REDEPLOYMENT OF PAVN 7TH DIVISION TO ATTACK SOKH SAN CAMP; STRATEGY AND RESULTS OF PAVN ATTACK ON SOKH SAN; PLANNED WITHDRAWAL OF 7TH DIVISION FROM THE KAMPUCHEAN/THAI BORDER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06157033
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2017
• Case Number: F-2012-01432
• Publication Date: May 12, 1982

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TOT: 121930Z MAY 82
C 0 N F A L NOFORN WNINTEL
12193
TO: DIRNSA, OEPT.0 STATE, DIA, TREASURY DEPT, NPIC,
ZEN/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM, ZEN/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
STAFF, ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS,
CINCPAC HONOLULU HI, CINCPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI, CDRWESTCOM FT
SHAFTER HI, COMIPAC HONOLULU HI, CINCPACAF'HICKAM AFB HI,
COMSEVENTHFLT; 13AF CLARK AB PI.
SERIAL:
DIST:
PASS:
12 MAY 82
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASSCONFIDENTIAL--WNINTEL--NOFORN
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COUNTRY: KAMPUCHEA/VIETNAM
SUBJECT: REDEPLOYMENT OF PAVN 7TH DIVISION TO ATTACK SOKH SAN
CAMP; STRATEGY AND RESULTS OF PAVN ATTACK ON SOKH SAN;
PLANNED WITHDRAWAL OF 7TH DIVISION FROM THE KAMPUCHEAN/THAI
BORDER
SOURCE:
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SUMMARY: IN EARLY MARCH 1982, ELEMENTS OF THE PAVN 7TH DIVI-
SION REDEPLOYED FROM KOMPONG CHHNANG (VU6454) TO THE KAMPUCHEAN/
THAI BORDER AREA TO MOUNT AN ATTACK AGAINST THE KHMER PEOPLE'S
NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (KPNLF) BASE LOCATED AT SOKH SAN (TU 5978).
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ATTACK WAS TO CAPTURE OR ANNIHILATE ALL KPNLF
PERSONNEL THERE AND TO DESTROY THE BASE TO PREVENT ITS USE. PAVN
WAS SUCCESSFUL IN DESTROYING THE BASE BUT INFLICTED VERY VEW
CASUALTIES ON THE KPNLF BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO BLOCK THE
KPNLF'S WITHDRAWAL INTO THAI TERRITORY. THE PAVN DOES NOT INTEND
TO OCCUPY SOKH SAN, AND IMMEDIATELY WITHDREW ITS FORCES FROM
SOKH SAN IN HOPES OF LURING THE KPNLF BACK TO THE AREA SO THEY
MIGHT AGAIN TRY TO ATTACK THEM USING A PINCER ACTION. I, THIS
FAILS, PAVN PLANS TO CONTAMINATE THE AREA USING POISONOUS
ARTILL ACK TO KOMPONG CHHNANG -f0
FRIA DIVISION WILL BE REPLACED
ON THE BORDER AREA BY THE PE@PLE'S REPUBLIC OF KAMPUCHEA 196TH
DIVISION. END SUMMARY.
1. IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1982, THE HEADQUARTERS Of THE
PEOPLE'S- ARMY OF VIETNAM (PAVN). 7TH DIVISION, 4TH CORPS, MOVED
FROM VU 7506, ABOUT THREE KILOMETERS �EAST OF 0 DONG DISTRICT TOWN,
TO THE AIRFIELD IN KOMPONG CHHNANG CITY (VU 6454. .IN EARLY
MARCH 1982, IN PREPARATION FOR A PLANNED ATTACK AGAINST THE KHMER
PEOPLE'S NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (KPNLF) BASE LOCATED AT
SOKH SAN.. (TU 5978); 1HE 7TH DIVISION ESTABLISHED Af0RWARD HEAD-
QUARTERS IN THE VICINITY Of TU 6685, ABOUT EIGHT KILOMETERS
FROM THE THAI BORDER AND. REDEPLOYED ITS SUBOROINATE UNITS TO THIS
AREA. . THE 7TH DIVISION COMMANDER, COLONEL NGOC ((ANH)), A
54-YEAR-OLD SOUTHERNER, ASSUMED PERSONAL COMMAND.OF:THE ATTACKING
FORCES WHICH INCLUDED THREE 7TKOIV'etTON-IINFANTRYREGIMENTS.
(THE 34TH AKA 165TH, THE 18TH AKA 141ST, AND THE 42ND AKA 209TH)
AND THE 210TH. ARTILLERY REGIMENT PLUS AN ELEMENT OF THE 24TH
ARTILLERY BRIGADE, ,4TH CORPS, WITH TWO 130MM. ARTILLERY PIECES.
ONE UNKNOWN BATTALION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KAMPUCHEA (PRK'S)
1ST BRIGADE WAS ALSO ATTACHED TO THE 38TH REGIMENT.
COMMENT: THE PRK FTotf-p-rnin IS NOW REFERRED TO AS THE 19611H
DIVISION.) OTHER 7TH DIVISION ELEMENTS INCLUDED THE 25TH ENGINEER,
THE 26TH SIGNAL, THE 27TH- RECONNAISSANCE, THE .29TH 'TRANSPORTATION
.AND THE 33RD MEDICAL BATTALIONS.
2. THE PAVN OBJECTIVE IN ATTACKING SOKH SAN WAS TO CAPTURE
OR-ANNIHILATE ALL PERSONNEL THERE AND TO DESTROY THE BASE
COMPLETELY TO PREVENT ITS FUTURE USE. SECONO.LIEUTENANT
VU DUC ((VINH)), A 27-YEAR-OLD NORTH VIETNAMESE POLITICAL OFFICER
OF THE 16TH 120MM MORTAR COMPANY OF THE 38TH REGIMENT, TOLD HIS
SUBORDINATES TO CARRY OUT THE THREE CLEARING GUIDELINES WHEN
ATTACKING SOKH SAN, I.E., !BURN EVERYTHING WHICH CANNOT BE
CONFISCATED; IFISTROY EVERYTHING INCLUDING FOOD SUPPLIES, PLANTS,
EQUIPMENT, ETC; .A VERYTHGJNLUDING DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
HE TOLD HIS MEN TO CALL UPON THE ENEMY.TO SURRENDER AND TO
ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE PRISONERS'. ANYONE WHO CAPTURED AN ENEMY.
SOLDIER WITH A WEAPON WOULD RECEIVE A NEW GOOD QUALITY UNIFORM
AND LEAVE AUTHORIZATION. ;OMMENT: SOKH SAN WAS THE
KPNLF'S MAIN BASE OF OPERATION FOR THE SOUTHERN ZONE AND WAS THE
MOST EFFECTIVE AND PROMISING OF THE THREE ZONES.)
8. THE PAVN STRATEGY AGAINST SOKH SAN WAS TO HAVE THE 38TH
REGIMENT APPROACH IT FROM THE WEST BY MOVING IN FROM THE NORTH AND
PENETRATING THAI TERRITORY TO GET BEHIND THE KPNLF TROOPS. ON 17
MARCH THE 42ND REGIMENT WAS TO ATTACK THE CAMP FROM THE EAST; THE
34TH REGIMENT WAS TO ATTACK FROM THE SOUTH, UTILIZING ARTILLERY
SUPPORT FROM THE 210TH REGIMEN
DEBILITATING CHEMICAL ROUNDS.
OF THE 34TH REGIMENT WAS UNKNO
24TH BRIGADE, INCLUDING
COMMENT: THE SPECIFIC MISSION
STRATEGY, HOWEVER, WAS
UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE KPNLF RECONNAISSANCE FORCES MADE CONTACT WITH
PAVN ON THE 15TH AND THE MAJORITY OF THE KPNLF FORCES WERE ABLE TO
WITHDRAW INTO THAILANQ-BEFORE THE 38TH REGIMENT tbliLD GET BEHIND_IN,EM..,
THEREFORE, WHILE THE'KPNLf"LOST-TaIk-b-4�E OF OPERATION AND A GREAT
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DEAL OF MEDICAL AND FOOD SUPPLIES, THE PAVN KILLED ONLY ABOUT 10
KPNLF TROOPS, CAPTURED ANOTHER 10 CIVILIANS, AND APPROXIMATELY 20
WEAPONS. PAVN CASUALTIES WERE UNKNOWN, BUT TWO TRUCKS OF THE 210TH
REGIMENT WERE DESTROYED. 4UMEROUS PAVN TROOPS WERE KILLED AND WOUNDED -
BY DEMOCRATIC KAMPUCHEAN (DK) MINES. INCLUDING THE POLITICAL OFFICER
(I; TI-1 TI.1 PPriMPAIT
4. FOLLOWING THE OCCUPATION AND DESTRUCTION OF SOKH SAN
BY PAVN ON 20 MARCH 1982, AND THE SUBSEQUENT CONFISCATION OF MEDICAL
AND FOOD SUPPLIES, PAVN FORCES WITHDREW FROM THE AREA IN HOPES OF
LURING THE KPNLF FORCES BACK SO THAT PAVN COULD AGAIN ATTEMPT TO.
ATTACK THEM USING A PINCER ACTION. THE 38TH REGIMENT WITHDREW TO
THE VICINITY OF TU 6185, THE 210TH REGIMENT REMAINED IN THE. VICINITY
OF �TU '6586 WITH TWO 105MM.ARTILLERY PIECES DEPLOYED AT TU 6387 AND
TWO 85MM ARTILLERY PIECES DEPLOYED AT TU 6683. THE 60-MAN ELEMENT
OF THE 24TH ARTILLERY BRIGADE WITH TWO 130MM ARTILLERY PIECES WAS
DEPLOYED AT TU 6788. 1ST LIEUTENANT DAD VAN ((MAO)), A 33-YEAR-OLD
NORTH VIETNAMESE MEDICAL OFFICER ASSIGNED TO THE 210TH ARTILLERY
REGIMENT, SAID THAT IF THE KPNLF FORCES, DID NOT RETURN TO THE AREA
BEFORE THE 7TH DIVISION WITHDREW, .THE -RAVN WOULD_S POISONOUS_.
ROUNDS OF ANOTHER TYPE INTO-THETA A WHICH WOULD ENDER THE AREA
NINHABITABLE-FOR UP TO ThREEYERST1tE I5IHAT NEITHER THE PAVN
N1HEPRFCPLNTO REOCCUPY THE AREA. COMMENT: SHORTLY AFTER
AVN
HAD BEEN COVERED WITH A YELLUW1SH/WHI 1SH POWDER WHICH FELL ON
THE LAMP AT NIGHT. THE POWDER WAS DELIVERED FROM 130MM ARTILLERY
SHELLS WHICH VERHEAD RELEASING A SMOKE-LIKE SUBSTANCE
NO ONE IN THE -CM, HAS DIED FROM THE EDWOER.
ADDITIONALLY, IN EARLY MAY, J1 KPN1F PA.113.al ENTERED SOKH SAN I AND II
BUT-HAD NO CONTACT WI IH TOXIC MATTER. IN FACT, THE PATROL ENCOUNTERED
ATANDFUL OF PAVN AT SOKH SAN II. IT APPEARS UNLIKELY. THFRFEMF
THAT PAVN ACTUALLY SPRAYED THE AREA WITH. TOXIC CHEMICALS BEFORE
WITHDRAWING THE ELEMENTS OF THE PAVN DIVISION SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.)
5. IN LATE MARCH 1982, 1ST LIEUTENANT ((TIN)), THE DEPUTY OF
THE REAR SERVICES SECTION OF THE 210TH REGIMENT, AND LIEUTENANT DAD
VAN MAO SAID THAT THE 7TH DIVISION WOULD GRADUALLY PULL OUT OF THE
THAI BORDER AREA AND BE REPLACED BY THE PRK 1ST BRIGADE FROM THE
AREA OF TV 7318. THEY SAID THE ARTILLERY REGIMENTS WOULD MOVE OUT
FIRST BEFORE THE RAINY SEASON, FOLLOWED BY THE INFANTRY REGIMENTS.
OMMENT: IN LATE MARCH 1982, COLONEL NGUYEN NGOC ((DOANH))
;;;---E;174DOANH)), THE PAVN ADVISOR TO THE PRK 1ST BRIGADE AND ANOTHER
HIGH RANKING 4TH CORPS OFFICER MADE AN INSPECTION VISIT TO SOKH SAN
REPORTEDLY IN PREPARATION FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRIGADE. AN
OFFICER OF THE 210TH REGIMENT SAID THAT THE REGIMENT WOULD MOVE
BACK TO KOMPONG CHHNANG AROUND THE 15TH OR 16TH OF APRIL 1982. OTHER
OFFICERS IN THE 7TH DIVISION SAID THE DEPLOYMENT AT THE BORDER
WOULD NOT OCCUR FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS BECAUSE THE DIVISION HAD TO
RETURN TO KOMPONG CHHNANG TO PREPARE TO WITHDRAW TO THE SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM WHERE IT WOULD BE REORGANIZED INTO A MECHANIZED
DIVISION.
REPORT CLASSCONFIDENTIAL--WARNING NOTICE--INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS.
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT.
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