File:BR, Vietnam, 1972, Easter Counter-Offensive, file 006.jpg

Holding: "Continued bad weather ... precluded the use of VNAF or U.S. tactical air power. ... The month's ... first two weeks also witnessed the arrival of III Marine Amphibious Force units responding to direction from Seventh Fleet ... On 14 April, more air observers ... Available naval gunfire support now included 27 destroyers, 2 light cruisers, and a heavy cruiser. " "Despite reliance on armor and motorized forces, the North Vietnamese Army's infantry displayed a greater degree of crosscountry mobility than their opponents. ... After more than two weeks of rain and dense cloud cover, the weather broke allowing a massive air effort ... B-52 Arc Light strikes as well as hundreds of tactical air strikes ... in support of ARVN gtround forces. ... On 18 April at 1830, the 304th NVA Division struck all along the western front moving toward Quang Tri City." " ... desperate ground forces, naval gunfire, along with diverted B-52 and tactical air strikes, stopped the NVA forces. " " While the ARVN defenders held the Dong Ha positions, the concentration of the battle ... had shifted to the western approaches ... For the first time AT-3 Sagger Wire-guided antitank missiles were used against M48 tank crews ... " [34]

Collapse: "On 1 May, General Giai decided that further defense of Quang Tri City would be fruitless ... No orderly withdrawal plan was promulagated ... destroyed the last traces of cohesion among the ARVN troops ... A frightened mob poured out as a "tidal wave onto Highway 1" and fled southward toward Hue. ... The NVA attack on this road, by artillery and infantry weapons, earned Highway 1 the title "Highway of Horror" for the estimated 2,000 civilian and military dead left along a three-quarters-of-a-mile stretch. ... Only six tanks remained of the 42 that had arrived at Dong Ha on Easter Sunday. ... ... FAC could not see the targets, Chung did not care, so long as the air support continued ... Six B-52s dropped their bomb loads just on the other side of the river. ... a disheveled Colonel Chumg got out of his collapsed bunker and said with a smile, "That was very good. Do it again". " " On 1 May, ready forces went on two-hour standby for evacuation operations in support of FRAC. ... withdrew from Quang Tri City... " [35]