Vietnam War At New Pitch

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 15

Vietnam War At New Pitch

(N.Z.PA. Keutrr—Copyright) SAIGON, Feb. 4. All brakes on the Vietnam war have been released in the last week.

American planes are again smashing strategic targets in North Vietnam for the first time since Christmas Eve, and the forces of three nations—South Vietnam, the United States and South Korea—have launched a gigantic push into Viet Cong territory along the South China sea coast.

Viet Cong "hard core” troops are in action again in defence of their strongholds and American commanders also reported clashing with North Vietnamese regulars for the first time since last November—-the high-level mark for bloodshed reached in the la Drang valley battles. Elsewhere throughout the country small bands of guerrillas have been harrassing and attacking government posts.

The current offensive in the rice-growing coastal strip of central Vietnam is the biggest effort of this year. Nothing has been attempted on this scale since the French Army's campaigns of the Indo-Cbina war. FOUR REGIMENTS More than 20.000 allied troops are involved in this series of operations. According to intelligence sources, they are seeking out regiments of main force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops. Heavy fighting broke out as a brigade of the United States Army’s first air cavalry—the veterans of la Drangtogether with five battalions of government paratroopers and two Korean battalions moved to the northern Binh Dinh province last week. Casualties on both sides have begun mounting again after the lunar New Year cease-fire. ‘OPEN ARMS* Only about 20 miles to the north, an assault force of more than 4000 Marines made the biggest landing since Inchon in the Korean war. pushing inland on the ground and by helicopters. As the war activity increases. government and American officials here report a higher response to their “chieu hoi” (“open arms”) campaign to welcome deserters and defectors from the Viet Cong side. This constant flow reached a new record level of 1672 during the month of January, said an American spokesman. This includes both guerrilla soldiers and civilians working for the Viet Cong. Desertions from the South Vietnamese Army are believed to be continuing at a high rate, but no recent figures are available.