Page 219 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

At 0400 hours these units seized the entire objecti.ve
and even reached Ngu Hanh Ternple and got close to the gate of Hien
Vuong Housing Quarter I. 17 VC were killed during the attack, 3 8.40s
5 AKs and I pistol were captured. These weapons were either burned
or bullet riddled-

On the rnorning of June 17th a captain, the assistant-
c ornrnander of the Quyet Thang Regirnent,who se name wa6 Phan Van
Xung surrendered and revealed that the enerny had withdrawn to the
Narn A textile plant Ieaving behind but one srnall unit to fight in a
delaying and diversion action. This surrendered high ranking officer
also disclosed that the enerny probably stil1 had an estirnated 230 rnen
on hand but only 120 were fit for cornbat while the rernainder were all
wounded.

So this rnauled unit about 200 strong had atternpted to
escape through the encirclernent under the cover of darkness. At
about 0100 hours they rnoved to the steel raihvay bridge to wi.thdraw
in the direction of Hiep Binh Harnlet. One should rernernber that on
the day before an elernent of the Dong Nai Regiment had intended to
reinforce the encircled Quyet Thang Regirnent but when it reached
An Phu Dong it had been srnashed by the 3rd Airborne Battalion
leaving behind 100 dead,

While the enerny unit got close to the steel bridge it was
fired upon by the 6th Marine Battalion positioned there and was forced
to pu1l back to Bang Ky Bridge where it lyas rnet by the let Marine
Battalion lvhich pushed it back to the cernetery around Giac Quang
Pagoda.
At 6 o'c1ock, Major Phan Van Thang, lst Marine Bat-
talion cornrnander was personnally in cornrnand of the Znd and the 4th
Marine cornpanies to conduct a cordon and search operation in this
area,
Many clashes \rere reported, The Marines killed 5 VC,
captured 2 and received one surrendered VC.

The surrendered VC whose narne wa6 Ho Van E and who
wa s a native of Binh Duong Province, rlisclosed that while withdrawing
frorn Cay Thi, the Quyet Thang lst and Znd Battalions had joined
together to rnove through the burned area behind Cay Thi Market.
They had crossed the road junction, taken over in the surrounding
houses where they awaited darkness. After which they were to atternpt
to fo1low the previously atternpted route of withdrawal in the direction