1.
GV Helicopter overhead TILT DOWN TO SV & SU ditto on ground reloading gun (2 shots)
0.10

2.
SV Aircraft rearmed (5 shots)
0.40

3.
SV Pilot adjusts helmet
0.43

4.
SV PAN Aircraft
0.58

5.
Ground to air Aircraft in flight
1.04

6.
LV Bomb explodes
1.12

7.
SV & CU Jet rearmed (2 shots)
1.20

8.
LV Jet fighter
1.25

9.
Air-to-Air Jets in flight (5 shots)
0.49

10.
Air to Ground Bomb explodes
1.50

11.
Air-to-Air Bombs on jet's wings
1.52

12.
Air-to-Ground Bombs explodes
1.54

13.
Air -to-Air Bombs on aircraft wing
1.55

14.
Air-to-Ground Bombs exploding
1.58

15.
Air-to-Air Pilot flying et (2 shot)
2.08



Initials SGM/0322 SGM/0342


TELERECORDING original on 4925/72
This Visnews film was satellited from Hong Kong to London on Tuesday, and has natural sound throughout.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: South Vietnamese Air Force helicopters and fighters continued their operations on Monday (17 April) in an effort to relieve the besieged provincial capital of An Loc where it's reported that communist forces are still entrenched in the northern outskirts. From a base near Saigon, South Vietnamese T-28 and F-5 fighters maintained a heavy air assault on the communist-held sections of the town, 56 miles (90 kms) from the capital.

American aircraft cut back their bombing of North Vietnam on Tuesday (18 April) but sharply stepped up air attacks in the south to a record peak of 524 missions. Most of the American raids were in the area around An Loc.

The South Vietnamese Command have been claiming for the past three days that it controls An Loc but on Tuesday Hanoi Radio repeated its claim that the town had been taken by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese.

SYNOPSIS: A South Vietnamese helicopter flies over a base near Saigon as another one is being re-loaded with more ammunition. On Monday this was a familiar eight as the attempt to relieve the besieged provincial capital of An Loc continued. A mainstay of the South Vietnamese Air Force is the T-28 propeller driven fighter. These aircraft made many sorties on Monday in an effort to stall the Communist offensive. After each mission, they returned to be re-fuelled and re-armed. In addition to these South Vietnamese aircraft, American 'planes flew hundreds of missions.

On Tuesday, the Americans cut back their bombing of North Vietnam but stepped up their air strikes in the south to a new record of 527 missions. Most of the strikes were near An Loc.

The South Vietnamese T-28's flew missions in support of ground troops trying to get to An Loc, 56 miles from Saigon. It's reported that Communist troops are still in outskirts of the town.

South Vietnamese F-5 jet fighters also took part in Monday's attacks from the base near Saigon. These jets flew over An Loc and hit suspected Communist positions. The South Vietnamese Command have been claiming for the past three days that it controls An Loc. but on Tuesday, Hanoi Radio repeated its claim that North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces had taken the town.

South Vietnamese 'planes are flying support missions along Highway 13 as ell. The road is the only way from Saigon to An Loc, and so far South Vietnamese ground forces haven't been able to get through. But the air force tried to help.