LOGISTICS ACTIVITY NORTHEAST ROAD NETWORK NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000300010005-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 1, 1972
• Content Type: REPORT

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PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
LOGISTICS ACTIVITY
NORTHEAST ROAD NETWORK
NORTH VIETNAM
PIR-053/72
NOVEMBER 1972
COPY NO. 1 v .
8 PAGES
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LOGISTICS ACTIVITY
NORTHEAST ROAD NETWORK
NORTH VIETNAM
ABSTRACT
1. An analysis of vehicular traffic and logistics-related facilities in northeastern North
Vietnam was made from a single, cloud-free operation
It revealed heavy use of the 1B/3 and 1A/4 road systems between China and Hanoi. Other
roads in the study area showed light traffic at the time of this coverage. A total of 1,565
vehicles were on routes, in logistics support facilities, and in vehicle storage parks. Logistics
support facilities were located primarily along the more heavily used routes.
2. Detailed information derived from this analysis is provided in two tables. An
annotated map shows the standard route segmentation used for reporting vehicular
movement. Locations of logistics support facilities and vehicle parks are also depicted on
this map. Four photos show representative activity included in the report.
INTRODUCTION
3. The increased military offensive in South Vietnam, which began in late March
1972, has probably resulted in an increased need for foreign supplies to support the North
Vietnamese war effort. This, coupled with the increased bombing and the mining of its
harbors, has forced North Vietnam to place additional emphasis on its overland supply
routes from China.
4. provided a unique opportunity to view a large portion of North
Vietnam at one time on cloud-free photography. Using this coverage, an analysis was made
of the logistics net and logistics support facilities in northeastern North Vietnam.
BASIC DESCRIPTION
5.I provided clear photographic coverage of 25X1
the entire study area. This area is bounded on the north by the China-North Vietnam
border between Dong Dang and Mon Cay, and between the Thai Nguyen, Hon Gai, and
Hanoi complexes (Figure 1).
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Traffic Analysis
6. An analysis of traffic by route revealed that the most heavily used routes of the
northeast logistics net were the 1B/3 and IA/4 road systems connecting the China border
near Dong Dang with Hanoi. The 1B/3 system was the most heavily traveled. A total of 548
trucks was observed on this logistics corridor alone. Traffic included both single-truck
sightings and eight convoys ranging from six to 13 trucks per convoy (Figure 2). Thirty-
eight of these vehicles had trailers or pieces of equipment in tow. The cargo in the trucks
could not be determined, nor, in most cases, could a distinction be made between empty
and loaded vehicles. The second most heavily traveled corridor was the IA/4 system, where
224 trucks were observed. Except for three short convoys, all of these were single track
sightings. At the time of this coverage the other major logistics routes included in the study
area carried comparatively light traffic. A total of 927 vehicles were seen on the routes of
northeast road net. (See Table 1.)
Logistics Support Facilities
7. Facilities and activities, apparently in support of the logistics system, were
observed along the major routes. Thirty-one facilities were identified or suspected or
providing these support functions. They include logistics control areas, storage/supply
points, and truck parks. The facilities were located predominantly on the more heavily used
logistics routes. Twenty-nine were on the 1B/3 and 1A/4 route systems.
8. Seventeen of the 31 support facilities were identified as possible/probable logistics
control points. These areas are suspected of providing some command or control for the
logistics system, possibly directing or coordinating the movement of materials on the
logistics net. These same areas may also provide support (rest and refueling) to logistics
personnel and equipment. They usually contain a number (up to 15) of small buildings
(Figure 3). Ground scarring indicated probable continual vehicle activity, but in most
instances few trucks were present. (Possibly these areas are more active during late or night
hours.) Nine of the 31 support facilities were storage/supply points. They contained small
amounts of unidentified supplies. Storage excavations or buildings were present at some
and at least one area had POL available. No large stockpiles of materials were observed
along the logistics routes. These storage/supply areas, therefore, possibly provide
temporary storage for materials in transit, or, more likely, they are supply areas used only
in support of logistic operations. Five of the identified support facilities were truck parks.
These are areas where vehicles have pulled off the major routes, possibly for rest and
refueling. Most of these are relatively small, but at one location more than 90 vehicles were
present (Figures 4 & 5). The amount of track activity indicates some degree of permanency
and repetitive use. These areas are probably not for long-term vehicle storage, but rather
for support logistics traffic (see Table 2). A total of 188 trucks was observed at the 31
support facilities
Vehicle Storage Facilities
9. Prior to the intensified bombing in April 1972, many vehicles not needed for
logistics or other uses were stored in a number of vehicle storage facilities in the northeast
portion of North Vietnam. These are areas where vehicles have been parked for relatively
long-term storage. With the intensified bombing in this region of North Vietnam, most of
these vehicles storage facilities have been abandoned. Only two vehicle storage areas
remain active: the Dong Dang Truck Park #4 (21-58-18N 106-41-34E) and the Cho Trang
Truck Park (21-34-10N 106-21-50E). 258 trucks and 11 buses were in storage at 25X1
the Dong Dang facility and 181 trucks were at Cho Trang.
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Table 1
Route Traffic
Route
Segment
Vehicular Activity
Total
Comments
Route
Segment
Vehicular Activity
Total
Comments
N
S
E
W
U
N
S
E
W
U
1A
CC
3
1
4
Segment heavily tree lined
DD
8
8
Segment heavily tree lined
145 & 316
10
8
1
19
These routes appear more heavily
EE
0
Segment tree lined,
traveled than that portion of route
bombing in progress
1 B/A between the Song Cau (River)
FF
4
5
4
13
and the route 145-1 B/A junction
GG
10
7
17
175
6
5
1
12
HH
16
41
8
65
176
10
19
29
All but two of the trucks
II
22
29
51
are parked in the road at
Total
63
83
12
158
its northern most point.
Road appears to be a vehicle
1 B
A
31
14
18
63
Pull-off for route 1 B. The
B
47
47
28
122
One northbound and two
center segment appears little
southbound trucks with trailers!
used. Lower third may be
pieces of equipment in tow
used in conjunction with an
C
76
32
10
118
Six northbound trucks with
road and route 175
unnumbered
of equipment
as a link between routes to
in tow
and 1 B (See Figure 2)
D
39
73
17
129
Fourteen southbound trucks
183
A
0
with trailers/pieces of
B
0
equipment in tow (See Figure 2)
C
4
5
3
12
E
15
35
50
Fourteen southbound and one
D
0
northbound truck with trailers!
E
5
3
8
pieces of equipment in tow
Total
9
5
6
20
Total
208
201
73
482
184
C
1
1
2
3
A
10
6
7
23
186
p
B
8
2
5
15
187
B
0
C
9
9
7
25
301
3
2
5
D
2
1
3
401
A
0
Total
29
18
19
66
B
0
4
A
0
P
i
Total
0
oor
nterpretability
B
0
Poor interpretability
^02
0
C
1
4
5
403
5
3
8
D
2
2
415
p
E
3
6
9
416
0
F
7
8
4
19
418
0
G
19
17
8
44
423
1
1
2
Total
29
34
16
79
425
O
1861
0
N
13A
A
3
1
4
ot a thru road between
routes 186D and 1 B
B
0
1884
8
1
9
Total
3
1
4
Grand Total
358
376
36
19
138
927
13B
A
3
1
4
All Routes
B
1
1
C
2
2
D
6
6
E
0
Total
6
3
4
13
18
A
3
3
All segments of route 18 were
of poor interpretability
B
2
3
5
C
0
D
0
E
0
Trucks listed as direction
undetermined are possible
local construction vehicles
F
0
G
1
10
11
Total
1
5
3
10
19
*Route seg
mentation given
in this table and shown on
Figure 6 is derived fro
m the Sta
ndard Alignments, Designators, and Linear
Segments (SADLS) as show
n on AMS ser
ies 150
1 (1:250
000
SADLS edition
June 19/
I). Traffic count numbers
,
,
,
given under Vehicular Activity show the number of vehicles and the direction of movement when possible (i.e. Northbound, Southbound, Eastbound, Westbound or direction Undetermined.)
Table 2
Logistical Support Facilities
I III
Keyed
to
Figure
6
Route
Segment
Facility
Geographic
Coordinates
Support
Buildings
Trucks
Remarks
1
1A/Ii
Poss Control Point
21-50-39N 106.44-40E
13
4
Both sides of
roads
2
lA/II
Post Control Point
21-50-OON 106-44-42E
5
2
3
lAIII
Prob Control Point
21-42-05N 106-37-USE
16
3
4
1A/HH
Truck Park
21-35-57N 106-31-28E
5
11
(See Figure 4)
5
1A/HH
Truck Park
21-34-47N 106.30-44E
3
11
6
1A/HH
Prob Control Point
21-33-53N 106-29-30E
15
3
(See Figure 3)
7
1 B/E
Poss Control Point
21-57-05N 106-42-55E
7
1
8
1 BID
Supply Point
21-54-40N 106-40.22E
17
5
Buried POL
Stacked supplies
9
1 BID
Supply Point
21-53-58N 106-39-43E
0
2
30 stacks of
supplies (approx)
10
1 BID
Pots Control Point
21-53-25N 106-35-58E
11
0
18 trucks on
road at this point
11
1BID
Supply Point
21-50-35N 106-32-20E
23
3
12
1 BID
Prob Control Point
21-50-30N 106-30.56E
14
7
13
1 BID
Post Truck Park
21-50-22N 106-30-14E
0
0
Heavy ground scarinc
14
1 B/C
Post Control Point
21-50-50N 106-27-20E
4
0
13 Trucks on road at
this point
15
1B/C
Prob Supply Point
21-53-55N 106-26-05E
4
2
Track activity Prob
stacked supplies
16
1 B/C
Truck Park
21-55-59N 106-24-15E
0
92
(See Figure 5)
17
1 B/C
Poss Control Point
21-56.22N 106-23-36E
7
0
18
1 B/B
Poss Supply Point
21-56-50N 106-21-20E
9
3
Track activity Pots
stacked supplies
19
1 B/B
Poss Control Point
21-54-38N 106.20-40E
14
0
Post stacked supplies
20
1 B/B
Prob Truck Park
21-54-40N 106-16-25E
0
4
Track activity
21
1B/B
Prob Control Point
21-54-10N 106-15-50E
5
3
22
1 B/B
Pose Supply Point
21-52-20N 106.13-20E
0
0
Poss stacked supplies
23
1B/B
Prob Control Point
21-50.1ON 106-12-40E
18
3
24
lB/B
Post Supply Point
21-49-18N 106-11-50E
0
0
15 Probstorage pits
14 U/I objects
25
1B/B
Prob Control Point
21-47-30N 106-10-USE
11
4
26
1B/A
Supply Point
21-46-40N 106-08-28E
0
0
10 Probstorage pits
22 U/I objects
27
1 B/A
Prob Control Point
21-45-35N 106-05-12E
17
0
28
lB/A
Prob Control Point
21-43-50N 106.59-37E
9
2
29
145
Prob Control Point
21-41-55N 105-54-25E
12
3
30
13B/C
Poss Control Point
21-19.45N 106-42-40E
2
10
31
184/C
Post Supply Point
21-19-55N 106-42-40E
0
10
Poss stacked supplies
25X1
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MAPS AND CHARTS
AMS Series 1501 JOG-G, Sheets NF48-11, NF48-12, scale 1:250,000
REQUIREMENT
NPIC/IEG/SGD/SAB Project 120304NE
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