Cable No. 961 from Brother Van [Vo Nguyen Giap] to Brothers Bay Cuong [Pham Hung] and Tu Nguyen [Tran Van Tra]

1. Have received your Cable No. 25-BC/B01. Am extremely pleased. Now we must act with lightning speed, daring, and surprise.

2. The enemy has disintegrated and abandoned Nha Trang, Cam Rang, and the Hanh Son Airfield and is fleeing south to Eastern Cochin China. The retreating rabble will cause great fear and confusion in Binh Tuy, Phuoc Tuy, and even in Saigon.

3. While we are preparing our big plan we also need a plan to immediately concentrate our heavy artillery and a portion of our tanks and infantry to take advantage of the current terror and confusion by striking to annihilate the defeated troops that have just fled back down there, to destroy a portion of the enemy’s 18^th Division and capture Xuan Loc, and to push in close to Bien Hoa and suppress and neutralize the Bien Hoa Airbase. If we do that the enemy’s air force will be rendered ineffective and the enemy in Saigon will become extremely frightened.

4. Brother Tuan [Van Tien Dung] leaves at noon today to go down to your location. Several days ago Deaf Hoa [Nguyen Hoa] was ordered move out as quickly as possible. Many additional technical specialty units will follow.

Hoa’s first unit will arrive near your location circa 10 April.

5. I have ordered Group 559 and the other battlefields to concentrate all their forces and equipment for a decisive battle at the focal point.

6. In addition to your Cable No. 817, dated 29 March, that I already received, I would like you and Brother Tu Nguyen [Tran Van Tra] to send me a cable summarizing the main points of your plan so that Brother Ba [Le Duan] and the rest of us can contribute our thoughts on it.

7. The issue right now is lightning speed, lightning speed, total victory, total victory.

[signed]

Van [Vo Nguyen Giap]