The weather in westmorland.

By February 5, the fighting in Saigon was basically over. But the fighting in Chinatown continued until the last week of this month. Although Chinatown was bombarded by the US military, the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam * * * still held its ground, and they even launched counter-attacks against the US/South Vietnamese positions in Saigon and Johor Bahru Airport from time to time. North Vietnamese regular army

/Guangdong * * * was finally forced to withdraw from the suburbs of Saigon, but they retreated to a nearby village and started fighting again. The United States and South Vietnam first bombed these villages with artillery and bombers, and then sent troops to recapture them. The regular army of North Vietnam/Vietnam repeated this tactic over and over again. They kept taking villages and losing them. Obviously, one purpose is to let the Saigon government blow up its own village, thus further widening the distance between the Saigon government and the rural people and letting the puppet government self-destruct. According to American estimates, about15,000 civilians died one month after the start of the Spring Festival offensive, and 2 million refugees were added, while the war continued.

◎ bitter battle of hue

The results of the Spring Festival offensive launched by North Vietnam in other parts of South Vietnam are mixed. Many attacks on the capital city of South Vietnam and American military bases were easily repelled within minutes or hours after the attacks were launched, but some of them eventually developed into a bitter battle. In the scenic city of Dalat, a battalion of Vietnam * * * met with tenacious resistance from the South Vietnamese army when it attacked the Vietnam Military Academy. The fighting spread to the Pasteur College and changed hands between the South Vietnamese army and Vietnam * * *. North Vietnamese troops are still digging fortifications in the downtown market. The fighting in Dala lasted until mid-February, and 200 North Vietnamese soldiers died. However, the biggest battle between the two sides took place in Hue.

The Buddhist crisis made the residents of this ancient Vietnamese capital resentful of the Saigon government. On this day, with the support of the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam * * *, about 10 battalion, within a few hours, the disguised insurgents almost occupied the whole Hue city, but the headquarters of the 3rd Division of the South Vietnamese Army and the camp of the US military advisory group were still not controlled by North Vietnam. The main target of the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam * * * is the Imperial Palace, an ancient imperial palace covering an area of about 2 square miles and surrounded by high walls several feet thick. On the morning of June +3654381October+10/October in 5438, the North Vietnamese regular army attacked the Palace and raised the Vietnamese flag, but failed to drive out the South Vietnamese troops who were still resisting in the northeast corner. After Viet * * occupied the city, it won the strong support of the people of Hue, and then the North Vietnamese regular army/Viet * * quickly launched the revolutionary liberation movement and released thousands of prisoners held by the South Vietnamese government.

After nearly two days of fierce fighting, the US Marine Corps and the South Vietnamese army entered Hue City and seized the perfume river opposite the Palace. Hue is a holy city in Vietnam. In addition to ancient palaces, there are many precious historical sites. After careful consideration, the US military finally decided to bomb the positions of the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam. Because Vietnam had a strong resistance at that time, if it were not for the support of American planes and artillery, the American Marines sent to the city would inevitably suffer unacceptable losses. The battle of Hue reminded many Americans of the tragic street fighting experience during World War II. The North Vietnamese regular army blew up a bridge on the Xiangshui River, so the US military had to cross the river by assault landing craft under the cover of air force and artillery. When the US Marines arrived at the river bank, the cover fire became more and more fierce, and they could hardly lift their heads. However, due to the particularly thick walls of the palace, there were almost no casualties.

With the support of the United States, the South Vietnamese army searched block by block in Hue. At the same time, the US Marine Corps is preparing to attack the palace. On February 20, the US attack team braved the smoke of tear gas and the wreckage left by plane and artillery bombing to enter the palace. The North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam * * * retreated to the southeast corner to continue its resistance, and was finally defeated by the US military on February 23rd. In the end, Yue's resistance in Hue left only sniper activities and isolated outposts. After the fall of the palace, the North Vietnamese Army/Vietnamese Army began to retreat. The delayed troops contained the vanguard of the South Vietnamese army, and most of the North Vietnamese troops retreated to the suburbs. On February 25th, the Battle of Hue ended. 1 19 American troops and 363 South Vietnamese troops were killed, accounting for about one sixth of the death toll of the North Vietnamese regular army 16.

The difference in the number of deaths does not mean that this is a one-sided war. The key to the difference in casualty figures lies in the use of artillery and aircraft by the US military. The bombing aims to destroy the position of the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam in Hue, but at the same time, it also turns most parts of Hue into a pile of rubble with bones everywhere. If American commanders pay attention to protecting this ancient and sacred city, the death rate of American/South Vietnamese troops may be higher. In the battle of Hue, the American army was injured less than 1000, while the South Vietnamese army was only 1200. However, nearly 1.2 million civilians in Hue were homeless, and nearly 6,000 civilians died, many of whom were bombed by American planes and artillery.

Contrary to many reports, in fact, a large area of Hue was not particularly seriously damaged, but at the end of the war, the city was looted by the former South Vietnamese defenders in the city for several days. A few weeks ago, the defender was beaten to his head. Now they can be resurrected. In the village outside Hue, the fighting continued for about another week. The regular troops of North Vietnam/Vietnam usually occupy villages for a short time, and soon American artillery and planes will bomb these villages. With the large-scale destruction of villages, civilian casualties and the number of refugees have also increased.

◎ Xishan fierce battle

On February 5, electronic sensors deployed around the Xishan base showed that the Viet Cong would attack the hill No.881outside the main base of the US military. Although the US military quickly dispersed the assembled North Vietnamese regular army with heavy artillery, the second sudden attack by the North Vietnamese regular army on the hill No.881surprised the US military-the US Marine Corps suddenly found itself fighting against a wave of North Vietnamese regular army. The trapped US Marines fought hand-to-hand with the North Vietnamese regular army for half an hour. It may be that they trust their bulletproof vests very much, and the US military even uses grenades at close range where they can almost blow themselves up. Finally, the US military moved the artillery to the top of the mountain, and the North Vietnamese regular army was forced to retreat.

Two days later, the US special forces camp stationed in Laocun was attacked by 10 Soviet-made PT-76 amphibious tanks from North Vietnam, followed by an assault force. Despite the lack of anti-tank weapons, the US special forces destroyed three tanks before the North Vietnamese regular army broke through the barbed wire. Because there was a good chance of being ambushed and no reinforcements arrived, the commander of the old village, Captain Frank Willow, ordered his troops to retreat to the jungle and applied for his own artillery and air force to attack the camp directly. Originally, when this * * * force set out, there were 24 special warriors and 900 gnashing people in Monta, but in the end, only captain Willow and 23 others fled to Xishan base. The next day, the North Vietnamese army troops occupied almost half of a position of the US Marine Corps on the outskirts of Xishan, but were forced to retreat under the counterattack of US artillery, planes and armored vehicles.

General Wu Yuanjia's ambition to win a total victory was seriously hindered by the large-scale air strikes by the US military on the regular positions of North Vietnam. The U.S. B-52 strategic bombers and attack planes carried out precise strikes within hundreds of feet around the Xishan defense belt. In the battle, Americans threw tons of bombs and napalm. Although the bad weather and increasing anti-aircraft firepower prevented the stable supply of the US military to some extent, transport planes and helicopters continued to deliver important supplies to the US military in Xishan. The US military positions on the periphery of the Western Hills are also supported by the supply of Marine Knight helicopters, and of course, the escort of fighter planes is indispensable. The battle entered a tug of war. The North Vietnamese regular army concentrated its fire on bombing the US military base, built fortifications around the US military camp, and used anti-aircraft fire to stop the supply and transportation of US military aircraft. Both sides also constantly use sniper teams to harass each other.

On February 17, 18 and 29, the North Vietnamese regular army launched several more attacks. The first attack was easily repelled by the enemy's gunfire, but the second attack escalated into a fierce battle. At the beginning of April, American reinforcements arrived at Xishan base. Just as the US and South Vietnamese troops attacked the North Vietnamese position along Highway 9, the US Air Force 1 Division arrived. On April 6, the siege of Xishan base came to an end. Four days later, the old village was also reoccupied by the US military. However, the fighting around the western hills lasted for some time. As a matter of fact, General Wu Yuanjia had long given up the hope of occupying the Xishan base, so the US military's clearance of the Xishan Mountain went quite smoothly, and almost no stubborn resistance was encountered. From this point of view, many people speculate that the siege of the western hills is just a cover, and its real purpose is to cover up the preparations for the Spring Festival offensive in South Vietnam. To some extent, this statement is correct, but the evidence shows that General Wu Yuanjia's action on the Western Hills is not only to divert Americans' attention to the south at a critical moment, but there may be a greater purpose in it. By mid-February, all the signs clearly showed that the fighting launched by North Vietnam in major cities in South Vietnam was failing, and the participation of the US Air Force would make it impossible for the regular army of North Vietnam to win as great a victory as Dien Bien Phu. Seeing all this is irreversible. Before the American counterattack began, General Wu Yuanjia seemed to have gradually relaxed his encirclement of the Western Hills.

◎ The influence of the Spring Festival offensive

The Spring Festival offensive and the battle of the Western Hills will definitely remind President Johnson and General westmorland of a maxim of Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington:

"If there is something sadder than losing a war, it is to win a war." General Wu Yuanjia was defeated in Khe Shan, as well as in the major cities in South Vietnam. The total number of victims of the North Vietnamese regular army/Vietnam * * * reached 45,000 and nearly 7,000 people were captured. But the war had a great influence on President Johnson, who had lost the will to continue the Vietnam War. On the other hand, General westmorland is still asking for more troops. He said that he still needs 206,000 troops to fight in the south, and at the same time he can launch a limited attack on the North Vietnamese position north of the demilitarized zone. After the Battle of Hue, President Johnson asked clark clifford (who had just succeeded disillusioned McNamara as the US Secretary of Defense) to find a way to meet General Westmoreland's request.

Clifford led a group of consultants to study the whole war carefully, and they also consulted Richard Helms, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (the CIA has just submitted a detailed report on the pessimistic prospect of the Vietnam War). On March 4, Clifford told Johnson that it was impossible to win the war and that investing more troops would not bring any change. Later, President Johnson consulted his chief informal advisory group, and Johnson found that they were also anti-war. These veterans already know the CIA's research report: South Vietnam has 44 provinces, but the appeasement policy of the United States has failed in 40 provinces. The strength of the South Vietnamese National Liberation Front is also more than twice that estimated in advance. This Spring Festival offensive not only shows that the optimism of the United States in the past is an illusion, but now it seems that the other side is much stronger than anyone imagined. Besides, it is a dream for the United States to try to win the hearts and minds of Vietnam for a long time.

The Spring Festival offensive, if not a total shock to the American public, at least awakened Americans. Johnson and the dying enemy in the eyes of American generals not only prove that they are still alive, but also invincible. In this battle, 4,300 people died,16,000 people were injured, and10,000 people were missing. Although the other side lost more, Wu Yuanjia lost the bet, but look at the ruins of Saigon, Hue and other cities, the whole war is like endless consumption without specific goals. An American officer once inadvertently described the battle with a black humor: "In order to save this city, we have to destroy it." This widely circulated statement is a classic reflection of the contradictory ideas of the Pentagon, and it also shows the futility of the Vietnam War. General westmorland's name has also become the satirical object of the anti-war movement, becoming "WASTE-MOR-LAND".

At that time, in the United States, the anti-war attitude was more or less respected politically. Robert Kennedy called on everyone to give up the illusion of victory, while Democratic Senator eugene mccarthy also held high the banner of peace and competed with Johnson for the presidential nomination. He has the support of thousands of anti-war students and young Americans. Most of the extreme right forces supported the war, but criticized the government for not going all out to win. The Joint Chiefs of Staff supported General westmorland, but advised him to reduce the number of troops needed by half. Later, the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported to the White House that in order to put everything on the right track after the Spring Festival offensive, more troops must be sent to Vietnam.

President Johnson is completely in a dilemma. In order to meet the demand for more troops, he will have to withdraw from Europe, but this is impossible. Otherwise, calling the reserve to Vietnam will also bring him political disaster. Therefore, he once again convened a presidential meeting, which was briefed by CIA analysts on the bleak prospects of the Vietnam War. This report changed the attitude of the president's most aggressive advisers. A few days later, President Johnson announced on TV that he would stop bombing North Vietnam, and the United States was willing to conclude a peace agreement with North Vietnam. He said that he would never run for re-election, and he would devote the rest of his life to maintaining peace in China.

General abrams, General Westmoreland's deputy, was one of the American generals attending the meeting. After Johnson changed his attitude, he took over from General Westmoreland as the commander of the US troops stationed in Vietnam. After returning to China, General westmorland became the Chief of Staff of the US Army. Many people think that he rose from the top to the bottom. General abrams returned to Saigon with a mission. He will make a "Vietnam" plan for the war. In other words, he will take all necessary measures to make the South Vietnamese troops undertake the main combat tasks, and the US troops stationed in Vietnam will gradually become consultants. The Vietnam War has always been the main goal of the United States in Vietnam, but since 1965, the United States has found that the Saigon government seems unable to bear this responsibility, so it has been shelved, and now everything is just back to the original time. "Yue" is often attributed to President Nixon, but it was actually implemented at the end of the Spring Festival offensive and the change of President Johnson's attitude. (End) □ Zhang Yanming

Comparison of casualties of all parties in the Spring Festival offensive (unit: individual)

Death, injury and disappearance of state/army and other personnel

United States, South Korea and Australia1536 776411

South Vietnam 2788 8299 587

North Vietnamese Army/Vietnam *** 45000 Unknown Unknown

Civilians 14000 24000 630000 homeless.