BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION XOM CA TRANG AREA, NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00849A000500040011-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 8, 2006
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: November 7, 1966
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/03/16: CIA-X19-Ub$49TA1000500040011-3
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
0
ATTACHMENT TO L-2220
07 NOVEMBER 1966
PAGE 1
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
XOM CA TRANG AREA, NORTH VIETNAM
1757N 10548E
1. SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BRIEFING BOARD DEPICTS CONTINUING BRIDGE
AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON ROUTES 15 AND 1502 IN THE XOM
CA TRANG AREA, INDICATING A DETERMINED EFFORT BY THE
NORTH VIETNAMESE TO MAINTAIN THEIR SUPPLY ROUTE INTO
LAOS VIA THE DEO MU GIA (PASS).
2. BACKGROUND:
THE XOM CA TRANG AREA WAS STRUCK TWICE IN APRIL
19b5, vrkiEN THE XOM CA TRANG HIGHWAY BRIDGE OVER THE RAO
CAI WAS DESTROYED. THE XOM CA TRANG HIGHWAY BRIDGE OVER
THE NAM QUAT WAS PROBABLY DESTROYED AT THE SAME TIME.
THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED POSSIBLE CABLE BRIDGE OVER
THE NAM QUAT WAS FIRST OBSERVED TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
ON PHOTOGRAP11Y OF AUGUST 19b6.
3. REMARKS:
RECONNAISSANCE PHOTOGRAPHY
REVEALED THE FIRST KNOWN VEHICULAR CABLE BRIDGE IN NORTH
VIETNAM. THE TECHNIQUE EMPLOYED CONSISTED OF THE
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
GROUP I
E.olud.d Pros. eureTrrle
Nsnynd,n0 and I.rH rri llesr,m
CONFIDENTIAL
 Approved For Release 2006/03/16: CIA-RIfift.6IDEI1Ab00040011-3
II
ATTACHMENT TO L-222o
07 NOVEMBER 19b6
PAGE 2
IMPLEMENTATION OF CABLES AND REMOVABLE SECTIONS OF
BRIDGE DECKING IN ORDER TO MAKE AN APPARENTLY UN-
SERVICEABLE BRIDGE SERVICEABLE. THE DECKING WAS PLACED
ON THE CABLES AT NIGHT IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICULAR
TRAFFIC, AND REMOVED DURING THE DAY TO LESSEN THE
DANGER OF U.S. AIR STRIKES.
REVEALS THE APPROACHES
OF Ti1E ORIGINAL CABLE BRIDGES AT THE XOM CA TRANG
tiIG11WAY BRIDGE OVER THE NAM QUAT AND THE XOM CA TRANG
HIGHWAY BRIDGE OVER THE RAO CAI HAVE 25X1
BEEN DESTROYED BY AIR STRIKES AND THE BRIDGES HAVE BEEN
ABANDONED. THE FORDS AT UTM 4E8648b1 AND UTM WE8o1855
ARE ACTIVE AND PERMIT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON ROUTE 15.
A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BRIDGE (POSSIBLY A CABLE BRIDGE)
AND ASSOCIATED APPROACH ROADS PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE
CROSSING OVER THE NAM QUAT. DURING THE EARLY STAGE OF
CONSTRUCTION, A CABLE AND A T-SHAPED ANCHORAGE WERE
OBSERVED AT THIS BRIDGE. DECKING IS NOW AT LEAST
PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY A PIER AND TWO A-FRAME SUPPORTS,
AND THE ENTIRE BRIDGE IS CAMOUFLAGED.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
IIII should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Di ision,NPI 006114/98 , f IA_RIlD70_!1l1S2d0 1 1-3
 Approved For Release 2006/03/16 : CIA-RVM5500040011-3
II
ATTACHMENT TO L-2220
07 NOVEMBER 1906
PAGE 3
ROUTE 1502 IS CURRENTLY UNSERVICEABLE AS AN
ALTERNATE TO ROUTE 15 DUE TO THE LACK OF A RIVER
CROSSING OVER THE RAO CAI; HOWEVER A CABLE BRIDGE IS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT UTM 4E853849. AT LEAST FIVE
CABLES HAVE BEEN STRUNG, THE ANCHORAGES ARE APPARENTLY
COMPLETE, AND THE APPROACHES HAVE BEEN CAMOUFLAGED.
ADDITIONAL ROPES/CABLES WHICH ARE STRUNG ACROSS THE
RAO CAI AT UTM WE855853, WHERE THE CAi3LES ARE POSSIBLY
ANCHORED TO AN ELEVATED PLATFORM, AND AT UTM WE851848
PROBABLY REPRESENT DUMMY CABLE BRIDGES SINCE THE
APPROACHES RAVE BEEN ONLY ROUGHLY CLEARED AND THERE IS
NO EVIDENCE OF THE NECESSARY CABLE ANCHORAGES. UNLIKE
THE BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT UTM WE853849, THE
CABLES ARE MORE VISIBLE DUE TO THEIR LIGHT COLOR.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
n,isian NPIG
Approved ForlP - - ^nainai1R ? nIA rano~o nnu"onnnn5^^^"^^ 1 3
CONFIDENTIAL
 Approved For Release 2006/03/16B9 W079-98M09RD'4bVf1'-3
XOM CA TRANG AREA, NORTH VIETNAM
17-57N 105-48E
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