Viet Cong Believed To Be Protecting Centre

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31211, 8 November 1966, Page 17

Viet Cong Believed To Be Protecting Centre

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SAIGON, November 7.

Viet Cong troops are fighting hard in the battle of Tay Ninh to protect the key command centre for all Viet Cong operations in South Vietnam, American Command sources believe.

The United States Command believes Tay Ninh could be one of the most significant battles of the war.

This is the judgment of American Command sources who have been analysing field reports from the battle, now in its fourth day about 60 miles north-west of Saigon. American “search and destroy” operations have been ranging deep into Tay Ninh, long a secure Viet Cong stronghold area. Central Office United States officers said the Viet Cong 9th division reacted violently this week, apparently because the Communists were worried the United States probes were getting too close to the headquarters area of the National Liberation Front's central office for South Vietnam, near the Cambodian border. This is where the direction for Viet Cong operations throughout South Vietnam comes from, said one senior officer.

“It would be like having Saigon under attack.”

The United States Command views the battle as a chance to inflict heavy losses on one of the Viet Cong’s toughest outfits, which has chosen to stand and right after avoiding contact for many weeks.

For this reason, as well as to reinforce hard-pressed American units, the Command has thrown in elements of two infantry divisions. Pos-

sibly 10,000 American troops deployed in the province face three regiments of Viet Cong troops, with North Vietnamese soldiers scattered among them, sources said. They estimated the strength in Tay Ninh about 7500. It was not clear how many of these fighters the Viet Cong have committed to the battle. United States commanders poured reinforcements and

tons of supplies into the battle for Tay Ninh province yesterday as the known Viet Cong death toll reached 167 in four days of bitter fighting. Eight Americans were killed when two support helicopters crashed. The fighting in dense jungles near the Cambodian bor-der-code named “Attleboro” —was described as one of the major operations of the war. Reports from the front said 167 Viet Cong have been killed by body count and more than 300 others by official estimate.

United States losses among the 10,000 Americans involved in the battle remained light over-all, the American Command said, but at least three companies of infantrymen suffered heavy casualties in beating back six assaults by screaming Viet Cong forces.

Seven of the 11 men aboard a United States Army helicopter were killed when the craft lost power on take-off from the battle zone and plunged to the ground. The other seven were injured. A second helicopter limping back to Saigon from the battle hit a parked helicopter, on the runway at Ton Son Nhut Air Base, flipped over and crashed, killing the copilot and injuring the pilot.

U.S. Transport.—President Johnson has named Mr Alan Boyd, at present Undersecretary of Commerce, to fill the newly-established Cabinet post of Secretary of Transportation.—Fredericksburg, November 7.