* VNA Reviews Hanoi Press for 2 June 1971

Hanoi VNA June 2 -- The papers today gave the limelight to the fresh victory of the Cambodian people's national liberation armed forces in Snoul, Kratie Province, who, after over three hours' fierce engagement with Saigon troops on May 30, wiped out the 8th Infantry Multi-Battalion Unit, the 1st Armoured Regiment, and a mixed artillery battalion, killing or wounding 1,500 troops and capturing 300 others, and inflicting other losses on the enemy.

Under the headline "An excellent big annihilation battle," Quan Doi Nhan Dan editorially described the Snoul attack as a stinging blow at the Saigon troops' military forces in Snoul, breaking off the Suong-Krech-Snoul defense triangle on Highways 7 and 13, thus heavily shaking the U.S.-puppets' defense perimeter in northeastern Cambodia and northwest of Saigon. The attack was also an additional blow to the U.S. "Vietnamization" of the war and the Nixon Doctrine of using Indochinese against Indochinese, the army paper added.

For its part, Nhan Dan pointed out that by their repeated assaults in Snoul, the Cambodian liberation armed forces have foiled the U.S.-Saigon scheme to make Snoul a jumping-off place to nibble at the liberated area of Cambodia.

(Courtesy of Vietnam Center Archive)

* Thirty year battle - historical notes 2

After the defeat in the Toan Thang 1-71 operation, the allied forces of Americans and South Vietnamese reverted to the defense of Snoul, a city in Kratie province, at 184 kilometers from Pnom Penh, situated at a strategically important junction between Route 13 and 7. They tried to maintain and strengthen forces composed of armor units, rangers, artillery in order to use Snoul as a springboard to invade and dominate our activities. On May 25, 1971, our main force comprising the 5th and 7th Divisions in conjunction with the army and population of Cambodia put up a siege and attacked forcefully the enemy at Snoul. At noon of May 30, the enemy fled against the order from Saigon to hold Snoul at all cost. In the afternoon of the same day, along the retreat route, they were ambushed by our units and the entire infantry task force with its armored regiment and artillery unit were wiped out, and their various military equipments were confiscated and destroyed.

Excerpt from (page 405)
Trận đánh ba mươi năm - ký sự lịch sử 2
(Thirty year battle - historical notes 2)

Editorial directorate:
* General	Hoàng Văn Thái
* General	Trần Văn Quang
* General	Đặng Vũ Hiệp
* General	Trần Độ

Quân Đội Nhân Dân Publishing

(Courtesy of Trần Văn Thường)

Nota Bene
In 1971-1972, Commanders of 5th, 7th and 9th Divisions VC were: