Tanks in the Easter Offensive 1972

Autor*innen

• William E. Hiestand

Parameter

• Historisches Thema
• Sozialwissenschaften

Mehr zum Buch

This study details the armored battles of the Easter Offensive, where North and South Vietnam, equipped with modern Soviet and U.S. tanks, clashed decisively. By early 1972, the U.S. had nearly withdrawn its forces from Vietnam after years of combat against Viet Cong guerillas and North Vietnamese regulars. In March 1972, North Vietnam launched a significant fourteen-division attack to counter the South's growing military under the U.S. “Vietnamization” program. This offensive was led by 1,200 tanks and met with Saigon's newly equipped armored forces, utilizing U.S. medium tanks. Intense fighting ensued, featuring Cold War-era U.S. and Soviet tanks, including M-48 and M-41 against T-54 and PT-76, across diverse terrains from dense jungles to urban areas. Both sides deployed advanced weaponry, such as the U.S. TOW and Soviet 9M14 Malyutk anti-tank missiles. The volume meticulously examines the tanks, armored units, and weapons involved, drawing from after-action reports and primary sources to analyze the factors influencing the outcome. Despite the ARVN's defensive success in October 1972, North Vietnam significantly bolstered its armored forces over the next two years, while U.S. support diminished. This strategic imbalance, compounded by misjudgments from the South Vietnamese President, culminated in the dramatic fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when T-54 tanks breached the Presidential palace's defenses.

• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
• Einband: Paperback