Page 387 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

24 killed, lZ wounded and captured and the lost of 25 weapons including
two crew served weapons. Bien Cuong and an enerny battalion coffrrnan-
der were arnong the enerny killed, The radio station was aknost corn-
pletely destroyed and was not heard until an errrergency transrnitter,
loaned by JUSPAO and rnanned by Binh Dinh sector technical personnel,
allowed it to go on the air that night.

The liberation of the suburban Huyen Tran Harnlet q72s also
cornpleted the sarne day. The harnlet is located at the foot of Ba Hoa
rnountain just on the western outskirts on the city. Letrs now exarnine
the events leading up to its liberation. The enerny seized Huyen Tran
Ftrarnlet on Jan 30. RLght after overrunning it he sent srnall groups of
arrned recon troops farther out toward the heart of the city. These
troops went down Gia Long Street (the city's rnain street) and toward
the harbor. Many of these groups were either repulsed or wiped out.
Others tried to fade back into other populated areas. A few of the enerny
tried unsuccessfully to occupy a rnulti storied building overlooking the
Nguyen Hue park, Others succeeded in setting fire to the Caltex filling
station on Dong Da street. They rnurdered its owner, Nguyen phuoc Te.
In the Ly Thuong Kiet Harnlet they killed three civilians. In Nguyen Cong
Harnlet they gunned down five others, including the 60-year-old Khong
Mieu. Four enerny, who entered the cityts rnain bus station, were
captured trying to hide in a nearby drainage duct. Local ci.tizens had led
governrrrent troops to their hiding p1ace. The enerny was captured and
surr endered three weapons,
In the alrnost unopposed liberation of Huyen TranHarnlet.
The L/4I Battalion rnoved up Gia Long and Dong Da streets. In a brief
encounter a few blocks short of the harnlet four enerny were killed and
a {ew grenades captured. The estirnated enerny platoon, which con-
trolled the harnlet, had withdrawn to the railroad station where they
were pinned down by the concentrated fire power of the CIDG Forces
positioned atop Mrs Nguyen Thi De's building. The enerny pulled back
into the stationrs workshop and three abandoned boxcars frorn where
they {ought back. A few enerny {led across the Ba Hoa rnountain where
they were chased uphill and fired at in the presence of cro$'ds of
curious civilians, who trailed behing the pursuing governrnent troops.
The enerny force holed up in the stationrs workshop and boxcars was
wiped out by 1630 hours. l4 were killed, I0 wounded captured and {our
weapons were seized. Friendly troops lost four killed and seven woun-
ded, workshop was a total loss. Its equiprnent which inclucied clne
.The
crane, one lathe and four diesel engines, was seriously d arnaged. Most
if not aI1 of its portable tools had been looted.

-390-