Saigon - A battalion of well-equipped North Vietnamese Soldiers - some of them carrying flame-throwers - charged an isolated U.S. landing zone early Saturday but crumpled as the little camp's howitzers were fired at them like rifles.

The attack on the 1st Cav Division's Landing Zone Grant - about 45 northwest of Saigon was coupled with two other unsuccessful assaults on American bases along Communist corridors to the capital.

At least 77 Communist bodies were left on the battlefield at Landing Zone Grant, a brush-covered plain in the shadow of Mt. Ba Den, about 15 miles northeast of Tay Ninh City.

There were indications that well over 100 Reds had died in the midnight fight but that the survivors had carried many bodies away.

The fighting began at the landing zone minutes after a heavy mortar barrage. One huge 120mm mortar shell crashed through the roof of the operations center killing the commander and three others.

Seven other GIs died and 20 were wounded defending the landing zone.

Although some Communists carried flame-throwers, apparently none got close enough to use them. Two of the napalm fueled weapons were captured, along with a small antiaircraft gun and scores of other weapons used in the attack.

Major Billy Brown, 30, who took command of the camp after the commander was killed, said the rifle company that defended the camp fought so well that most of the Claymore mines ringing the camp were not needed and were not fired.

Air strikes and Spooky gunships peppered the Reds as they charged and the camp's defenders lowered their artillery pieces and fired point-blank into the on-rushing Reds.

At least six Communists made it through two rings of concertina barbwire to die less than 30 feet from the guns of the cavalry troopers, none made it through the final defense.

[ Home ] [ Up ]