THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00472A002300010004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 4, 1965
• Content Type: MEMO

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Tl~ A~ Ti'!' ~Ti'T
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4 November 1965
A platoon of the US 1st Cavalry Division, en-
gaged in clearing operations near Plei Me, success-
fully ambushed a VC company. en;:ra~ite to Cambodia.
In the ensuing battle, an estimated 93 Viet Cong
were killed.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Brigade-s reng a emen s o e s a.va. ry i-
vision (Air Mobile) a.re continuing to assist in clear-
ing operations near Plei Me Special Forces camp in
Pleiku Province; heavy fighting reportedly erupted
late ?yesterday whe~a one platoon of the 1st Cavalry
a,mbushed:an es'tima.ted Viet Cong company near the Cam-
bodia;n border (Para.. l) . Twelve USAF. B-52 Strato-
fortresses yesterday launched the third attack in
three days against a suspected Viet Cong base camp
in Tay Ninh Province, 3U miles northwest of Saigon;
postsfi~ik~; ground exploitation of the target-com-
plex by three ARVN battalions ha.s been initiated `:
(Para.. 2) . Operation BLACK FERRET, a. search-a.nd-
destroy ground sweep initiated on 3 November by one
USMC ba,tta.lion a.nd 3 ARVN battalions just south of
Chu La.i, continues according to plan (Para.. 3).
One of four USAF B-57 bombers providing close air
support for a. South Korean (ROK) Marine battalion
on a search-and-destroy operation yesterday in Ninh
Thua.n Province accidentally dropped three bombs on
an ROK field position; one Korean wa,s killed a.nd four
were wounded (Para. 4). South Vietnamese forces-
have discovered a Viet Cong munitions factory 35 miles
south~a.st of Saigon (Pa.ra.. 6) .
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
Nothing,o si i icance o repor
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YV. Other Communist Military Developmentsi
Nothing of signs icance o repor
V. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi.
propaganda a ac's a o s me ia. ion a ort~ ' (Para,. 1) .
?The Front continues to expand its European contacts.
(Para. 2),
ii
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I. .MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Brigade-strength elements of the US 1st
Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) are continuing to
assist in clearing operations near Plei Me .Special
Forces camp in Pleiku Province. Heavy fighting re-
portedly erupted late yesterday when one platoon
of the 1st Cavalry ambushed an estimated_Viet Cong
company .apparently en route toward the Cambodian
border. The Viet Cong subsequently launched a seven-
hour counterattack during which additional US re-
inforcements were rushed to-the scene. Preliminary
MACV~-reports place enemy losses at an estimated
9,3 killed, as against American casualties of 2?
wounded.
2. Twelve Guam-based USAF B-52 Stratofortresses
yestef~~ay launched the third attack in three days
against a VietCong base "camp belivied to contain
communications, training, and supply/storage
facilities in Tay Ninh Province, 30 miles north-
west of Saigono A scheduled six-hour ground ex-
ploitation of the target zone by three battalions.
of the 25th ARVN Division commenced immediately..
after the bomb run. Results are not. yet available.
3. Operation BLACK, FERRET, a search-and-
destroy ground sweep initiated on 3 November by
one USMC battalion and three ARVN battalions just
south of Chu Lai, continues according to plan, with
only light contact reported thus far with the
Viet Cong. However, a US: news correspondent-.-Miss,
Dickie Chapelle of the .National Observer and the
RKO-General radio networZi=-was 1kiTlect and six
marines wounded late yesterday when a booby-
trapped 81-mm. shell exploded during the course of
a USMC patrol.
4 November 1965
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4. One Republic of Korea (ROK) a>oa.rine was killed
and-four wounded yesterday in Ninh Thuan Province when
a. ~JSAF' R?5? bomber accidentally dropped three 500-1b.
bombs near ~Y~eir field position,. The aircraft vas
one of four American~B-57s flying close air support
for an ROK Marine battalion on a search and?destroy
operati?n 2? miles southwest of Cam Ranh Ray.. TYae
inadvertent bo~ab release has been attributed to a
mechanical malfunction when the bomb bay doors op~.ned.
A..full investigation of the ffiishap has been initiated
by ZJS authorities o
5. bIACV has confirmed earlier press reports of
the shelli~ag and sinking of a Viet Cong fishing-junk
by elements of a Vietnamese River Assault Group (RAG)
on 2 Plov~mber in Ph?ng,-Dinh Provinceo .(See 3 Novsm?
ber Situation Report, Page I?1, Para. 3..) The inci?
dent, w c occurre on the Rassac River so~ie eight
-miles southeast of :the provincial capital of Can
Tho, resulted in three Viet Cong killed and in the
seizure of 20 -homemade:mines9_eight antitank .mines,
267 homemade grenades9 nine b~ngalore torpedoes,
21,$0'0 rounds of 30~ca1. ammunition, and'l,???. rounds
of ?,62~mm;ammunition.
C. South_Vietnamese troops have rep?rted the
discovery of an extensive Viet'Cong munitions factory
in the H~ekong Delta, 35 miles southwest of Saigono
The government unit confiscated 200 homemade mines,
six tons of-TNT, one ton of Castings, 1,000 pounds
each of cylindrical water mines and fragmentation
grenades, 110 lbso of sulphur, 66 pounds ?f potas~,.
sium nitrSate, assorted tools, _and a quantity of
Chinese. Communas't.,. P?po$~tommasher49 grenades.
4 November 19fa5
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I I LJ/~
II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
4 November 19Fi5
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1, There is nothing of significance to report,
IV-1
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. For the first time in several months Hanoi
has chosen to lash out at Tito for trying to arrange
a negotiated settlement of the Vietnam war. In two
separate broadcasts on 4 November, Hanoi Radio ac-
cused Tito of "wi11fu11yP' serving US interests. by
his proposals. To support its attack, Hanoi quoted
at length from a recent letter sent by Cambodia's
Prince Sihanouk to Tito. Sihanouk, according to
Hanoi, pointed out that Tito's suggestion that the
US stop bombing North Vietnam was not enough to
bring about a "solution to the Vietnam problem."
Sihanouk is reported to have claimed that US forces
must be withdrawn from South Vietnam, "first of all."
It is not clear from the context whether he meant
that a withdrawal must take place before any talks.
Sihanouk also stated that the Liberation Front is
the only "genuine and legal" representative of the
South Vietnamese people and that `any peace plan-
which gives a semblance of legality "to the aggres-
sion or the presence of the US in-South Vietnam??'
will "surely-fail .ignominiously."
2. The South Vietnamese Liberation Front is
continuing to expand its contacts with`European
Communists. Last week Poland agreed to the open-
ing of a new Front office in Warsaw--leaving Rumania
the only East European .Communist country without
an overseas Front representative, Moscow TABS an-
nounced on 3 November that 90 Liberation-Front stu
dents had arrived for a gear's training. A Reuters
version of this announcement indicated that the stu-
dents would study both Russian. language and "tech-
nical subjects." Reuters also said some 50 Front
students had come to the USSR last yearn The Mos-
cow announcement is believred to be the first public
admission t-hat Front students are being sent abroad
for training.
4 November 1965
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