THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03029769
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: November 17, 1967

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
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MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
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17 November 1967
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Information as of 1600
17 November 1967
HIGHLIGHTS
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Fighting continues in the Dak To area and
the Communists are
preparing more "battle positions" west of Dak To
(Paras. 1-5). North Vietnamese forces may be
preparing for new attacks near the Demilitarized
Zone (Paras. 6-9). Operation ESSEX, a sweep near
the Quang Nam - Quang Tin Province border, term-
inated on 17 November (Para. 10).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
Tran Van Don claims that the Freedom Fighters
Association is not yet an organized party and that
it will be from one to two years before it is
(Paras. 1-3).
The upper
house has been discussing the question of stat,:).s of
forces in South Vietnam, and there are indications
that this may soon become a more important issue
(Para. 8).
IV. Other Military Developments: There is
nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: There
is nothing of significance to report.
TO
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VI. Other Major Aspects: Two US reporters
reportedly discovered a Viet Cong base camp while
traveling in eastern Cambodia (Paras. 1-3). North
Vietnam has now set up or is working on seven dif-
ferent means for crossing the Canal des Rapides
(Paras. 4-6).
17 November 1967
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THA I LAND
M B 0 D 1
\ (--
PHNOM
PENH
- I "
NORTH
VIETNA
N. 1
SAIGON
Demilitarized Zone
�
Con Thien
Hue.
;Iy.ting Tau
Dak To
a Nang
a Lat�
USMC
OPERATION
ESSEX
,Cittpl
RANH
SOUTH VIETNAM
17 NOVEMBER
50 75
I A
751 00 K.fom
100 Mile,
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I. MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. On 17 November, two companies of the US
4th Infantry Division advanced behind air and artil-
lery strikes to seize the high ground--hill 1338--on
a ridge overlooking Dak To from the south. The US
soldiers reported the enemy put up stiff resistance
from well dug-in positions before withdrawing. First
reports state that seven Americans were killed. Enemy
casualty figures have not yet come in.
2. To the north of Dak To, a South Vietnamese
Army paratrooper brigade lost four killed and 40 wounded
on 17 November when attacked by what were probably ele-
ments of the North Vietnamese 24th Regiment. At last
report the, action was still going on. During the
night of 16-17 November, another enemy unit--also be-
lieved to be a subordinate of the 24th Regiment--raided
a small town less than two miles east of Dak To. Three
South Vietnamese Army defenders were wounded and part
of the village was set afire.
3. The recent spurt of enemy activity north and
east of Dak To probably is intended to relieve pres-
sure on the North Vietnamese 32nd and 66th regiments
south and west of the strongpoint. In addition, by
spreading the action over a wide area, the Communists
probably believe they can improve their chances of
isolating and destroying an American unit.
4. Nearly all of the recent fighting in the Dak
To area has developed from US probes into North Viet-
namese fortified areas. More of this kind of fight-
ing can be expected as allied forces continue to seek
the enemy.
16 November, between intelligence units of the
North Vietnamese 1st Division, refers to "three battle
positions" in the mountains west of Dak To--presumably
manned by Communist troops--and a fourth position
which has just been prepared but "has not yet been oc-
cupied." The US 173rd Airborne Brigade is now deployed
in the neighborhood of these reported positions.
the headquarters of the North
Vietnamese 1st Division to a subordinate element claimed
that during a "few days of combat, we have destroyed
more than eight American companies and worn down more
than five others."
17 November 1967
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5. An enemy notebook captured on 6 November
southwest of Dak To provides further evidence that
enemy forces there have received sizable numbers
of replacements from North Vietnam. The document
states that two thirds of the men in the North Viet-
namese 66th Regiment are new recruits and that
almost all of the unit's cadre are newly appointed.
Communist Military Activity in the DMZ Area
6. North Vietnamese forces continue to move
about in the eastern half of the Demilitarized Zone
and northeastern Quang Tri Province despite dif-
ficulties imposed by bad weather.
7. At least two of the three regiments of
the North Vietnamese 324B Division--the 90th and
803rd regiments--are repositioning within and im-
mediately south of the Demilitarized Zone and have
been noted preparing for attacks. Two battalions
of the 90th Regiment are in the Con Thien area
performing extensive reconnaissance. A recently
captured North Vietnamese, who claims to have been
a member of the 90th Regiment, states that plans
are set for an attack on Con Thien within the
next two weeks.
8. Also in the Demilitarized Zone area, the
newly identified North Vietnamese 164th Artillery
Regiment has moved guns into positions north of
Con Thien,
difficulties in moving artillery weapons
Pecause of deep water and damaged roads.
9. This Communist activity may be a tactic
designed to maintain pressure on US and South Viet-
namese soldiers south of the Demilitarized Zone
until new plans are formulated. Representatives
from elements of the Communist Demilitarized Zone
Front are currently meeting and may be discussing
and deciding strategy for the next round of fighting.
17 November 1967
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1 1.
Operation ESSEX Ends
10. Operation ESSEX, a 12-day sweep con-
ducted by a battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment
in the Quang Nam - Quang Tin border area south of
Da Nang, ended on 17 November. The operation was
highlighted by two significant actions in which
Marines encountered heavy opposition from enemy
forces in fortified villages. Over 100 air strikes
supported the operation. Marine casualties were
37 killed and 122 wounded. Enemy losses were 72
killed, mostly from the 3rd Regiment of the North
Vietnamese 2nd Division.
17 November 1967
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II. POLITICAL SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Senator Tran Van Don recently discussed the
future of his Freedom Fighters Association with an
American official, indicating that it was not organized
as a political party and that it would take from one
to two years to develop it as one. For the present,
the association is organizing. The emphasis is on
establishing local contacts who will join and then
organize local association chapters. The political
party envisioned by Don is expected to spring from
the resulting mass base.
2. When queried about the relationship between
the Freedom Fighters Association and the Farmer-
Worker-Soldier bloc, the other political organiza-
tion of which he is provisional president. Don said
that the two groups would probably develop separately.
He added, however, that it would be only natural for
them to maintain some liaison, given the partial over-
lapping of their leaderships. He speculated that the
Farmer-Worker-Soldier bloc might itself develop into
a political party through the connections its legisla-
tors have with their respective constituencies.
3. Don acknowledged that there was talk that
he would be elected president of the Senate, and said
that, if this occurred, the position would preclude
his leading the Farmer-Worker-Soldier bloc in the
upper house. He would still be free, however, to
continue to organize the Freedom Fighters Association
and use this as a base of political power.
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Upper House on SOFA
8. Discussions in the upper house on 11 and
14 November, as well as current Saigon press comment,
indicate that the question of a status of forces
agreement is coming to the fore. During a discussion
over the articles governing the duties of standing
committees to be established in the upper house, the
focal point of debate was the question of whether
specific responsibilities for defining the status of
allied forces in South Vietnam should be assigned to
the information and foreign affairs committee or to
the national defense committee. Motions to give each
of these committees specific responsibilities to take
up the status of forces question were voted down,
but an "annotation" to the article governing the
national defense committee states that the committee
"examines and reports to the upper house on regula-
tions for allied forces on the territory of the
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Republic of Vietnam, when such forces are here."
Senator Tran Van Lam has indicated that, while he
personally does not favor discussing the status
of forces question during war time, he feels there
will be considerable pressure to do so.
17 November 1967
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Pel-tun/Yun-nan -I
Meng-tzu
LAOS
2 Probable MIG-2h
17 November
Phuc Yen
CHINA
Hanotranoi/Bac mai
NORTH
VIETNAM
THAI ND
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0 5010
Statute Miles
SOUTH
Da Nang
( VIETNAM
Lei-chest
Peninsula
HAINAN
Canton
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MACAO HONG
(PORT.' KONG
1U.K.)
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TrINIMPINI
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. ac Mai Airfield and a barge assembly facility,
all located within two miles of the center of Hanoi,
were hit on 17 November.
2. The pilots also reported heavy antiaircraft
artillery fire and numerous surface-to-air missiles.
Four US aircraft were reported lost, two of them
to SAMs.
3. Two MIG-21s tried unsucces
tercept the IT planes.
less than six flours after the Bac
Mal raid two probable MIG-21s departed Phuc Yen
Airfield for Meng-tzu in Communist China. Thp
MIG pilots were identified
as the same two who engaged a flight of USAF
F-4s on 16 November, landed at Ning-ming, and
later returned to Phuc Yen.
Bomb Damage to the Hanoi Diplomatic Quarter
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4. press sources in
Hanoi report that the offices of the Soviet military
attache, the International Control Commission, and
the British Consulate were hit on 17 November.
Limited damage reportedly was inflicted on the
Soviet and British installations. At the ICC
quarters oneIndian sergeant was killed and another 3.3(h)(2)
wounded.
confirmed the casualties.
in Hanoi in his report stated it was
not clear whether US aircraft or antiaircraft
batteries were responsible.
17 November 1967
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
17 November 1967
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Hanoi Area By-pass System
To Thai N. rye� To Dong Dan
and Lno Cri
Doumer
Bridge
Dong
, TO
HilphOng
Van Dien
MI Lf_S
1 Original Canal des Rapides Bridge
2 Highway ferry and pontoon bridge
3 Highway cable bridge
4 Alternate rail/highway bridge
5 Probable rail/htghway bridge (u/c)
6 Rail ferry
7 Highway ferry
8 Highway ferry
9 Highway ferry
10 Rail ferry
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 1.
two US newspapermen traveling in eastern Cambodia
near the South Vietnamese border discovered what they
believed to be a recently occupied Viet Cong base
camp. The journalists said the site was big enough
for a battalion and included a mess hall, infirmary,
and headquarters units, and a vehicle parking area.
A Cambodian military officer who was with the newsmen
was described as being quite surprised, and apparently
refused to take the journalists into the camp without
"protective troops." The journalists intend to file
their stories in a couple of days after attempting to
interview a senior Cambodian official on the matter.
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VI. OTHER MAJOR ASPECTS
2. The site in question, opposite South Vietnam's
Tay Ninh Province, could well be a Viet Cong facility.
It is an area of extensive Communist supply and medi-
cal activity.
3. Although Western newspapermen have made numer-
ous trips to border areas in search of Communist activ-
ity in the past, this is the first time that any sus-
picious activity has been identified. Since the US
reporters were making the border inspection at Sihanouk's
invitation, it will be more difficult for Phnom Penh
to issue a flat denial.
Bridge Repair
4. The North Vietnamese now have or are working
on seven different facilities for crossing the Canal
des Rapides on the main rail and road routes from
China to Hanoi.
5. as of early November
the original bridge across the canal was serviceable
again. It was damaged on 26 October. A railroad
ferry, a highway ferry, and one cable and one pontoon
bridge are available as alternates to the main bridge.
One alternate to the main bridge was unserviceable
as of 5 November. In addition, construction is under
way on what appears to be a new railroad-highway bridge.
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6. With the main bridge and backups available
for crossing the Canal des Rapides, the main obstruc-
tion to through traffic from China to Hanoi is now
the Doumer Bridge at the Red River. Repairs on the
two spans knocked out by bombings on 24 October are
under way, but the work was proceeding slowly as of
3 November
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