Page 259 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

' The Areas C, D and F were contested areas at this
tirne. Cf these three, Area E or the knperial Palace was entirely
under the control of enerny forces. These forces also controlled
vantage points in the southeastern and southerl.1' section of the Citadel
wall s .
The entire Citadel area is about ten square kilorneters,
The cornbined Vietnarne se -Ame ric an forces operating in these three
contested areas (C, D and F) included seven battalions. The troops
stationed in Areas A and B were not included.

Reporter Nguyen Tu, who covered the Marine Battle
Group A since the beginning of its Operation Song 'lhan 739/68, gave
the following description of its heroic perforrnance during the battle :
rrBattle Group A was divided into two coLurnns, the first

one being the First Battalion cornrnanded by Maj. Phan Van Thang,
and the second being the Fifth Battalion, c ornrnanded by Maj. Pharn
Van Nha, The first objective was the Cao Thang barrack, horne of
the First ordnance C ornpany which becarne a frontline base, The
barrack, which had been stubbornly defended for fifteen days by sorne
eighty soldiers under the cornrnand of Capt. Tran Kirn Khue and Lt
Nguyen Van Cap, included a warehouse with a large quantity of arnrnu-
nition and weapons. Arnong the weapons were nearly 1,400 up-to-date
M16 autornatic rif le s.
rrLt. Cap said it would be arrgreat disasterrr if the Corn-
rnunists captured the barrack. Both Capt. Khue and Lt. Cap were
no longer concerned about the barrack since the stocked arnrnunition
and weapons were dispersed to other places. They were verv happy
to see the Marines corne. They said rrwe had been entirely isolated
frorn the rest of the rear and cut off frorn our farnilies for fifteen
daysrr.
rrAfter a brief talk with the ordnance of{icers Maj. Thong
gave the go-ahead for the counter-attack. Maj. Pharn Van Nhars
FiJth Marine Battalion rnowed west and down Ton That Thiep street to
relieve enemy pressure in the East gate and Sap gate areas. These
areas are in the southwestern and southern sections of the Citadel.
Maj. Phan Van Thangrs First Battalion also rnoved frorn the eastern
section of Area F toward the southern corner of the Citadel. They
rnoved along Le Huan street. The tv./o units were to rneet in the Sap
gate area to back up the I/5 US Battalion which was operating in Area
D.

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