Actually Tet was more of a political victory for the
North. They launched a surprise attack
on South Vietnam during the Tet holiday on January 30, 1968. They attacked not only military targets but
towns and cities. Communist forces
managed to storm the U.S. Embassy.
Though a counterattack enabled the U.S. regain the territories assaulted
by the North, the reaction at home was so negative that support for American
involvement in the States dropped. This
led to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam and eventually the North
conquered the South.
On the British ships the conditions were horrible. there was a lack of supplies and food and sailors feared they could die.