Page 58 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

One had to wait until the eve of May Day to see a first indication of the
new face of the war.
On that day a big explosion was heard in Saigon, rocking
the downtown section of the Vietnarnese capital. The Viet Cong had
tried to blow up the televigion center with over one hundred pounds o{
TNT hidden in a taxicab. It exploded at 1300 hours killing three Peraon6,
wounding another thirty , and destroying a house near the TV station
but leaving the center intact. For rnany the explosion was the signal for
an offensive campaign against Saigon to be launched the following day'

A bare 24 hours after it was known that U. S. and North
Vietnarnese representatives were to rneet in Paris, Viet Cong troops
hit the capital city o{ Saigon. The attack started at 0310 hours on May
Day with a series of indiscrirninate shellings o{ population centers
which were to be followed by ground attacks in rnany places,

The May o{fensive was to last a full week. Enerny troops
could only penetrate the outlying areas of the capital. Everyrrhere the
attackers were repulsed or exterrninated within seven days. On 25 May
they tried to stage a corneback. This tirne they tried to enter the capital
city through the Dong Ong Co and Binh Hoa areas just north of Saigon,
Occupying rnany civilian houses they resisted sweeping governrnent
troops dispatched after thern. In Cholon the Cornrnunists also succeeded
in penetrating a few blocks of the Sixth Precinct. Frorn the concrete
buildings of this precinct they tried to oppose the advancing South
Vietnarnese, A series of fierce and bloody engagernents took piace in
both areas.

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