Page 302 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

(luang Nam

Hoi An is the capital of Quang Narn province. Enerny
firing started here at 0255 hours on January 30 or Tet eve, together
with firecracker explosions and AR1IN soldiers greeting Tet by firing
their weapons.
Enerny utilized two battalions for the attack on thi6
city, one attacked the position of 102nd Engineer Battalion the other
attacked Chi Lang carnp which is the forrner Quang Da Special Zone
Headquarters. At that thne Chi Lang carnp was the rear base of the
5lst Infantry Regirnent and the carnp dispeneary.

In these attacks civilians rvere herded by the enerny
as a hurnan shield for the assaults. They were intended to be used
later in a dernonstration to force a change in the 1ocal governrnent.

The enerny took half of the Engineer Battali.on poeition
before being 6topped. The enerny force attacking Chi Lang catnp over-
ran the dispeneary and was stopped at the position of the 5lst In-fantry
Regirnent by two artillery platoons who fired point-blank range at hirn.
Supported by APCt s and a force of Korean iroops the
Sector C ornrnand rnade a counterattack. At 1000 hours friendly forces
expelled the enerny frorn the Engineer Battalion position. The diepen-
sary came under control of the friendly force at dark the sarne day.

The {ighting in the city wa6 over on the rnorning of
January 31. Enerny rnortar attack of rnilitary installations such as the
artillery position at Dien Ban, Que Son districte and Ai Nghia bridge
happened concurrently with his attack on the city. The city was apora-
dically pounded by rnortar and I??rnxn rockets until the fifth day of
Tet of February 4.
In the attack of the city enerny lost nearly 300 soldiers,
86 weapons including 12 crew-served weapons were captured.

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