VIET CONG PRISONER'S ACCOUNT OF PREPARATIONS FOR ATTACK ON CHAU DOC CITY

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00193284
• Document Creation Date: January 28, 2019

Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 C00193284?.;.
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1act.S74nv_olkifictr.:Iii-Fr77.pr.:S-on.S.11.-, He claimed that when-l-ie was captured .he .was
;acting in the capacity of rear Services support for Viet Gong troops. However,
believed .to.:_haVe.7en'ter-ecl -the:cit7
bfor(z. they
-
Also, he was captured behind a movie theater in Chau
Doc City on 31 January,� and it is felt that he may have been reconnoitering
.
the Cit prior to�the. arrival of the Viet Cong. battalions.
1-314
3.4(b)(1)
2. MOM said that he,:fii_�Ts..-Eb-e a-a-rm.-a- -a- frie _Tat .pftiLitaziy-o atith.-.s of �
ti-se .a.s ..c?Ity.- Ont-ie..
1-:-JantkaTy-.;-1 At that time 111111111111111111111ff Chin Tanc, chief of
security for Viet Cong An Giang province (Government ofVietnam Chau Doc
and An Giang provinces and Ha Tien district of Kien Giang province) attended
an indoctrination briefing in the Viet .Cong redoubt on Nui Dai nao
�Iastd''for."-three:days7.with One of the
1.5(e)
� principal indoctrinators was Bay Tha, a member of the provincia-1 cornrnitzee.3.4(b)(1)
Chin Tand gave a gen:eral account of these briefings shortly after his
return. In general the�:briefings....rviewed the entire Vietnamese_situation,
the -wor 1 d.:bala.--i-ice7of "for te-s --:the balance of forces witi Vietna'rn , future
of al4a..ck-,to:..cT.P.:te:Icgm-dition.s...which would bring the U. S.L-Govern.3-nent
toThee" The briefirzgs also touched on the
. .
,point that the attacks being carried out by the Viet Cons; during Tet are a
...-; -
.departure from previous operational pracc.....e of the Viet Cong.
. . �
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�r ealized -that the y� w6re or- .-r.everyt1-4r._ g
ahis..*
assat.Jt It as ;--he -s aid, that � -
1.5(e)
3.4(b)(1)
APPROVED FOR
SE
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO0193284
. CON?7 .r,1\ITIAL
. . . .......
L.. illiFfaims that he was assigned to :the 512th and�510th ba.- ttalior_s � .
.,. �� _ .
under the comma:ad of Major Na.m Xuoncr . ';-�TheYobj.e-.6-tai.'37P-..7th-e7O-pEratiOn---g--
0 ..�......._..
was the iib. e r ation � of -Chau Doc. .111111-lea.rned-,d�thig-ZobTeati,14.9:77_24_-5.11-1-:�41:171
beiore it was to begin, althPugn. ne oelieves7thal--,tnP froo:ps-::......eworn.,-wHat �
. ..._ . . ,
sor,--�,-,- _ Tey were *told that condons were now right /or a general uprising , � �
..... _ ---- - - ,.. .. ...... ___...�...... -.
o": the population, so that an aririressive�-and-.-I'api-drassa_ult",sto�vaa7_bri�, t...,........._4�. 1.5(e)
.. �...... � ._. _ - . .. .
72,?. O3 le to the side of the Viet Cong and make-,Untena.ble-theipb:siE.61;;S:61-..-tne ---' 3.4(b)(1)
Coir -'o- of V. Nann:.and 2. rnerican de-rep.de2.--S. 4-.T1e..2up7-afing.J.n .;� a_c_e. .64 -
r_ot take place during the a.ttack�--and...stated that it is.-likelt-tl_la-.e.,-..thit7I.J.Ck:;",
..._...
,... of all-out -co/Du-Lai- . commitment to tin..e.. cair.Paign-�is- hancr..a.Z.b"..-d-r"e-ffe-dt::on� t'ne����
... .. .............
r-lor-:0�e. o4.-. the - e...t.Co7.g�atta.c.kers. - Source. knew of said
tabling santabli.ng of the
... _ ..
.......
�per:Et:ion nor any specific rehearsals. He Said he was unfamiliar with. the ,
tov.r.r. of Chau Doc, and says he knew of no Viet Cong infiltrators .or agents
in the town before the actual attack took place. ...
�� ...
. � �....
. 5. illIllFt.id.__. 1./.::::6 t :Cong �rn---;' ''o-i- -.. -urif f --7-b"._--V; 6:T.:CZ; g.7.611-1-g---b....iFo-i.,--iri.Z...-e.
weredesif�-...1a.-.13�.-1.th::-..7..respor_sibity for "liberating"..p.�:ovincjal-capitals,-...,....... �
-whe:-...eas clistrict.fOrces arid-rrUerrillas were-responsible,for..7gain.ircr con.trol
.. ... .
CI trespective-dis.T.:riCts.� The assault force which struck Cha.0 Doc - 3�.4(b)(1)
included ten. party members who were to co.nstitute�the-cit....r.fr,Or_t,which�-was -...
to (-yr --,--,-1-:� -�-�e:-n---i-L.;"-':'4-;.--'11.7-:1:gbi:r.e.r..1-.::rn,.:n,...-fili----sTd. he firstheard the term
__ ..... .. .......-... ��� �-.--- - � - -.
"coaon 2�overnmen.t" about six months_ a...:grf., but�...1-iad-ne-y!_r..-heard-4t brOught�-�.,
. ............ .7..,
into formal ,D2..1-tv proceedin.crs-unti.l.the-brieu.ngs:Tnr-the:cur_t_e._
eratior_
.___................. . ... .. _ .
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Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO0193284