THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM (AS OF 1600 EDST) NO. 28

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A002500560001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 28, 1975
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
28 April 1975
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The Situation in .Vietnam
(As of 1600 EDST)
No. 28
Communists Reject Ceasefire
1. The quick rejection of "Big" Minh's call for a cease-
fire suggests that the Communists will-accept nothing less
than a prompt declaration of surrender from the South Viet-
namese. Viet Long spokesman in Paris and Saigon within
mihutes after Minh completed his inaugural speech containing
the request categorically rejected it and reiterated a series
of demands which have gotten tougher during the past few days.
With North Vietnamese farces on Saigon's outskirts and Viet
Cong sappers inside the city, the Communists appear ready to
put direct military pressure on the capital to back up their
demands for surrender..
2. It thus is doubtful that Minh will have the. time to
complete-his government of national reconciJ_iation. During
his inaugural speech, he announced that Catholic leader Nguyen
Van Huyen would be the new vice- president and Buddhist senator
Vu-Van Mau would be his new prime minister. Other members of
the government, he said, waul.d be announced during .the next
few days
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Militate Developments
3'. The Tan Son Nhut airport has been temporarily
reap~ned and US C-130 aircraft have. resumed evacuation
flights. Communist units have been driven from several
bridges on the eastern outskirts of the city, and traffic
is again flawing from Bien Hoa. Saigon's 24--hour curfew
has been lifted.
4. General Toan reportedly-has ordered Military
Region 3 Headquarters moved from Bien Hoa to Saigon.
There has also been a report that several senior officers
of the Joint General Staff, including the chairman, Gen-
eral Coo Van Vien, have resigned and have fled the country.
S. Saigon is now directly threatened by Communist
forces. Sapper attacks began on the edges of the capital
on April 2$. The Communists are placing artillery an all
sides of the city and will be able to shell specific tar-
gets with great accuracy and effectiveness.
The Eastern Front
5. .Communist forces are closing in on the few remain-
ing government holdings east of Saigon. The South Vietnamese
18th Division defending Bien Hoa an the east is now in com-
plete disarray and the North Vietnamese have alm
shot at the cit .
7. The South Vietnamese-Air Force has been ordered to
move everything it can to Tan San Nhut and to destroy a1.1
.facilities including bombs as the Bien Hoa airbase. The air-
base-and nearby Bien Hoa city have been hit by heavy artillery
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anal rocket fire and refugees have been flooding the main
roads to Saigon.
8. To the southeast, elements of the lst Airborne
Brigade and the South Vietnamese 3rd Division have been
forced back down the narrow peninsula toward Vung Tau.
They have destroyed a bridge an the only access road,
slowing direct Communist armor movements, but the city
has now been targeted by Communist artillery from nearby
positions and heavy shellings of the city and of the ships
in the harbor will probably soon-force the city's capit-
ulation.
9. There are still several. other packets of govern-
ment resistance east of Saigon, but. many of these a.re
becoming further isolated and will soon fall. Some Marines
are still reported holding on at the Long Binh logistics
complex, but they are surrounded and do not stand-much of
a chance to hold out for long.
The Western Front
i0. The Communists have also stepped up the pressure
north and west of Saigon. North Vietnamese forces have
launched strong attacks against Tay Ninh City and the South
Vietnamese 25th Division at Cu Chi. Attacks are also under-
way all around Tan An and .this pravi_ncial. capital will prab-
ablyfall soon, clearing the Route 4 approach to Saigon,
enabling more Communist units to move up from the southwest.
Bombing of Saigon
11. There-has been no positive identification of the
base of origin of th.e six A-37 aircraft that participated
in today's bombing of Tan San Nhut airbase or of the pilots
who flew them.. Most of the available evidence suggests that
the aircraft came from Phan Rang and were piloted by turn-
coat South Vietnamese pilots.
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-- The fuel tank configuration of the. aircraft was.
of the type flown north of the Saigon area..
-- South Vietnamese F-5 pilots chasing the attacking
aircraft reporteel they landed at PY~an Rang.
--- There have been no reports of A-37 aircraft missing
.from the Tan Son Nhut inventory.
--- The precision of the execution of attack suggests
the pilots were very familiar with the aircraft
.and its operation.
-- The knowledge of the target area further tends to
rule out North Vietnamese pilots.
--- General .Song, the former commander of the South Viet-
names~e 6th Air Division who was captured at Phan Rang
.has since exhorted his former colleagues and subor- 25X1
dinates to come over to the Communist side. 25X1
12.
A itiona suc airrai s can e expec e
as ex-Sout Vietnamese are challenged to-prove their loyalty
to the Communists. There are enough munitions and fuel avail-
able to the Communists to arm captured aircraft to stage many
more similar bombings.
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