SCOPE SHIELD PHOTOGRAPHY OF NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R001300010007-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: August 1, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For R4
1 August 1973
SCOPE SHIELD Photography of North Vietnam
1. This memorandum responds to a request for a sub-
stantive evaluation of the SCOPE SHIELD photo-reconnais-
sance (U-2) program targeted against the coastal region
of North Vietnam, and makes some recommendations for future
missions.
2. Following the poor showing of the initial series
of two SCOPE SHIELD (SU) missions in late March, SU mission
4S033E of 21 July provided fair-to-good interpretable
imagery of most key military-logistic points in the DRV
Panhandle.-- the first good photographic coverage since
the March-April Satellite mission
The latest SCOPE SHIELD mission provided good corroboration
of Communist activities derived from the continuing heavy
volume of COMINT emanating from the North Vietnamese Pan-
handle. Light vehicle traffic noted on routes north of
Vinh indicated that rail and waterborne transport are again
the primary modes used for supply shipments coming into the
Panhandle. South of Vinh moderate traffic levels were re-
flected in the photography. Logistic activity at the
coastal transfer points at Quang Khe and. Dong Hoi was
moderate, and sizable stockpiles of supplies were noted
at Quang Khe. Some 250 vehicles, including a number of
armored vehicles, were seen at the large inland truck park
and storage complex at Bat Lake. A driver training area
west of Quang Khe has been expanded and now consists of
eight separate compounds containing trucks and at least 18
armored vehicles. The mission readout also furnished useful
information with which to gauge the rate and extent of new
construction and repair activity underway since the first
of the year. In light of the technical success of the 21
July SCOPE SHIELD mission, and the absence of. imagery over
TS No. 200319/73
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the DRV, we urge that another SCOPE SHIELD mission be
flown as soon as possible in order to gain as much new and
comparative information as possible.
3. A repeat mission along the southern Panhandle
coast would yield comparative judgments on traffic levels
and patterns, and rates of supply turnover at major depots
and transshipment points. Important Panhandle targets are
the major transfer points at Dong Hoi, Quang Khe, and Vinh,
and the coastal routes leading into the DMZ. The mission
would also serve as a baseline for future overhead recon-
naissance to detect supply buildups in the lower Panhandle
in anticipation of another possible logistic offensive in
South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during the upcoming dry
season.
4. Programming part of this mission to include coverage
of the northern coast and the deep water ports at Haiphong,
Hon Gay, and Cam Pha would provide a useful current status
report on this region, which has not been coy(-rPd by rrnnrl
namese maritime activities, interpretable photo coverage
would add significant detail on the current state of
northern port facility operations, dockside storage levels,
and possible detection of military-related cargos. The
tempo of reconstruction in bomb-damaged areas and new con -
.str_uction projects would be useful in estimating DRV civil
priorities. Moreover, successful coverage of Haiphong
would provide coverage of the important cement plant there,
and imagery of Hon Gay and Cam Pha farther north might con-
firm reports that at least one of these ports is slated for
major improvements. Coverage of th.e new petroleum pipeline
terminating at Hon Gay would also be useful in assessing
the post-bombing period utility of this trunkline.
5. In sum, the SCOPE SHIELD mission of 21 July provided
good photography of the DRV logistic system in the Panhandle,
corroborating intelligence derived from COMINT. Another
such mission over the same area would yield comparative
judgments on logistic developments, possibly provide early
warning of supply buildups, and -- if programmed farther
north -- yield useful information on DRV maritime, economic,
and reconstruction activities.
OER/D/S
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Distribution (S-5,318)
Copies 1 and 2 - Chairman, COMIREX
3'- General Bevan, Director, OSA
4 - SAVA
5 - A DDI
25X1 6 - IRS
7 - D S.
8 and !7~~G
25X1 OER/S/L (.1 Aug 73)
Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80R01720R001300010007-6
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