‘Heavy Fighting Ahead'

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 17

‘Heavy Fighting Ahead'

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copi/righti COLUMBUS (Ohio), April 22.

Communist forces were suffering increasing losses in Vietnam, but the United States faced heavy and sustained fighting ahead, the chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Wheeler) said yesterday.

General Wheeler said that more than 13.000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese had been killed and 1700 captured so far this year.

At this rate the Communists killed would exceed the 1965 figure of 35,000. "Perhaps the greatest military significance is the destruction of hard-core units,” General Wheeler said. “It is estimated that at least 11 Viet Cong battalion equivalents have been put out of action this year.” General Wheeler attached particular significance to the increasing number of Communist defectors—about 5000 since January 1, including about 3500 military defectors.

“I do not want to be misleading,” he said. “The Communists still have formidable strength, fighting at high

intensity—more than 200,000 in field units and armed guerrillas, plus 40.000 members of their control network, in still critical areas. "We are increasingly successful in finding and fighting

their units. However, the is still heavy and sustaim fighting ahead of us.”