Viet Cong Arsenal Found

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 15

Viet Cong Arsenal Found

(N.Z Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, Oct. 12. Viet Cong forces trying to recapture huge underground arsenals attacked American infantrymen yesterday in the jungles near Saigon.

United States troops repulsed the assault in an hour of sharp fighting and seized guerrilla supplies that included brand-new Russianmade sniper rifles and tons of food.

The fighting near Saigon—and new fighting farther north on the Central High-lands-killed 71 guerrillas and North Vietnamese regulars, Saigon Military Headquarters reported.

American losses were placed at one killed and three wounded. The battlefield was the "Iron Triangle” sector 25 to 35 miles north of Saigon, a Viet Cong stronghold for years. “We were glad to see those sniper rifles because we have

lost quite a few men killed by snipers,” said an American colonel engaged in the swoop. Allied forces have been trying to destroy the Iron Triangle as a Viet Cong base for months. It was the target of a massive offensive involving thousands of American, South Vietnamese and Australian troops more than a year ago in operation “Cedar Falls." Bulldozers then ploughed up wide areas and cut wide swaths through the jungle to deprive the Viet Cong of cover.

One American commander announced after “Cedar Falls” that the Iron Triangle had been rendered useless as a Viet Cong base—but patrols in the last few months have run into heavy guerrilla resistance.

The Iron Triangle is believed honeycombed with tunnel complexes. The Viet Cong use them as rest camps and staging areas for attacks on allied installations in the Saigon area and raids against South Vietnamese hamlets and villages. The underground forts are

well camouflaged. They are usually discovered when American troops find “spider holes”—small excavations used by the guerrillas to enter and leave the tunnel networks. United States Air Force and Navy jet fighter-bombers

flying on instruments—and using radar to penetrate heavy monsoon clouds—swept into North Vietnam yesterday and blasted targets south and west of Hanoi. Stratofortresses ranged over the Demilitarised Zone late last night and before dawn today, staging saturation raids on North Vietnamese positions little more than two miles from the United States marine outpost at Con Thien.