The Stars and Stripes is hoisted over the citadel wall at Hue

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The South Vietnamese are celebrating the recapture of the country's third city, Hue, after a battle lasting three weeks.

Their allies, American Marines, finally reached the walls of the old imperial citadel two days ago wiping out pockets of resistance from the North Vietnamese on the way.

But the final assault on the old palace began this morning with the marines firing cannons at the east wall of the palace compound.

The capture of Hue at the end of January by the North Vietnamese Communist forces was part of the so-called Tet offensive - the most powerful and continuous assault in the war so far.

The Americans reportedly calculated that the operation to recapture Hue would be a "24-hour job", but it quickly turned into a prolonged battle, with exchanges ofmortarand artillery fire.

It took 10 days to advance the last 1,000 yards inside the walled city.

American Skyhawk helicopters have dropped bombs and napalm on the citadel. Yesterday because of bad weather, the helicopters missed their target and hit a rocket dump, sending up enormous blue and green flames.

US Government aircraft with loudspeakers have been circling overhead sounding surrender warnings.

When the South Vietnamese troops finally broke through into the citadel, all guns blazing and whooping and yelling with delight, they suddenly realised there was no resistance.

They found only about 20 civilians left alive and two South Vietnamese soldiers, who had defied detection by the North Vietnamese throughout the siege.

Both sides have suffered heavy losses. The US Marines, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, joined the fighting only 11 days ago but have reported 45 dead and 250 wounded.

In total more than 100 American Marines have been killed and more than 700 wounded. Some 440 South Vietnamese soldiers have been killed and 1,900 injured.

The communist forces paid heavily too. The South Vietnamese claim to have killed nearly 3,000 in the battle for Hue, while the Americans say they have killed 1,500.

Hundreds of enemy weapons have also been captured.

A British photographer, Don McCullin, told the Times newspaper: "The devastation I saw was incredible. I had never seen a city smashed to pieces like this - with naval gunfire and planes crashing down to rout out a few snipers.

"They told me it was once a beautiful city. Well, now it is an ugly city because the streets are littered with bodies that have been run over by tanks."

Elsewhere in the country, intelligence reports say up to 15,000 communist troops are still threatening the capital, Saigon.

The couple are to be married in late July

At 1100GMT Buckingham Palace made the engagement official.

Lord Maclean, the Lord Chancellor made the following statement at an investiture at the Palace: "It is with greatest pleasure that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son the Prince of Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of the Earl Spencer and the Honourable Mrs Shand Kydd."

Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana three weeks ago at a private dinner at Buckingham Palace before she went to Australia.

He wanted her to use the trip to think over his proposal but she accepted immediately and he gave her a diamond and sapphire engagement ring.

Despite the intense public interest, they managed to keep their news a secret.

Lady Diana, who is 19, will leave her job as a kindergarten teacher and move out of her flat share in Kensington to live in Clarence House until the marriage.

The couple will then move to the Prince's house in Highgrove, Gloucestershire.

In a BBC interview, the 32-year-old Prince said he was "delighted and frankly amazed that Diana is prepared to take me on".

Looking shyly up through her long blond fringe and giggling occasionally, Lady Diana said she too was "delighted and thrilled, blissfully happy".

Asked how she would cope with a dramatic change to her life she said: "With Prince Charles beside me I cannot go wrong."

Tributes to the couple were made in both Houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said the news brought "great pleasure" to government and MPs.

They will be married in late July, but exactly when and where has yet to be decided.

Earl Spencer, Lady Diana's father, said he was also very happy for the couple.

Speaking outside Buckingham Palace with his wife Raine, daughter of novelist Barbara Cartland, he said his daughter had handled the pressures of constant media attention over the last six months very well.

"It will be easier now. She will be under some protection whereas before she had to face the music on her own," he said.

mortar: a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range（迫擊炮）