THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM NO. 20

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02397534
• Document Creation Date: January 28, 2019

Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
Nor
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
7 February 1968
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
The Situation in South Vietnam No. 20
(As za-mo-wm-gerr-------
Summary
Despite their first use of tank warfare in South
Vietnam, the Communists failed in a nightlong attempt
on 7 February to seize and hold the Lang Vei Special
Forces Camp.
The enemy apparently hoped to move his armor on
up Route 9 toward Khe Sanh after taking the camp.
Coordinated ground and mortar assaults were also mounted
at Khe Sanh during the Lang Vet battle.
No major new attacks were reported elsewhere in
South Vietnam overnight, but the situation is still
touch and go in several urban areas--over a week after
the Communist offensive started. In Hue, the enemy is
still dug in at strongpoints and there appears to be
little prospect of rooting him out soon.
In Saigon, little activity was reported overnight,
but this appears to have resulted largely from the in-
activity of the South Vietnamese forces in pushing against
the Communists in Cholon.� This sector of the city may now
be largely under enemy Control.
The enemy position in Dalat also appears stronger
than previously re-or
ted. Communist units assertedly
hold several key strongpoints and outnumber friendly
forces.
Elsewhere, there are still numerous reports of
enemy units concentrated close by some urban centers and
new attacks could be forthcoming.
In North Vietnam, there are continuing indications
of enemy plans to use his air arm in sapporting the
ground offensive in northern South Vietnam.
'Eargi--rateRra
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
3.5(c)1
(3.5(c)1
3.5(c)
EO
13526
3.3(h)(2
EO
13526
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
oW
I Corps
1. The North Vietnamese attack on the Lang Vei
Special Forces Camp between Khe Sanh and the Laos
border was repulsed on the morning of the 7th. The
enemy force, of undetermined size, used flame-throwers
and Soviet-built T-34 tanks in their attack. Five
of the nine enemy tanks were reported knocked out.
2. The assault was undertaken in coordination
with a small-scale attack on Hill 861 and a large-
scale artillery, rocket, and mortar barrage on the
Khe Sanh base itself. No reports of casualties are
in, but the Khe Sanh airstrip is again operational
after a brief closure due to numerous craters.
3. Although tanks or armored vehicles were re-
portedly used by the North VietnameSe in a recent
action in Laos, this is the first confirmed enemy
use of tanks within SoUth Vietnam. The Communists
probably believed that the location of Lang Vet in.
close proximity to Route 9 from Laos would render a
tank attack advantageous. Enemy use of tanks in
most other western DMZ areas, however, would be more
difficult due to the thick jungle growth and treacherous,
hilly terrain.
4.. In Hue, street fighting continues with US
marines pressing forward block by block in their ef-
fort to drive the resisting enemy forces out of the
western half of the city. South Vietnamese forces
still have the enemy holed up in two areas of the
citadel.
II Corps
5. The night of 6-7 February was quiet in the
major cities in the coastal provinces of central
South Vietnam. In the highlands to the west, skirmish-
ing was reported continuing in Dalat, where the enemy
grip seems strotger than reported earlier. New fight-
ing also erupted near Kontum city.
- 2 -
TOP
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
--TerSEURbll
New 'fturre
6. In Dalai-, the provincial capital of Tuyen
Duc Province, an estimated 1,500 Communist troops
presently are holding the railroad station, the
principal church, and many ambush sites. These
forces are apparently elements of those used by the
Communists in their'initial assault on Dalat; it is
not known if a new attack has been mounted.
Friendly forces in Dalat are reported to total just
over 1,000.
7. Just to the north of Kontum city, US units
engaged in heavy contact with a large enemy force,
identified as elements of the North Vietnamese 06th
Regiment. No details of the battle, which was still
in progress at midday on 7 February, have been re-
ceived. Other North Vietnamese units, including the
24th Division, are reported approaching the city from
the south. There have been continuing reports during
the past few days that enemy units were close by
Kontum city.
6. The nature of North Vietnamese weapons and
equipment, captured during recent clashes in the
Dak To area of Kontum Province, indicate that the
enemy units in western Kontum have been newly sup-
plied. The weapons were newly manufactured and the
latest models. Almost every type of weapon in the
North Vietnamese inventory, possibly including
57-mm. and 75-mm. field howitzers, have been employed
by the enemy in the area near Dak To. The first use
of the B-4I bazooka-type rocket was noted here on a
6 February attack on the US perimeter at Dak To.
Saigon and rn, Corps
9. Downtown Saigon was relatively quiet during
the night, but 16 allied soldiers and 120 Communists
were reported killed in a battle near the Tan Son
Nhut Airbase just to the northwest of the city on 6
February. Occasional small arms fire was heard in
the capital last night and government police reported
a sharp clash with a group of Viet Cong in Cholon.
- 10, The Director of the Saigon Municipal Police
said yesterday that the Communists appear to be trying
to cut off the Cholon district from the rest of Saigon.
-3-.
ET
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
����' �
%NW
He said that the Viet Cong now have at least one main
force battalion in Cholon, barricaded in several strong
positions which government forces have not been able
to penetrate. Two other main force battalions, he
says, are currently deployed to the west and south
of the capital and may also attempt to enter Cholon.
11. The municipal police director reportedly
was refused a request on 6 February that tanks and
recoilless rifles be brought in to the Cholon clearing
operation. National Police Director General Loan is
said to have turned down the request because the use
of such heavy weapons would destroy portions of the
city.
13. Military activity elsewhere in the III Corps
area centered mainly in Hail Nghia Province to the
west of Saigon on 6 February, A Viet Cong force over-
ran a Regional Force outpost, killing 41 South Viet-
namese and two AMericans. In two other engagements
in Hau Nghia, allied troops lost another 8 killed and
28 wounded while reporting 56 Viet Cong killed. In
Tay Ninh Province the provincial capital was hit by
two mortar attacks and a ground probe fast night.
Three Popular Force soldiers were killed and an esti-
mated 20-25 civilians were killed or wounded. In the
other provinces of III Corps Viet Cong actions were
limited to harassing fire and light ground probes.
IV Corps
14. South Vietnamese Army and Regional Force
units engaged Viet Cong forces in a number of sharp
clashes, while on, clearing operations in and around
Can The city on 5-6 February.
4
��- --����� � � � �Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534 3.5(c)
vo, 3.5(C)
15, The Communists apparently have been driven
out of the Can Tho university buildings in which they
had barricaded themselves.
16. South Vietnamese and US forces also con-
tinue to make contact with strong enemy forces While
coneucting sweeps on the outskirts of several other
delta provincial capitals. The massing of large
Viet Cong forces in close proximity to these cities
is an indication that, although the Communists have
suffered heavy casualties in some cases they clearly
have not yet been forced to withdraw to base areas
to regroup and refit,
North Vietnamese Air Activity
17. New developments in the North Vietnamese
air situation on 7 February include
"probable" enemy high performance aircraft over Laos
opposite the southera panhandle of North Vietnam and
the southward movement of seven AN-2 transports,
18. The jet aircraft were said. to be operating
south of 1730Q latitude. If the planes are con-
firmed as North Vietnamese, it would mark some
highly unusual flight activity for the enemy who
usually confines his air activity to the region above
Vinh--some 90 miles to the north.
19. Oft 7 February,
a
minimum of seven AN-2 transports deploying from the
Manoi area to Vinh, Two of the AN-2s were believed
to have radioed their destination possibly as Vinh
Linh--a point along the(x)ast just to the north of
the DMZ. During the past week there has been a
round of enemy activities suggesting that Vinh air-
field might soon be utilized by North Vietnamese
aircraft. The stop at Vinh could be used to refuel
and/or arm the aircraft for offensive activities in
northern South Vietnam.
- 5 -
-.Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2397534.......
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)