SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: June 27, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

3
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
11111
NSA review completedRANDLIM]
THE WHITE HOUSE
Sreftga-ISENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODE WORD
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON
June 27, 1972
THE PRESIDENT
HENRY A. KISSINGER
Situation in Vietnam
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
DOS, ARMY and JCS
reviews completed.
In northern Military Region 1 enemy pressure against Hue's defense increased
while in An Loc the enemy fired 600 rounds of mixed caliber at friendly units.
Elsewhere in South Vietnam only light combat activity was reported.
In northern Military Region 1 the enemy stepped up pressure against Hue's
defenses with moderate to heavy shelling attacks against Marine, Airborne
and First Division units. Shelling attacks against Airborne positions near
Camp Evans and Fire Support :Base Jack resulted in one howitzer destroyed,
ten damaged while over 2,500 rounds of artillery ammunition were also
destroyed.
In Military Region 2 combat activity was light with only small contacts and
negligible re sults reported in the area of Kontum City and the Kontum Pass.
In Military Region 3 the enemy increased its shelling of An Loc as over
600 rounds of mixed caliber fell on units in and around the city. Little
progress was reported in the Route 13 clearing operation.
In Military Region 4 activity continued at a low level with light contacts
reported in the Elephant's Foot area of Kien Tuon.g Province.
In air operations, four US Air Force F-4' s were lost to enemy fire near
Hanoi last night (three by MIGis and one by SAM missile). A total of 462
US tactical sorties were flown throughout Vietnam with 258 strikes against
the north. One hundred two B-52 sorties were concentrated against targets
in Military Region 1. Principal targets over North Vietnam consisted of
the Bac Mai airfield and the Hanoi vehicle repair facility near Hanoi.
Results were not observed due to smoke.
---"TO-P-SECISENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD 2
Military Region 1
In northern Military Region 1 enemy pressure increased throughout the
sector as moderate to heavy shelling attacks were reported against Marine,
Airborne and First Division positions.
? In the Marine area of operations, ground contacts were reported
as light but heavy artillery attacks occurred in the vicinity of Fire Support
Base Nancy with only minor friendly casualties.
-- Eleven shelling attacks were reported against Airborne positions.
Five hundred rounds were fired at an Airborne element south of Fire Support
Base Nancy and in shelling attacks against Camp Evans and Fire Support Base
Jack, one howitzer was destroyed, ten damaged and 2,500 rounds of ammuni-
tion also destroyed. One US Cobra helicopter was downed in the Airborne
area.
-- Enemy pressure against the First Division area also increased
with 15 artillery and mortar attacks against positions southwest of Hue.
Fire Support Base Checkmate was hardest hit, accounting for 400 rounds
and two ground attacks which were repulsed with light ARVN casualties.
-- The enemy continues to move troops and equipment forward to
the My Chanh defense line north of Hue.
Military Region 2
In Military Region 2 combat activity continued to be light.
? Sporadic enemy attacks continued against several government
positions around Phu My District town in coastal Binh Dinh Province. ARVN
losses have been light.
-- Activity in the Kon.turn City area remains light. In the Konturn
Pass clearing operation, ARVN forces continue to encounter stiff enemy
resistance.
-- In Military Region 2 the population exodus appears to have either
halted or reversed itself. Nearly 85 percent of the pre-invasion population
of Pleiku has returned to that city.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25 : LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD -3-
Military Region 3
In Military Region 3 at An Loc there was an increase in shelling attacks
as over 600 rounds of mixed caliber fell on units in and around the city.
? Near An Loc, friendly forces along Route 13 reported only light
enemy attacks by fire and several small ground contacts; however, enemy
elements continue to block the highway at several points.
-- Small unit contacts of short duration were also reported in Phuoc
Tuy Province, resulting in minor friendly casualties.
-- All other areas of the Region remained quiet.
? In an engagement four kilometers southwest of An Loc, 50
enemy were killed by tactical air while friendly casualties were five killed
and 33 wounded.
Military Region 4
In Military Region 4 ground activity continued at a low level with no significant
engagements reported.
-- Several light contacts were reported in An Xuyen Province.
-- In the Elephant's Foot area of Kien Tuong Province, friendly
units killed 23 enemy with only light ARVN losses.
Laos
In operation "Black Lion" three fresh Lao Army battalions plus some artillery
and heavy weapons were moved into the provincial capital of Khong Sedone
in the face of continuing persistent enemy shelling.
Cambodia
No significant activity was reported in Cambodia.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD
US Air and Naval Operations
The following air strikes were flown on June 27:
-4-
MR-1
MR-2
MR-3
MR-4
NVN
Total
TacAir US
176
2
26
0
258
462
TacAir VNAF
48
30
38
16
0
102
ARC LIGHT
102
0
0
0
0
102
-- In air activity near Hanoi last night, four USAF F-4's were lost.
Three were downed by MIGis and one was hit by a SAM missile.
-- Sixteen USAF F-4's struck the Hanoi vehicle repair facility and
the Bac Mai airfield near Hanoi last night. Results were not observed due
to smoke. Another 101 aircraft flew armed reconnaissance missions in
southern North Vietnam.
-- USN aircraft flew 145 strike sorties last night against various
targets. Bomb damage assessment is not yet available.
-- Updated bomb damage assessment of strikes conducted on June 24
against the Thai Nguyen iron and steel complex north of Hanoi show that the
open hearth furnace was destroyed. Additionally, two warehouses were
destroyed and four more were damaged.
? The number of mines/destructors placed in North Vietnamese
harbors and coastal waterways by US aircraft now total 4,640.
? As of June 24th, the northeast rail line between North Vietnam
and the PRC was inoperable south of the Sino-North Vietnamese border.
-- In another development, pilots of two reconnaissance aircraft
report that they were fired at on two occasions today by a Chinese freighter
anchored near Hon Nieu Island; the aircraft were not hit. This is the
second time in two weeks that a Chinese ship has fired on US aircraft over-
flying the anchorages. Chinese freighters of this class are generally armed
with twin 37mm guns forward, quad 37rnm guns in the aft section, and one
50 caliber machine gun on the bridge.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE
CONTAINS CODEWORD
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/11/25: LOC-HAK-547-10-9-4
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