ENEMY PLANS TO ATTACK AND OCCUPY KONTUM, PLEIKU, PHU BON AND DARLAC PROVINCES IN II CORPS

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05072861
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: April 27, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 23, 1968

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(uoNA RN
RECEIVED
WHCA
co DLA323 1968FE13 23 08 17
DE 7741R 0540718
11(1K 00 ZSL DE
0 2306571 ZYH
FM CIA
TO WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
SSO ACSI DA
SSO ARLINGTON HALL STATION
AFSSO USAF
CNO
DIA/ISIC
JCS
NIC
DIRNSA COMMAND CENTER
STATE (RCI)
ZEN
ONFI
COUNTRY
SOUTH VIETNAM
.21
q
3.5(c)
CITE TDCS-314/032657.68 (ADVANCE)
SUBJECT
ACQ
SOURCE
ENEMY PLANS TO ATTACK AND OCCUPY KONTUM, PLEIKU,
PHU BON AND DARLAC PROVINCES IN II CORPS
1. IN MID-FEBRUARY 1968, VIET CONG (VC) INFILTRATORS
IN PLEIKU CITY, PLEIKU PROVINCE, WERE INFORMED THAT ONE
NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY (NVA) DIVISION,- DESIGNATION UNKNOWN,
ACCOMPANIED BY CHINESE COMMUNIST (CHICON) ADVISORS, WAS
NOVING FROM DAK TO, KONTUM PROVINCE, TO DARLAC PROVINCE IN
ORDER TO ATTACK BAN ME THUOT CITY, DARLAC. ANOTHER DIVISION
WAS SCATTERED IN DAK.SUT DISTRICT, KONTUM, IN ORDER TO
ATTACK-z.D-AUTO, KONIUM PROVINGE,_ AND PLELKU.,--THEDATE. OF
THE ATTACKS WAS NOT GIVEN BUT THEY WOULD BE LAUNCHED
SIMULTANEOUSLY AFTER THE ATTACKS, THE 'DIVISION STRIKING AT
DARLAC WOULD COMBINE WITH THE DIVISION ATTACKING KONTUM AND
PLEIKU FOR THE PURPOSE OF OCCUPYING THE FOUR PROVINCES OF
KONTUM, pLEIxu, PHU BON AND DARLAC. BY MID--FEBRUARY .T-HE VC
RAD COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR THESE TWO DIVISIONS TO
LAUNCH SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON KONTUM, PLEIKU AND PHU BON.
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2. BEFORE ATTACKING, THE NVA PLANNED TO MORTAR THE
CITIES SO THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD DIG TRENCHES WHICH THE
NVA WOULD LATER SEIZE AND FIGHT FROM AS THEY HAD DONE IN HUE.
THE ATTACKS WOULD BE STRONGER THAN THE ATTACKS IN HUE AND
DANANG, HOWEVER, BECAUSE "ONE HUNDRED SOVIET TANKS" IN PLACE
ON THE VIETNAM/CAMBODIA BORDER WERE READY TO TAKE PART IN
THE BATTLE. THE BATTLE WOULD BE A TESTING OF THE ABILITY
OF GVN AND ALLIED FORCES TO DEFEND THE HIGHLANDS IN II CORPS.
3. COMIVNT: NUMFROUS RFC-2NT RFPnIRTS FROM
HAVE
INDICATED THAT VC/NVA ATTACKS ON THE CAPITALS OF THESE
PROVINCES ARE IMMINENT, BUT DATES HAVE BEEN VARIOUS, RANGING
FROM EARLY TO LATE FEBRUARY. THE PRESENCE OF CHINESE ADVISORS
WITH ENEMY UNITS, HOWEVER, IS DOUBTFUL. AT LEAST, REPORTS
OF CHINESE IN SOUTH VIETNAM IN THE PAST HAVE NEVER BEEN
SUBSTANTIATED. IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE "CHINESE" ARE NORTH
VIETNAMESE, POSSIBLY FROM THE AREAS BORDERING CHINA. IT IS
ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE ALLEGED PRESENCE OF CHINESE HAS BEEN
INSPIRED BY ENEMY PROPAGANDA. REPORTED
THAT ON 13 FEBRUARY 1968, IN THE KONG CAA- AREA OF PLEIKU
PROVINCE, A GUERRILLA SQUAD LEADER OF ZONE III GAVE THE
FOLLOWING PITCH TO VILLAGERS WHILE RECRUITING LABORERS TO
CARRY WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION: "OUR FINAL VICTORY WILL BE WON
IN THE LAST PART OF FEBRUARY 1968. BESIDES THE NVA TROOPS,
THE CHINESE WILL COME TO FIGHT THE AMERICANS".
4. DISSEM: IFFV CORDS II CORPS
SAIGON DISSEM: STATE MACV 7TH AF CIACPAC ARPAC PACAF PACFLT
GP-1
450
NM MN �
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