OUTNUMBERED BUT HELD OFF ATTACK

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 15

OUTNUMBERED BUT HELD OFF ATTACK

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright} SAIGON, August 9. An outnumbered United States Marine reconnaissance patrol held off an attacking force of North Vietnamese troops for 12 hours until reinforcements arrived today to help drive them back into jungle mountains.

Two United States Army companies also dashed with North J Vietnamese troops in other areas of South Vietnam yesterday. The larger of the two actions took place in the central highlands. 235 miles north i of Saigon, when a company ofi the Ist Air Cavalry was am-1 bushed by a North Vietnamese force three times its size. I The Americans suffered■ “heavy casualties,’’ spokes-; men said.

i munition, but was damaged ;by ground fire and had to , leave the area. The battle raged through the night. Shortly after midnight, the North Vietnamese troops be- . gan melting away in the face i of the stubborn Marine resistance. By dawn, they had , broken off their attack and a further company of Marines , arrived to begin pursuit of the i North Vietnamese. A United States Air Force helicopter rescued an American pilot from North Vietnamese territory yesterday. The pilot, whose reconnaissance jet was one of seven United States planes shot down over North Vietnam on Sunday, spent about 24 hours evading capture by searching North Vietnamese troops before being picked p by the American helicopter, 100 miles north-west of Hanoi

In the second action, 40 miles north of Saigon, a Viet Cong platoon ambushed a company—about 200 men—of the United States Ist Infantry Division. An estimated North Vietnamese compan; of about 120 men “jumped” the Marine < conaissance patrol about two miles south of the demilitarised zone last night. The Marines had been following 10 North Vietnamese regulars. Commander Wounded The Marine commander, wounded in the leg, back and thigh, refused to pull out and called for supplies and reinforcements. Marine helicopters came under heavy ground fire as they attempted to aid the besieged patrol. One helicopter flew to the Marines’ lines bringing am-