Page 435 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

In the rneantirne, four enerny c olTlpani.e s crossed the
Co Chien Riwer and took positions at the Ben Da pier, the rnarket
place and a nurnber of public offices and schools, preventing the
population frorn fleeing the area.
On the rnorning of the Znd day of Tet governrnent
reinforcernents arrived frorn the Corps C ornrnand and a counter
offensive was launched which soon cleared both the adrninistrative
building and the prison areas frorn enerny pressure. At the sarne tirne
an enerny atternpt to stage a dernonstration with people being gathered
by force frorn the Ben Da and Gia Long areas lrras disbanded by govern-
rnent troops. The Gia Long area and part of the fish rnarket were
burned as a result of the fighting.

The next day search and destroy operations were
conducted by governrnent troops frorn house to house. Enerny snipers
firing frorn rooftops were elirninated one by one.

Air support was called in to help clear several areas
such as Ly Thai To, Phan Thanh Gian and the public servants resid.en_
tial quarte r s.

On the 4th day of Tet with new governrnent reinforce-
rnents arriving on the gcene enelrry forces were cornpletely driven

out of the city. The battle of Vinh Long ended on the 6th day of Tet.

PHASE TWO :

On the night of February 14 the enerny launched a new
attack against Vinh Long with the sarne units freshly replenished.

Their plan was as follows :
- The 306th Battalion infiltrated into the city frorn the
West was to take over the stadiurn and the whole western part of the
c ity;

- The 308th Battalion infiltrated frorn the South and
rein-forced by two cornpanies frorn the 857th Battalion was to occupy
the provincial adrninietrative office building, the local prieon and the
Sector c ornrnand he adquarte r s.

- The 857th Battalion as a reserve force was to take
positions along Tong Doc Phuong street to check the arrival of govern_
rnent rei.nforcernenta. The Cornrnunists failed to reach their goals as

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