Government Marines advance into Quang Tri Province move comes as President Thieu pledges recapture of all lost territory (Visnews production number 7676-72). South Vietnamese airborne troops penetrate into Quang Tri City amid heavy North Vietnamese resistance (Visnews production number 8756-72)

Visnews 7676/72: South Vietnamese Marines have regained a foothold in Quang Tri Province seized by Communist units during the early days of the latest North Vietnamese offensive. No details have been given of Marine casualties in the fighting, but newsmen saw many injured soldiers being carried back to the shelter of nearby dunes for evacuation by helicopter. The Marines' drive into Quang Tri Province came as President Thieu told a nationwide radio audience that South Vietnam would recapture all the territory lost to the Communists. He said the North Vietnamese had failed to defeat the South Vietnamese and he said the Communist units were now bogged down. Visnews 8756/72: Continuous heavy fighting is raging in Quang Tri City in the northernmost province of South Vietnam as South Vietnamese Airborne troops attempt to wrest the city from the control of deeply entrenched North Vietnamese. The battle for the city is part of a counter offensive to reoccupy Quang Tri Province. It is reported that South Vietnamese forces were brought up from the Central Highlands near Kontum City especially for the final ballet for Quang Tri City, which promises to be long and bloody. South Vietnamese Airborne Troops made their first advance into the city proper on Sunday (16 July) supported by M48 tanks and South Vietnamese jets. US aircraft have been ordered by President Thieu not to bomb within the city, but these bombers are maintaining continuous heavy pounding of suspected North Vietnamese positions on the outskirts of the city. By Sunday afternoon South Vietnamese troops had advanced to within 100 metres of a heavy North Vietnamese concentration in an old US compound. The South Vietnamese paratroopers intend to hold their ground, and they told Visnews that they would continue to advance into the Citadel part of the city, now within their reach. Intelligence reports say that at least four North Vietnamese battalions are entrenched in the Citadel with orders to fight to the last man.