Page 197 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

infiltrated under the cover of darkness through thegap between two
outposts on the fri.nge of the Capital.

Prisoners of war interrogation reports also con{irrned
that the K.3 Phu Loi Battalion was the first inJiltrated unit. On May
Z5th in the afternoon Gia Dinh police Force had another clash with
the enerny in the vicinity of euan Tarn pagoda near Cay eueo Harnlet,
Hoang Hoa Tharn Street.

Then on Saturday at rnidnight until Sunday early morning
the enerny really rnade their appearance in the battle area. ihey
seized rnany places such as the quadrangle lirnited by Nguyen Van
Hoc, Le Quang Dinh, Ngo Tung Chau, Chi Lang Streets and the Lido
Swirrrrning Pool area. They broke into houses, shot at rnilitary person_
nel and civilians suspected as civil servants and everything rnoving
on the streets on early Sunday rnorning.
The Marine ttGroup Arr conducted irnrnediate reaction
operations. A Marine force rnoved into the Mortuary Lane behind
f S.1"tr Van Hoc Hospital. Another colurnn departing frorn Binh Hoa
Road Junction to seize the Lido Swirnrning pool and the Trung
Thanh Restaurant where an estirnated vC C ornpany held scattered
defensive positions with antiaircraft weapons and rnortars.

Another colurnn departing frorn Le Ouang Dinh, Ngo
Tung Chau Streets rnoved to seize the crossroads between Trari euv
Cap, Phan Van Tri, Le euang Dinh, Ngo Tung Chau Streets. Enerny
troops were dispersed into scattered cornbat cells positioned in high
buildings to contain the adwance of our attacking forces, As they
reached the corner of Hoang Hoa Tharn and Ngo Tung Chau Street6,
a c lash flared.

The friendly rear elernent blocking to the North on the
Gia Dinh - Go Yap boundary also had scattered engagernents.

After an entire day of hard fighting the Marines had
killed 8 VC, captured I heavy rnachinegun and Z AKrs at Cay Thi
Road Junction and the Lido Swirnrning pool. The Marine s had f ailed

to drive the enerny out of this area because enerny troops had fought
frorn forti-fied defensive positions organized in the peoplers house-s.
In other areas as soon as we seized one quarter of the street the VC
would withdraw to another one. At the Mortuary Lane behind Nguyen
Van Hoc Hospital when we tightened the encircLernent the enerny
rnoved to hold positions in Le euang Dinh Street i.n vicinity of Duoc Su

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