CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/04/28

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
03181200
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RIPPUB
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U
Document Page Count: 
11
Document Creation Date: 
September 20, 2019
Document Release Date: 
September 26, 2019
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Publication Date: 
April 28, 1955
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PDF icon CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULL[15722722].pdf467.27 KB
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roigge3:,/ 4,0,//)p,roved for Release: 2019/09/17 71711. c,//1/ff/ 3.3(h)(2) 3.5(c) 28 April 1955 uopy No . 94 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. /.9 NO CHANGE IN CLASS. 0 DECLASSIFIED CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S 0 NEXT REVIEW DATE' 17/ 17 AUTH: HR 70-2 DATE: 4/1410__ REVIEWER Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release:.2019/09/17 C03181200 SUMMARY SOVIET UNION I. Comment on Soviet ratification of border and financial agreement with Iran (page 3). SOUTHEAST ASIA 2. Diem considers procedure for election of national assembly (page 3). 3. Vietnamese government hopes to arrange defection of group of Viet Minh regulars (page 4). SOUTH ASIA 4. Pakistani prime minister comments on Afro-Asian conference (page 5). THE FORMOSA STRAITS (page 6) 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 TOP .r:ECRET Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 SOVIET UNION 1. Comment on Soviet ratification of border and financial agreement with Iran: p. Soviet ratification of the border and fi- nancial agreement with Iran represents one more step in Moscow's campaign to encourage neutrality in uncommitted states along Soviet Orbit borders. Current Soviet propaganda, by attempt- ing to distort a simple border and financial agreement into a neutrality commitment, reveals apprehension that Iran may now feel freer to join a Western-sponsored defense bloc. It empha- sizes that "dangerous tendencies" are pushing Iran along a path contrary to its treaty obligations with the USSR. A Pravda editorial promises that a policy of neutrality in Iran will receive the "full support of the USSR, which more than once came to the assistance of its friendly neighbor." Until all provisions of the agreement are carried out, including demarcations of the border which will take at least 18 months, Iran is not expected to change its present policy of avoiding offense to the USSR. The Shah recently proposed, however, talks with Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan. His pro- Western inclination and his desire ultimately to link Iran for- mally with Western defense arrangements are not likely to be weakened by this Soviet gesture. Neutralist sentiment in Iran, which will probably be encouraged by the Soviet action, exerts virtually no thfluence on government policy, SOUTHEAST ASIA Diem considers procedure for election of national assembly: Premier TM PM 28 Apr 55 is opposed to the formation of a national assembly whose seats are merely distributed among the CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 � I parties and sects. process would strengthen persons "who are deeply compromised by their collaboration with colonialism since 1946." only elections will eliminate persons "who represent nothing but themselves." He believes the elections can be organized to prevent undue intimidation by the sects. He envisages excluding Viet Minh agents from the polls by legal arrangements, whose application would be facilitated by the violently anti-Communist feeling in the newly liberated areas. He also envisages the postponement of elections in regions where "conditions of freedom" have not been established. Comment: Municipal and village elec- tions held two years ago provide evidence that the Viet Minh can be excluded from the polls. 3. Vietnamese government hopes to arrange defection of group of Viet Minh regulars: The Vietnamese government has been negotiating with the leaders of the 308th Viet Minh battalion since 16 April and will probably accept the allegiance of some of its elements in the near future, The battalion commander is said to be convinced that the Diem government is nationalist and anti-French. He claims 7,000 followers, but the government be- lieves they number no, more than 1,000. Comment: The 308th is a battalion of Viet Minh regulars last known to be in the Camu area, near the southern tip of Vietnam. It may have remained there after the regroupment which was completed on 7 February. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 TOP !7,ECIRE7 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 _ SOUTH ASIA 4. Pakistani prime minister comments on Afro-Asian conference: The recently concluded Afro-Asian con- erence was a "75-percent victory for the free world," according to Pakistani prime minister Mohammad Ali. Mohammad All expressed belief that Chou En-lai was impressed by the strength of anti-Communist forces. He contrasted the skillful parliamentary tactics of the pro-Western countries with Chou's apparent ignorance of par- liamentary procedures and Prime Minister Nehru's extraordi- nary ineptness. Nehru's loss of prestige was so marked as to frustrate his ambition to be the spokesman for Asia, accord- ing to Mohammad All, who pointed out that, despite Nehru's strong opposition, the conference had linked international control of nu- clear weapons with disarmament. Mohammad All also noted that the conference had approved collective security agreements un- der the UN charter in the face of objections from Chou and Nehru and that Chou's sudden acceptance of the proposal had momentarily isolated the Indian premier. Comment: Nehru from the start was cool toward an Afro-Asian conference and was anxious to prevent friction at Bandung. He may have been impressed by the strong anti-Communist stand taken by a number of nations, and as a re- sult he may consider it necessary to reassess India's position on current Asian problems. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 $ %JAI h., s...$ s-ea�...�� THE FORMOSA STRAITS Report of the IAC Current Intelligence Group for the .Formosa Straits Program This report is based on information received in Washington up to 1100 hours 27 April 1955. 1. Aerial photography of the East China coast has revealed possible initial construction on another new airfield opposite Formosa. Repair or possible expansion was noted on two other airfields along the coast. a. Photography on 25 April indicated early stages of possible airfield construction near Lungtien, about 35 miles south of Foochow and 120 NM from Taipei. Only initial clearing was noted on a runway area about 6500 by 240 feet. b. The first recent photography of Taishan airfield, in the Choushan Islands south of Shanghai, revealed expansion of the field. A 7000' by 440' concrete runway and 10 revetments were observed. One CAB (LI-2) transport and five single-tIngine fighters were on the field. c. There was evidence on 24 April that rehabilitation of Machiang airfield, near Amoy, had started. Some vegetation had been removed from the runway. Machiang had been dormant since 1951, when construction work was halted. At present it is suited for only limited operational use by transports, but could be readied for limited fighter operation in about ten days. The field is 15 NM from Quemoy. 2. Photography also noted FALCON (MIG-15) types at air- fields near Ningpo and Canton. a. Thirty-nine FALCON types and seven single-engine piston fighters were counted on Changchiao airfield at Ningpo on 25 April. On the basis of communications intelligence, the 17th Air Division (55 FALCONS) was believed located at Changchiao. This field has also been used as a staging base for naval air force �BATS (TU-2) operating out of the Shanghai area. No such aircraft were observed at Changchiao on 25 April. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 6 pI Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 b. Photography of the Canton area on 26 April re- vealed 55 FALCONS on Nanhai airfield, southwest of Canton. Photographs of White Cloud airfield, three miles north of Canton, were too poor to permit an aircraft count. There was, however, no evidence of new construction. The presence of one fighter division--the 4th--and one regiment from the 18th Air Division have been accepted in the Canton area A possible 80 FALCONS are es- timated in the area. 3. On 26 April, the Chinese Communists, for the first time, fired upon a Nationalist-held island in the Matsu group. Two rounds of artillery landed on Peikantang and wounded five Nationalist personnel. The firing came from the Peiling Penin- sula. The limited number of rounds fired strongly suggests registration. The Communists have had artillery weapons on the Peiling Peninsula for some time and there have been recent reports of additional antiaircraft, artillery and coastal defense positions on the peninsula. 4. A summary of Formosa Straits Reports for the week ending 27 April is attached. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 ����� ON. fift. Amr� .���� ����� L.W Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 WEEKLY SUMMARY FORMOSA STRAITS REPORT 27 April 1955 1. the transfer of Soviet BUTCHER (IL-28) jet light bombers in the Port Arthur area to the Chinese Communists. The exact number involved cannot be ascertained at this time. If all 84 BUTCHER-type air- craft located at this point plus the 36 BUTCHERS known to have arrived at Tsitsihar in northern Manchuria are assigned to the Chinese Communists, their over-all jet light bomber strength would be raised from 145 to 265. 2. Photography confirms the presence of 23 jet fighters at Tatopu airfield near Changsha, 460 NM inland from Formosa. They would be important in the air defense of central China but would not be effective against Formosa unless staged through one of the coastal bases. 3. No further information has been received to confirm the movement of a possible jet fighter unit of divisional size from the Shantung Peninsula to the Shanghai area as reported 24 April. On 25 April photography of Changchiao airfield, believed to have been the terminal point for these aircraft, revealed only 39 jet fighters present,. Although some other aircraft may have been either in the air or at another airfield in the immediate vicinity, this count from one photo mission cannot be taken as confirmation of a second divisional size unit at this. airfield. 4. During the period there was almost a complete lack of Communist ground activity. An inspection team from MAAG, Formosa, recently conducted a series of combat readiness tests of Chinese Nationalist troops on the Matsu Island group, resulting in an over-all rating of "satisfactory." Evident weaknesses were the serious understrength of the regimental combat team on the Paichuan (White Dog) Islands, the inexperience of the division staff on Matsu, and the slowness of the Ministry of National Defense to follow MAAG's recommendations for augmentation of crew served weapons. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 8 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 .0.1k " ." Irk 1.91 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 5. Chief of MAAG, Formosa, recently recommended that the Wuchiu Islands, midway between Matsu and Quemoy, either be abandoned or garrisoned by regular Nationalist forces. CINCPAC concurred in MAAG's recommendation that the Wuchius be aban- doned because he does not consider the position of the islands in the Chinese Nationalist defense system warrants the expenditure of support and equipment for a defending garrison there. 6. Chou En-lai at Bandung and related Chinese Commu- nist propaganda during the past week continued to insist that the "liberation" of Formosa is a purely internal matter in which "out- side interference" will not be tolerated, that the only international question susceptible to negotiations is that of US "intervention," and that compromise is out of the question. Chou En-lai, however, has indicated that he does not regard the door to negotiations as entirely closed. 28 Apr 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 9 " rit pr. Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 FOOCHOW NANTA Airfield 0 , (Inoperable LOYUAN LIENCHIANG KUANTOU HWANGKI ISLAND ? SANTU INLET AN BAY PEILING PENINSULA HUANGCHI CHIRCHU ISLAND . (SPIDER ISLAND) KAOTENG 4E1KANTANG PAICHUAN ISLANDS fl. (WHITE DOGS) cfkMAWEI HSICHUAN c7 1p TUNGCHUAN e .7 ? ute Stat Miles Nc 5 1 10 l ,.,., Nautical Miles 50325 00Z1.91.�00 L1.16016 1.0Z :aseaia JOI penaidd\of SEGRE:T__ Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 Nevi CHINA- FORMOprilSA19 27 0 Nauticalmiles Nur _SITUATION A55 5p 1?0 150 1 1 1 1 1 1 Selected road tel I road Proposed railroad Statute miles o 510 100 150 + + -1- -I-. COMMUNIST AIRFIELD LEGEND e � A OPERATIONAL � A SERVICEABLE � A UNKNOWN � A OTHER DESIGNATIONSUSEABILITY PRIMARY: considered most important in area, with prepared runway MIG-15, MIG-17, TU-4, IL-28 generally 5000 feet or longer. TLI-2, IL�b, LA-9/1 I , LI-2, etc. � unknown * Fields not considered capable of supporting sustained operations at present. * NAI IONAL AIRF IELD SECONDARY: auxiliary or emergency bases, or fields of lesser importance�runways generally less than 5000 feet. OF,RATIONAL: consistently used by military civilian aircraft. Sl1RVICEAf3L1 : capable of use by aircraft. UNKNOWN: current status undetermined. 01/ER: under construction, abandoned or unserviceable. \-\ EH a. UNANi\ *CHANGSHA TATOPIlt. (. HENGYANG HANKOW K I NGS r' �"\ K WAN , iHong Kong (GB.) Matgo, (Port.) HANGTIN 18 HU AINING st 120 122 KIANGSU- 32- LANGHAI t.kAl KAN NINGP HINHUA IANG LUCHIA WENCHOW i�` . + ( .1 r / + , 4 I k..-- r- \ � z ,,, � \._t�-7� 0 'X CHIENOU FUK NGCH DEF. UNGcO` TRUC-K SWATOW N SWATO N 0 CT H ACHIA �UEMOY C:)% o 11A-"'PESCABOR. S CHOUSHAN IS. AT_ s.J 07 0 CftA- IAO t a -7,TAcHENS EAST CHINA SKA MAT SUS LUNT EN CHINA SEA HSINCHU TAICHUNG MO S ill NAN P I NGTUNG 28- 26- S SlIPSHAN El �LAN 24- 22- 1 1 4 116 118 " 122 PRESENTATIONS DIVISION '7" Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 C03181200 50420