Town Near Da Nang Left To V. Cong

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 13

Town Near Da Nang Left To V. Cong

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SAIGON, Dec. 22.

U.S. Marines and Government troops suffered a major setback when they were forced to abandon a district headquarters and strategic strong point only 33 miles from Da Nang air base—the most heavily guarded U.S. installation in Vietnam, the Associated Press reported.

Th e retreat from Heip Due gave the Viet Gong a major psychological and tactical victory.

The town, under heavy Communist pressure for more than a year, was abandoned to its fate yesterday when Government troops were pulled out. The town sits at the head of three major valleys which are key military routes like arrows pointed at Da Nang, Highway One and Tam Ky,

coastal capital of Quang Tin province.

An offshoot of one arrow leads to Hoi An, capital of Quang Nam Province. The evacuation follows the termination of “Operation Harvest Moon” by Vietnamese and American troops near Vietnam, a Communist stronghold in the centre of one of the valleys. The operation cost two Vietnamese battalions and heavy casualties to one United States Marine company. Viet Cong losses were given as 420 known dead. The official reason for closing out the Hiep Due outpost, manned by two companies, was that the post was too remote and difficult to supply. Actually the town had been cut off by the Communists for some time and the post was overrun last month.

When a relief force arrived, it found the few remaining

families in the district town on the point of starving. Road traffic long had been impossible to Hiep Due and even helicopter service later became too precarious.