Page 285 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968
P. 285

points Khe Moc Nang and Dinh Mon on the night of Jan 30. It did not
       reach the city proper until 0700h.because  one of its elernents was
       arnbuehed  by friendly troops at the Liern bridge intersection.

                         The 5th Regirnent started out frorn the Nui Gi.o (Windy
       Mount)  area about 12 krns west of Hue, rnoved northeastward through
       the Soc Chang Brook, assernbled  near the Truong Son outpost and
       crossed  several rice{ields to regroup  at Coi Ke. Another enerny bat_
       talion joined the 5th Regirnent to cross the Thong Cung Mountain. They
       regrouped at Thanh Khe harnlet,  crossed Highway No 1 and were
       joined by two DKZ-75 cornpanies. They split into colurnns, one posi_
       tioning at La Chu and the other at Duc Buu - Ngo            .t,uong,  just north of
       the Mang Ca carnp.
                         The 9th Regirnent, which was a support and replacernent
      unit'  included  the 416th and 4l8th Battalions  rnoving frorn the Don Trau
      Mountain area,  Z0 krns west of Hue. It crossed. the Bo Rjver to the
      Thong Cung Mountain where it was reinforced by Battalion K6, 6th
      Regirnent,  and rnoved northeastward  along the Van Trung Xa and Lieu
      Coc Phuong roads then through La Chu, Trieu Son Tay and Col Ke
      successively to a staging area just northwast of the city.
                        In addition, the enerny  set up a supply route, Route
      12, leading to the north of the city to bring supplies in and wounded
      out of the city,


                        Finally the 8th Regirnent sent one of its rnajor  eLernent
      into the city {rorn the northern side. The enernyrs  offensive plan had
      be en plotted  c arefully.


                        According  to enerny docurnents seized frorn the 6th
      Regirnent by attacking the northern side of the Citadel they would
      attack the headquarters  of the lst ARVN InJantry Division  C ornrnand
      and the An Hoa gate,

                        The enerny divided a sapper cornpany of his lnto four
      groups of ten rnen each, Each group was equipped with two 840 and
      one B41 rocket launchers, AK and CKZ rifles.  Each of the riJles had
      200 rounds  of arnrno and each of the sapper s was given 20 exllosrve  charge
      and a quantity  of dog poison. The cornrnanding  officer of the LZth Bat_
      talion personally supervised  ttrese four groups. The sapper company
      cornrnander  led the advance party, Battalion  Kl detailed one of its
      platoons to join the assault and the platoon was led by the battalion
      cornrnander,  At H-hour, drese groups quretly crossed the river frorn


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