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SAIGON (AP) — U.S. headquarters announced today that American forces have begun shelling North Vietnam with long- range artillery based in South Vietnam for the first time in the war.An American military spokesman said U.S artillerymen fired into the demilitarized zone and★north of It with 175mm guns, the biggest in Vietnam, whldi have a range of 20 miles.The announcement came as about 45.000 American troops pushed behind tanks through jungles of the Communists’ war Zone C, 70 miles northwest of Saigon, in the Wggest offensive (rf the war. But they failed to★ ♦W.ASHINGTON (AP—Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, acting with unusual Initiative, declared today the admin 1st rat ion Is absolutely unified in support of the bomMngof North Vietnam.Specifically, the Pentagon chief said there is no difference of opinion between him and Secretary of Slate Dean Rusk about the need for American air raids on Hanoi’s territory.McNamara first culled reporters to his office in an attempt to dispel what he considered an untrue image of division between himself and Rusk.“In one sense,” McNamara said, “this Is amusing to me because in looking back over two years of relt;-oramendatlons to the President on military operathms in North Vietnam, I can’t recall a single instam-e when the secretary of state and the se«Tetarv of defense have differed on bombing policy.”★★find Communist units of any size.U.S. troops reported killing 19 Viet Cong so far in the new Operation Junction City, and t^ Communists responded with at least two mortar shellings of American positions. U.S. headquarters said American casualties were light so far.Though contact with the enemy troops was light, more than a half dozen tanks and other tracked vehicles struck land mines which tore off their tracks. Five U.S. Army helii-op-ters were shot down by enemy ground fire, but U.S. spokesman said all five were lifted I'rom the battle area and casualties totaled three wounded.The massive assault,launch'll Wednesday, deployedthe U.S. troopa in a pincer driveagainst possibly 10.000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers making up the Viet Cong 9th Divl.sion and support units.★SAIGON PROTEaiON IS DRIVE GOALWASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ 45,000-troop operation near Camlxxlia will bleedthe Communists of any capability they may have had to attack Saigon. Pentagon sources predicted today.'The assault, biggest of the war, was describt^ as a key effort in a campaign to “blot out” major enemy bases forming stepping stones from North Vietnam.“W’e are punching holes In his pipeline, the series of bases from which the Viet Cong can move and resupply,” an officer explained.“This is doing more than setting them back. That would imply some hope. I don’t believe there is any hope left,” he said.The horseshoe-shaped mantrap, called Junction City, was launched Wednesday in a 250-aquare mile area northwest of South Vietnam’a capital city. It may be closing in on 10,000 VietCong and North Vietnamese, hesaki.These Include leaders of the Viet Cong’s political arm, the National Liberation Front; two Viet Cong and one North Vietnamese regiment forming the Viet Cong 9th Division, and certain supporting elements.Pentagon ^ficials believe, however, many of the Communists may escape, as they have in previous operations, into Cambodia.The first American paratroop drop of the war. Involving 750 men, was designed to seal off the escape route while thousands of infantrymen and troops in mechanized units clos^flanks and rammcM in with anarmored wedge.Even if few prisoners are taken in the operatiwi, U.S. planners hope to confiscate great amounts of intelhgence material.The key objective, however. Is wioins out Communist iungiebases among which the enemy hat been able to rotate, regrouping after American attacks, resupplying tor new engagements.According to an authoritative view, the concept of the Currentoperation was taid out last December as part of an allied plan to prevent the (Communists from ever laymg siege to Saigon.★★★RANGOON, Burma lf» — U.N. Secretary • General U Tbaat arrived here today amid risbig speculatloiis he might have direct contact* with North Vletaamese representatives In Rangoon.Thant told reporter* nt the airport that be wonkl not confer officially wHb any North Vlrtanmese r e p r esentallves daring his eight-dny *tay hut fmold “keep an open mhid” about meeting them on a per-■Mial baste....- -•sr 'r..ViAOKY PUFF—Billowing white smoke from te Hoot Lake power plant provided a lilly morning winter scene today, as right sunshine and cloudless skies gave romise for slightly warmer temperatures.The mercury read minus 18 degrees during the night, and gradually nudged upward toward the zero mark as noontime neared. Temperatures of rear normal are forecast for the next five days.A U.S. military spokesman said it was “too early in the operation to say” why contact was so light, although he did not rule out the possibility the Communists are attempting to escape across the nearby Cambodism border.I The first U!W of land artillery ' again.st North Vietnam was announced in a brief special communique which said: “The use of artillery ba.*ed in South Vietnam against military targets in and north of the demilitarized zone has begun. This action Is designed to supplement air strikes against military targets in the DMZ area, particularly at night and in periods of bad weather.”U.S. planes have been bombing North Vietnam for two year* and ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet have bombarded the North Vietnamese coast for the la.*t five months.The first artillery shelling of North Vietnam took place Wednesday, a U.S. spokesman said. He acknowledged there had been prior artillery barrages Inside the six-mtle-wide demilitarized zone which separates North and South Vietnam.On Wednesday, the spokesman said, army ITS mm guns flred S3 rounds against antiaircraft gun positions In the zone ' and north of it which had fired on a small U.S. Air Force ohser-I vat ion plane in the northern part of the demililariml zone.Asked If the International Control C^ommistion which is charged with supervising neutrality of the demilitarized zone, had been notified of the new U.S. step, the spokesman said: “Not that I know of.”The spokesman said the U.S. gims fired from an “artillery plateau” called (^mp Carroll. a Marine base about 11 ^ miles south of the demarcation ' line running through the center of the demilitarized mm. This meant that the 175mm guns could fire about right miles into North Vietnam at the most.The spokesman eald the only targets shelled In North Vietnam so far were antiaircraftgun positions.In Operation Junction City, the first of the two Ckmimunist mortar shellings came at midnight Thursday. A U.S. battalion command post 25 miles northeast of Tay Ninh City received 12 rounds of mortar fire, U.S. headquarters said. The Communists broke contact after five minutes when American troopa fired counterharrages.The second Communist shelling came early today when a rear-area U.S. supply unit eight miles northeast Tay Ninh City received 20 rounds. Light U.S. ca.sualties were reported m both barrages.The American drive so far has destroyed 144 enemy bunkers and three tunnels and haa seized 39 tons of rice, a spokesman said. In the drive the Americans hope to catch the Viet Ceng’s political leadership, believed to have its headquarters in the area, as well as root out hard-core military units that have ranged the area for 20 years.Elsewhere In South Vietnam, U.S. forces reported only minor skirmishes but South Vietnamese and South Korean troops reported several teisk engagements.
Newspaper Details
Fergus Falls Daily Journal
Fergus Falls, Minnesota, US
Fri, Feb 24, 1967
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Gerald F.
NA, 13 Jul 2018
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