Page 226 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

B.40s should be used as rnuch as possible.
Z, Do not rnove alcng lanes to awoid getting lost' Cling
to peoplers houses. Use force, as required, to secure
the secrecy of trooP rnovernents.

3 . Apply the rnotto : when wounded' prornPt evacuation'
i{ killed' prompt inhurnation '

On the afternoon May 3Oth Major Bang, the 38th Ranger
battalion cornrnander, discovered that rnany enerny groups were infil-
trating into the city frora the direction of the Coconut palrn garden in
Phu Dinh. In spite o{ interdiction fires the enerny kept on sneaking
in. The Rangers c ounte r attacked. At 4 orclock in the rnorning' the
battalion cornrnander personnaly led 2 cornpanies creeping silently
towards the enerny and ordered Captain Nghenh, the battalion assist-
ant cornrnander to rnaneuver the rernaining cornpanies into Phu Dinh
Street to block the enerny route of withdrawal' A11 at once the enerny
appeared. A violent clash ensued. The Rangers totally won this battle
causing the enerny about 100 dead' One SZrnrn mortar, four 60rnrn
mortars, three heavy rnachineguns, trvo AKs, one B40, one B4l'and
two M16s were captured.But the enelny succeeded in infiltrating into
the city though. A rather large nurnber of thern had sneaked into Cho-
lon during the night. The quadrangle lirnited by Truong Tan Buu' Pharn
Dinh Ho, Thap Muoi, Phu Dinh Streets in Binh Tay area was cornplete-
ly in their hands' They had penetrated late at night' The policernen on
guard made no reaction at all when the VC appeared in the streets' oc-
Iupied rnany dorninating buildings and isolated the Marines positioned
at Renault bridge. Scattered VC groups also appeared at the Post
Office and Cholon railroad station on Tong Doc Phuong Street'
The 3Oth Ranger Battalion,one Marine cornpany, and two
Police Field Force c ornPanie s were sent to hold the advance of the
enelny. Colonel Tran Van Hai, the Ranger cornrnander went right to
the front to direct the operations.
Al1 traffic to the Delta provinces was delayed'

One cornpany of the 38th Ranger Battalion adjacent to
the unit rnoving on an enveloprnent attack on the rear of VC elernents
appeared in Truong Tan Buu Street (Cholon) had irnrnediate contact
w1if. tfr. enerny as they crossed the line ofdeparture' In Hau Giang
Street, enerny fire were heard here and there' The Znd Marine Bat-
talion positioned in this area was considered isolated frorn the rear
when Binh Tay fell into enerny hands'

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