HANOI CHARGES OF U.S. BOMBING OF NONMILITARY TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78S02149R000200010027-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: September 17, 1965
• Content Type: MEMO

$INE4Q.c; USA. lC4i
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SPECIAL MEMORANDUM
HANOI CHARGES OF U4S. BOMBING OF
NONMILITARY TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM
Prepared for the White House.
RADIO PROPAGANDA DIVISION
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
17 September 19.65
GROUP I
Eaduded from ouromork
downgrading and
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CONFIDENTIAL
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HANOI CHARGES OF U.S. BOMBING OF
NONMILITARY TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM
Since the inception of the U.S.. air strikes against North Vietnam,
Hanoi propaganda has consistently charged or implied'that the
prime targets were nonmilitary. It has referred frequently to
strikes against "economic" targets and noted strikes against com-
munications routes, but has tended to blur the military significance
of these targets and sought to distort the intent of the strikes
by charging that "populated centers near" bridges, highways, and
so forth were hit. Aside from the references to communications
targets and occasional claims that "people's security posts" in
the demilitarized zone were struck, it has never acknowledged that
a specific military target_was hit. U.S. 'assertions that
American aircraft strike only at military targets" is branded "a
sheer lie" in the North Vietnamese Foreign Ministry "white book"
released in Hanoi media on.:16 July.
Hanoi's accounts of the initial strikes in February and March
claimed that "civilians, hospitals, and schools" were hit and
that "human and material losses" were inflicted on the local
populations. Hanoi's references to the nature of the air-strike
targets have followed essentially the same pattern to date. Both
in its news accounts and in official protests, Hanoi consistently
describes the alleged attacks on civilian targets in such in-
flammatory terms as "wanton" or "savage." It is normally terse
and cryptic in describing the nature of the damage or extent
of casualties, but departs from this practice in sporadic bursts
of publicity for "atrocity" incidents--such as an alleged attack
on a-leprosarium in June--which are selected for special propa-
I rJ
ganda treatment.
Hanoi is normally vague in identifying the locale of alleged
civilian targets, though it generally names at least the province
or district in which the strike is supposed to have taken place.
The most common claim throughout the period under review is that
U.S. planes attacked "residential quarters," "civilian centers.,"
or "populated points" in a particular province, sometimes with
the notation that these "points" were situated "along highways"
or "on communications routes." When specific cities are named as
targets, Hanoi normally reports curtly that they were "bombed
and strafed" and gives no detail. Of 25 available protests issued
by the Vietnamese People's Army (VPA) during May, only one departed
from such vagueness as to locale and target--an "atrocity"-type
claim that American planes strafed a school in Nghe An Province
on 23 May.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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Since Clay, Hanoi has tended to be somewhat more specific in describ-
ing the nature of alleged civilian targets, alth.o ;gh the formulas
cited above have remained the norm. Seven of 25 VPA protests
in June went beyond mere references to certain cities or "populated"
areas, identifying the targets as schools, hospitals, factories,
and so forth. There were seven such specific charges in July and
five in August. In late August Hanoi introduced the currently pub-
licized claim that dams and water conservanq,y installations are also
being hit. Some propaganda has gone on to charge that the purpose
of the strikes against dams is to cause floods and famine, but this
charge has not so far been leveled officially by the VPA.
Charges of strikes at specific civilian targets are reproduced in
the compilation on the following pages.
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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY FBIS/RPD
17 September 1965
HANOI OFFICIAL CHARGES OF U.S. BOMBING OF NONMILITARY TARGETS
IN NORTH VIEWAM FROM FEBRUARY THROUG-i MID-SEPTEMBER 1965
The following compilation includes all references in Vietnamese
People's Army (VPA) communiques or protests to the International Con-
trol Commission (ICC) since February 1965 to specific nonmilitary
targets allegedly bombed by the United States in North Vietnam. It
records available VPA charges specifying such targets as schools,
hospitals, and so forth, as well as charges specifying civilian
casualties. It excludes the vast number of VPA charges--roughly
I20 a month--which identify U.S. targets only by the name of a city
or as "populated centers" in a particular province or district.
It is Hanoi media's practice to broadcast news reports on each air
strike claimed to have taken place, and in most cases to follow
up with a VPA communique or protest. The charges in these protests,
which are publicized almost daily, may be regarded as an accurate
representation of the many charges which have appeared in the radio
newscasts, VIETNAMESE NEWS AGENCY (VNA) transmissions, and radio and
press commentaries.
The charges are reproduced in chronological order, with the operative
passages quoted textually. The date in each case is the date of
the communique or protest. The source in all cases is the Hanoi radio
or VNA.
8 February: U.S. jets on 7 and 8 February strafed and bombed
hospitals and habitations, causing human and material damage,"
in Dong Hoi municipality and "some other areas in" Quang Binh Pro-
vince and the Vinh Linh sector.
8 March: At 1030 hours on 8 March, U.S. jets "bombed and strafed
Co Bai village in the northern part of the demilitarized zone." The
raid "lasted about ten minutes and caused human and material losses
to the local population."
15 March: The U.S. Air Force on 15 March "bombed and strafed civilians,
hospitals, and schools and perpetrated intolerable crimes against the
Vietnamese people" in Nghia Dan and "a number of places" in Dien
Chau and Quynh Luu districts of Nghe An Province.
19 March: U.S. planes on 19 March "strafed a number of localities"
in Do Luong and Thanh Chuong areas, Nghe An Province, "choosing
villages, markets, and river landing-stages as targets for their
bombing and strafing:"
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21 March: At 1350 hours on 21 March, planes "bombed and strafed
a number of localities near Vinh 0 village in the northern
demilitarized zone, damaging a number of houses of people in
the area,"
30 March: At 1300 hours on 30'March, U.S. jets "bombed and
strafed a certain number of areas belonging to Dong Hoi munici-
pality and even attacked civilian fishing boats at Vinh Thai
village, Vinh region."
3 April: U.S. jets on 3 April "strafed fishing boats belonging
to inhabitants of Vinh Thai commune in Vinh Linh area."
5 April: On 5 April "the U.S. imperialists and their flunkeys
sent many waves of aircraft to drop napalm and phosphorous
bombs on populated villages in Vinh Linh area, and wantonly
strafed a number of bus stations and urban centers in Nghe An
Province, North Vietnam."
7 April: On 7 April U.S. jet fighter planes in many waves
bombed and strafed some residential quarters in Quang Binh
Province and Vinh Linh area and Con Co Island."
21 April: At 0200 hours on 21 April, U.S. planes "fired rockets
on Vinh Linh commune in the Vinh Linh area."
23 May: "U.S. and puppet piratical aircraft on 23 May wantonly
bombed and strafed a school and a hospital in Nghia Dan
district, Nghe An Province, and the Tu Tru market in Tho Xuan
district, Thanh Hoa Province, killing or wounding 79 civilians,
among them many children, women, and patients."
9 June: "The United States repeatedly sent many formations
of jet fighters to carry out strafing and bombing raids
against factories, government offices, schools, and densely
populated areas of Vinh city, capital of Nghe An Province.
On the same day, U.S. aircraft also strafed and bombed many
economic targets and populated areas along highways north of
Binh Province, northwest of Nghe An Province, west of Ha Tinh
Province, and in Thanh Hoa Province and Hon Mat island."
10 June; On 9 June "many groups of U.S. jet fighters again
bombed and strafed schools, (power?) stations, post office,
and densely populated areas of Vinh city, North Vietnam."
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/15 July: A 2 July U.S. air raid on the "densely populated industrial
city" of Nam Dinh "killed 11 inhabitants and wounded 65 others,
...What is particularly grave is that on 4 July the U.S. Air
Force launched a second attack on Nam Dinh city, bombing and
strafing barbarously several populated quarters and industrial
establishments."
7 July: "During their 5 July air raid U. S. aircraft savagely
bombed and strafed the Trung Son cooperative farm in Thieu Hoa
district, Thanh Hoa Province, killing 35 people and wounding 22
others, mostly old persons, women, and children. They once again
bombed Vinh Linh hospital." These are among "the many attacks
launched so far by the U. S. Air Force on town and cities, populated
areas, hospitals, sanatoriums, rest places for.old folk, markets,
pagodas, and churches."
J 9 July: On 8 July U.S. aircraft "carried out a most savage bombing
and strafing raid on the civilian houses and the TB sanatorium of
Cau Bo, a southern suburb of Thanh Hoa provincial capital. As a re-
suit of this raid, 40 persons were killed and wounded, including
many old people, women, children "
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/14 June: Jets on 13 June "bombed Quynh Lap sanatorium" in Nghe
An Province. As a result, many people were killed or wounded. [A
spate of propaganda over this alleged incident included the charge
that 82 people were killed and 30 wounded and that some 50 houses
were destroyed.]
/1 r
P1~rQr LAW 19 June : On 18 June "U.S. aircraft bombed Son La 9city and wantonly
strafed and bombed a hospital and offices in this province."
21 June: On 20 June many formations of jet fighters bombed and
strafed populated areas along highways in Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh,
Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An Provinces and two "fired at- the boats of
the population of the coastal area in Ninh Binh Province."
28 June : U. S. aircraft "savagely strafed fishing boats belonging
to the people of Dien Chau district, Nghe An."
29 June:[letter to ICC enclosing copy of 27 June DRV Foreign
Ministry statement denouncing U.S. "escalation" of war]: "...The
U. S. and puppet air forces have daily bombed and strafed indis-
criminately many economic establishments of North Vietnam, such
as factories, state farms, and storehouses, and densely populated
areas including towns and townships, not sparing even hospitals,
health centers for old people, schools, markets, pagodas, churches,
and so forth."
1 July: On 30 June U.S. aircraft "bombed and strafed Son La
provincial town and savagely attacked Tuyen Hoa hospital in Quang
Binh Provi
" It
nc
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10 July: On 9 July U.S. aircraft bombed and strafed "many popu-
lated areas and economic establishments in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An,
and Ha Tinh provinces. They also bombarded Vinh city, destroy-
ing a number of schools, factories, and government offices.
Particularly serious, at 1400 hours on the same day, U.S. aircraft
V, bombarded Yen Bai provincial capital, destroying a hospital and
many dwelling houses and factories, killing or wounding many people."
14 July: U.S. jets bombed Yen Bai provincial town and launched
` a new attack on Son La town, capital of the Northwest Autonomous
Region, "wantonly bombing and strafing the local hospital and a
number of economic establishments."
18 July: On 17 July U.S. jets "strafed civilian barges at Ben
Thuy, Nghe An Province."
23 July : [forwarding a 15 July statement of the DRV Ministry of
Public Health "on the deliberate and frantic bombing raids by the
U.S. imperialists on medical establishments of the DRV"]: "Up
to 11 July 1965 the U.S. aggressors burned or destroyed by bombing I
or strafing nearly 30 medical establishments in North Vietnam. ...a
Most typical were the bombing and strafing by U.S. aircraft of
the Quynh Lap leper sanatorium and the TB hospital in Thanh Hoa
Province resulting in a total of nearly 179 killed and more than
100 wounded."
2 August: On 1 Au stU.S, Jets "bombed and strafed many densely
populated areas, he college, the hospital, and other establish-
ments in Vinh, capital of Nghe An Province."
3 August: On 2 August U.S. aircraft "wantonly bombed and strafed
residential quarters and factories" in Nam Dinh, "causing many
losses to the people."
1 24 August: On 22 August U.S. aircraft "strafed the Ban Thach
irrigation works in Thanh Hoa."
24 August: On 21, 22, and 23 August "many U.S. jet fighters bombed
and strafed the Ban Thach irrigation works in Tho Xuan district,
Thanh Hoa Province. On 23 August 1965 the U.S. Air Force also
bombed the Ban Quy :aqueduct in Phieu Hoa district, Thanh Hoa
Province."
27 August : On 26 August U. S. aircraft "fired rockets on the Bai
Thuong dam area in Thanh Hoa Province." On 25 August U.S. aircraft
"attacked many populated areas in Ha Tinh Province, including the
Huong Khe hospital, Voi market in K? Anh district, and the
provincial secondary school. Besides, they strafed the Do Luong
dam area in Nghe An Province, ...The U.S. imperialists'
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repeated attacks on public utility works such as dams, hospitals,
schools, market placer, and so forth constitute most odious
crimes against the Vietnamese people... ,"
5 September: On 4 September U.S. aircraft "attacked Vinh city and
the Nam Dan dam in Nghe An Province." These raids followed
"attacks on towns, urban centers, the Ban Thach, Do Luong, and
Bai Thuong dams, hospitals, schools, and market places in many
areas of North Vietnam."
10 September: On 9 September U.S. jet formations "bombed and
strafed many populated areas and economic establishments in Phu Tho,
Ha Tay, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An provinces" and "again attacked
Vinh city and the Suoi Hai dam in Ha Tay Province."
/ 11 September: On 10 September U.S. jet formations "for the third
time attacked Suoi Hai dam in Ha Tay Province" as part of "con-,
tinual and systematic U.S. air attacks on towns, cities, dams,
hospitals, schools, and public utility works in North Vietnam."
15 September: U.S. jets "attacked Vinh city and the Suoi Hai dam
in Ha Tay Province" and "continued and systematic attacks on towns
and cities and public utility works such as dams, hospitals,
schools and so forth."
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1 OCTOBER 1965
.A008NDUM TO
FBIS SPECIAL MEMORAVDUII OF 17 SEPTEMBER 1965:
"'IANOI CHARGES OF U.S. BOPPING OF NONMILITARY TARGETS
IN NORTH VIETNAM FROM FEBRUARY TTIROUG[I M D -SEPTEMBER 1965"
The listing below updates the compilation, provided in the FBI$ Special
Memorandum of 17 September 1965, of Vietnamese People's Army (VPA) charges
of U.S. bombing of specific nonmilitary targets in North Vietnam since
February, and records some additional charges leveled by the VPA during
the period since mid-August.
It should be noted that all the charges reproduced in the Special Memorandum
appeared in formal VPA protests to the International Control Commission
(ICC). (Some of them were additionally publicized by Hanoi media in VPA
"communiques," official announcements sometimes issued in parallel with the
formal protests.) With the additions provided below, the compilation thus
becomes a complete, double-checked record of formal VPA charges of U.S.
bombing of nonmilitary targets in North Vietnam that are available to FBIS
through the end of September.
The charges reproduced are those identifying nonmilitary targets as schools,
hospitals, public buildings, and so forth, as well as charges specifying
civilian casualties. Excluded are the vastly more numerous vague charges
identifying U.S. targets only by the name of a city or as "populated
centers" or "residential areas" in a particular province or district.
As in the Special Memorandum, the operative passages are quoted textually
below. The dates refer to the dates of the VPA protests, and the source
in each case in the Hanoi radio or the VIETNAMESE NEWS AGENCY (VNA).
1 17 August : On 16 August. U.S. aircraft "discriminately bombed and
strafed the hospital l technological school) power plant, and a number of
public buildings in Vinh city
18 August: On 17 August U.S. aircraft "again attacked Vinh city, wantonly
bombing and strafing residential quarters, hospitals, schools, public
offices, and factories."
22 August: On 21 August U.S. aircraft "bombed the TB sanatorium in Thanh
Hoa for the second time and Son La hospital."
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4 September: On 3 September U.S. aircraft "attacked the Nam Dan dam in
Nghe An Province."
13 September: On 12 September U.S. aircraft "bombed Nam Dinh city for
the eighth time, causing a number of civilian casualties, and again
bombed the Suoi Hai dam in Ha Tay Province. Thus for four consecutive
days from 9 to 12 September, the U.S. Air Force savagely attacked the Suoi
Hai dam in an attempt to cause losses to the local population."
15 September: On 14 September U.S. aircraft "attacked Vinh city and the
Suoi Hai dam in Ha Tay Province."
16 September: On 15 September U.S. aircraft bombed "the Suoi Hai dam
in Ha Tay Province."
20 September: U.S. aircraft "attacked Ha Tinh provincial town and Dong Hoi,
Quang Binh provincial town, indiscriminately bombing hospitals, populated
areas, and public buildings there."
27 September: On 25 September U.S. aircraft "bombed the secondary school
of Quynh Phong village, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An Province, killing or
wounding 34 pupils."
Protest undated, reported by Hanoi radio 29 September: On 28 September
U.S. jetfighters "dropped well over 50,bombs weighing 500 to 1,000
pounds" on the Do Luong dam.
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