Page 213 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

atea a total of Z5 dead'. Cne group of ri{lernen then rnoved close to
the above street. The enerny set up in haste one heavy rnachine gun
on a 1og laden truck parked on the street and poured intense fire on
the advancing elernent who had to halt for cover. Lieutenant Binh
carrying an M.72 rnoved f orward and began to clirnb to a position on
a rnultistoried house. He was sPotted while taking cover behind a
wal1. The enerny {ired. a burst at the cracked wall braking of{ frag-
rnents of concrete which flew all over, but the of{icer was unhurt'
A short tirne later he succeeded in reaching the high part of the house
and frorn there launched a rocket at the log truck. The heavy rnachine
gun was hit and thrown into the enerny position below. Its gunner and
as sistant gunner were killed'

The riflernen then rnoved forward throwing grenades
into the enerny positions close to the wall. But they did not cross
to the other side of the street because this was part of the Marinegl
zone of action.
In the paratrooPersr battle area, the 5Znd cornpany sup-
ported byfour M41 tanks kept blocking positions within the quadrangle
Le Quang Dinh, Tran Binh Trong, Ngo Tung Chau and the boundary of
Xorn Thorn (Pineapple Harnlet)
Cn the afternoon of June 9th, pushed {rorn southwest by
the units o{ the 9th Airborne Battalion into the prongs o{ blocking
forces, the enerny rnassed all fires on the 5?/Z coropany in an atternPt
to break th,rough ihe assailants for a bloody escape route towards
Bang Ky Bridge. The enerny fire was rnost intense at 2020 hours'
The point of the rnauled force was found attirnes 15rn or ZOrn frorn
our advancing elernents i'n Tran Binh Trong street'

But when the enerny realized that they had {ailed to rnake
the break through, they rnoved towards Xorn Thorn Harnlet'
As of 2000 hours, enerny firing died away'

On the rnorning of June 10th rnore reinforcernents carne
into the quad.rangle for a search. At noon the situation to the west
and southwest quieted but to the east the enerrry pressure v/as still
high. The Marines had to attack frorn Bang Ky Bridge to push the
errerty to the south' Also on this rnorning the enerny set fire to a few
houses behind Duoc Su Pagoda probably to cover their escaPe'

Also on the rnorning of June 10th the 3rdAirborne Rang-
er company cornrnanded by Lieutenant N3o Tuong Larn rnoved into

-zt5 -