Page 421 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

nearby Du Sinh Hrll as li'e1l as other surrounding hiils and a harnlet
in the area still rerrrained under enery control.
During the ;'ight of the 5th day of Tet the enerr'v was
reinforced by ihe 145th VC Battalion. The cause of its delayeci arrival
in Dalat was not known but had it reached the area in tirne for corn-
bined action with the 186tir vC Battalion the city would have su{fered
rnuch rnore s e r:ious darriage.

tr\rith its nelvlv arrived rein{orcement the enerny lairnch-
ed a new attack against the Sector Cornmand headquarters at 0130 h'
The attack was again repelled with artillerv support frorn the lr'{ilitary
Acaderny. The eneroy left behind 5 bodies and 3 AK's"
trar1y in the rr"rorning of the 5th day of Tet enemy forces
again occupied the Special Residence and Pasteur Institute areas.

In order to clear the enerny f rotn the Special Residence
two governrnent forces were in operation one attacking iroin behincr' as
a diversionary rnove' the other launching the rnain assault uphlll' lfhe
An Lac CIDG C or,panv was used for the first assaulting vrave. It was
stopped by enerny fire from bunkers brrilt during the night. Arnroreci
vehicles also failed in their try to clirnb the hillside. Ttre cliversion
force on the other side of the hill could not rnowe forward either" Air
support was ca1led in but only the surrounding hil1s were stra{ed to
avoid causing dar-nage to the building. Toward the ewening ihe enerny
withdrew from the Special Residence but still occr:ipied the surrounding
hills. At nightfall one government platoon took position at the Special
Residence while the remainder of the friendlv {orces reiurned to the
c ity.

The cityrs shopping center was cleared during the sam'e
day but police operation continued on Phan Dinh Phung street.

In the rneantime, the Z3rd Ra:rger Battalion, dispatched
as rein-forcernent try the 23rd Tactical Zone Comrnand, arrlved in the
city at nightfall" T?le battalior-r had by rnistake crossed an area under
enerrry control and lost 3 ki11ed and Z0 wou-nded in an unplanned clash

with the C orornuni st s .
Eneroy troops attacked ihe Sector C orornanC headquarters
again during the night but were again driven back by the lieadquartersl
fierce defenders and artiilery suPport as during the pi'ewictis night'
This tirne the enerny left bebind Z5 bodies, 15 ureapons of various
kinds and a quantity of rnines and grenades. It was the last enemy