THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A000900250001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 22, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

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`s'' L L1 ,~4
CE NTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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BEST COPY
Available
THROUGHOUT
FOLDER
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22 June 1966
The Viet Cong attacked Soc Trang Airfield for
the second time this month. The attack was only
12 minutes long and damage was light. Operation
NATHAN HALE continues to maintain contact with the
Viet Cong in Phu Yen Province.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Operation-NAT-UN-
peration TH N continues in Phu Yen Province
with moderate contact with the Communist forces be-
ing maintained (Para. 1). Operation KANSAS began
on 16 June in Quang Tin Province; Operation HOOKER
which began on 9 June along the Cambodian/South Viet-
namese border.has,ended (Paras, 2-3), Viet Cong
guerrillas attacked the Soc Trang Airfield again
with 75-mm. recoilless rifles, injuring three Ameri-
cans and causing light damage to aircraft (Para. 4).
Operational status of the major surface lines of
communications in South Vietnam for the period 11-
18 June (Para. 5). Weekly review of South Vietnam
battle statistics (Para. 6).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
Tam Chau is apparently negotiating with the govern-
ment again, while the arrest or neutralization of
the antigovernment leaders continues (Paras. 1-3).
Government forces were moved into Quang Tri city
but met with no opposition (Para. 4). The cordon
around the Buddhist Institute in Saigon was lifted
for about an hour (Para, 5).
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
There is nothing o signi icance to report.
IV. Other Military Developments: There is
nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: North
Vietnamese po it uro member Le Duc ho probably
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stopped in Peking on his way home from the Czech
party congress but neither Pekin nor Hanoi have
publicized it. Paras. 1=12
South Vietnam Battle Statistics 11-18 June
Total Personnel Losses
Cumulative US Combat Casualties
Total Friendly Forces Personnel Losses
South Vietnam Battle Statistics 11-18 June
Viet Cong Incidents
Viet Cong Attacks
Weapons Losses--GVN/VC
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NORTH ?DOng Hal
'I VIETNAM
T7 Sepone'
Quang Tri
,rS Hue'
SOUTH VIETNAM
CURRENT SITUATION
U 25 50 75 100 Miles
1) 25 50 75 I tl KInmet-
25X1
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Operation NATHAN HALE continues in Phu Yen
Province with US troops maintaining moderate con-
tact with enemy forces. Armed US helicopters de-
stroyed a Communist mortar position today, killing
40 Viet Cong. In the general area of this opera-
tion, MACV now carries two North Vietnamese regi-
ments--the 95th and 18B--and one Viet Cong main
Force battalion totaling 4,:300 troops. Two more
Viet Cong battalions are near the area and could
also be brought in. Cumulative casualties to date
are 21 Americans killed and 96 wounded with 144 Com-
munists killed.
2. A US Marine operation, which began on 16
June in an area about 20 miles northwest of Chu Lai
in Quang Tin Province, has been designated Opera-
tion KANSAS. Reconnaissance of the sweep area by
US Marine patrols continues and other combat forces
including South Vietnamese units will be added to
the operation should contact be made with enemy
forces. A total of 75 Viet Cong have been killed
so far in small-unit contacts. One Viet Cong has
been captured and ten suspects detained. US cas-
ualties total eight killed and 20 wounded.
3. Operation HOOKER,. a border-surveillance
operation in an area northwest of Pleiku, ended
yesterday. This operation, which began on 9 June,
consisted of three battalions of the US 1st Air
Cavalry Division and South Vietnamese CIDG Special
Forces elements which employed saturation patrol-
ling and reconnaissance-in-force techniques along
the Cambodian/South Vietnamese border in an effort
to block and destroy enemy forces attempting to
use infiltration or withdrawal routes in the sweep
area. However, no significant contact was made
with the enemy during the entire operation and only
one Viet Cong was reported killed. Twelve weapons
were captured.
22 June 1966
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CURRENT OPERATIONAL STATUS OF MAJOR TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND COASTAL RAILROAD
--I-t- Section of operable railroad
Section of inoperable road
Note: Routes are inoperable primarily
because of Viet Cong sabotage/
interdiction efforts.
Information as of 18 June 1966
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Attack on Soc Trang Airfield
4. Viet Cong guerrillas attacked the US Army
airfield at Soc Trang in southern Ba Xuyen Province
early this morning (Vietnam time) with 75-mm. recoil-
less rifle fire, Light damage reportedly was in-
flicted.during the 12-minute attack--three Americans
were wounded, one helicopter was destroyed, and 16
helicopters and one light observation plane were
damaged. A reaction force was dispatched but was un-
able to locate the enemy force. This is the second
attack on this installation, a major US helicopter
base in the Mekong Delta area, in the past month.
Operational Status of Major Surface Lines of Communica-
tions
5. The operational status of South Vietnam's
major highways improved during the week of 11-18
June. Portions of Routes 13, 14, and Interprovincial
1A in Binh Duong, Binh Long, and Phuoc Long prov-
inces were. reopened. Route 14 from Dak To to Kontum
city was also opened. No change was reported in the
operational capability of the nation's coastal rail-
way.
Weekly Review of South Vietnam Battle Statistics
4-11 June 9
3. The week of 11-18 June compared with the
previous week of 4-11 June:
1. Viet Cong Incidents
Time At-
Period tacks
Regimental Battalion Company
.ize size size Terrorism
11-18 June 18 0 3 1 570
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I. Viet Cong Incidents (Continued)
Time Anti- Total
Period Sabotage Propaganda Aircraft Incidents
II. Casualties
VC/PAVN
GVN
4-11 June
11-18 June 4-
June
11-18 June
Killed
1,240
928
151
175
Wounded
-----
---
328
400
Missing/Captured
166
232
30
37
TOTALS
1,406
1,160
509
612
US
FREE WORLD
4-11 June
11-18 June
4-11 June 11-18 June
Killed
142
79
6 20
Wounded
741
567
14 19
Missing/Captured
4
17
0 0
III. Weapons Captured
VC/PAVN
GVN
T-1-1 June 11-18 June
4-11. June l l-'18
June.
Individual
413 185
91 164
Crew-served
22 28
0 5
TOTALS
435 213
91 10$
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II, POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
sort
of detention. General Ton That
Dinh was alleg-
edly
sent to Saigon and General
Thi
has reportedly
been
"invited"I"to follow suit.
Both
Generals- Dinh
and
Nhuan were reported by the
press
to have been
1. Most of the key individuals involved in the
antigovernment movement since General Thi's ouster
on 10 March have either been expeditiously dispatched
to Saigon or apprehended by government security forces.
Tri Quang is continuing his protest fast in a Saigon
clinic where government plainclothes men continue to
maintain their surveillance of him under an informal
detained by the government.
2. Now that the opposition leaders have been
neutralized for the time being, organized antigovern-
ment resistance seems to be coming to an end. In
an attempt to solicit support, the so-called moderate
Tam Chau visited Tri Quang on the 22nd and urged him
to approve the limited demands that the Buddhist In-
stitute is now apparently negotiating with the gov-
ernment. Tri Quang reportedly restated his determina-
tion to fight against the Ky-Thieu regime, but ad-
mitted to Chau that he would consider bringing his
hunger strike to an end. The limited Buddhist de-
mands have dwindled considerably, until now they
are centered on the questions of government indem-
nification of Buddhist personal and property damages
and the release of persons arrested for supporting
the "struggle" movement. Thich Tam Giac informed
a US Embassy officer on the morning of the 22nd that
the Buddhist antigovernment campaign would probably
end if the government agreed to the two points.
There is no.indication that the government would
consider releasing arrested persons.,
3.I Ithe student
and extremist "struggle" leaders, other than the
monks and dissident military generals, are being
effectively sought out and arrested.
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been arrested, presumably in Hue. The ARVN soldiers,
along with three government officials and 11 civil-
ian extremists, have been sent to Saigon.
I Corps Anti-"Struggle" Forces Move into Quang Tri City
4. The restoration of government authority in
the northern provinces continued on 22 June as com-
bat police, marines, and paratroopers under Colonel
Loan's command moved from Hue into Quang Tri city,
the northernmost provincial capital.. The government
forces, according to press reports, encountered no
opposition as they removed Buddhist altars from the
streets.
Siege
Buddhist Institute Temporarily Lifted
5. In Saigon, the police temporarily lifted
the blockade of the Buddhist Institute on 22 June
after a discussion between the Saigon mayor and Thich
Tam Chau on the previous night. Approximately 200
monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers came out and were
subjected to identity checks. Police tried to iso-
late the person who shot a policeman a few days be-
fore, but apparently were not successful. If the
persons remaining in the Institute do not emerge,
the police may initiate a complete search for the
suspected police killer.
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOi)MENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Another possible indication of Peking's
disapproval of high-level North Vietnamese attend-
ance at pro-Soviet party functions was the lack
of publicity surrounding the probable stopover in
Peking of a North Vietnamese politburo member, Le
Duc Tho, on his way home from the Czech party con-
gress. Hanoi.*radio reports that he returned home on 20
June but made no reference to a stopover in Peking.
On his way to the congress, Hanoi reported that he
was met by Li Hsien-nien in Peking. (The Peking
press has not mentioned the stopover in Peking of
any of the North Vietnamese who have traveled to
the recent Soviet bloc party congresses which the
Chinese boycotted). Although it is possible that
Le Duc Tho did not transit Pekipg, it is highly
unlikely that he traveled from Moscow to Hanoi by
any other route. Hanoi may have failed to report
the Peking stop because no high-ranking Chinese
met Le Duc Tho.
2. Le Duc Tho'-s activities since he left
Prague on 11 June are somewhat of a mystery. Be-
tween the 11th and his return home on the 20th,
only his conversations with Soviet leaders Brezh-
nev and Suslov on 14 June were publicized. His
whereabouts from the 14th to the 20th are unknown.
Some part of this time could have been spent in
China.
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SOUTH VIETNAM BATTLE STATISTICS
`,MEEKLY REPORT 11 - 18 JUNE 1966
(Killed in Action, Captured or Missing in Action, excluding Wounded in Action)
-,- 1.._. -7-7
-7 -r-
Total Personnel Losses
- Viet Cong/PAVN
e i US only
US Combat Casualties in Vietnam
(including North Vietnam)
I Fatalities I Non-fatal Wounds I Captured
Cumulative, 1961-1964
Cumulative, 1965
Cumulative, 1966 to date
TOTAL
=.55
1365
2263
1524
6110
13915
21549
MAR I APR
12
136
77
4E JULY I At3 SEUT t )_CT '40V fC 6 JAN i FEB I `APR 3 SAY Etl#~{E
Total `Friendly Forces Personnel Losses
((IS/GVN/Other Free World)
62724 Killed in action ] Missing or Captured in action
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SUU I N VIL I NAM ti LL S I A I IS I ILS %
Viet Cong Incidents
Attacks
Viet Cong Attacks
Company and battalion sized attacks
Battalion sized (and larger) attacks only
Weapons Losses
Antiaircraft Fire
Propaganda
Sabotage
Terrorism
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TOP SECRET
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