Page 204 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

The Marines conducted an operation into the Garbage
Service area on the following day. The enerny firepower rvas so intenge
that our tanks were only able to penetrate into the objective after 3
consecutive assaults. At 10 otclock the situation was under control,
We captured 3 VC, killed 45 and took possession of 9 AK. 6 B.40, and
I B, 41.

A{ter a successful fire fight at Dong Nhi Harnlet rnany
weapons were captured. The encircled enerny pretended to surrender.
We called for thern to corne out with loudspeakers but they held the
positions. After repeated calls without results, air strikes against
the objective resurned at 1230 hours.

A unit of 6th Marine Battalion supported by tanks advan-
ced into Trung Nhat Harnlet.

At I230hours Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Thong announced
that the enerny force was considered destroyed. The rernaining task
for the Marines was to rnop up fleeing disbanded, disillusion and
disorganized enerny troops.

On the night of June lst and early on the rnorning of June
znd the enerny force was unexpectedly. found to have been reinforced
and capable of launching a thrust airned at the tactical cornrnand post
o{ the Marine rrGroup Att . The attack that catne wa6 turned back. On
the rnorning of June Znd the Marine rtGroup Att conducted a sweep in
the area, rnaneuvering with the 6th Marine Battalion in two colurnns
departing frorn Binh Loi Bridge. The second colurnn during their

advance rnet violent resistance l krn frorn Bang Ky Bridge and 900rn
frorn the line of departure. The enerny withdrew leaving behind 11
dead, 2 AKs and i 8.4f . In this engagernent 5 rowe of buildings o{ the
fertilizer plant were burned down.

The lst and the 6th Marine Battalions Ewept the area
northeast of Gia Dinh in two colurnns with the support of air and
artillery. During the 3 consecutive days of operations the Marines
had killed a total of 53I captured about 100 y/eapons of all kinds
rnostly AKs, 8.40s and B.4l s"
One June 3rd the battle to the northeast was ternporarily
caLrn in the Marine zone of action where all rernaining enerny troops
around Binh Loi Bridge and Bang Ky Bridge had been killed or captured
In this area only a search operation was 6ti11 in progress airned at
capturing hidden enerny elernents and weapone.

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