Thursday, May 4, 1972
Viet Units Clobber Red Regt.
LAI KHE, Vietnam --Elements of Regional and Popular Forces scored a significant victory over the 271st North Vietnamese Army Regt. late Saturday when they drove them from the border village of An Thuan of Highway 1 near Cambodia, a top American adviser in III Military Region said Tuesday.Although reports had said the village, 40 miles northwest of Saigon, had fallen and that the independent NVA regiment was within striking distance of the capital, the military source labeled these as false.Combining with units of the ARVN 25th Div., and aided by U.S. tactical air strikes, RF and PF troops slaughtered a large number of NVA in three separate battles south of the provincial capital of Tay Ninh, the source said. He said there is absolutely no Communist threat from the area and the "backbone of the NVA regiment has been broken."However, the adviser did not indicate the reason for the ARVN command"s reluctance to release information concerning the fighting.At the same time, Brig. Gen. John R. McGiffert II, deputy commanding general for the 3rd Regional Advisory Command, said Tuesday he expects ARVN forces will break into the embattled city of An Loc within four or five days.McGiffert said Highway 13 between Lai Khe and Chon Thanh, which earlier in the week was under sporadic Communist small arms and mortar fire, is secure."Viet Units Clobber Red Regt." By Allen Schaefer, published in the Pacific Stars and Stripes on Thursday, May 4, 1972 and reprinted form European and Pacific Stars and Stripes, a Department of Defense publication copyright, 2002 European and Pacific Stars and Stripes.