II CORPS SITUATION REPORT AS OF 13 HOURS 8 MARCH

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05072858
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: April 27, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: March 7, 1968

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Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05072858%
:
CITE TDCS 314/0420368 (ADVANCE)
i9:58 8 10 1 9
SECTION 1 OF 2
COUNTRY
SOUTH VIETNAM
3.3(h)(2)
SUBJECT II CORPS SITUATION REPORT AS OF 13 HOURS 8 MARCH
ACQ
SOURCE
I. THE SITUATION WAS GENERALLY QUIET THROUGHOUT THE II
CORPS AREA DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS. PLEIKU CITY, PLEIKU
PROVINCE, AND KONTUM CITY, KONTUM PROVINCE, REPORTED MORTAR
�AND ROCKET ATTACKS, WHILE PHAN THIET BINH THUAN PROVINCE,
EXPERIENCED SMALL ARMS FIRE- NEAR THE CITY.- THREATS OF
'LARGE SCALE ATTACKS CONTINUE IN THE HIGHLANDS AND SOME
COASTAL PROVINCES IN II CORPS HAVE REPORTED A CERTAIN
UNEASINESS NOTICEABLE IN THE LOCAL POPULACE. IN SOME AREAS, PEOPLE
APPEAR TO BE PREPARING. FORTIFICATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SIZABLE ENEMY
ATTACKS. THE VIETNAMESE IN.PHU YEN PROVINCE SEEM TO BELIEVE �
THAT ECONOMICALLY.THE VIET CONG (VC) HAVE MADE A TREMENDOUS.
LEAP FORWARD, ARE CONVINCED THE VC CAN STRIKE AT WILL AND THEIR
ATTITUDES VARY FROM FEAR OF THENC.TO BELIEF THE U.S. IS IN
TROUBLE BECAUSE OF ADVERSE PRESSURE AT HOME.
2. .DURING THE NIGHT OF 7 MARCH, PLEIKU CITY, PLEIKU
PROVINCE, RECEIVED 30 ROUNDS OF 82MM MORTAR FIRE. AS YET,
NO CASUALTIES HAD BEEN REPORTED AND ONLY LIGHT DAMAGE WAS
INFLICTED ON THE AREA.
3. MACV HEADQUARTERS, -KONTUM CITY, KONTUM PROVINCE, RECEIVED
ONE ENEMY ROCKET ROUND AT 0110 HOURS, 8 MARCH. NO DAMAAGE WAS
REPORTED TO THE INSTALLATION. DURING THE NIGHT OF 7 MARCH,
ENEMY FORCES ENTERED NUMEROUS HAMLETS LOCATED AROUND KONTUM CITY. �
THIS TYPE OF ACTION HAS BECOME A STANDARD NIGHTLY PRACTICE BY
THE ENEMY SINCE THE START OF' THE INITIAL TET ATTACKS. ENEMY
TROOPS PROPAGANDIZE, RECRUIT,'AND BUY OR TAKE,FOOD WHILE IN
THE HAMLETS. ROAD TRAVEL BETWEEN KONTUM CITY AND DAK .TO HAS
/.BEENTHALTED-BECAUSE-PF INTERDICTION BY ENEMY MINES.
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DEPLOY AROUND THE CITY OF BAN ME THUOT. AiSpiTIONAL ENEMY
UNITS HAVE BEEN REPORTED INFILTRATING INTO THE PROVINCE FROM
THE NORTH (PLEIKU PROVINCE) AND FROM THE SOUTH (THE SAIGON AREA).
SOME OF THESE NEW UNITS ARE BELIEVED TO BE OF REGIMENTAL SIZE.
ALTHOUGH BAN ME THUOT EXPERIENCED ITS QUIETEST NIGHT OF THE
WEEK ON 7 MARCH, THE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO REMAIN FEARFUL OF NEW
ENEMY ATTACKS. THE VC CONTROL, AND ARE EXPLOITING MANY OF THE
VILLAGES AND HAMLETS THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE. THEY ARE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THIS CONTROL IN TNYPE AREAS BY.CELEBRATING THEIR
"VICTORY" IN THE TET ATTACKS. THE VC ARE TELLING VILLAGERS
THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED ORDERS FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE OF
SOUTH VIETNAM (cOsvN) TO ATTACK BAN ME THUOT AND ARE PROMISING
THE PEOPLE THAT NEW ATTACKS WILL BE LAUNCHED SHORTLY. AN ARMY
OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (ARVN) OPERATION, WHICH WAS STARTED
ON 5 MARCH AT A LOCATION 12 KILOMETERS NORTH OF BAN ME THUOT,
RESULTED IN A SERIOUS DEFEAT TO AN ARVN BATTALION. TWO
ADDITIONAL ARVN BATTALIONS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED IN THE SAME AREA
AGAINST THE WELL-FORTIFIED ENEMY FORCE. AS A RESULT OF THESE
TROOPS LEAVING BAN ME THUOT, THE CITY IS NOW MUCH MORE
VULNERABLE TO AN ENEMY GROUND ASSAULT.
5. THE SITUATION IN PHAN THIET, BINH THUAN PROVINCE WAS
GENERALLY QUIET DURING THE NIGHT OF 7 MARCH. SEPARATE INCIDENTS
OF SCATTERED SMALL ARMS FIRE WERE REPORTED WEST TO NORTH-
WEST OF THE CITY AND SMALL PROBING ACTIONS WERE ALSO DETECTED,
BUT THESE WERE OF LITTLE SIGNIFICANCE.
6. DUE PRIMARILY TO THE 4 MARCH MORTARING OF CAM RANH
AIRFIELD, WIDESPREAD RUMORS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENEMY
GROUND ASSAULT HAVE SPREAD THROUGH THE LOKVL POPULACE IN THE
CAM RANH AREA. RESIDENTS ARE FORTIFYING THEIR HOMES
AND PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED "STRANGE NEW FACES" IN MANY OF THE
HAMLETS NEAR THE SEAT OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT AT BA NGOI.
7. NINH THUAN, LAM DON, AND QUANG DUC PROVINCES, THREE
PROVINCES IN II CORPS WHICH WERE NOT HIT BY THE ENEMY'S TET
OFFENSIVE, HAVE ALL REPORTED AN INCREASE IN VC ACTIVITY IN THE
COUNTRYSIDE. GENERALLY THIS ACTIVITY IS IN THE FORM OF HAMLET
ENTRY FOR PROPAGANDA PURPOSES- FOOD COLLECTION, AND RECRUITMENT
OF YOUTHS. CENSUS GRIEVANCE
REPORTS INDICATE THERE IS A, GENERAL UNEASI
SIDE AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASED VCUCTIVITY,/ WHILE THE
PEOPLE IN THESE PROVINCES REMAIN BASICALLY GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM
(GVN) ORIENTED, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY EROSION IN THEIR,
CONFIDENCE IN THE GVN'S ABILITY TO PROTECT THEM. HIGHWAYS
IN NINH THUAN, ROUTES 1 AND .11, AND IN LAM DONG, ROUTE 20,
ARE OPEN FOR THE MOST PART, BUT IN HUANG DUC TRAFFIC IS
SUBJECT TO CONSTANT VC HARASSMENT AND TAXATION.
8. AS A RESULT OF THE SERIES OF ATTACKS ON TUY HOA,
PHU YEN PROVINCE, APPROXIMATELY 3200. HOMES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED
WITH 1600 PEOPLE CURRENTLY LISTED AS REFUGEES. MANY OF THOSE
PEOPLE FORMERLY LISTED AS REFUGEES HAVE BEEN FURNISHED WITH
SOME TYPE OF SHELTER OR HAVE BUILT THEIR OWN TEMPORARY QUARTERS.
THE U.S. SECTOR 5-2 ADVISOR HAS SAID THAT POLICE COOPERATION
HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING WITH THE POLICE PROVIDING SOME OF THE
BEST INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. DURING THE DAY, TUY
HOA IS DESCRIBED AS BEING LIKE "A THREE RING CIRCUS", WITH
PEOPLE. GOING TO SEE THE BODIES AND WATCHING THE FIGHTING, BUT
AT NIGHT THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING MOVING EXCEPT THE POLICE. '
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9. 'ECONOMICALLY, THE CONCENSUS AMONG VIETNAMESE CITIZENS
IN TUY HOA, PHU YEN PROVINCE, IS THAT THE VC HAVE MADE A
TREMENDOUS LEAP FORWARD. AFTER THE TEl ATTACK, MANY OF THE
MILITARY UNITS WERE PULLED IN TO PROTECT THE LARGER TOWNS AND
CITIES. AT THE END OF THE FALL HARVEST THE VC OBTAINED
AN ESTIMATED 450 TONS OF RICE. OF THE 24,500 IONS OF RICE
EXPECTED FROM THE WINTER/SPRING HARVEST WHICH HAS NOT YET'
ENDED, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AT LEAST 6,000 TONS WILL BE
UNACCOUNTED FOR, WITH BETWEEN 4,000 TO 4,500 TONS GOING TO THE
VC. POLITICALLY AND MILITARILY, THE VC HAVE SUCCEEDED
IN CONVINCING THE PEOPLE OF TUY HOA THAT THE VC HAVE THE
CAPABILITY TO STRIKE ANY PLACE AND ANY TIME AT THEIR OWN
CHOOSING AND THAT THE POPULATED URBAN AREAS ARE NO LONGER
SECURE. EVEN IF THE PEOPLE REALIZE THIS, IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT
THEEY WILL STAY IN THEIR RURAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES FOR THEY ARE
AWARE THAT MOST OF THE MILITARY OPERATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, ENDANGERING THEIR LIVES AND PROPERTY. THE
ATTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE IN PHU YEN PROVINCE, BOTH RURAL AND
URBAN, TOWARD THE VC, TOWARD THE GVN AND TOWARD THE U.S. IS
VARIED. 'THERE ISA REAL FEAR OF THE VC AND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
THOSE WHO HAVE RELATIVES AMONG THE VC RANKS ARE MORE INCLINED
TO LEAN TOWARD THE VC, YET THEY DO NOT WANT THE VC IN THEIR
AREA FOR FEAR.OF REPRISALS BY FREINDLY FORCES. -TOWARD THE GVN,
THERE ARE THOSE WHO FEEL THAT THE GVN PERFORMED CREDITABLY WHILE
OTHERS LOOK AT THE GVN AS DISUNITED AND CORRUPT, ONLY
INTERESTED IN BECOMING RICH AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RURAL
� PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF THE WAR. TOWARD THE U.S., SOME BELIEVE
THAT THE U.S. PERMITTED THE PENETRATION OF TOWNS AND CITIES
TO DETERMINE THE FAAITHFULNESS OF THE BUDDHIST CHURCH AND
THE BEHAVIOR OF THE ANTI-.COMMUNIST ELEMENTS OF SVN. OTHERS
BELIEVE THAT THEE U.S. IS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF ADVERSE PREESSURE
FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE U.S.
10. DISSEM: IFFV CORDS II CORPS
SAIGON DISSEM: STATE MACV CINCPAC ARPAC PACAF PACFLTT 7TH AF
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