Page 112 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

resistance in the area of Thong Tay Hoi northwest of Co Loa Carnp.
In this area they killed 60 Cornrnunists, captured 30 enerny weapons
while suJfering only ten wounded.

C,n 7-8 February, however, enelny pressure in zone
rrDrr
was still very rnuch in evidence. Many squad or company groups
constantly roarned the Su Van Hanh area, burning a ranger jeep,and
killing and wounding four governrnent soldiers on Tran Hoang euan
Street, They also set -fire to a rj.ce depot in Binh Dong which took
firernen two hours to extinguish. They set fire to a paper factory
at the corner of Hau Giang and Dong Thap Streets. 'Ihere was a
period of intense fighting when the 3Oth Ranger Batralion encountered
a strong enerny force south of the Kinh Doi Canal and the Sixth Ma:.ine
Battalion carrre across a sirnilar V. C. group in the Rach Chiec area.
The 38th Ranger Battalion also recorded a big fight on Minh Phung
Avenue that resulted irr five government soldiers ki1led, another ten
wounded,and the loss of an arrnored car,

Here follows the story of that irnportant battle I
On 8 February, the 38th Ranger Battalion, began a sweep
at a Little past noon with the objective of elirninating the V.C. intruders
frorn a relatively large area. Starting frorn Lo Sieu Street,the batta-
lion divided itself into two wings,one under the c ornrnand of its corn-
rnander only identified as Captain Bang, and the other under the deputy
c ornrnanding officer, Lieutenant Nghenh.
Captain Bang led Cornpanies 1 and Z in a sweep of the
Luc Tinh Road reaching to the bridge of Phu Larn. Lieutenant Nghenh
led the two rernaining cornpanies in another sweep of the triangle
delineated by Boulevard Tran Quoc Toan, Minh Phung Street and
Road 46. Nghenhts troops were supported by an arrnored group, a
rnarine elernent, and civil operations troops frorn the Political War-
fare Departrnent. lt was this second wing which clashed with the enemy
most feroc iously.

At 1330 hours as the Third Cornpany under the cornrnand
of Lieutenant Chinh arrived at Duy Linh Park, it carne under intense
enerny fire. Vlet Cong troops apparently had captured a bus with
which they blocked Minh Phung Street and from where they attacked
the governrnent unit, But in spite of the iatensity of the enerny fire,
the assau.lt elernent of Chinhrs colrlpany continue,l iis cotlnterattack.

Soon over 100 troops were hitting frorn all- dir:ec'ri,ras

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