Hanoi raids suspended

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32945, 17 June 1972, Page 15

Hanoi raids suspended

(N.Z. Pre«a Association—Copyright) SAIGON, June 16. American air strikes around Hanoi were suspended yesterday, apparently because of the visit there of President Podgorny of the Soviet Union, but jet aircraft attacked a North Vietnamese Army barracks and a railway bridge between Hanoi and the Chinese border, and demolished four huge fuel dumps on the North Vietnamese coast.

Striking while Mr Podgomy was still on his way to Hanoi, the raiding aircraft struck within 45 seconds flying time of the North Vietnamese capital, carefully avoiding the city itself. ■ Officials in Washington say that the United States, hoptag that Mr Podgomy will be able to persuade Hanoi's leaders to take a more conciliatory line at the Paris peace talks, has temporarily halted bombing strikes around the North Vietnamese capital. It seems clear that the Administration does not want to repeat the 1965 situation, when bombing continued around Hanoi during a visit there of the Soviet Union Prime Minister (Mr Kosygin). A U.S. Military Command communique in Saigon says that F 4 Phantom fighterbombers, attacked the sprawling Hung Hoa> barracks and supply base, 33 miles north-west of Hanoi and 100 miles from China. Other Phantoms destroyed the Phu Tho railway bridge, 60 miles north-west of Hanoi and 105 miles from China. The bridge was part of the already severely-battered north-western railway line between Hanoi and the Chinese frontier. Air Force and Navy jet aircraft flew up the North Vietnamese coast to hit four fuel dumps along the Gulf of Tonkin. The raids set off a large secondary explosion at the Nam Dinh petroleum products storage area 40 miles south-west of Hanoi.

Smaller forces of fighterbombers flew a total of 230 raids in 24 hours, destroying 48 trucks and 10 boats, in an attempt to curb North Viet-

namese moves to haul supplies in spite of the heavy bombing of railway lines. Stratofortress bombers blasted suspected supply depots in seven missions around Dong Hoi, in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam for the eighth day in succession.