Talk:Phase III offensive

The three phases of the Vietnam Tet of 1968 Offensive

In several places Wikipedia characterizes the Vietnam Tet of 1968 offensive as three phases: Phase 1: January 31 – March 28, 1968; Phase 2: May 5 – June 15, 1968; and Phase 3: August 9 – September 23, 1968. I can't find an attribution. In one location they cite Moise, Edwin (2017). The Myths of Tet The most misunderstood event of the Vietnam War. University of Kansas Press. ISBN 978-0700625024. I bought the book, and the citation is erroneous. The book refers to three phases, but not those three phases. Without proper citation there are a number of Wikipedia websites that are affected such as Tet Offensive - Wikipedia and Phase III offensive - Wikipedia. Yes, there were three PAVN/VC offensives in 1968, but I'm not sure anyone has documented them as three phases of Tet '68.

BilleeK (talk) 14:11, 8 September 2022 (UTC)

BilleeK on which page is the erroneous reference to Moise? Mztourist (talk) 03:07, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

The following statement: "The term "Tet offensive" usually refers to the January–February 1968 offensive, but it can also include the so-called "Mini-Tet" offensive that took place in May and the Phase III offensive in August, or the 21 weeks of unusually intense combat which followed the initial attacks in January."

is attributed to 21. "The Myths of Tet". kansaspress.ku.edu.  Moise, Edwin (2017). The Myths of Tet The most misunderstood event of the Vietnam War. University of Kansas Press. ISBN 978-0700625024 and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensive#cite_note-21

I bought his book; he doesn't say that. Moise's discussion on phases does not resemble or support the above statement. This has implications for a number Wiki pages that are based on that contention. BilleeK (talk) 09:54, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

Which Wikipedia page are you referring to? Mztourist (talk) 12:14, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

For some other references for the three phases of the Tet Offensive see: pages 529 on (Phase II) and 641 on Phase III), and pages 307 and 373. Mztourist (talk) 03:18, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

I've checked the Villard and Shulimson references (1 and 3 above) and neither support the Wikipedia entry noted above. In fact, some of the pages referenced don't even contain the term "phase." By the way, I use the Villard publication extensively - it is a great reference, but again, it does not support the Wikipedia statement that I have noted above. I don't have the Colonel Hoang Ngoc Lung reference but since you didn't cite a page number, I assume that you didn't check it either.

Please don’t start throwing irrelevant references at me (such as the pages that don’t even include the term “phase”). I was in Vietnam during that timeframe (June 1968 to June 1969) and I’ve done a lot of studying specifically on that timeframe. I can find no academic support for the Wikipedia posting that the “Tet offensive [of 1968] can also include the so-called "Mini-Tet" offensive that took place in May and the Phase III offensive in August, or the 21 weeks of unusually intense combat which followed the initial attacks in January” or variations of that statement such as

Phase 1: January 31 – March 28, 1968

Phase 2: May 5 – June 15, 1968

Phase 3: August 9 – September 23, 1968 BilleeK (talk) 10:06, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

Again which Wikipedia page are you referring to? In relation to your comment "Please don’t start throwing irrelevant references at me" the books I cited are all relevant, if that doesn't satisfy you then you can make the argument on the Talk Pages why it should be changed, but don't go making editorial comments on the pages themselves as you did previously. Mztourist (talk) 12:14, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

I Corps - Đà Nẵng

The second half of the section needs to be rewritten to avoid misunderstanding. In fact, the third phrase:

South of Đà Nẵng, the ARVN 51/2nd Regiment and two Ranger battalions with Marine air support repulsed probing attacks from the PAVN 31st and 38th Regiments, killing almost 300 PAVN before they withdrew to their bases on Go Noi Island.

was the summary of Villard p.657 (3 sentences) for Shulimsonp p.381 (almost the whole page)

The almost 300 PAVN killed on Villard was combined from four numbers on Shulimsonp :

The ARVN 1st Battalion, 51st Infantry

• On 24 August  : 1 prisoner and 30 enemy dead
• On 25 August  : approximately 150 North Vietnamese dead
• At _ 29 August : reported killing 42 of the enemy

Finally, two ARVN units, the 21st and 37th Ranger Battalions ... Shortly after launching their sweep, the ARVN Ranger battalions

• .............  : resulted in over 80 North Vietnamese dead

Leemyongpak (talk) 02:37, 12 March 2026 (UTC)