Page 185 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Frorn atop the building looking towards the Pottery area'
Binh Tien Bridge connecting Binh Dong with Cholon was clearly seen
with its curved frarne. Two Rangers in firing position on the roof and
arrned with M. 79 grenade launchers airning downwards were ready to
cover by fire both ends of the bridge' Frorn tirne to tirne, M.79 gre-
nades were launched into the oPPosite buildings through the windows
for fear of hostile B.40rS.
At the sarne tirne the Ranger advance guard continued to
close with the enerny. Individual and crew served weapons were firing
ceaselessly. Bullets crisscrossed and sorne flew in the wrong direction
towards the building rnaking hissing and whipping sounds, The NLF'
{lag kept on flying over the Pottery area.
Requested artitlery fire continued to pound regularly the
Pottery area with two rounds at a tirne. Cloudg of srnoke and flarnes
rose high in the sky following the explosions. At 1300 hours gunships
carne in to strike the area. The enerny held the {ar end of the bridge
and our troops the near end. They all occupied dominating buildings'
The gunships struck by rnistake friendly Positions.

At 1500 hours, the firing calrned down on both sides.
At 1600 hours the Major, cornrnanding o{ficer of the 35th
Ranger Battalion,flew over the enerny battle area to observe and esti-
rnate the situation. His plane was fired at frorn the ground. The artil-
lery kept on firing while the blaze continued to expand with huge colurnns
of llarnes burning rows of houses I krn long along the creek flowing
under Renault Bridge, The city firernen had battled the fire since 1500
hours but rernained irnPotent in face of the gigantic whirling colurnns
o{ flarnes.
At 1900 hours the 3rd Ranger Cornpany was ordered to
cross Renault bridge. The enerny returned fire violently forcing the
Rangers to pull back to the near end of the bridge' At 1920 hours they
tried to assault for the second tirne while rnassing al1 fires on the
opposite end of the bridge. This tirne they were successful'

Battalion C-ornrnander Ho Van Hoa ordered the NLF flag
torn down 3 Rangers cornrnanded by Aspirant Pharn Minh Hoang car-
ried out the rnis sion.

Under the light o{ flares and flarnes of the burning houses,
the 4 Rangers crePt to the foot of the larnppost. One of thern clirnbed
up and was about to reach the flag when he was hit and fell down to the

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