THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001000010043-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2006
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: July 19, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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PREPARED, FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
:FURTHER. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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19 July 1966
For the first time since 24 April a manned
US aircraft has been shot down by a surface-to-
air missile over North Vietnam. In South Vietnam,
a joint US/ARVN operation in the northern part of
Quang Tri Province continues to inflict heavy
casualties on elements of the PAVN 324th Division.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Enemy troops suffered heavy casualties as Opera-
tion HASTINGS continues in Quang Tri Province
(Paras. 1-2).,
ecen ac ivi y
in icates Viet Cong forces may be planning action
in Binh Dinh Province (Para. 7). A captured Viet
Cong describes the 324th NVA Division (Paras. 8-9).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
Vietnamese, Filipino, and Korean employees of the
RMK construction project at Cam Ranh went on
strike today (Para. 1). The US Embassy has re-
ported that a strike by RMK employees in the Sai-
gon area may resume early next week (Para. 2).
The Viet Cong are broadcasting their concern
over low food production in Gia Dinh Province
(Paras. 3-5).
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
A manned US aircraft was downed by a surface-to-
air missile over North Vietnam for the first
time since 24 April (Para. 1). Two additional
US aircraft were lost to ground fire toda on
strikes north of Hanoi (Para. 2).
More
in o~ iof n on the North Vietnamese Navy is dis-
closed by the captured crews of three motor tor-
pedo boats. (Paras. 4-7).
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IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: A re-
cently captured Communist document has provided one
of the most explicit descriptions of the manner in
which the Communist Party exercises control over
the NFLSV (Paras. 1-3).
19 July 1966
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SOUTH VIETNAM
CURRENT SITUATION
0 25 50 75 100 M,les
T 75 50 775 100 Kilometer,
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 Apprd
1. Operation HASTINGS/LAM SON 289 continues in
northernmost Quang Tri Province with two US marine
platoons attacked by an estimated 3..,000-man Communist
force yesterday. The Viet Cong attacked the 65-man
American position from four directions. Heavy fight-
ing followed the initial attack until US reinforce-
ments arrived. Artillery and tactical air strikes
supported the US forces for four hours.
2. Fourteen Americans were reported killed and
a total of 48 wounded in the operation on 18 July.
A total of 138 Communists have been killed in the
action according to a US body count, and as many as
300 more may also have been killed according to US
military officials.
3. A company of the US 25th Infantry Division,
participating in search-and-destroy Operation MOKULEIA,
engaged an enemy force of unknown size early this
morning. Contact was broken after an hour and half
and the US unit was withdrawn from the area. Subse-
quently, artillery and tactical air strikes hit the
enemy positions. Casualties included eight Americans
killed and 24 wounded with 36 Viet Cong killed.
4. A South Vietnamese regional force outpost
approximately 15 miles northwest of Saigon was attacked
yesterday by an estimated battalion-size Viet Cong
force employing small arms, recoilless rifles, and
mortars. An.hour'later the Trung Lap training center,
five miles to the west of the outpost, received 15
60-mm. mortar rounds. Units of the US 25th Infantry
Division were dispatched as a reaction force, but the
enemy had withdrawn and no contact was made. South
Vietnamese casualties from both incidents totaled
seven killed and 28 wounded. Communist casualties
are unknown.
19 July 1966
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Viet Cong Units May Be Planning Attacks in Binh Dinh
Province
7. There are continuing indications of an enemy
threat in coastal Binh Dinh Province. Two encounters
on 6 and 12 July with elements of the 2nd Viet Cong
Regiment of the 610th Division indicate a willing-
ness to engage friendly forces despite recent heavy
losses. This unit lost a total of 483 killed in
Operation CRAZY HORSE, which ended on 6 June. The
other regiments of the 610th Division in the north-
eastern corner of Binh Dinh Province have not been
engaged since Operation WHITE WING last March.
19 July 1966
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Captured Viet Cong Describes 324th NVA Division
8. Initial interrogation of a Viet Cong prisoner
captured on 17 July in Operation HASTINGS in Quang
Tri Province indicated that on 16 July his unit--a
regiment subordinate to the 324th North Vietnamese
Army Division--was attacked by air and artillery.
In the confusion he managed to escape. The follow-
ing day he observed his own battalion retreating
toward- the Ben Hai River and he decided not to re-
join for fear of punishment.
9. The prisoner stated that the 324th Divi-
sion consists of three regiments, each having three
battalions. These units are below strength because
of heavy casualties, and in his opinion morale
was very low and medical supplies were insufficient
to meet the present situation. Ammunition, food,
and equipment was also said to be in short supply.
He said that his battalion crossed the Ben Hai
River on 9 or 10 July. He also stated that ad-
vance warnings were received prior to B-52 Strato-
fortress strikes and his battalion suffered few
casualties from the strikes because tunnels had
been dug to afford. protection.
1.9. July 1966
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
RMK Workers Strike at Cam Ranh: Strike in Saigon
May Resume Soon
1. The RMK construction project at Cam Ranh
bay, involving major port and airfield facilities,
was halted today by a walkout of 4,300 Vietnamese,
Filipino, and Korean employees. A partial walkout
was begun yesterday by Korean and Filipino workers
following management attempts to tighten work rules.
Today, all employees cooperated for the first time
in staging a completely effective strike. The gen-
eral manager for RMK--the major US construction-com-
bine in Vietnam--and the Korean and. Filipino labor at-
tach4s have flown to Cam Ranh to investigate.
2. The US Embassy has commented that all griev-
ances involved are not yet clear but that wages were
not an issue according to preliminary field reports.
Workers at Cam-Ranh did not join the strike against
RMK in the Saigon area last month, although Filipino
workers were reported restive. However, the embassy
has further reported that the wage increase awarded
all RMK employees on 3 July may not prove satisfac-
tory, and that another strike in the Saigon area may
begin on 25 July, shortly after workers receive pay
envelopes which reflect the recent increase for the
first time.
Viet Cong Food Problems
3. The Liberation Radio on 17 July broadcast
the text of an editorial in a front newspaper in Gia
Dinh Province which expressed in some detail concern
over the difficulties the war is inflicting on the
insurgents' ability to raise and store food in the
area. Viet Cong problems are probably particularly
acute in Gia Dinh, which surrounds Saigon and is con-
sidered a relatively pacified area, but the specific
difficulties cited appear applicable to other major
rice-producing areas.
19 July 1966
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 Ap
4. The broadcast listed a series of problems
that have complicated the production of food in the
Gia Dinh area, claiming in particular that two of
the most important were manpower shortages and a
lack of funds. Liberation Radio claimed that it
was necessary to mobilize women to engage in produc-
tion, and that guerrilla units and agencies also
had to engage in producing food and secondary crops.
The broadcast warned that both fear of hardships and
self-complacency must be overcome in order to step
up production, and emphasized the importance of food
production in order to continue the war.
5. The. US sweep operations and bombing raids
have also hurt the food situation in the province,
according to the broadcast. Liberation Radio urged
the Liberation forces to build high embankments to
protect the rice fields from inundation, and called
for the "camouflage" of new seedlings. The broad-
cast also called for the immediate consolidation of
the ranks of the political :"struggle" movement "in
order to force the enemy to cease the shelling and
bombing so that compatriots may work in peace." The
populace is also urged to strengthen the protection
of rice and secondary crops to keep them from being
damaged or falling into the enemy hands.
19 July 1966
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Nghia Lo?
Ho Binh: F-8E Wned by MiFSghang o a
Kien And ?
Phu Ly ?- -. . _. .
THAILAND
.~ ,Ban ieng
Mua~ g Nakhon Phanom Khammo ane `4t')
Muang Sakon Nakh n
NORTH VIETNAM
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1. An F-8E Crusader aircraft was shot down by
an SA-2 missile today 22 miles east-southeast of
Hanoi. This is the first loss of a manned US air-
craft to a surface-to-air missile since 24 April
1966. The F-8E was providing cover for attack air-
craft striking the Co Trai railroad and highway
bridge. The fighter was observed by wingmen to
have been immediately enveloped in flames after be-
ing hit, and the chance of pilot survival is con-
sidered slight.
2. Two other US aircraft were also lost to-
day in attacks north of Hanoi. An F-105 Thunder-
chief was shot down by an undetermined type of fire
20 miles northwest of the capital. The fate of
the pilot is unknown and no rescue attempt will be
made because of the proximity to Hanoi. A second
F-105 was hit by hostile ground.-fire while attack-
ing the Nguyen Khe POL facility, The pilot re-
ported he was losing fuel and was forced to eject
while returning to base. He has been recovered in
good condition.
North Vietnamese Naval Developments
4. Information on the North Vietnamese naval
order -of. ,battle, provided by the crews of three
motor.torpedo boats sunk by US aircraft on 1 July
1966, tallies closely with current US estimates of
the strength of North Vietnam's navy. According to
the captured crew members, the loss of their PT
boats reduced the DRV Navy to nine craft capable
of offensive operations. The Soviet Union sup-
plied North Vietnam with 12 of the fast (52 knots)
attack boats in November. 1961.
19 July 1966
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DRV NAVAL COMBATANTS
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"Swatow" Class Motor Gun Boat
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5. The remaining ships in the North Vietnam-
ese naval inventory perform a variety of defen-
sive roles ranging from coastal patrol to provid-
ing antiaircraft fire to supplement shore-based
AAA. The largest of these ships is the Shanghai-
class fast patrol boat (PTF). According to one
of the captured naval officers, Communist China
provided four PTFs to the DRV--two in late 1965
and two in early 1966. Photography
tend to confirm the officer's statemen a the
four boats.are still operational. The source
stated that North Vietnam had been promised an ad-
ditional eight Shanghais but so far they had not
been delivered.
6. The prisoners also reported that North
Vietnam possesses four SO-1 _'.class subchasers,. pro-
vided by the Soviet Union in 1960-61. The anti-
submarine warfare mission of these ships has been
abandoned, according to the sources, and they are
employed chiefly as patrol and training craft.
The workhorse of the DRV coastal patrol force is
the Swatow-class motor gunboat (PGM). These boats
are known to have been built in Communist China,
probably in Canton, and were transferred to the
North Vietnamese starting in 1958. One of the cap-
tured crew members reported that a total of 24 had
been delivered but that ten had been lost since
the commencement of hostilities with the US. Dam-
aged boats were said to be returned to China for re-
pairs.
7. The captured crew members stated that the
DRV Navy had received four 50-ton minesweeping
boats from the French in 1954. They believed that
these are docked in Haiphong but that they are in
unserviceable condition. One of the sources stated
that if North Vietnam was subjected to mining op-
erations, it would have to request minesweeping as-
sistance from Communist China.
19: July 1966
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 Appr4
port.
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
19 July 1966
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. A recently captured Communist document
has provided one of the most explicit descriptions
of the manner in which the Communist Party exer-
cises control over the National Front for the Lib-
eration of South Vietnam, and also portrays the
role of the Front in local administrative bodies
set up in South Vietnam by the Communists. The
document., dated 10 November 1965, laid out the
tasks for the party in the last quarter of 1965
and the first quarter of 1966 in Bien Hoa Province.
2. The document made clear that the,-key func-
tions of the local "government" must be under the
direction of the Communist Party. This local "gov-
ernment" will have the official title of "People's
Village Liberation Committee." It does not appear
from the document that these "committees" will
be under the Liberation Front, but instead will be sep-
arate government organizations. The village'front or-
ganization will only have under its subordination
such activities as youth, farmer, and women's
groups, political demonstrations, and proselytizing
among the ARVN. The party will control organiza-
tion and training and the "People's Village Lib-
eration Committee" will control such normal gov-
ernmental functions as finance, propaganda and
information, supply procurement, culture and so-
cial welfare, health, and security.
3. The document went on, however, to make
clear that the village administration will be
under the direction of the local party representa-
tives. For example, the secretary of the village
party chapter should be appointed chairman of
the "People's Village Liberation Committee." The
deputy secretary of the village party chapter
should be appointed "committee" member in charge
of military affairs and a member of the party
chapter should be appointed "committee" member
in charge of finance economy and supply procure-
ment and security.
19 July 1966
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