Page 120 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

it to Vinh Loc about six rniles west of Ba Queo.
About 100 stray soldiers rernained frorn the Viet Cong
force that initially attacked Saigon, They sornetirnes betrayed thern-
selves in zones rrArr, Dn and uCu by foolishly firing on patrol boats
going up the Lo Gorn river, rnedical tearns operating in the Minh
Phung area, and sorne troops of the 30th Ranger Battalion north of
Phu Dinh, etc. . .
Again on 12 February South Vietnarnese Ranger elernents
launched a sweep of the suburb of Phu Larn, whii:h went through the
f ollowing stage s :
Early that day as elernent of the 38th Ranger Battalion
crossed the Rach Cau Sat,they killed a Viet Cong and captured another
one. The battalion irnrnediately got the order to continue its rnarch
to join strength with the 30th Ranger Battalion lvhich was controlling
both sides of the Lo Gorn Canal, It was planhed that frorn a southeastern
direction both battalions would drive the enerny to the areas of Hoa
Do,rg and My Thuan.
Earlier the 41 st Ranger Battalion had been heliborne to an
area south of the Rach Cat Road in Phu Larn, and an arrnored elernent
was also dispatched to help the attacking troops to advance in the direc-
tion of Hoa Dong and My Thuan. In the ensuing fight the 30th Ranger
Battalion killed a total of 26 Yiet Cong and captured eight weapons.
Although not exactly successful,thi6 battle was to rnark the beginning
of the end for the Viet Cong in the city. All later fighting was to take
place in suburban areas or areas adjoining on the outskirts.

Of the rnany battles recorded just outside Saigon,Iet it be
recalled here that rnost successful was one involving a U'S. elernent
that took place on the aJternoon of 11 February. In this encounter the
enerny suffered 47 dead, two captured, and 34 wea.Pons conJiscated
while six Arnericans were killed and 15 wounded, Captured docurnents
showed that rnost Viet Cong killed were part of the Rrr Vanguard
rr
Cornrnand and escort elernents. It was also said that V. C' General
Tran Do was killed in this encounter, This inJorrrration however, has
not been con{irrned by intelligence agencies.

In a night operation launched by U. S' troops,U' S. Batta-
lio.n 4/39 clashed with the enerny in Hung Long,killing 154 Cornrnunists
and capturing one. The P.W, told his interrogators that he belonged
to the 2nd Independent Battalion in Long An. Most enerny casualties

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