduction: Process Colour Centre Ltd.,
the prior permission of Salamander Books Ltd. Colourcraftsmen Ltd., Positive Colour, Culver Graphics Litho Ltd.,
Tenreck Ltd., and Adtype Ltd., England.
All correspondence concerning the content of this volume should be
addressed to Salamander Books Ltd. Printed In Belgium by Henri Proost & Cie, Turnhout.
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Contents
The authors 6 The in-country enemy: battle with the
Foreword by General Westmoreland 8 Viet Cong CharlesB. MacDonald 140
Communist thrust: the Tet
Key individuals in Southeast Asia 10
Offensive of 1968 CharlesB. MacDonald 148
Chronology of main events 12
Seventy-seven days: the siege of
Weapons and warfare techniques Khe Sanh Bernard C. Nalty 156
used in Vietnam MajorDavidMnier 18 The air war on the Laotian supply
The end of French rule in Indochina 46 routes BernardC. Nalty 164
DrGeorgeM. Watson andRichard O'Neill Vietnamization: The south must save
Rival ideologies in a divided nation 56 itself DrJeffrey Clarke 172
J.
Bernard C. Natty Striking the Communist sanctuaries
US intervention and the fall of Diem 64 in Cambodia DrJeffrey Clarke 182
J.
Dr William MichaelHammond Southern defeat on the Ho Chi Minh
Communist aggression provokes US TxZlU RonaldH. Cole 190
retaliation Dr WHHam MichaelHammond 72 B-52s: strategic bombers in a tactical
The US commitment becomes role John T. Greenwood 198
irrevocable Dr WHnam MichaelHammond 80 Disengagement abroad
The air war against North Vietnam 88 disenchantment at home Jacob Neufeid 210
BernardC. Nalty Spring 1972: northern invasion
A US strategy to stem the Communist repulsed wnuam l. mien 218
tide CharlesB. MacDonald 96 Defeat and retaliation: the
A battle for the people's hearts Communist triumph RayL. Bowers 228
and minds
Richarda. Hunt 106 The continuing conflict in
The military build-up in north and Southeast Asia Major DavidMiller 238
SOViih. CharlesB. MacDonald 114 Index 246
The development of the Communist
armiieS MajorDavidMUler 122
US Navy and Marine Corps operations
in Vietnam it. Col. Lane Rogers, USMC 130
b^ir*.'
The Consultant The Authors
Bernard C. Nalty is a recognized authority William L. Allen is a former military historian with the US Army Center of
on United States military affairs, having intelligence officer and historian with the Military History. He has written a volume,
served with the Centers of Military History US Army. He served a total of five years in Combat Operations in Southeast Asia,
of both the United States Air Force and the Southeast Asia (two years in South Vietnam 1968-1973, for the official series. The US
United States Marine Corps. He wrote Air and three in Thailand) as a Foreign Area Army in the Vietnam War, and is author ofa
Power and the Fight for Khe Sanh (US Govt. Specialist. For some months in Vietnam he USAF monologue entitled People's War,
Printing Office, 1973) was co-author of was the Military Assistance Command, Phase II: An American View ofthe Viet Cong
Central Pacific Drive, a volume of the official Vietnam (MACV) Historian. He wrote Organization and Doctrine for Revolutionary
US Marine Corps operational history of chapters for two consecutive MACV Histo- Warfare, 1960-1964, and an article, "Victor
World War II, was co-editor of Blacks in the ries and for other historical volumes. His Michel: The Unwanted Clairvoyant of the
US Armed Forces: Basic Documents. He has last three years in the Army (to 1977) were French High Command, 1911", for the
contributed many technical articles on spent as an historian in the US Army Center journal Military Affairs.
military subjects to official US armed forces ofMilitary History, Washington D.C. He was
publications and historical journals, includ- a major contributor to a recent Encyclopedia John T. Greenwood is currently Chief of
ing Army, Marine Corps Gazette, US Naval of World War II, and is author of the book, the Historical Division, US Army Corps of
Institute Proceedings, American Neptune, Amio: Edge ofDisaster (1978). Engineers. He has served as strategic
Aerospace Historian, and American Aviation aircraft historian, Headquarters, Strategic
Historical Society Journal. Colonel Ray L. Bowers, USAF (ret.), is a Air Command, USAF, Chief Historian,
former Chief Navigator with a C-130 squad- Headquarters, USAF Space and Missile
ron in Vietnam. He was an historian with Systems Organization (SAMSO) and also
the Office of Air Force History from 1969 to worked on a history of USAF's strategic
1977 and is the author of the official USAF force at the Office of Air Force History. He
history oftactical air transport in Southeast has had numerous technical articles pub-
Asia. He has written very many technical lished in respected military journals (includ-
articles for professional military journals ing Aerospace Historian), and has edited/
(including US Naval Institute Proceedings compiled volumes on Soviet military avia-
and Defense Management Journal) and in tion and other military affairs.
October 1978 presented a paper, "Air Power
in Southeast Asia: a Tentative Appraisal", Dr. William Michael Hammond is an
at the 8th Military History Symposium, US historian with the US Army Center of
Air Force Academy, Colorado. He is now Military History, having prepared a volume
with the Carnegie Institution, Washington in the Army's official history of the Vietnam
D.C. War: The Word War: Military Relations
with the News Media. He is also author of
Dr. Jeffrey J. Clarke is a former Captain in the article on "Propaganda, World Wars I
the US Army, and Commanding Officer, 17th and 11" in Scribner's Dictionary of American
Military History Detachment, Vietnam. He History.
has been an historian with the US Army
Center of Military History and is currently Richard A. Hunt is a former Captain in the
an Instructor at the University of Maryland. US Army, his last year of service being with
the Command Historian's office in the
Ronald H. Cole is a former Intelligence Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
Officer. US Army, and Intelligence Research (MACV). He is an historian with the Current
Analyst, Defense Intelligence Agency. He History Branch, US Army Center ofMilitary
also served as historian with the US Air History, preparing a major volume on the
Force History Office, and is currently an Pacification Program in Vietnam. He has
