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Battle of Khe Sanh: Giap's TET Offensive Plan

Explore the strategic planning and intense combat at Khe Sanh during the TET Offensive of 1968. Learn about General Giap's goals and the North Vietnamese Army's strength and armament in this pivotal battle.

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Battle of Khe Sanh: Giap's TET Offensive Plan

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  1. Khe Sanh 5th Platoon “Offense” Class 1-06 Advanced Course

  2. OVERVIEW • Operational Context • Organization Strength • Armament • Doctrine of Forces • Weather and Terrain • Significant Leaders • Lessons Learned

  3. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT GySgt Parker

  4. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Goals of the “TET Offensive” • Provide an uprising in the south • Destroy ARVN’s will to fight • Show Americans the war in Vietnam was unwinnable

  5. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Background of the “TET Offensive” • January 31, 1968 the “TET Offensive begins • More than 80,00 North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet-Cong (VC) participate • Simultaneously attacks on more than 150 hamlets, district capitals, provincial capitalsand other cities

  6. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Prior to the “TET Offensive” General Vo Nguyen Giap: • Giap’s divisions had been battered whenever they met the American forces in conventional combat and the VC was not exactly on the retreat but were in fact being pushed backwards • He was aware of the growing US peace movement and of the controversy and division, the war was causing in American society

  7. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Planning the “TET Offensive” • General Giap was a major planner of the “TET Offensive” • Giap needed a body blow that would break Washington's will to carry on and at the same time would undermine the growing legitimacy of the Saigon Government once and for all

  8. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Planning the “TET Offensive” • Giap prepared a bold thrust on two fronts • Planned attack on Marine firebase at Khe Sanh • At the same time, the NVA planned coordinated attacks on virtually all South Vietnam'smajor cities and provincial capitals

  9. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT • Khe Sanh Combat Base was located a few miles from the North Vietnamese and Laos Border • It was a firebase near the Ho Chi Minh trail. Its was used as a Patrol Base for blocking enemy, stop infilitration from Laos, and to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail.

  10. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT Giaps Goals for Khe Sanh: • U.S. forces would suffer small to major defeats • This would add up to overall disaster and Khe Sanh would distract the attention of the US commanders while the NVA/VC was preparing for D-day in South Vietnam's cities • When this offensive reached its height, it was unlikely that the over-stretched American forces would be able to keep the base from being overrun and Giap would have repeated his triumph of fourteen years before

  11. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT • Many experts said that the whole siege of Khe Sanh had been a feint to cover preparations for the Tet Offensive in the South • Evidence suggested that Giap's moves on Khe Sanh had a more deadly purpose than simply drawing American attentions away from the South at the critical time • On January 21,1968 the fighting began at Khe Sanh

  12. ORGANIZATION STRENGTH GySgt Lamey

  13. ORGANIZATION STRENGTH North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces: • 7th Battalion 66th Regiment 304th Division • 320th North Vietnamese Army Division (Camp Carroll) • 324th North Vietnamese Army Division • 2 Regiments of the 325C North Vietnamese Army Division • NVA 68th and 164th Artillery Regiments • 4th Battalion of the Van An Rocket Artillery Regiment (Dong Ha and Quang Tri City) • Vinh Linh Rocket Battery (Dong Ha and Quang Tri City) Total NVA Forces = 40,000

  14. ORGANIZATION STRENGTH Total U.S. Forces =6000

  15. ARMAMENT SSgt DeLeon

  16. ARMAMENT NVA: 40 mm Stick Grenade

  17. ARMAMENT NVA: SKS 7.62 mm rifle • Caliber 7.62mm • Length 40.16 inches • Weight 8.8 pounds • Range 800 meters

  18. ARMAMENT NVA: AK-47 RIFLE • Caliber 7.62mm • 600 rounds per minute • Effective Range: 300 m • Fully Automatic

  19. ARMAMENT NVA: CHICOM TYPE-56 RIFLE • Caliber 7.62mm • Folding bayonet, and metal stock • Length: 35 inches long • Weight: 10.5 lbs when loaded

  20. ARMAMENT NVA: PPSh-41 / KM 50 SMG • Caliber 7.62mm • Length 33 inches • Weight 8 pounds • Muzzle Velocity: 700 fps • Effective Range 150 meters

  21. ARMAMENT NVA: RPD Machine Gun • Caliber 7.62mm • Length 1063mm • Weight 7.1kg • Muzzle Velocity: 700 fps • Max Effective Range 800 meters

  22. ARMAMENT NVA: TYPE-24 HEAVY MACH GUN • Automatic only, 7.62mm • 250 round fabric belt • Effective range 1000m

  23. ARMAMENT NVA: 100mm M1944 Gun • Soviet Built • Dual purpose • Field & antitank gun • 7,628 lbs • 30.9 ft long • muzzle velocity 900 m/s • max range 21000m • max rate of fire, 8-10 rounds/minute

  24. ARMAMENT NVA: 130mm Gun • Soviet Built • Towed weapon • 19,000 lbs • 38 ft long • muzzle velocity 930-m/s • max range is 27,000m • max rate of fire 6-7 rounds/minute

  25. ARMAMENT NVA: 82mm Mortar • Soviet built • Smooth bore • Muzzle loaded • Single shot • High angle of fire weapon • 123 lbs • fires High-explosive & pyrotechnic rounds • effective range 2,200-3,650m • max rate of fire 25 rounds/minute

  26. ARMAMENT NVA: 120mm Mortar • Soviet or Chinese Communist built • Smooth bore • Drop or trigger fired • Single shot • High angle of fire weapon • 606 lbs • fires High-explosive & pyrotechnic rounds • max range 5700m • max rate of fire 15 rounds/minute

  27. ARMAMENT NVA: 122mm Rocket • Soviet Built • Four piece • Fin stabilized • 9 ft Long • 125 lbs • max range 17,000 • Launcher & Mount weigh 121 lbs • 8.1 ft long

  28. ARMAMENT NVA: RPG-7 • Grenade Caliber 85mm • Weight: 17lb 17 oz • Muzzle Velocity: 984 fps • Range Moving: 330 yards • Range Fixed: 550 yards • Armor Penetration: 13 inches

  29. ARMAMENT NVA: PT-76 • Soviet built • 15.4-ton • amphibious tank with crew of 3 • turret mounted 76mm gun • maximum armor thickness of 0.6in • 11 @ Lang Vei, 6 miles from Khe Sanh

  30. ARMAMENT US: B-52 • Un-refueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles • Approximately 70,000 pounds mixed ordnance -- bombs, mines and missiles • 650 miles per hour • Approximately 185,000 pounds empty • Maximum Takeoff Weight: 488,000 pounds

  31. ARMAMENT US: F-4 Phantoms • Weights: empty 41,487 lb Max Take-Off Weight 61,795 lb • Performance: max speed Mach 2.17 (1,430 mph) • Armament: one 20mm M61A1 Vulcan six-barrel cannon with 640 rounds; 16,000 lb of disposable stores

  32. ARMAMENT US: A-4 Skyhawk • Speed: 664 mph • Range:2,000 miles • Armament: (2) 20-mm Mark 12 Cannon with 200 rounds each • Weight: empty 8400 lbs ;max 22,000 lbs

  33. ARMAMENT US: A-6 Intruder • Speed:563 knots • Range:1,077 miles • Armament 10 5" Zuni Rocket Pod 28 Mk-20 Rockeye Mk-77 Napalm 13 Mk-83 (1,000 lbs) • Crew: 2

  34. ARMAMENT US: M-48A3 Patton Tank • Six Tanks from 3rd Tank BN • 52 Tons • 90 mm Main Gun • (1) 50 cal Machine Gun • (1) 7.62mm Machine Gun • Crew: 4

  35. ARMAMENT US: 106 mm “Ontos” • (6) 106 mm recoilless guns • Greek name for “Thing”

  36. ARMAMENT US: M-72 LAW • Weight: 5 lbs • Length: 35 inches • Round: 66 mm rocket • Effective to 200 meters • Able to penetrate 14 inches of Armor • Used as an anti-tank weapon

  37. ARMAMENT US: M-16A1 • Caliber: 5.56mm • Length with Flash Suppressor: 99cm • Length of Barrel: 50.8cm • Weight Empty(M16Al): 3.18kg • Weight Loaded(M16A l with 30 rounds):3.82kg • Magazine Capacity: 20 or 30 rounds • Muzzle Velocity: 990m /S • Maximum Effective Range: 400m • Rate of Fire: 700-950rpm(cyclic), 150-200rpm(automatic) and 45-65rpm (semi~automatic)

  38. ARMAMENT US: M-14A1 • Caliber: 7.62mm • Length Overall: 112cm • length of Barrel: 55.9cm • Weight Loaded: 6.6kg • Magazine Capacity: 20-rounds • Muzzle Velocity: 853m/s • Maximum Effective Range: 700m (with bipod), 460m (without bipod) • Rate of Fire: 700-750rpm (cyclic), 60rpm (automatic), 40rpm (single shot)

  39. ARMAMENT US: M-60 • Caliber: 7.62mm • Length: 1100cm • Length of Barrel: 56cm • Weight: 10.48kg (with bipod) • Type of Feed: link belt • Muzzle Velocity: 860m/s • Maximum Effective Range (Bipod): 800m • Maximum Effective Range (Tripod): 1800m • Rate of Fire: 550rpm (cyclic), 200 rpm (automatic) • Ammunition: ball, tracer, incendiary and armor piercing

  40. ARMAMENT US: M-79 Grenade Launcher • 40 mm Grenade • Rifled Barrel • Muzzle Velocity: 250 fps • Accurate Effective Range: 150 meters • Maximum Effective Range: 350 meters

  41. ARMAMENT US: 81mm Mortars • Minimum Range : 83m • Maximum Range: 5608m M101A1 105mm Howitzer • Weight 1,470kg • Maximum range 14,000m

  42. ARMAMENT US: M-114 155mm Howitzer • Weight: 5,800 kg • Max Range: 14,600 meters • Crew: 11

  43. DOCTRINE OF FORCES GySgt Kash

  44. MARINE CORPS DOCTRINE • During the war the Marines had a maneuver warfare • This was used by both the Marines and the Army • The Marine Corps was ordered to take up a static defense and was argued by LtGen Krulak because we are an offensive force

  45. MARINE CORPS DOCTRINE • Defending Khe Sanh presented many new obstacles • Re-supply under bad roads and weather was one • We overcame this by strategic airlift

  46. MARINE CORPS DOCTRINE • Another obstacle was defending various hills around the base • The enemy could see our friendlies as well as our artillery positions • We overcame this obstacle by setting up satellite bases on the hill tops

  47. NVA DOCTRINE • The enemy used guerrilla warfare led b General Giap • It was based on small units to conduct ambushes and hit and run techniques • This was used throughout the Vietnam War and the French conflict in 1956

  48. NVA DOCTRINE • They planned for a III phase plan to gain independence • Phase I would conduct guerrilla and terrorist operations to control the population • Phase II, which was used during Khe Sanh, forces consolidated into regular units to attach government outposts

  49. NVA DOCTRINE • Phase III, large units would form to establish full military control over an area to allow and encourage the civilian population to ruse up in their support of the revolution • During Khe Sanh the NVA began to attack in mass to try and force us out of Vietnam once and for all

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