SAIGON, Vietnam – The 1st Logistical Command 379th Transportation Company line up in a convoy to deliver food and ammo to the Soldiers on the frontlines, circa 1969. The trucks, known as the minesweepers ran ahead of the group, providing logistical s… (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) As the Americans withdrew, South Vietnam’s combat capability declined. The United States furnished its allies the heavier M48 tank to match the NVA’s T54 tank and heavier artillery to counter North Vietnamese 130mm. guns, though past experience suggested that additional arms and equipment could not compensate for poor skills and mediocre leadership. In fact, the weapons and equipment were insufficient to offset the reduction in U.S. combat strength. In mid-1968, for example, an aggregate of fifty-six allied combat battalions were present in South Vietnam’s two northern provinces; in 1972, after the departure of most American units, only thirty battalions were in the same area. Artillery strength in the northern region declined from approximately 400 guns to 169 in the same period, and ammunition supply rates fell off as well. Similar reductions took place throughout South Vietnam, causing decreases in mobility, firepower, intelligence support, and air support. Five thousand American helicopters were replaced by about 500. American specialties—B-52 strikes, photo reconnaissance, and the use of sensors and other means of target acquisition—were drastically curtailed.