Page 128 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

ngu Bridge,only to be hit by Cornrnunist fire. Two U.S. patroknen
were wounded and the Arnerican jeep turned upside down when its dri-
ver tried to veer right to get out of the firing zone,

Meanwhile, the enerny continued his pressure on the
entrance to the Navy Headquarters. While a Viet Cong group kept a
steady rate of fire on the defending Navyrnen,another group tried to
bring in sorne exploslves with the evident intention of blowing up the
gate and penetrating the headquarters building.
Frorn thefirst floor of the building Navyrnen tried to
keep the intruders at a distance. Three of the intruders were shot
as they reached the gate. The exchange continued but sorne of the
Cornrnunists succeeded in blowi.ng a hole in the wall of the sentry post
frorn where two of thern tried to sneak in. They were kille<l as they
entered,
Fi{teen rninute s later the fight carne to an end. A recon-
naissance tearn rvas at once dispatched to kill the rernaining V. C.
agents or to take thern prisoners. One of thern tried to {1ee but the
rnan had barely reached the BGI buildi.ng when he was captured by U. S.
soldiers in the area.

The final result was ten Viet Cong dead, two captured,
severr AK rilles, one Chinese Cornrnunist pistol and 200 pounds of
explosives conJiscated. On the governrnent side two Navyrnen rnade
the suprerne sacrifice while another nine were wounded.
The relatively speedy repulse of the Cornrnunists frorn
the area can be explained by one single developrnent. As a rule only
troops on guard are arrned, but on that ni.ght following the alert order
of the Joint General Staff that calne a little before rnidnight, all the
soldiers present were issued individual weapons. Therefore, when
the enerny tried to breach the defense perirneter his troops rnet with
strong resistance frorn the defenders.
According to the Viet Cong plan they had planned to
occupy the Nawy headquarters speedily and from there sweep trooPs
down the anchored ships to take possession o{ the wessels. They also
had planned to use the capture ships to support a conternplated rnass
uprising.

Sor,ne other attacks
Meanwhile, the intruders also tried to stage rnany other
attacks in various strategically irnportant positions in the capital,
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