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The focus of this book is on one particular battle in the Easter Offensive of 1972, for the provincial capital of Quang Tri in the far north of South Vietnam. On the South Vietnamese side this battle was fought by the Vietnamese Marine Corps, a full Marine division that had existed since 1970 but that was about to fight its first battle.
We start with a history of the Vietnamese Marines, who were the direct decendents of river units formed by the French, and who had existed as a force since the 1950s, generally performing well. We then look at the US Marine Advisory unit that supported them throughout that period.
We get a very brief one page look at the North Vietnamese forces that opposed them.
Next comes a sizable section on the structure, equipment, uniforms etc of the South Vietnames Marines.
We then move onto the battle itself. Rather embarrassingly for the South Vietnamese and Americans this came as a surprise, despite being timed to coincide with the removal of most American ground forces. We get a good account of the conventional battles that led first to the fall of Quang Tri then to a period of standoff near Hue, and finally to the South Vietnemese counter attack that retook the lost areas. Two elements stand out here – first, individual elements of the South Vietnamese military could fight with great skill and determination, second, their high command was fatally flawed, with individual generals refusing to cooperate with each other. Key to the eventual success in this area was the use of US naval and air power, but that would have been entirely ineffective without South Vietnamese boots on the ground, and in particular their Marines.
Chapters
Origins of the Campaign
Chronology
Opposing Plans
The Campaign
Aftermath
Author: Charles D. Melson
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 96
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2021