LAOS SITUATION REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001100130118-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2008
• Sequence Number: 118
• Publication Date: January 1, 1972
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
1 January 1972
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Laos Situation Report.
FA-sof 0900 EST)
1. The North Vietnamese have shelled Long
Tieng, but no i:ifantry attack has developed. In
south Laos, the situation has rapidly deteriorated
and the Communists are advancing to the western
edge of the,Bolovens Plateau.
North Laos
2. At mid-afternoon of 31 December the North
Vietnamese hit irregular positions on the ridge just
north of the Long Tieng valley with 130-mm. artillery,
mortar, and recoiless rifle .fire. Long Tieng itself
then came under heavy fire from the 130-mm. guns.
Firing continued throughout the afternoon and early
evening and resumed for a short period this morning.
It is estimated that as many as 300 r.Junds impacted
in tree valley.
3. The artillery fire was highly accurate
and was obviously targeted against the airstrip and
the T-28 ramp. The runway itself was not crate-red,
but the main ammunition dump was hit and was still
burning on the 'morning of 1 January. All the ord-
nance and buildings of the Lao Air Force are consid-
e::ed a total loss. As of mid-day today no aircraft
had been damaged. One 105-mm. howitzer was damaged
by a direct hit.
4. Although most of the airstrip is still us-
able, no fixed wing aircraft were landing at Long
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Tieng on 1 January. Logistics support and air op-
erations have been moved to Ban Son, about 19 miles
south of Long Tieng.
5. So far, only four irregulars have been re-
ported wounded, but final casualty totals are expected
to be much higher because many rounds hit the village
on both sides of the runway. Unconfirmed reports
also state that an irregular position on the ridge
north of the complex took several direct hits.
6. The 130-mm. guns are firing from positions
just south of the Plaine des Jarres. These sites
were struck by all available USAF tactical aircraft
and gunships on 31 December. Pilots believe they have
silenced four of the guns and damaged one ?uoi-e; over
400 secondary explosions were observed around the ar-
tillery posit:,.ons. However, on the morning of 1 Janu-
ary air observers reported that at least four 130s
were active. Heavy cloud cover and haze has hampered
efforts to destroy these guns.
7. Ground activity over the past two days has
been limited to scattered small clashes. A four bat-
talion irregular force, totaling 1,026 men, arrived
in Long Tieng from Savannakhet on 30 December. These
irregulars, who have been highly effective in previ-
ous c,.-imbat, have already been derloyed to positions
along the defensive line north of Long Tiang.
South Laos
8. The situation on the Bolovens Plateau has
rapidly deteriorated. Lao Army units manning posi-
tions about five miles west of Paksong dispersed
after they cane under heavy attack on 31 December.
Three 105-mm. howitzers and an undetermined number
of cargo trucks were abandoned. Other Lao Army
units west of Paksong pulled back to an irregular
position at Ban Gnik, on the western edge of the
Plateau, about 11 miles west of Paksong.
bhURE I
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9. The morale of all Lao Arm,; troops between
Paksong and Pakse'appears to be very low and these
troops seem incapable of holding positions agair.st
determined Communist attacks. The irregular battal-
ions at an Gnik are badly understrengtht so that the
North Vietnamese might be able to push off the Bolc-
vans Plateau. There is no evidence, however, that
the North Vietnamese intend to depart from their long-
standing policy and attack Pakse or other Lao popula-
tion centers along the Mekong River.
10. All American dependents had been evacuated
from Pakse to Vientiane by mid-day of 1 January.
sr;cRE1
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