VIET CONG PLANS FOR THE DECEMBER PHASE OF THE WINTER-SPRING CAMPAIGN IN TAY NIN

Created: 12/9/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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intelligence information cable

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COUNTRY: SOUTHDECEMBER8

SUBJECT: VIET CONG PLANS FOR THE DECEMBER PHASE OF

THE WINTER-SPRING CAMPAIGN IN TAY NINH PROVINCE

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the VIET CONG (VC) WINTER -SPRING CAMPAIGN IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN SOUTH VIETNAM BETWEENNDDECEMbER. PRESENT PLANS CALLHREE-PHASE'.CAMPAIGN WITH ONE PHASE EACH IN DECEMBER, ANUARY, AND FEBRUARY. THREE PRIMARY TARGET AREAS HAVE BEEN SELECTED, SAIGON-GIA 'INH, TAY NINH-BINH LONG PROVINCES, AND QUANG TRI-THUA THIEN PROVINCES. THE DECEMBER PLAN CALLS FOR ATTACKS IN' TAYi'NINH'ILL DRAW ALLIED DEFENSIVE FORCES AWAY FROM AIGON-GlA "DINH." the PLAN STATES THAT AT LEAST^ONEVISION MUST BE' DRAWN TO TAY NINH FROM SAIGON AND BE ESTROYED. AFTER THAT AND-AftER'NDAVE SEENAND TAY NINH PROVlfiCE IS LIBERATED, SAIGON CANATTACKED. THREE PROVINCIALOSVN SECURITY 'ORCE BATTALION AND THE 9th AND 5th VC DIVISIONS WILL ATTACK TAY NINH. the 7th NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY CNVA) DIVISION WILL .OPJDUCT MILITARY OPERATIONS IN BINH LONG PROVINCE. THREE OTHER

DIVISIONS NOW IN CAMBODIA*WILL BE USED IN TAY NINH FOR THE

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FINALF THE PROVINCE. THE PRINCIPAL TARGETS IN TAY NINH WILL BE DISTRICT TOWNS, THE PROVINCE CAPITAL, LIKES OF COMMUNICATION,. MILITARY EASES. WHILE BATTALION AND REGIMENT SIZED LOCAL UNITS, CONTROLLED BY COSVN, ARE ATTACKING SAIGON FROM THE OUTSIDE, GUERRILLAS INSIDE THE CITY WILLAMPAIGN OF SABOTAGE AND ASSASSINATION. SHOULD THE DECEMBER PHASE FAIL TO LIBERATE TAY NINH PROVINCE THE EFFORT WILL BE MADE AGAIN IN JANUARYE3RUARY. END SUMMARY.

1. E CENSER VIETVC) STUDY SESSION HELD FOR DISTRICT CADRES IN TAY NINH PROVINCE INFORMANTD THAT THE WINTER-SPRING CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN THROUGHOUT SOUTH VIETNAM AFTER STUDY OF THE STH CENTRAL OFFICE FOR SOUTH VIETNAM (COSVN) RESOLUTION, ISSUED IN OCTOBER, IS COMPLETED. THE WINTER-SPRING CAMPAIGN IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PHASES AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ONLY. THE FIRST PHASE PLAN FOR DECEMBER HAS BEEN COMPLETED. FINAL PLANS FOR SECOND PHASE, JANUARY, WILL BE MADE AFTER THE FIRST PHASE OF THE OFFENSIVE IS COMPLETED. TKE THIRD PHASE PLAN, FEBRUARY, WILL BE BASED ON THE RESULTS

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OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PHASES.

2. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE WINTER-SPRING CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN cETWEEN NDECEMBER AND WILLCLIMAX"

ONECEMBER. THE CLIMAX WILL BE IN RESPONSE TO AN APPEAL FRCrt HO CHI NINH TO COMMEMORATE THE 8TH ANHIVERSARY

OF THE FOIJRDING OF THE NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION CF SOUTH VIETNAM (NFLSV) ONECEMBER THERE ARE

THSEE PRIORITY AREAS FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SAIGON-GIA DINH,RI-THIEN (THE AREA OF QUANG TRI

AHUA THIEUAY NIH LONG PROVINCES. ALL PROVINCES AND FRONTS IN THOSE AREAS MUST CONDUCT ATTACKS cY FIRS. AND GROUND ATTACKS ON STRATEGIC HAMLETS, ACCELERATED

PACIFICATION AREAS, AND LINES OF COMMUNICATION.

J. LOCAL FORCES OF BATTALION AND REGIMENTAL SIZE,OSVN, WILL ATTACK SAIGON FROM THE OUTSIDE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, GUERRILLAS IN SAIGON WILL ATTACK FROM UXTKII THE CITY, CONDUCTING SABOTAGE, ASSASSINATIONS, ACS fiORTAR ATTACKS.

HE TAY NINH-BINH LONG FRONT WILL SHARE IN THE ATTACK2ftISOS, LYGOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM <GVN)

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FGHCES OUT OF THEIR DEFENSIVE POSITIONS AROUND SAIGOW. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE TAYONG FORCES

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CONDUCTING ATTACKS BY FIRE ON ALLIED FORCES IN TAY NINH AND BINH LONG PROVINCES. NO ATTEMPTS ARE TO BE MADE TO

PENETRATE THESE BASES, HOWEVER.

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THE DECEMBER PHASE THE 9TH AND 5TH VC

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SUPPORTED BY THE THREE TAY NIMH PROVINCIAL EATTaLICNS,,, WILL ATTACK TAY KINH PROVINCE. THESE FORCES WILL ALSO EE SUPPORTEDOSVN SECURITY BATTALION. THESE WITS WILL CONTINUE TO ATTACK UNTIL THEORCES HAVE EXHAUSTED THEIR RESERVES. AT THAT TIME COSVH WILL COMMIT THREE MORE DIVISIONS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY CErLCYED ALONG THE CAMBODIAN-TAY NISH-EItlH LONG BORDER. THESE THREE DIVISIONS HAVE BEEN REINFORCED WITH UNITS FROM THE PORTH AND ARE EQUIPPED WITH TANKS, CANNONS, AMDRC RAFT WEAPONS. AT LEAST ONE BATTALION IN EACH OF THE CIVISIOX8 IS EQUIPPED WITH GAS MASKS. THE 7TH NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY CNVA) DIVISION WILL CONDUCT OPERATIONS IN 8INK LONG PROVtXCS DURING THE DECEMBER PHASE.

7. ASECEMBER THE 9TH DIVISION, WHICH WILL ATTACKITY FROM THE DIRECTION OF THANH DIEN, HAD ALREADY 3EFLCY.ED ITS FORCES IS THE BEN CAU CHIEU THIEN) CHAU THANHNH) AND GO DAU (KHIEM HANH) AREAS OF TAY NINH FOR THE DECEMBER PHASE. THE 5IH DIVISION HAD NOT ARRIVED ASECEMEER, BUT IT WAS TO REACH THE DUONG MINK CHAU (EASTERN

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KHUONG DISTRICT) AREA ALONGND DEPLOY SOUTHWARD ' TO THE TOA THAflH AREA (THE AREA EAST AND SOUTH CF TAY NINH CITY)ECEMBER. DURING THE DECEMBER PHASE OF THE CAMPAIGN DISTRICT TOWNS, THE PROVINCE CAPITAL. BASE AREAS WILL BE SUBJECT TO CONTINUOUS ATTACKS. THE CLIMAX OF THE DECEMBER PHASE IN TAY NINH WILL BE MARKED BY VIOLENT ATTACKS. BASES, HIEU THIEN DISTRICT TOWN

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8. THE THREE TAY HIHH PROVINCE BATTALIONS HAVE BEEN REINFORCED WITH FORCES FROM THE NCRTH. THESE THREE BATTALIONS WILL REMAIN UNDER PROVINCIAL COMMAND. THE COSVN SECURITY BATTALION WHICH IS BEING ATTACHED TO THE TAY NINK FRONT WILL BE RETURNED TO COSVN AFTER EACH OF THE THREE PHASES IS

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S. COSVN REALIZES THAT IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO LIBERATE TAY NINK DURING THE DECEMBER PHASE BECAUSE THE ALLIED FORCES IN THAT AREA ARE STILL STRONG. IN THE EVENT THAT THE LIBERATION IS NOT ACCOflPLISHED IN DECEMBER IT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.

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CONFlDmjIAL

Original document.

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