Page 365 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Lt Tuan was killed while sleeping, After daybreak the 5th Logistics
Deputy Chief of Staff for Polwar Major Duong Van Sang, thinking that
the enerny had withdrawn after the assault, as was his custorn previous-
ly , carne to the cornpound with sorne of his rnen to recover the wounded
for rnedical vacuation. Enerny troops allowed his rnen to do this task.
The Major entered even further into the cornpound before the enerny
opened {ire. The Major was kilLed instantly by a burst of subrnachine-
gun fire. He was killed near the flagpole in the rniddle of the cornpoundrs
front yard.
Around 2 AM the enernyrs Tearn III with 3 rnen of the Corn-
pany tfl/t8n, a squad o{ the Sapper Cornpany T88 and the Nha Trang
Politico -Adrnin Platoon assaulted the 651st Signal Battalionrg base
carnp. The assault force,supported by heavy weapon fire, tried to break
through the rnain gate but was thrown back. In the early rninutes of the
enerny assault two noncorns and one officer were wounded.
The enernyrs Tearn IV, for unknown reasons, did not carry
out its assigned rnission on Tetrs Eve.
One of the cityrs rnain rnilitary carnps' the Special Forces
Cornrnand cornpound was not attacked. Frorn this cornpound the SF Corn-
rnander, General Doan Van Quang closely followed the enernyrs lTraneu -
ver frorn its beginning. He directed the counterattack which took place
one hour later. General Quang was also Cornrnander of the Nha Trang
City garrison and of the Nha Trang Special Zone. He had authority to
c ornrnit any Vietnarnese units stationed in and outside the city.
Spearheading the counterattack was the 91st Alrborne
Ranger Battalion. This Battalion had returned to its Nha Trang horne
base only two days before for rest and recuperation following lengthy
sweep operations in Pleiku. Only 60 per cent of its personnel was
physically able to carry out cornbat duties in Nha Trang. During the
counterattack four of five of the battalionrs cornrnanders were lost in
fierce backyard confrontations with the enerny. This high casualty
rate shows that the leaders led by preceding their troops. Arnong the
battalion leaders killed were the Battalion Cornrnander, Maj Le Nhu
Tu, who died of a serious srnall arrns woundg sorne 23 days after he
was hit on Tet Day; the battalionrs 4th CornPany Cornrnander, Lt Tung'
the Deputy Battalion Cornrnander, and two cornPany cornrnanders were
wounded and ho s pitaliz ed. The understrength battalion suffered a total
of l8 killed and 3Z wounded. Unquestionably this battalion had saved
Nha-Trang frorn devasting destruction sirnilar to that which had

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