1.
SV South Vietnamese artillery shelling North Vietnamese positions (4 shots)
0.30

2.
SV South Vietnamese infantry and armoured troop-carriers along road
0.58

3.
SV South Vietnamese tanks over country--side (2 shots)
1.14

4.
SV South Vietnamese infantrymen walk across countryside
1.28

5.
SV South Vietnamese troops take up positions in undergrowth
1.36

6.
SV Others digging foxholes and setting up position (2 shots)
1.47

7.
GV Countryside ZOOM IN TO explosion from North
1.54

8.
SV South Vietnamese tanks firing and distant explosions (3 shots)
2.06

9.
SV South Vietnamese troops running for cover
2.14

10.
SV South Vietnamese tanks moving across country.
2.19



Initials BB/0111 WLW/AS/BB/0130


SATELLITE TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Fierce fighting has ranged around An Loc in South Vietnam in the past two days as the opposing forces battled for control of the provincial capital with artillery, aircraft, infantry and tanks. Much of the battle took place on Highway Thirteen, the main road into An Loc from the South Vietnamese capital, Saigon. South Vietnamese forces were relying on the road to get into the ruined town, capital of Binh Long, and only 56 miles (90 kilometres) northwest of Saigon. But it was still blocked by several battalions of communist troops on Saturday (May 13), preventing the main South Vietnamese strike force and supplies from getting through to aid other South Vietnamese units which were reported to be on the verge of recapturing the town. Reports said only about 70 North Vietnamese were still holding sections of shell-battered An Loc.

This film, shot on Friday (May 12) on Highway Thirteen where South Vietnamese forces were trying to break through the communist cordon, shows some artillery fighting and infantry action. It was satellited from Hong Kong to London for speedy service, and is complete with good natural sound of the battle.

SYNOPSIS: South Vietnam...and the battle for the provincial capital of An Loc continued into the weekend. This main force of South Vietnamese tanks, artillery and infantry was still fighting its way up Highway Thirteen, the main road from the country's capital, Saigon. It was trying to break through a North Vietnamese cordon of several battalions across Highway Thirteen, to reinforce other South Vietnamese units fighting on the edge of the communist-controlled town. The town, now in ruins after severe North Vietnamese shelling when capturing it, is only 56 miles from Saigon.

The battle for An Loc, in which the South Vietnamese army is using heavy numbers of tanks, had been in progress for thirty-eight days--almost since the North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam began nearly seven weeks ago. The town soon fell to communist troops, after suffering severe shell damage. But it was reported on Saturday that some South Vietnamese units--which these troops were attempting to join--had almost succeeded in recapturing An Loc after hand-to-hand fighting on the edge of the town. Only about seventy North Vietnamese troops were still holding it, according to the reports, but South Vietnamese helicopters couldn't drop much-needed supplies to their own troops because of heavy communist ground fire.

The progress of the South Vietnamese troops has been slow, and casualties on both sides heavy. But in the battle for An Loc, the cost is seemingly taking second place.