THE NEW YORK TIMES, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6, 1971 South Vietnamese Forces Reported to Prepare for

By ALVIN SHUSTER Special to The New York Times 50 40.0 MI . Tracking Reported SAIGON, South Vietnam, 0 \ This, the command said, was Feb. 5—Preparations were re- 0 a "protective reaction" strike. ported under way today in the -S- \ N. bong \ s. A spokesman said the pilot had northwestern corner of South Hem -TcheporpZ•'''' made the attack after electron- Vietnam for a South Vietnam- •,,,,,,-12---:----, ,, • attl N, 1 tion preparatory to. opening The assault, which was said E. e6. 1/4.1:017ETNAMI 1. ■ "*.. fire. It was the first announced by informed sources to be im- );;;;,/., attack on North Vietnamese -.1. LAOS minent, would be aimed at 1 -/- e' ..7 missile sites since a ,series of - i A....HAU five such strikes was reported crippling North Vietnam's sys- •-il)°,941•3f?Ii i VALLEY tem of infiltration and supply in a three-day period three The New York Times Feb. 6,1971 weeks ago. trails for its forces in the Indo- jRLAINRsir china war. Some American mil- Saigon units reportedly ARRE There is some concern here itary sources contend that it that the publicity surrounding were preparing for push Scim/ 6;1-mg the allied operation in South could set back Hanoi's war from Khensanh area (1) Thong Tieng effort at least two years. Vietnam's northwestern corner It appeared that the drive into Laos. Laotians at may have enabled the enemy into Laos, the first such assault Dong Hene (2) were un- forces to bolster their defenses against the trail in the long der enemy pressure, and of and perhaps move many of their history of the war, would prob- 0 stockpiles. But South Vietnam- in north foe harassed the ese officers express confidence ably come within a maximum Sam Thong area (3). In of 10 days. The obstacles to that they could still cause se- going ahead with the project North Vietnam, a missile vere damage to the enemy with have now been cleared, the in- site near Donghoi (4) an assault across the border. formants said, although a shift was struck by U.S. jet. Since the operation has been in plans could not be ruled out. under way for seven days, what Allied drive continued has appeared to be delay in Crossings by Patrols near Kompong Chain (5). sending the South Vietnamese South Vietnamese reconnais- CAMBODIA into Laos has been attributed sance patrols have long been Kunpore in some quarters here to hesi- reported crossing into Laos in trail network in Laos. The Chwm tation in Washington arising FISHHOOK an effort to pinpoint enemy United States command also Pnompe.nh°.13 SOUTH stockpiles and estimate the announced that the giant bomb- PARROTLS BEAK VIETNAM' strength of enemy defenses. ers had attacked North Viet- of- The Associated Press reported namese positions in Quangtri Siarr Soigonn.4:. today that its correspondents at the border had seen rein- Province in support of the forced patrols fly by helicop- American and South Vietnam- ters across the border far a ese operating there. Targets fresh look, apparently in prep- in Cambodia were also at- aration for an assault. tacked by B-52's, the command A few South Vietnamese offi- cers were said to have inspect- said. ed Route 9, the newly cleared At the same time, it disclosed road to the border. that a United States Air Force Meanwhile, 20,000 South F-105 fighter-bomber, flying Vietnamese soldiers and 9,000 missions over the to Chi Minh Americans continued to move Trail in Laos, had crossed the `Imminent' Drive Into Laos into position along the border border into North Vietnam to in South Vietnam's northern- fire two Shrike missiles at ene- most province of Quangtri. my radar-controlled antiaircraft 'rorn apprehension over the pos- In any •operation into Laos, positions 31 miles west of sible domestic political reaction. however, the United States Donghoi. But informed sources contend- forces would remain behind, as ed that the decision now has American ground combat been made. troops are forbidden by law American officials support- from crossing the border. ing the plan are said to feel Unlimited Planes Available that any short-term political But unlimited American air drawbacks would be offset by power would be used to pro- the long-term military benefits vide support 'for the South as well as by an announcement Vietnamese forces, which in- 3f substantial troop reductions clude marines, rangers, air- Ixpected from President Nixon borne units and infantrymen. in April. American helicopter gunships, Thieu Favors Plan B-52's and smaller fighter- President Nguyen Van Thieu bombers would join in the of South Vietnam has long drive to disrupt the enemy sought American backing for the supply system. venture. Aware of the Congres- B-52's continued their con- sional prohibitions against the centrated raids on the enemy use of American ground troops in Laos, he apparently con- miles north of Vientiane. Both itary spokesmen said here• to- rinced Washington that his are government-held mountain 'orces were strong enough to strong points near the Plaine day that South Vietnamese and Jo the jab, given intense Amer- des Jarres. Cambodian troops searching can air and logistical support. Striking North of Sam Thong suspected enemy sanctuaries in It is understood that he left the last night, a Communist unit Cambodia and reported killing final decision to signal the as- reportedly occupied a Govern- 69 Communists in a battle yes- sault to President Nixon. ment outpost. Another Com- terday. The allied toll was put The operation, which is munist contingent, it was said, at 7 South Vietnamese killed known as Dewey Canyon II, was repulsed from a small Gov- and 28 wounded. was hampered today by cold ernment hilltop position be- The sweep reportedly in- winds and cloudy skies of the tween Sam Thong and Long volving about 18,500 South northeast monsoon season. Tieng. Vietnamese and 3,000 Cambo- No ground contact with the dians, was said to be going on enemy was reported, continu- Toll in Cambodia Reported 15 miles inside Cambodia south- ing the pattern of virtually no SAIGON, Feb. 5 (UPI) —Mil- east of Kompong ham. enemy resistance since the op eration began early last Satur- day. But the United States command reported that five enemy soldiers had been killed 15 miles northwest of Khes,anh in an engagement involving helicopter gunships. In the operation so far, United States forces have cleared Route 9 to the Laotian border, repaired bridges and airstrips, providing highway security, reoccupied Khesanh, the old Marine Corps base that was under siege for 77 days in 1968, and opened a base at Langvei, about three miles from the border. They have also in- stalled some heavy artillery in the border regions. The movements of the South Vietnamese farces have re- mained secret. Reporters who went to their command post at Dongha were turned away by military policemen.. New Pressure in Laos Special to The New York Times VIENTIANE, Laos, Feb. 5— North Vietnamese and Laotian Communist-led forces today were reported to be continu- ing their pressure on govern- ment forces in northern Laos with small-scale attacks and aggressive patrolling near Sam Thong and Long Tieng, 80 air