What was the purpose of khe sanh

The North Vietnamese never expected to overrun Khe Sanh, but they wanted to put on a convincing show. However, the siege prompted Westmoreland to move two brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile into Quang Tri and neighboring Thua Thien province. The 1st Cav units played decisive roles in defeating Tet attacks there. On balance, the Khe Sanh diversion backfired for the communists, tying down the better part of two North Vietnamese divisions in the critical first days of Tet.

In its medium-term motive for the siege, Hanoi hoped to lure allied forces into western Quang Tri province, ambushing them as they pushed west on the rutted and partly washed-out Highway 9. This plan also turned out badly. President Lyndon Johnson and General William Westmoreland considered the use of tactical nuclear weapons and chemical weapons to prevent an American defeat at Khe Sanh. War hawks have pilloried LBJ for not doing everything in his power to win the war in Vietnam, but the beleaguered president rejected the counsel of some top military advisors to make a stand at Khe Sanh.

Among the most vociferous advocates of a retreat was retired Joint Chiefs chairman Maxwell Taylor, and he lobbied Johnson vigorously in letters and conversations. On the hill outposts at Khe Sanh, shortages of food and water became critical. The hungry, bearded American defenders of Hill South and took on the appearance of ragged castaways on a desert island.

A bold operation known as the Super Gaggle ended the resupply crisis by blanketing North Vietnamese positions with massive firepower, tear gas and smoke screens while helicopters swooped down to drop supplies onto the hill outposts. Khe Sanh was a military victory for the Americans who successfully defended the stronghold during the seventy-seven days of siege. But that perception was shattered in July with the abandonment of the base, and Khe Sanh became etched in the minds of many Americans as a symbol of the pointless sacrifice and muddled tactics that permeated a doomed U.

Shusha was the key to the recent war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Now Baku wants to turn the fabled fortress town into a resort. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Ben Brimelow. The artillery attacks continued for 77 days straight.

The bombardment was so intense that the base's main ammunition dump exploded. US Marines responded with artillery of their own. Constant artillery barrages and rain storms meant that the Marines had to repeatedly repair and remake their defenses. Eventually, Khe Sanh has deep trenches that connected all the major building and fighting positions. The airfield was an absolutely vital lifeline for the soldiers at Khe Sanh. If any attack was to succeed, the NVA would need to take these hills, as they were the crucial high ground.

President Lyndon Johnson was determined to keep Khe Sanh. As the Marines continued to fight the NVA, elements of battlefield humor began to make appearances, such as this message on a Marines vest. Another example of battlefield humor is seen here. Artillery barrages were sometimes so intense, that helicopter pilots like the one here were forced to wait until they were over before they could take off.

Despite the bombings, the fight continued. As for the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam, this area served as a bridge connecting the northern great rear with the southern great front line. As for U. Consequently, both sides resolved to occupy and keep by all means. Given the strategic importance of this area, both sides kept a close watch on the other in order to work out their strategies.

Since the second half of , when the Pentagon had known about maneuver of units of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam across the battlefield, it foresaw a major military operation launched by the North Vietnamese Army. It was within this context that both the White House and Saigon regime held many unusual meetings.

Having been completely obsessed with that scenario, U. President Lyndon B. In spite of designating military operations of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam in Khe Sanh as important indicators of a military campaign launched by the communist side, Westmoreland still confidently declared that given U. They aim to target William Westmoreland, not the besieged fortress. That place is used to deceive the U. Indeed, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence not only used the Route 9-Khe Sanh Offensive Campaign as a strategic deception but also undertook this campaign to seize this area with a view to connecting the strategic line of communication from the north to the south.

S and Saigon regime has got worse in every aspect.