Vietnam II: A War Novel Episode 2 (V2) by C.R. Ryder Read Free Book Online Page A

up by Communist propaganda, because it was the easiest way for Hanoi to maintain a high manpower level in the armed forces. 
    Strategic Rear Force was the moniker that Hanoi labelled the Regional and Militia Self-Defense forces.  The Regional Force was controlled at the provincial level and had units headquartered in each the capital of each province.  The Militia Self-Defense force was the same thing, but they were controlled at the smaller district and village level. Provincial capital, at the very least. The Militia Self-Defense Force fulfills combat, combat support, and police functions from the district to the village level. The Strategic Rear Force, both the Regional and Militia Self- Defense forces together, added another 1.6 million personnel to the already bloated Vietnamese army.
    The Strategic Rear Force had four operating principles.  First they were to defend their local areas when attacked.  Second they would be used to delay, not stop, an invading enemy.  Third to maintain local police security.  Fourth to be used in manual labor, primarily for food production and rebuilding, in times of crisis.  During wartime Hanoi’s plan was not unlike the strategy of V1, the regular army would engage in conventional warfare and the Strategic Rear Force would employ guerrilla tactics also known as the “people’s warfare.”
    The 2,500,000 members of the so-called Local Forces included the urban units of the People's Self Defense Force, northern rural units of the People's Militia (northern rural units), southern rural units of the Armed Youth Assault Force (YAF) (southern rural units) and the Centralized Militia which was compromised of Montagnards along the Chinese border.  All were trained extensively in paramilitary guerrilla tactics.  A strong public relations campaign would be the first tactic in convincing these citizen soldiers to just stay home.
    So the final analysis put the Vietnamese military into two camps based on the types of troops.  The first group was the active duty PAVN Regular Force who would become known as PAVs for short which included the ground forces, the navy, the air force, the border guards and coast guard, numbering about 500,000 in all.  The second group was the Reserves, and included Regional Forces, Local Forces and the People's Self-Defense and Militia.
    In the final analysis as of 1990 they had:
     
    Main Force 1,200,000
    Regional Force 500,000 
    Militia/Self Defense Force 1,200,000 
    Youth Assault Force 1,500,000
    Tactical Rear Force 500,000
     
    We needed to meet close to those numbers to make this as bloodless for our side as possible.  Otherwise we may be looking at heavy casualties.  Of course that was limited by congress which was limited by public pressure.
    The next thing we looked at was what kind of hardware they could put on the battlefield.  Their navy was nearly nonexistent so we concentrated on their army and their air force.  The Vietnamese had been armed by the Soviets during the war and in the years after.  We put together what we were looking at.
    On the ground they had nearly 2000 tanks including T-62s, T-54s and T-34s.  One of the largest tank battles in history had been fought during V1 and we could expect more of the same.  Then the PAVS had over 1500 armored personnel carriers including BTR-40s, -50s and -60s.  They would have no problem moving troops throughout the country. 
    Less troubling were the American weapon systems the country had captured when South Vietnam fell.  They had gotten a hold of M48 Patton tanks and M-107 Self Propelled Artillery.  They possessed American small arms that they had used during their war with China and Cambodia.  Those weapons had not been seen in years and had been assumed to be in storage due to lack of ammo and replacement parts.
     
    Captured American Army Weapons:
     
    TANKS/SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY
    M48 Patton Medium tank
    M-41 Light tank
    M107 Self-Propelled Artillery 175 mm
     
    TRUCKS/APCs
    M-113