Tet Offensive
January 30 – August 30, 1968
The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong, conducted against both military and civilian command and control centers. The attacks were conducted after both sides had agreed to a cease fire during the “Tet Lunar New Year,” which is why the attacks were called the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive hit the majority of provincial capitals, autonomous cities, and the southern capital, in addition to several district towns. While the initial attacks took the US troops by surprise, but they quickly retaliated, inflicting massive casualties. The offense began shortly after midnight, with all five provincial capitals in II Corps attacked, along with Da Nang, in I Corps. After the attacks, the US troops were put on full alert, and at 0300 the next day, the Vietcong forces attacked US bases and more cities, including Saigon. Approximately 45,000 Vietcong soldiers were killed, with about 62,000 wounded, while the US lost approximately 9,000 soldiers in the first phase, and it is unknown how many in the second and third, with about 35,000 wounded in the first phase.
The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong, conducted against both military and civilian command and control centers. The attacks were conducted after both sides had agreed to a cease fire during the “Tet Lunar New Year,” which is why the attacks were called the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive hit the majority of provincial capitals, autonomous cities, and the southern capital, in addition to several district towns. While the initial attacks took the US troops by surprise, but they quickly retaliated, inflicting massive casualties. The offense began shortly after midnight, with all five provincial capitals in II Corps attacked, along with Da Nang, in I Corps. After the attacks, the US troops were put on full alert, and at 0300 the next day, the Vietcong forces attacked US bases and more cities, including Saigon. Approximately 45,000 Vietcong soldiers were killed, with about 62,000 wounded, while the US lost approximately 9,000 soldiers in the first phase, and it is unknown how many in the second and third, with about 35,000 wounded in the first phase.