Ask the Scholar
Page 33 of 61
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
4
biggest source of dismay has been the inability of the US/SVN fighter-
bombers to stem the invasion. It has long been an article of faith
among air boosters that whoever controls the air will pretty well
determine the course of ground battle, but that hasn't worked in
this offensive. Said one AF general, "I can't understand it, tanks
are not supposed to survive against the kind of attack we use, with
rockets and forward air controllers to spot targets and direct the
strikes.
11
A senior DOD official said "We've got to wonder about
air power. 11
GVN, shaken by the debacle at Quang Tri, changed commands
in the far north, putting defenses in the hands of a Gen. Truong,
highly regarded by Americans. NBC/ABC noted the shuffles.
Noting "panic" in retreat from Quang Tri and failure of ARVN
to care for wounded, British correspondent commented that any
retreat leaving its wounded behind is a "very desperate" retreat
indeed, with ARVN looking every bit like a defeated army. A US
adviser pointed out the odds were 10, 000 ARVN VS. 40,000 NVA in
QT and NVA had to be given credit for punching thru, but predicted
Hue wouldn't fall. But said the correspondent, only one RR bridge
remains for NVA to cross in move toward Hue and its guarded by
only 60 AR VN. It's hard for a non-military observer to comprehend
ARVN generals' strategy. They say they're retreating to regroup
which they've sadly had to do a lot of lately if they retreat much
further, they'll be regrouping inside Hue city boundaries.
An Italian journalist who escaped from Quang Tri, gave CBS
AM News a critical description of AR VN forces running away, saying
nobody could stop them, that they're stripping off their uniforms to
avoid ARVN MPs as they flee. Nobody knows where the 3rd AR VN
Div. even is. The US is getting more and more nervous, said the
correspondent, laughing (he explained laughter because he was alive
and out of QT.)
SVN's northern front held firm and was relatively quiet.
NBC
film from Kontum where situation is "critical." Thousands of refugees
want to leave but roads are cut. They want out because they don't
feel AR VN can come up with the maximum military effort needed to
hold the city. ARVN shown on way to front but many are deserting.
Page data
- Page
- 33
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 6ac7541cf4269bf8
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 574779652
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "574779652",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "News Summaries - May 1972 [2 of 13]",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652",
"collections": [
"White House Staff Member and Office Files (Nixon Administration)",
"President's Office Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 61,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "574779652",
"label": "News Summaries - May 1972 [2 of 13]",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "574779652",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "News Summaries - May 1972 [2 of 13]",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652",
"collections": [
"White House Staff Member and Office Files (Nixon Administration)",
"President's Office Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 61,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/574779652",
"naId": 574779652,
"levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 33,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-smof/876218/Batch0003/049/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02/37-sf-smof-pof-876218-049-02-033.jpg",
"mediaId": "6ac7541cf4269bf8",
"ocrText": "4\nbiggest source of dismay has been the inability of the US/SVN fighter-\nbombers to stem the invasion. It has long been an article of faith\namong air boosters that whoever controls the air will pretty well\ndetermine the course of ground battle, but that hasn't worked in\nthis offensive. Said one AF general, \"I can't understand it, tanks\nare not supposed to survive against the kind of attack we use, with\nrockets and forward air controllers to spot targets and direct the\nstrikes.\n11\nA senior DOD official said \"We've got to wonder about\nair power. 11\nGVN, shaken by the debacle at Quang Tri, changed commands\nin the far north, putting defenses in the hands of a Gen. Truong,\nhighly regarded by Americans. NBC/ABC noted the shuffles.\nNoting \"panic\" in retreat from Quang Tri and failure of ARVN\nto care for wounded, British correspondent commented that any\nretreat leaving its wounded behind is a \"very desperate\" retreat\nindeed, with ARVN looking every bit like a defeated army. A US\nadviser pointed out the odds were 10, 000 ARVN VS. 40,000 NVA in\nQT and NVA had to be given credit for punching thru, but predicted\nHue wouldn't fall. But said the correspondent, only one RR bridge\nremains for NVA to cross in move toward Hue and its guarded by\nonly 60 AR VN. It's hard for a non-military observer to comprehend\nARVN generals' strategy. They say they're retreating to regroup\nwhich they've sadly had to do a lot of lately if they retreat much\nfurther, they'll be regrouping inside Hue city boundaries.\nAn Italian journalist who escaped from Quang Tri, gave CBS\nAM News a critical description of AR VN forces running away, saying\nnobody could stop them, that they're stripping off their uniforms to\navoid ARVN MPs as they flee. Nobody knows where the 3rd AR VN\nDiv. even is. The US is getting more and more nervous, said the\ncorrespondent, laughing (he explained laughter because he was alive\nand out of QT.)\nSVN's northern front held firm and was relatively quiet.\nNBC\nfilm from Kontum where situation is \"critical.\" Thousands of refugees\nwant to leave but roads are cut. They want out because they don't\nfeel AR VN can come up with the maximum military effort needed to\nhold the city. ARVN shown on way to front but many are deserting."
}