SOUTH KOREANS IN OPERATION; AMERICAN PLANES BOMBING; TROOPS ACROSS PADDY-FIELDS; MARINES BURNING DESERTED HOUSE.




Initials IF/V/CCT



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Background: A STRONG FORCE OF NORTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS IS BELIEVED TO BE HIDING OUT IN THE BATANGAN PENINSULA, PART OF THE QUANG NGAI DISTRICT OF SOUTH VIETNAM. THIS AREA IS A SUSPECTED COMMUNIST INFILTRATION ROUTE, AND ON MAY 10, IN A BID TO CLOSE IT, SOUTH KOREAN MARINES LAUNCHED THEIR 'OPERATION THUNDER DRAGON'.

THE PENINSULA, WHICH LIES 340 MILES NORTH-EAST OF SAIGON, IS DOMINATED BY HILLS AND PADDY FIELDS. THE TASK OF FLUSHING THE NORTH VIETNAMESE FROM THESE HILLS IS BEING LEFT TO AMERICAN PLANES AND ARTILLERY. THEY ARE POUNDING THE COMMUNIST POSITIONS WITH HIGH-POWERED BOMBS.

SINCE THE START OF THEIR OPERATION, THE MARINES ARE SAID TO HAVE KILLED 75 COMMUNISTS AND CAPTURED FIVE OTHERS. SOUTH KOREAN CASUALTIES, LARGELY THE RESULT OF SNIPER FIRE, HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS LIGHT.

IN THEIR SWEEP OF THE HILLSIDE REGIONS, THE MARINES SET FIRE TO A HUGE DESERTED BUNGALOW, BUILT DURING THE FRENCH RULE OF INDO-CHINA. THIS DESTRUCTIVE MOVE ROBBED THE COMMUNISTS OF A HIDING PLACE OR POSSIBLY A FORT FROM WHICH TO LAUNCH A COUNTER-ATTACK.