THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM (AS OF 1500 EST)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: April 4, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
MORI/CDF per C05105240
-CZNTRM IN +IJLL:IC.GRNCS EN Y
Directorate of Intelligence
4-April 1512
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
The Situation in
s 752715
The Situation in MR-1
25X1
South
0 L.- 81 T
Vietnam
The peace -of the fi`iting has slackened a bit
on 4 April opening a?corridor which the North Vietnamese
may be 'able to use to -isolate Quang Tri. City or to move
further south towards hue.
in Quang Tri Province. The South Vietnamese still hold
Dung Ha, and Quang Tri City, and nearby Fire Support
Base Pedro. They evacuated Piro Base Anne under fire
2. South Vietnamese reinforcements are arriving,
and efforts to establish a new defensive line to'pro-
teot Dong Ha and Quang 'Fri City are underway. The
seasoned reinforcements may have a stabilizi,tg influence
on the badly disorganized South Vietnamese 3rd Division,
the newest of the gov'ernment's divisions'.
3. The North Vietnamese are shipping- large quanti-
ties of supplies on Route 1 through the DMZ to support
the current offensive. On 1 April Rear Servic4 elements
.reported that the "transportation" forces had begun
moving down Route 1 and that by 3 April 130 vehicles
carrying cargo had moved -south. In addition, an aerial
observer reported that the Communists have bridged the
Ban Hai River in the vicinity of Route 1, and self-
propelled artillery was noted crossing the bridge.
4. Fighting has been picking up in the foothills
less than 10 miles west of flue. Fire Support Base
Bastogne has been the targ.:t of heavy shellings and
attacks, and the :enemy has destroyed a bridge between
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SECK 7?'I"
Bastogne and Fire Support Base Dirmingham. The North
Vietnamese 6th Regiment has been moving slowly east-
ward into this area, and parts of the 32413 Divisions
could also be moving towards the lowlands. Enemy
units have also been noted mak.i.ng: of,s"ensivQ_ preparatj ans.
farther south in Quunc1 Nam Province and action thtre
could be stepped up at any time.
5. Additional information concerning Communist
military objectives in the northern two provinces has
come to light. Prisoner statements and a map taken from
.the body of a North Vietnamese officer indicate that
the prime goals of the current = oth
Quang Tri and Hue the
attacks in Quang Tr Province were designed to draw South
Vietnamese reinforcements from Thua Thien Province. Both
provinces were then to be cut off from the south, i,fid
the remaining South-Vietnamese forces were to be "ceetroyed."
This report is in line with others which have suggested-
that the Coimnunists were planning heavy military action
simultaneously on several fronts to stretch the South Viet-
namese thin.
6. The North Vietnamese are making at least a pre-
tense of setting up "liberation .overnments" in areas have overrun.
7. Communist shellings and ground attacks in Kontum
Province have been building in intensity since late last
week. The heaviest action so far has come along so-called
Rocket Ridge south of Dak To, whore a string of South
Vietnamese artillery and patrol bases form an outer screen
of defense.
8. According-to the latest reports from this sector,
the South Vietnamese claim to have killed several hundred
enemy .troops from the 320th NVA Division in the fighting
SICRI'I`
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14 : LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
 SECRET
yesterday at and around 'ire Support Base Delta. The
South Vietnamese lost part of the base but eventually
regained control, losing 20 men killed and 54 wounded.
As previously reported, prisoners state that the 320th
will continue to maintain pressure in this area. There
are also additional signs that elements of the Communist
.2nd Division are pressing from the north and west toward
the key airfield at Dak To and an important South Viet-
namese headquarters complex nearby. If elements of the
2nd and 320th Divisions attack the Dak To sector at the
same time South Vietnamese forces --here could be hard
pressed to hold their ground.
9. In MR-3, a South Vietnamese outpost in northern
Tay Ninh Province was attacked on 3 April by an estimated
enemy regiment, and two South Vietnamese battalions
enroute to relieve the position became heavily engaged..
Casualty reports are incomplete.
12. In Saigon, P:ime Minister Khiem told a cabinet
meeting on 4 April that heavy enemy action could be anti-
cipated from April through July and that the North Viotna-
mdse will attack Kontum and Quang Duo provinces in addition
to the northern provinces on 3 April and assessed the situ--
ation as "very serious." Khiem also said that Thieu was
to hold a confer. ence on 4 April with the chairmen of the
. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
w ~ ..
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
 ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-559-30-13-4
' I "'J.'.CA, RE'I' 25X1
Senate. Land I.,ov,'c3r. Iiouye. Although the subjoct was not
alsclc,