Page 141 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Center. Cornrnunist soldiers also rnade their presence felt in Thu Duc,
blowing up a watchtower guarding the bridge o{ Go Dua just a rnile
frorn Thu Duc and destroying the bridge with TNT'

The following day enerny pressure in the Thu Duc area
becarne rnore intense as his gunners rnortared an equiprnent comPany
installation and occupied the Sicovina textile factory there' A battle
was also reported in the general area two rniles northwest of the race
track. The heavy fighting in this area was joined by planes and artil-
lery frorn the friendly side and anti-aircraft rnachineguns frorn the
Cornrnunist side. The Cornrnunists did their best to Protect this
infiltration route frorn where they had sent hundreds of rnortar rounds
into S4igon during the preceding days.
The battle started at the Cernetery of the Trieu Chau
(Ctrinese) Congregation when the 33rd Ranger Battalion carne to relieve
an Arnerican unit. This rnove followed the decision to rneroe Zones
rrDrr and rrFrt and rnake both divisions the area of responsibility of
governrnent R-angers. The enerny had avoided contact with the
Arnericans but when South Vietnarnese troops arrived the Cornrrrunists
irnrnediately struck.
A Vietnarn press correspondent was with the Rangers
when fighting brolte out between the Viet Cong and the crack govern-
rnent unit,which then was under the cornrnand of Captain NguyenThiet.
The correspondent was rnarching with the Third Cornpany and its corn-
rnander, young Li.eutenant Trinh Thanh Xuan' Here is his description
of the battle.:

"Binh Thoi Firing Range, Z0-Z-63(VP). -- It -as a Little
past noon when Lieutenant Trinh Thanh Xuan got ready for 1unch. At
that precise rnornent however, the youthful leader of the Third
Cornpany, 33rd Ranger Battalion, got word frorn his cornrnanding
officer that the enerny was about to strike.

rrThe enerny has infiltrated rnany troops in the Trieu
Chau Congregation Cernetery which is 200 yards frorn the Binh Thoi
Firing Range. His troops also were rnost nurnerous in a triangle rnade
up of Tan Hoa, Cau Tre, and Phu Binh. This situation had the irnrne -
diate effect of spoiling Lt. Xuanrs lunch.
ItAfter acknowledging the order to rnove against the ene-
rny,the cornpany divided itself into three Parts : Ist platoon underSer-
geant Tran Xoong, a veteran with over 30 years o{ service, was as-
signed the task of hitting the enerny frorn the right flank; 3rd platoon'

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