RECENT ACTIVITIES IN NORTH VIETNAM SOUTH OF THE 20TH PARALLEL (5-11 AUGUST 1968)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82S00205R000200040010-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: August 13, 1968
• Content Type: IM

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence Memorandum
RECENT ACTIVITIES IN NORTH VIETNAM SOUTH OF THE 20TH PARALLEL
(5-11 AUGUST 1968)
Top Secret
13 AUGUST 1968
COPY NO. 29
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
13 August 1968
Recent Activities in North Vietnam
South of the 20th Parallel
(5-11 August 1968T
Summary
North Vietnamese logistics activities south of
the 20th Parallel continued at a high level during
the week of 5-11 August, although some indicators
of traffic flows were down slightly from the pre-
vious week. Truck sightings were 20 percent below
the weekly average noted since 1 April, in part due
to poor weather conditions. The Thanh Hoa railroad
yard just south of the 20th Parallel has become in-
creasingly active in the past few weeks. Sightings
of watercraft, although down slightly from the pre-
vious week, remained above levels noted since the
bombing halt despite the poor weather.
Note: This memorandum was produced solely by CIA.
It was prepared jointly by the Office of Economic
Research and the Office of Current Intelligence and
was coordinated with the Director's Special Assistant
for Vietnamese Affairs.
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Rail Activity
1. The Thanh Hoa railroad yard just south of
the 20th Parallel has become increasingly active
in recent weeks (see the map). A steady increase
in the number of railroad cars at Thanh Hoa has
been noted
193 pieces of rolling stock were observed
rd, 226 pieces were observed,
and pieces. The low level of
supplies an ma erials located in open storage
throughout the yard indicates that cargo is moving
through freely and is not being stockpiled. In
addition, a new rail spur has been constructed
north of the Thanh Hoa railroad yard, connecting
the yard and the Song Ma River. This spur can
serve as a new rail/water transshipment point, and,
when construction currently under way on the north
bank of the river is completed, it can be used as
a bypass to the Thanh Hoa Railroad Bridge. Con-
struction of this transshipment point/bypass was
first observed in January 1968, but work stopped
shortly thereafter. Construction resumed after
the bombing standdown, and completion of the spur
on the south bank was first detected
Watercraft
2. logistics
craft continued to be well above the weekly average
observed since 1 April, despite poor weather
throughout the week, although slightly lower than
last week. Most of the sightings were along the
Nguon Nay at Quang Khe, along the Kien Giang at
Dong Hoi, and near Vinh. Motorized launches
pulling strings of POL drums were observed near
Quang Khe and Tien Luong, a major supply point
seven miles upstream from Quang Khe.
Truck Traffic
3. Truck sightings this week (5-11 August)
within the Panhandle of North Vietnam were 35 per-
cent below last week's total, and nearly 20 percent
below the weekly average noted since 1 April. The
decrease was due in part to poor weather throughout
the week
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sighted continued to be spotted along Routes 71,
72, 82, 15, 101, and 137, the principal inland
north-south routes for traffic flowing toward the
DMZ and southern Laos. A limited number of truck
concentrations were detected. A convoy of about
30 trucks located on Route 71 just south of the
sanctuary of the 19th Parallel was repeatedly
attacked on the night of 8 August, and the attacks
destroyed or damaged all vehicles in the convoy.
Later in the week, on 11 August,
several convoys of 10 to 20 trucks in Route
Package I moving south over Routes 101 and 137.
11 of a
Junction or Route 101
revealed nearly 50 trucks heading north and another
seven trucks heading south, confirming previously
unverified estimates of heavy traffic in this area.
I ruck sightings, destruction,
damage, and effective truck losses are shown in
the following tabulation:
Total De-
stroyed
De- or Effective
Sighted stroyed Damaged Damaged Losses a
This week b/
(5-11 Augj 586 127 104 131 121
Last week
(29 Jul-
4 Aug) 907 120 111 231 118
Weekly
average
(since
1 Apr) 720 121 84 205 112
a. Effective losses are computed by deflating reports of
destroyed and damaged trucks -- by assuming that 75 percent
of those reported destroyed and 25 percent of those reported
damaaed are actuaZZu destroyed and not returned to service.
b. Preliminary data.
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Air Operations
5. No significant air activity south of the
20th Parallel was nni-PH Al r;nn +.I,,, --rte _
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North Vietnam South of the 20th Paralle
~,
Song
Sam ua
-Truck convoy attacked
0 0 8 August
rnh
0 25 50
1o4? Statute Miles
91688 8-68 CIA
iu GId
Pass
i'bn TONKIN
uong
Quang Khe
107
Truck convoy sighted
/ ong Hoi 91 August
Linh
DEMARCATION LINE
Ha
n
E
~j j _ ang Tri
922 ` E,tNAM
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