Page 134 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

thus reducing the Viet Cong pressure on the gate. While the exchange
of {ire was continuing,a U.S. truck arrived,bringing replacernents for
the sentries at the VIP|s house, The truck was hit by a 8,40 rocket,
It caught fire,causing the death or wounding of the Arnericans of the
truck, A11 these developrnents helped to keep the intruders frorn
hreaklng in.
It was to be learned later that the assaulting troops belong-
ed to the F.100 unit which had the rnission to get into the headquar-
ters and capture all the high ranking officers, Coordinated attacks
had been planned on Gate Four on Vo Di Nguy Street and on Gate Two
on Vo Tanh Street, Only Gate One was left alone.

At Gate Four a group o{ sappers had penetrated the corn-
pound of the Arrned Forces Language School, But for sorne unknown
reasons they were unable to coordinate their attack with those frorn
the outside. Thus thei.r attack started at 0?00 hours,five hours 1ater.
At 0705 hours several B.40 rockets were fired at the watchtower which
caused it to collapse. A11 the soldiers standing guard there were
killed. An elernent of the Headquarters Cornpany irnrnediately respon-
ded to the enerny threat. However the C ornrnande r of the elernent,
Major Tran Le Tai, was slightly wounded in the first minute of the
fight and ordered his troops to a line of defense about 200 yards frorn
G ate Four,
The enerny could have used another gate in his attemPt
to penetrate the Joint General Staff cornpound, but thanks to the inter-
vention of the Arnerican M, P. rs at Gate Four,he did not have enough
troops to deploy in the direction of the other gates. Thus the plan for
the capture o{ the South Vietnarnese Arrny headquarters waa con-
dernned to failure,

On the rnorning of the following day Viet Cong troops
corning frorn the Xorn Thorn area penetrated Gate Four but were
unable to cornrnunicate with other groupsi therefore,they failed to
exploit their initial succeas. Since it was daylight when they broke
into the JGS cornpound,they were again put to a great di.sadvantage.
Still at that tirne there was only an 8O-rnan company, rnade up of staff
troops supported by a handful of tank6 defending the area. If the enerny
had known it the situation could have grown serious since there were
no reinforcernent available.
Outside the cornpound U.S. troops guarding the VIP's
residence and sentries at Gate Five continued firing through the night.

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