North Vietnamese press South Vietnamese at Hue and Kontum
The North Vietnamese offensive continues as Fire Base Bastogne 20 miles west of Hue falls to the communists.Fire Base Birmingham 4 miles to the east was also under heavy attack.As fighting intensified all across the northern province of South Vietnam much of Hues civilian population tried to escape south to Da Nang.
Farther south in the Central Highlands 20000 North Vietnamese troops converged on Kontum encircling it and cutting it off.Only 65 miles north of Saigon An Loc lay under siege and continued to take a pummeling from North Vietnamese artillery rockets and ground attacks.To the American command in Saigon it appeared that South Vietnam was on the verge of total defeat by the North Vietnamese but the South Vietnamese were able to hold out.
