The 4th Marine Battalion
in the Coup 1-11-1963
Major Vu Dinh Kich
Captain Le Hang Minh, the commander of the 4th Marine Battalion, went with Group A to advance along Pasteur Street towards the Gia Long Palace. Captain Ton That Soan, the Executive Officer, moved with Group B along Cong Ly Street. These two prongs advanced slowly. When they reached Le Thanh Ton Street, they engaged the Presidential guards who fired at them from two armoured vehicles and two bunkers. The two bunkers were located at intersections of the above mentioned street. A M113 APC of the coup-forces burst into flames on the flank of the Gia Long Palace and in Pasteur Street. A "Bata shoes" shop at that intersection was also burning. The next M113 APC was still very far in the back. The foremost Marine contingent retreated to avoid Presidential guards' shots. For an unknown reason, more than twenty minutes later, the APC arrived at the intersection. A number of Marines accompanied that APC on the side opposite to the Palace wall. When this APC moved to about tens metres near the previous APC, it was hit by a 57 mm recoilless rifle round and also burst in flames. Armour Captain Bui Nguon Ngai died in this burning APC. The other APCs did not advance any further. The Marines had to urge one APC to move to the intersection and to fire at the protecting fortress of the Gia Long Palace. A 57mm recoilless rifle was brought to a suitable position and it was fired to pierce a hole on the wall surrounding the palace, at Cong Ly and Le Thanh Ton streets intersection. After some volleys of 57 mm recoilless rifle rounds, Group B of the 4th Marine Battalion charged through these newly created holes. It did not meet any resisting forces. Guns sounds also ceased on Pasteur Street - the Presidential guards on two armoured vehicles disappeared.
The 4th Marine Battalion entered the Palace at 6.05 am on 1-11-1963. The Presidential guards and a number of civilian functionaries, about forty to fifty people altogether, were gathered on a lawn behind the palace. It was so strange that both sides, the 4th Marine Battalion and Presidential guards, had no casualties during battle. There were only a few Marines being wounded by stray bullets while searching the palace.
About a few minutes later, Colonel Nguyen Van Thieu being the commander of the 5th Infantry Division and also a high authority of the Coup organisers arrived in the Palace. He and some accompanying officers stood on the front steps of the Palace for a while. Seeing that no Marine officer was coming to welcome him, he quietly mounted his Jeep and left the Palace. Ten minutes after Colonel Thieu had left; Major General Mai Huu Xuan and some accompanying officers arrived. He called captain Le Hang Minh and ordered the 4th Marine Battalion to leave the Palace. After having consulted the Marine Task Force, Captain Minh ordered his battalion to return to Cuu Long Camp, Thi Nghe district.
Major Vu Dinh Kich
No comments:
Post a Comment