THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM - 20 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06752212
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: December 20, 1967

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
e,04w1/4/
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
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20 December 1967
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Information as of 1600
20 December 1967
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HIGHLIGHTS
The two major bridges near Hanoi have again been
knocked out by recent US air strikes.
I. The milit6ry. :Situation In South Vietnam: Thirty-
nine enemy were killed in an abortive attack on a base
camp of the US 25th Infantry Division in northern Tay
Ninh on 20 December. Scattered fighting was reported
in northern I Corps (Paras.-1-2). There is evidence that
Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units are operating in
close coordination (Paras. 3-4). The Weekly Review of
South Vietnam Battle Statistics. (Charts)
II. Political Developments TA South Vietnam: The
National Assembly will send a 14-man delegation to the
US in.March at the invitation.of the US House of Representa-
tives (Para. 1). The Lower House has voted to establish
a special committed to review the cases of political
prisoners and will probably give particular considera-
tion to those now on trial for involvement in the 1966
l"struggle" movement (Paras. 2-3). The Viet Cong re-
portedly have issued a directive calling for the instiga-
tion of a second "struggle" in Da Nang and possibly other
cities; but such efforts are unlikely -to meet with much
success (Paras. 4-5).
IV. Other Communist Military Developments: A Spanish
repatriate from North Vietnam has provided additional
information on Chinese Communist military units (Paras. 1-3).
V. Communist Political Developments: There is nothing
of significance to report.'
VI. Other Major Aspects: Truck traffic in the Laos
panhandle seems to be running at about the same level as
last year (Paras. 1-4)'. Both the Doumer and the Canal
des Rapides bridges have again been cut (Paras. 5-6).
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Thirty-nine enemy were killed in an abortive
attack on a base camp of the US 25th Division in north-
ern Tay Ninh about 66 miles from Saigon during the
early morning hours of 20 December. The enemy fired
over 200 mortar rounds and a heavy volume of small-
arms fire at the battalion-Size base camp, killing
three Americans �and wounding nine. The Americans,
part of Operation YELLOWSTONE, were supported by air
strikes during the four hours of the action.
2. US Army forces operating in the Quang Nam -
Quang Tin border area south of Da Nang reported kill-
ing 55 enemy troops in some two dozen separate skirm-
ishes on 19 December. Farther north, in Quang Tri and
Thua Thien, Communist troops launched brief mortar,
automatic weapon, and grenade attacks against widely
scattered US Marine positions and patrols during the
past two days. A US trick convoy was hit moving west
on Route 9 toward Ca Lu in central Quang Tri. On
19 December a Marine reconnaissance team ambushed a
North Vietnamese Army patrol six miles west of Khe
Sanh, killing four. US casualties in these .I Corps
actions have been relatively light.
Viet Cong - North Vietnamese Coordination
3. Interrogation of a captured North Viet-
namese indicates that a sapper unit
has been organized in Khanh Hoa Province. It oper-
ates under ioint Viet Cong - North Vietnamese con-
trol. the North Viet-
namese 18B Regiment wants to employ the sapper unit
in an operation it must put its request through
"the front." He says that "the front" consists of
the Viet Cong province chief and the commanding of-
ficer and political officer of the 18B Regiment.
This group probably equates to the southern sub-
region of the Communist Military Region 5.
20 December 1967
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4. The apparent joint control of units and oper-
ations in Khanh Hoa reflects a trend which has been
evident for months in many parts of South Vietnam.
Another recent indication of such closer coordination
occurred in the Mekong Delta where on 16 December
a native-born North Vietnamese infantryman was cap-
tured for the first time in the war. The captive
states that he infiltrated into the delta in late
September. 1967, with a group of 20 northerners,
twelve of whom were assigned to the Viet Cong 267th
Main Force battalion.
suspected for some time that North Vietnamese were
serving as cadres or advisers in the delta but this
is the first evidence of troop infiltration into
the area.
Weekly Review of South Vietnam Battle Statistics
5. The week of 10-16 December compared with
the week of 3-9 December:
Killed
Wounded
Missing/.
Captured
TOTALS
I. Casualties
US
VC/NVA
3.9 Dec
: 10716 Dec.
379 Dec 10-16 Dec
.1,898
_____-.
1,685
194 187
1,641 932
1,898
1,685.
1,835. 1,119
GVN
FREE WORLD
3-9 Dec.
10-16. Dec
3-9 Dec . 10-16
Dec.
Killed
3691
278
21
13
Wounded
947
641
55
18
Missing/.
Captured.
53
179
1
TOTALS
1,369
1,098
77
31
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II: Viet Cong.Incidents-
3-9 Dec 10.-16 Dec
Attacks
Battalion or Larger.
Small Unit
86
2
84
56
� � � . 0
. � � . 56
Harassment
542
233
Terrorism
38
32
Sabotage
91
26
Propaganda
10
7
Antiaircraft
236
195
TOTALS
1,003
549
III. Weapons. Captured..
VC/NVA
GVN
3-9 Dec
10-16 Dec
3-9 Dec
10-16 Dec
Individual
323
Not
229
269
Crew-Served
60
Reported
6
5
TOTALS
383
235.
�����.
.274
20 December. 1967
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, 8000
6000
4000
2000
16000
12000
, 8000
4000
0
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Weapons Losses
J
iet Cong
=
GVN
SEPT
'
1,8'
444
II
,
A
ilil. t
-4141114141110411A
i
I . ,li I I)
,n
11/11111111
iI11/1'1_�
..1111/1
I
1963 1964 1965 1966
Casualties
(Killed only)*
1967 1
Viet
Cong/N VA
World
=
GVN/US/other Free
SEPT
i
Y y
1i1111111i
111
1111
.
1
s ..
1 i-: 11111
11/11 /11111
111/111.111
1963 1964 1965
1966
US Casualties to Date: Killed15,646 Wounded 97,676
1967
2000
1500
1000
7 500
10-16 DEC
.1.1.6...j.644.2�1=6�108:2.
4000'
3000
2000
54
OCT NOV DEC,
1967
10 16 DEC
it= - -�
4
1,685
478
0 t1 ill!
OCT NOV DEC
1967
Captured 226 Missing 660
*Due to a change in the reporting of personnel losses, ham 12 February 1967 the weekly and monthly
figures represent only personnel killed.
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600
400
200
4000
3000
2000
1000
645
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Viet Cong Attacks
SEPT
260
11111111111
11111111111 III 1111111 I
11111111111
III1 111 1 III
1963 1964 1965 1966 1967
Viet Cong Incidents
iii4v\it
(Excluckng A )
SEPT
3,497
11111111111
11111111111
11111111111
11111111111
11111111111
1963 1964 1965 1966 1967
69= 71Z-617? 094.
150
100
50
0-16 DEC
56
0
OCT NOV
1967
1000
750
500
250
DEC
195
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POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. South Vietnam has accepted an invitation from
the US Congress to send 12 deputies and two administra-
tive assistants from its National Assembly in March to
observe Congress in session, meet with Congressmen,
and tour several American cities. The invitation was
extended by a group of 26 US Representatives.
Lower House on Political Prisoners
2. The Lower House on 19 December decided to
establish a spedial committee to review the cases of
political prisoners arrested since 1 November 1963.
The Upper House established a similar committee in
mid-November, and both houses will probably draft am-
nesty resolutions covering some or all of the political
prisoners.
3. The Lower House committee was apparently
established in direct response to the government's
trial of 26 "struggle" movement leaders. Most mem-
bers of the House had hoped to secure either the re-
lease of the defendants or a postponement of the trial,
but as the trial had already begun on the morning of
the 19th, the government felt it could not accommodate
the Lower House. The special committee will probably
now give particular consideration to obtaining leniency
for the defendants.
Viet Cons Attempt to Foment New "Struggle"
4. The Viet Cong are apparently attempting to ex-
ploit the outcry against the trial.
the Viet Cong Da Nang City Committee issued
a directive on 2 December instructing Viet Cong cadres
to incite and lead a movement to support the 26 de-
fendants. The directive reportedly outlined a three-
phase campaign for organizing a second "struggle" in
Da Nang which would then spread to other cities, es-
pecially Hue. Forces for the new "struggle," according
to the directive, would be drawn from among students,
Buddhists, workers, and "the masses" both in and around
Da Nang--in short, everyone in the area.
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5. The Communists have shown other signs of
interest in the trial. On 12 December they broadcast
a lengthy tirade against government "suppression,"
characterizing the trial as an act of reprisal. It
is unlikely, however, that these Communist appeals will
get far. The Viet Cong apparently have little sig-
nificant influence with the Buddhists, and their ac-
tivities among students in Da Nang and Hue are kept
under close police scrutiny. It is therefore doubt-
ful that they could successfully instigate a new
"struggle" using these elements, and any direct appeals
to the people would probably be unsuccessful. The
Buddhists themselves may attempt to arouse public
feeling against the trial, but they have not since
1966 been able to generate much public interest in
their protest activities.
20 December 1967
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. One of the recently repatriated Spanish
Foreign Legionnaires reports he personally observed
Chinese military convoys moving south on the road
from Bac Son to Thai Nguyen during October and
November. The convoys consisted of trucks, tanks,
and self-propelled and towed artillery. Most of
the vehicles bore Chinese characters. The trucks
in the convoy returned without cargo from the
Thai Nguyen area and proceeded north. The convoys
moved both at night and during the day.
2. The convoys could have come from the
P'ing-hsiang area in China
F
over 100
tield artillery pieces in the area in July and
possibly 45 tanks in October. Many of the trucks
appeared to have been moved across the border to
parking areas at Dong Dang by early September.
Some appeared moving south along
Route 1B which leads to Thai Nguyen.
3.
\Chinese Communist
construction and antiaircraft troops are in North
Vietnam, presumably supported by some local se-
curity forces, does
not suggest that organized Chinese ground combat
forces have deployed into North Vietnam. Attempts
are being made to obtain additional information
about the equipment and
personnel near Thai Nguyen. The
Chinese troops may have been helping move equip-
ment to both Chinese and North Vietnamese units.
A Chinese antiaircraft division is believed to
be deployed near Thai Nguyen.
20 December 1967
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
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VI. OTHER MAJOR ASPECTS
Traffic in Laos Panhandle 3.3(h)(2)
1. during the: first six
weeks of the current dry season suggest. that. truck -
traffic.in the Laos .panhandle has been at about the
same level as that. of the. same'period.last year.
2. A daily average of 13, 11, and 6 trucks,
respectively, were reported moving south between
1 November and 14 December near the Mu Gia Pass
and on routes 23 and 911. Little or no traffic was
reported moving south on routes in the southern
panhandle, except on route 914, which had a daily
average of four.
3. The level.of. traffic reported north of
Tchepone seems reasonable but does not .necessarily
include all traffic. The traffic reported in the -
southern panhandle, however, appears low in view
of photography during the past month which shows
that the: Communists are continuing to improve_the
roadnet in the southern panhandle. Rainy season.
damage to Route 922 leading .to the A Shau Valley
in South Vietnam has been repairedand-new improve-
ments are being made. Route 165 opposite.the.cen-
tral highlands in. South Vietnam is being extended,
and may eventually connect with South Vietnamese
Route .14. This construction effort suggests that
more supplies will be moved through..the:panhandle
this dry season than last winter. So far, however,
'truck traffic has not exceeded the levels of pre-
vious years.
4. Both the Paul.Doumer and the Canal des
Rapides bridges on the main, transport approach to
Hanoi were: extensively damaged in the past week.
Traffic from.China and Haiphong.willbe delayed--
although not' halted--at these. two- river crossings
until repairs are made.
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three spans of the Downer Bridge, totaling about
840 feet, have been dropped and. another 350-foot
span badly damaged.
two spans of the main Canal des Rapides
Bridge, totaling about. 214 feet, have been dropped
and a third 107-foot span damaged.
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6. On past experience, the replacement of
Oropped spans will probably require several weeks.
In the meanwhile, traffic will be forced to cross
the Red River and the Canal des Rapides by ferries
and pontoon bridges.
20 December 1967
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