hmnmn....It'd be logical to say that it was true that most attacks were from normal civilian. Well, as I said above, Vietnam defense is about people defense. Even now, we'd do the very same things to any invader, that's the national spirit in each Vietnamese.
At that time, Vietnam trusted big brother China, so much that Viet didn't put any regular guarding Hanoi. I doubt your source pretty much. One of my father friend was from 316A. He was a radioman for that division. It was true that they suffered heavy casualties. It was so heavy that they almost lost their division's flag(if you know what I mean). But they suffered that in Cambodia war ( check the story that platoon after platoon "disappear").
There was no regular division in this war. There were some new divisions which were newly formed right away. You should not mistake these as regular. My father division was Nguyen Hue division, it was created one day after Chinese army begun their attack. I think you can check some western or US source. They also mention that there were no regular division in this conflict.
First of all, Vietnam's way of war is about people. Vietnam militia tired down the enemy before the main regular put a "decisive punch". The only regular army was the air-defense division which in charge of protecting Hanoi by all cost. As all of us know, how fast and powerful the Chinese armies advance, it'd be logical that Vietnam armies advoid direct battle with them.
P/S: I don't know about my country propaganda much. But I trust those guys from Ministry of defense. Oh I trust my father story too which was paid by a Chinese's bullet in his leg.
Sorry, my mistake, 316A did fought in this war! After it was re-structure in Cambodia war...my mistake. xDD~
i am amazed at the info discrepancy that exists between two sides. i admire the people's warfare that Vietnam put up against all three of its opponents. but guaranteed there were regular divisions involved, how Vietnam categorize their units i dont know, could be one of those "PVA" trick China pulled off in the korean war. but the units China fought against were all veterans from the Vietnam war, who had superior individual combat skills against the PLA at least at the initial stages of the war. and it is perfectly conceivable why the Viet army fought in small units, they never had much experience fighting with units beyond the size of battalions, because against the US airpower that's just suicide.