Cable No. 38B from Brother Chien [Vo Nguyen Giap] to Brother Tuan [Van Tien Dung]

1. The Politburo has made the following assessment: The tremendous, strategically-significant victory we have just won signals a new step in the collapse of the Americans and their puppets and marks a turning point in the military and political character of the war in South Vietnam. The enemy has revealed his desire to conduct a large-scale strategic withdrawal throughout the entire South Vietnamese battlefield aimed at pulling his forces back and concentrating them to defend primarily just Saigon and the Mekong Delta. After his retreat from the Central Highlands, he is now in the process of withdrawing from Hue and we cannot exclude the possibility that he may also withdraw from Danang.

2. In view of this situation, the Politburo’s resolve is, as has already been transmitted to you, to move as fast as possible, acting with daring and surprise (in terms of direction, of forces, and of timing) to defeat the enemy’s plan and quickly achieve our strategic goal in the key, focal-point sector.

3. After receiving your cable and while our troops were exploiting this victory and pursuing the enemy, I discussed the situation with Brother Sau [Le Duc Tho] and also asked Brother Ba [Le Duan] for his thoughts.

We are in complete agreement with the plan for the development of the offensive and for the employment of forces outlined in your cable.

4. Instill tremendous resolve in our cadre and enlisted men to pursue and annihilate enemy troops and to liberate the coastal provinces, including Nha Trang and Cam Ranh. You need to prepare a plan to supply additional cadre and equipment in order to quickly expand local forces in areas that have been liberated and to entrust local forces with the task of consolidating our hold on these local areas so that we can mass our main force units as quickly as possible in order to regroup them while we simultaneously carry out comprehensive preparations in the focal point sector.

5. The broad outline of our policy for the different sectors is as follows:

a) Brothers An and Linh’s sector had received concrete instructions and has a plan to reinforce forces and strengthen leadership and command [Translator’s Note: This refers to 2^nd Corps’ sector – “An” is 2^nd Corps Commander Nguyen Huu An and “Linh” is 2^nd Corps Political Commissar Le Linh].

b) In Brother Hai Manh’s [Chu Huy Man] sector we must leave F2 [2^nd Division] in the north in order to strive to destroy the enemy, especially in the event that the enemy decides to withdraw from Danang. You should send F968 [968^th Division] down to reinforce Binh Dinh.

c) In Brother Bay Cuong’s [Pham Hung] sector we will continue to carry out the previously approved plan but with a spirit of greater urgency. The plan for the Mekong Delta needs to be stepped up further. We are not clear on the specific situation down there, because as of this moment we have received virtually no reporting on their plan.

6. Brothers Sau Minh [Le Duc Tho] and Ba Long [Le Trong Tan] will come down to brief you, Bay Cuong [Pham Hung], and Nam Cong [Vo Chi Cong] on the Politburo and the Central Military decisions. Then, based on the concrete situation they find down there. they will discuss with all of you developing a plan to implement these decisions.

7. The Central Highlands Campaign will certainly secure a great victory.

I wish you all good health.

[signed]

Chien [Vo Nguyen Giap]