Page 69 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Counterattacks

Following their failure to occupy South Vietnarnese rnili-
tary nerve centers in Saigon, the Cornrnunists sought survival by
rnixing with the people. Survivors of these unsuccessful attacks spread
out in populated areas and atternpted to incite the population to an
uprising against the authorities. To prevent this Vietnarnese Air Force
planes were ordered to rernain airborne all day and night to rnaintain a
close watch of enerny rnowernents,

Seeing the airplanes strafing the enerny on the outskirts of
the city, thousands of people in threatened areas Left their hornes and
converged on the downtown area. This rnovernent wa6 to prove rnost
helpful to South Vietnarnese soldiers who were to be giwen the task of
disloging the intruders frorn the Y. C. -occupied suburbs.

trVithin a {ew hours after the beginning of the V. C. of{en-
sive,a counterattack was ordered. The Cornrnunist carnpaign was only
a few hours old when two cornpanies of the First Airborne Battalion
were dispatched to relieve enesly pressure around the radio stati.on,
The station was cornpletely lree of V. C. presence by early rnorning,

The governrnent troops were less successful at JGS
headquarters. Two corripanies of the Eighth Airborne Battalion, sent
to relieve V. C. pressure near Gate Four,- failed to dislodge the enerny
frorn the buildings of the Arrned Forces Language School which dorni-
nated the area. The two rernaining cornpanies, deployed for the protec-
tion of the eastern end o{ the Tan Son Nhut Airport, also failed to
prevent Cornrnunist troops frorn infi).trating Ba-Queo and the huge
Vinatexco factory just outside the defense perirneter of the all-irnpor -
tant air base.

In the meantirne the Fi{th Ranger Group, consisting of
four battalions (30, 33, 34 and 38) :lorrnally assigned to the defense
o{ a <iuadrangle rnade up of Thu Duc, Nha Be, Binh Chanh, and Hoc
Mon,had dur:ing the night dispatched two of its battalions to the capital
city. flrior to daylight, on the second day of Tet, the 3Oth and 38th
Battalions had reached the suburbs. At four orclock in the rnorning
the 3Oth Battalion arrived in the area of Hang Xanh where it irnrnedia-
tely engaged the enerny. The 38th, starting {rorn Nha Be, also arrived
in the area of the race track at about the sarne tirne.

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