ACQUISITION OF WAR MATERIEL BY THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007900480008-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: June 18, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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VITELLOFAX I Approved For Release 2004/01/22: CIA-RDP82-00457ROS79_0240008-9
CLASSIFICATION C11010111.1
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Indochina
SUBJECT Acquisition of Vlar Materiel by the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
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17')
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DATE DISTR. June 1951
NO. OF PAGES 3
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NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
- - - - = -
TINS DOMINI CONTAINS IIIPOSNATIOPIAPrteritatire NATIONALDNVONSV
OFTAt MIMS SIAM wmH IRE 1123111110 fIF IRS tamitomum ACV 80
At AND 53. AS Ammo. TVS TRANSIIIINNON ON ME OCVELATION
OP WS COMMA IN ANY ISAINIVR TO All OITAIITHONIZED PENNON ;5 PRO-
SISMID EIV LAS. ENIPSODUCITON OF rats MOM IA PROIIIIIITED..
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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Chinese Communist Military Assistance
1, Chinese Communist General TRANH Canh* returned to Kunming in late 1950 after
a military inspection tour of North Vietnam. He was accompanied by Col.
Thanh Phong, a delegate of Vo Nguyen Giap? Commander-in-Chief of Democratic
Republic of Vietnam (DRV) forces, with whom TRANH had drawn up the following
agreement:
a. In return for Vietnamese cereals to be sent to South China the
Chinese Communists would dispatch munitions as wall as technical
and military advisors to assist in the development of DRV artillery
and motorized units.
b. Six Chinese Communist divisions would be massed on the China-Vietnam
frontier under CHU Chia-pi*who fought with Ho Chi Minh forces
against the Chinese Nationalist troops in the frontier area during
1947-48. This massing of troops was designed only to bolster the
morale of DEV forces; the Chinese Communists will not enter Vietnam
unless forced to retreat by a Chinese Nationalist invasion of South
China. In this case they would join DRV forces in an offensive
against the French.
2. In order to implement the first part of the agreement, 3-50000 troops and
civilians In Intersector III were ordered to transport about 30 kilograms
of cereal each to Caobang. The munitions provided by the Chinese Communists
were brought back by the troops on the return trip.
Chinese Communist supplies for the DRV are usually delivered by truck from
Yunnan via Trung Khanh Phu (106-31, 22-50) to Caobang? where the DRV has
established a central bureau for the reception of these materials. This
bureau, directed by Nguyen Than', Nam, a Sino-Vietnamese, handles requests
for munitions originated by all the DRV military units***,
4. In addition to this principal supply channel, the DRV has organized gxternal
Commerce Services in various coastal regions such as Dosed (106-47, 20-43),
Diem Dien (106-34 20-34) and Mon Gay, where Chinese merchants act as inter-
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CLASSIFICATION C
MPR
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DISTRIBUTION
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...rs graded ?to
CONFIDENTIAL in accordInce vi.013 Ale
letter of 16 October 1973 f-orn 'the!.
Director of Central Intel:go-Ice to the,
Archivist of the United Stales.
004/01/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R007capie48maPituvt-Heaw Date: 2008
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Approved For Release 2004/01/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R007900480008-9
? 2 e
mediaries in the exchange of products such as opium, grain, gold and coffee,
for munition*.
The Chinese Communists also gond eupplies by air once every three months
to the Chi= Hoa (105-17.0 22-08) airfield.
The DRV has expressed a special need of the following item:
a. Heavy artillery, motorcycles,trucks, fuel, mine detonators and
shells, for its armored unit (sic).
b. istheS* Milling machines, planes and drills, for DRV amnions
factorieas
The recent elow-down in the dispatch of Chinese Communist materiel to the
DRIT may be explained by the following factors:
se Fear of a, Chinese Nationalist invasion of South China.
to, Chinese Communist losses in Korea.
c. Distrust of LU Han and LUNG Tun? former Governors of Yunnan who
subsequently joined the Communists, as well of LONG Tam*N-11-4, the
son of LUNG Tun, by Chinese Communist officials.
d. Criticism of the extremist policies of CHU Chia-pie-se by the troops
under his command.
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...e3.eri4111161.214.44:War 11.2124.1.26,4t.142.114
The DRV now has two important military construction uorkshope: in Ninh Binh,
near the Mash Efinh-Thenh Hoe border, and in Thai Nguyen, Workshops of lesser
importance soattered throughout the provinces are capable of producing mines,
grenades, naval mines, pistols, Stenetype machine guns, and all types of shells
and cartridges.
On the orders of the Director of the Armament Department, production has
begun on the following itama:
a. Bellow-ebarge weapons: Raeookas, which were first used by the Dia
on the ftSo Front n in Sontey in late 1948; 35 mm to 6o ma anti-tank
guns; and a recoilless cannon of 60 mm to 88 amt, "SW modeles*** pro_
duood in early 1950.
b. Rockets which have been in use since June 1949. A rocket was fired
on Hanoi on 23 June 19490
? The following is a list of war materiel which the DRY le capable of producin,
loos/ly together with the individuals responsible for their development:
as Sulphuric acid, melinite and fulmicotton
b. Cast iron and saltpeter
c. Black genpoeder and chlorated gunpowder
ds Glycerines
e. Bees:eke** mortars) recoilless cannon SC),
and antietank guns
. Steam hammers
Professor Mum Dinh Ai
segieeer VO Q47' Huaa
Engineer Ho Dee VY
Dee Pham Vaa Ruyan
General an Dai Nghia
Tran VezeDirector of
ehe ehe Tho werkeh0P
Approve ''Fr Release
0480008-9
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CLINTRAL INT41143310E AGSM!
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Comment.
a also contains a reference to TRAK Cadh.
Comment. Although
CHU Chia,-pi was in command of troops on
unnan- etnam border in late 19501 4 recent available
tAfOrmation,'dated March 19511 indicates that CHU has been transferred
to Paoshan to direct Communist guerrilla activity in north Burma.
4.441*
25X1A Comment. This information. was also reported in 25X1A
Comment. It is believed that LUNG Yun has four sons, LUNG
ung-mus LUEG ung.tsu, Luma Shung.4wen and LUNG Shung..bsun; his
third eon, LUNG Shung.tenn was killed in mid,..1950. It is not clear to
Which one reference is made,
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414H14*
Gamment. According to the report of an independent agency,
ff useCauring the Vinh Yen battle of mid-January 1951, is
teed in 81 mm and 120 mm types.
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