THE COMMUNISTS' ABILITY TO RECOUP THEIR TET MILITARY LOSSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000200140002-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 1, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Relea
S iC:R.EJ 1;
e 2004/05/05: CIA-RDP80R0
Ability to ecou Ct
Ir?t roeiiiction
uoE. ss ]q 1
?;@ riclvf.'' ^X~L7:'1i1?:~ c 7T;_ 9eL't in the
1 . '
c.viOnr-2 bearing on the al7ilit 7 of the CO=",.!uni st- to
replace their military losses sustained in the t
of ens?ve r''+e are a'3le to bffcr only a very -c^.?lotus
the to frame within -rhicT,
night accoTnoli h a u l r ecover Lr in nu hers of ':.?"cops.
7...?, .~
2. , At a It appears that ta h'?Ir T.`i1
e then no longer than six rnontt~~s. ;'h =.s r;sr,tznes
t a he rate of corihat. *.?:ill h? 'sustained at
normal level u, b t '-hat no new ground e`fort on a
.:scale l iho that at sot will be mounted. It :i s r,-??_
;
tirel? t7gfi ihln, however D that 'i:1' ey n ha r o c --0
to accomplish lull recovery in a much ?thortOY
and that `,iithin six ronths their troon tr^7:C 'Ol l'
!io : `.f'i'i{ 3 T7i~' ,: or andun wag pr od:2 cd b,'., C! 'l ? 1 j wa i
1n ~r.J:7,; ropar 8cf btu t7l Of Z-o o j ~~r cent 2 inl y % .nnt incIuu l Fi ^tl~,-
to rit'tnr or"cm-1 -'ationa1. ^T.e:"ertts
t1i
?':lQ tinr;Ai1(".t to in _ C? i_ 3zl c t
in Vietnam acjree that none
are included .
'''e no,,, 11=-,i in acttl? ,+ ?'?~l
l x' 1 ~ the :C'l iLTi}? t i ': at1e a I c jo effort ''l .!?c Lit
no the i.r:-(~ t:?
. t :s -,~ nor to Tot to fill
r';1I1~''., an~l n.7,.l.T i.. l.Cl) c^_:I7,1
1, ';(_ rers for logistic support, particularly
o-C,Ille:i ,t a2:~n1r~cl youth. 1~ n'? of the Pn
ro 1 the r f!en ivo were individuals virtn;717-l_?;
t ?~'_ ^ from etroe corfr'.r i ani7 pres`:P`l into f:he
attac',,` `"iv t he 'nengyp. Fve iitnesses, noreovcr, e-
-type ? i c t lne i
?"o t that l_a c7n numbers o CtV_.l 1c n 1.
;yet use c, +>~tl c roops" in n:an of th..? is "i cl.T:
^'c-saslts
. +na3. r Of tt-oe available evidence "?nos
not '17TOV?(.C a good er..,-)ncjh hare fro:-1 rihi.lcil to
c? n a tenuous percentage to the total nu C'or er
it _,lit
S j'
? e t ose aL ove who
in j i'7X('ual
in a n )-c ca-,e casual_tie .
Approved For Rel
 Approved For Re
1720R000200140002-9
for oy.anp ('?, S119c' e cc .>ualtie
L^~, -~~ V Ln 7.7.i iti~1-CiV1i_i al^^ ahOr , etc, ??~..v have
tn a1-o l" 7'j pe r cent of he tatai i ~?i`i r f'V3_i o CC'_ y
1?oweve ?_n ica t~'.> .`:uc ca ual ~. e ray have Y_'l?r :. .^>
of t le tot,-'I losses iri ^C~;"1(l
10. {fit erefore, in c doIn ting ease for jl.=d i.ng
the r#?Cuperat Ve ah7l 7 tt,, we c in on v
acce' t the reeozted '_?;1,. figure as it tan(2s-
questionable as it is--and View future en my t na-
bilities c ga3 nst: it.. In contras'` with the of
view of the US r)ilitary in Viotnari, that the or:e:^.y'
losses an(! canabil 4i to recoup should be wo-Lched
` .,.?e ; r=) l d
-ir?^"t_ ,,.a. his offensive military Sti~'?~ t ?, i~.
`he st r i
...
- ~.~ actor from
he incline('; to juc.?e t ese f
paint of his total orcanized ran-tower 1?ase.
this reason, "_' (;V.? control.
offer-3 a
for ;Out'. '?J.F ttnat:t ? 3 total -ponulaticn of '-c)ut 17 Ili. n
,
::'orC than lax rillion Ii're in rural are ---
i:1 71`?~r.~ .. out id 7i ??'"ovinCe? ~i:i l_< 13` ;