Citadel assault
(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) QUANG TRI (Vietnam), July 24.
South Vietnamese paratroopers fought their way into the heart of Quang Tri city today and attempted to storm the 19th century citadel through two breaches in its 40foot walls.
Initial reports said the South Vietnamese ran into withering fire from the North Vietnamese defenders. “The North Vietnamese are funnelling their firepower into the gaps in the walls and it’s murder in there,” one officer said. The paratroopers launched their attack at dawn from a string of bunkers within 50 yards of the citadel walls. The assault was heralded by a heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. Paratroopers at one battallion command post pumped mortar rounds into the old fortress, but North Vietnamese heavy guns located north of Quang Tri city responded with a steady barrage of artillery shells on the approaches to the citadel. The two breaches in the fortress walls were made by laser-guided bombs from United States planes two weeks ago.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 13
Word Count
162Citadel assault Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 13
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