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The Lost Battalion of TET: Breakout of the 2/12th Cavalry at Hue. Charles A. Krohn. Naval Institute Press. 171 pages; black and white photographs; maps; index; $23.95.
In addition to being an honest, fair and balanced example of military writing, what marks The Lost Battalion of TET: Breakout of the 2/12th Cavalry at Hue for importance is author Charles A. Krohn's uncanny ability to elucidate what went wrong during a sixweek period in January and February 1968 during the recapture of the city of Hue, when a U.S. infantry battalion was ordered to attack a North Vietnamese force of more than 2,000 without air or artillery support.
The former lieutenant colonel's conclusion: Steel is always cheaper than blood.
During one of the initial battles of the Tet Offensive, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry (supported by Troop B, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment) prevented the enemy from driving free-world forces from the strategic Que Son Valley,...