Page 145 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

rrAll over the place Viet Cong bodies could be seen, rnak-
ing the task of this reporter practically irnpossible. Dornestic anirnals
killed in the fight also created an un{orgettable picture with hogs as big
as cows littering the area and a lone and wounded cow crying while
standing fast.

rrMany tornbs had been opened by the violence of air raidq
yielding skeletons of those dead years ago. For thern death had arrived
twice. But all these horrors did not stop the Rangers who continued
the sweep until early afternoon.

"The battle had raged for over 24 hours. Frorn one o{ the
tornbs still intact, Li eut enant Trinh Thanh Xuan,Commander of the Third

Cornpany, reported :
Itln this battle we have captured rnany rnasks with which
the Viet Cong apparently had intended to fight a gas war. Thege maske
look rather strange as they are rnade of nylon with green oxygen tubes.
The total Viet Cong losses arnount to about 300,of which sorre are

buried under collaps ed buildings,
The enerny continued to try to enter the iity frorn its
northwestern gates, Most indicative of this intention was a battle
opposing a battalion of Regirnent Z7Z/CT.9 and the Third Brigade of
the US 25th Infantry Division. The battle took place on 21 February
at the Village of Vinh Loc district of Tan Binh, a lrtere four rnilee
northwe st of Saigon.
After this battle enerny prea6ure continued to be rnaintained
in that area,especially in the second half of February when elernents
of the crack Viet Cong Ninth Infantry Divieion made their aPPearance
in the region of Hoc Mon. In addition to their presence one also has to
reckon with thei.r deterrnination to redeem themgelveg with sornething
better than the series of beating they had recorded in the preceding

rnonths.
In their atternpt to infiltrate Saigonihe NinthDivieion had
one of its regirnents, the Z7Znd, rnauled by US troops with l3Z dead by
body count. Another regirnent, the Z73td, tried to corne in through Go
Vap but was stopped by Vietnarnese airborne troops.Its third regirnent'
the 27Ist,was in better shape, since it was kePt in Hoc Mon to be used
as rein{orcernents for the other two reginoents.
To cope with this situation the two -Allied cornrnands had
to rnaintain quite a few troops in the Capital Military District' On the
Vietnamese side there were two airborne task forces, a Marine task

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