SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-547-10-6-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 22, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/12/18: LOC-HAK-547-10-6-7
NMEMMORANDUNI W W
ARMY, NGA, DOS and JCS
reviews completed.
WASHINGTON
,THE
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY ,C'
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
THE PRESIDENT
HENRY A. KISSINGER ~_Iar:' f`?/1-'
Situation in Vietnam
Activity increased in northern Military Region 1 as South Vietnamese Marines
continued operations across the My Chanh River. The enemy launched heavy
artillery attacks on Marine positions north of Hue followed by an armor
supported ground assault west of Fire Support Base Nancy in southern Quang
Tri Province. Only light combat was reported in Military Regions 2, 3 and
4.
-- In northern Military Region 1 enemy artillery attacks increased
against Airborne and Marine elements north of Hue while South Vietnamese
Marines continued offensive operations across the My Chanh River. Over
200 rounds of 130mm artillery hit Marines east of Fire Support Base Nancy
while west of the base the enemy launched an armor supported ground attack.
ARVN casualties reportedly are light and 15 enemy tanks have been destroyed.
-- In Military Region 2 the situation remains unchanged with only
light combat activity reported. Clearing operations continue around Kontum
City, while Rangers killed 52 enemy near Fire Support Base 41 south of
Kontum.
-- In Military Region 3 combat continued at a low level throughout
the area. An Airb~_orne brigade has been extracted from An Loc and moved
to Saigon for refitting. Only 19 artillery rounds hit An Lac but several light
contacts were reported near the city and along Route 13.
-- In Military R:-?gion 4 activity is reported at a low level with
only scattered contacts reported in Kien Tuong and Dinh Tuong Provinces.
In air operations, 665 strikes were flown by tactical US aircraft throughout
Vietnam while 251 missions struck at targets in North Vietnam. There were
twelve B-52 missions against areas north of the Demilitarized Zone. Targets
included railroad bridges north of Hanoi and Haiphong with at least two spans
reported down. South of Hanoi, 25 large secc=ndary explosions and a sustained
fire were observed at a transshipment point while 40 trucks were destroyed
at a truck park. A direct hit was also reported on a POL area.
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June 22, 1972
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Military Region I
South Vietnamese Marines continued offensive operations across the My
Chanh River. West of Fire Support Base Nancy heavy shelling and ground
attacks are being reported.
-- South Vietnamese Marines continued offensive operations north
of the My Chanh River, killing 70 enemy. Enemy attacks by fire increased
last night, with over 200 rounds of 130mm fire striking Marine elements
east of Fire Support Base Nancy.
-- West of Fire Support Base Nancy, ARVN Airborne units were
attacked with a heavy artillery barrage followed by a ground and armor attack.
Initial reporting indicates 15 enemy tanks have been destroyed (11 by TacAir)
and 51 enemy killed. ARVN casualties were light.
-- Preparations for renewed enemy activity on the northern Hue
front continued to be noted in enemy communications. Elements of the NVA
38th Artillery Regiment, apparently supporting NVA 304th Division units,
discussed inducing ARVN defections from a position to be attacked, registration
firing of artillery,&;.hasing of a new campaign possibly beginning today. Other
intercepts and enemy deployments suggest increased activity is imminent in-
the west between Fire Support Base Nancy and Camp Evans.
- - Da Nang Airfield was hit by eight 122mm rockets, causing
minimal damage and casualties. No U. S. soldiers were killed.
Military Region 2
In Military Region 2, the situation remains unchanged with only light combat
activity reported.
-- Kontum. City remains quiet with no combat activity reported in
the area. Friendly units continued to expand their defensive perimeter north
of the city as enemy units again avoided heavy contact.
-- South of Kontusn City, at Fire Support Base 41, ARVN Rangers
found the bodies of 100 enemy soldiers in an area that had been struck by
tactical aircraft and artillery on June 19. In three contacts north of the base,
along Route 14, the Rangers killed 52 enemy.
-- Enemy units in the Kontum Pass area are now on the defensive,
and it appears that holding the pass is important in tying down and hindering
friendly forces from regaining lost territory north of Kontum City.
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TOP SIECRJ~.,T/S1,'NSW.VI;/CONTAINS CODEWORD
-- Scattered contacts in Binh Dinh Province accounted for 23
enemy killed. ARVN losses were three killed.
Military Region 3
Enemy initiated activity in the An Loc area continues to decrease, and combat
throughout Military Region 3 was reported at a low level.
-- During the day friendly forces conducted patrols out of An Loc,
with no significant contacts reported. An Loc received only 19 rounds of
mixed mortar and artillery fire.
-- South of An Loc, sporadic contact was reported along Route 13,
The Tan Khai Base Camp received a heavy artillery attack, but casualties
were light.
-- A U. S. Army helicopter gunship on a ground support mission
was downed by a SA-7 missile south of An Loc. The crew was recovered un-
injured.
-- The Airborne Brigade (3 battalions) was airlifted from An Loc
yesterday. All three battalions will be moved to the Saigon/ Bien Hoa area
for refitting.
- - Additional fresh troops are being moved into An Loc. The 43d
Regiment headquarters and two battalions are being moved by helicopter just
south of the city. Plans call for two additional battalions to be lifted in
tomorrow. Regional Force replacements continue to arrive, while the
evacuation of wounded continues.
-- Following B-52 strikes along Route 13, elements of the 46th
Regiment will commence operations moving northalong_ Route 13.
-- Two officers from the NVA 7th Division claim their unit
suffered severely while interdicting Route 13. Some companies were reported
down to a strength of ten men and the constant bombing was causing. a major
breakdown in morale and will to fight. Nevertheless, the enemy still holds
sections of the road and gives no indication of abandoning them.
Military Region 4
Activity in the delta remained at a low level, with enemy-initiated incidents
consisting primarily of light shelling attacks and harassments.
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-- In Kien Tuong Province enemy activity in the Elephant's Foot
border area continued to be light as cross-border operations continue. Enemy
losses were 50 killed, while friendly losses were 12 killed and 38 wounded.
-- In the southern delta, 43 enemy were killed in northern An Xuyen
Province during two contacts. Enemy forces involved were possibly elements
of the 95A NVA Regiment.
The North Vietnamese are continuing to offer determined resistance to govern-
ment forces attempting to clear the Khong Sedone area in south Laos. Com-
munist units again launched ground and artillery attacks against two irregular
battalions trying to link up with government units' already in the town. ' However,
irregulars captured a bridge less than a mile north of the town, and their
casualties were not significant. The two battalions in the town were shelled
and probed, but held their positions.
Cambodia
No significant developments were reported.
US Air and Naval Operations
The following air strikes were flown on June 22:
MR-1
MR-2
MR-3
MR-4
NVN
Total
TacAir US
215
79
88
32
251
665
TacAir VNAF
54
39
64
54
0
221
B-52
44
26
13
0
12
102*
* There were seven sorties flown in Cambodia.
U. S. aircraft hit two railroad bridges north of Hanoi (Huu Trung and Dong Vuong
and two railroad bridges north of Haiphong (Soul Co and Vu Chua). The Yen Lap
Railroad bridge, 13 miles northeast of Haiphong, was hit by two Walleye missiles
the center and west spans were reported down. At the Van Dong transshipment
point, 22 miles north of Haiphong, 25 large secondary explosions and a sustained
fire over 1/4 of the area was observed. Forty trucks were destroyed at the
Xuan Mai Truck Park, 21 miles southwest of Hanoi; a direct hit on the POL
area was also reported.
TOP SECRET/SENSIl"IVE/CONT'A.INS CODEWORD
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TOP SECRET/SENSI'T'IVE/CONTAINS CODEWORD
Meanwhile, twelve B-52 sorties hit targets in North Vietnam just above the
Demilitarized Zone.
Over South Vietnam, significant bomb damage from today's tactical air strikes
includes three boats, three armored vehicles, two trucks and ten guns destroyed
or damaged. Also, there were 40 secondary explosions and 12 secondary fires
reported.
Updated bomb damage assessment from strikes flown over North Vietnam
yesterday indicate that one span of the Lon Lau Railroad bridge, 25 miles
north of Hanoi, was destroyed. surface-to-air missile equip- 25X1
anent were destroyed and four secondary exp osions were reported at the
Co Gian Assembly Area, 50 miles east of Hanoi. Three rail cars were
destroyed and one track was cut at the Phu Ly transshipment point, 48 miles
east of Hanoi; four buildings were destroyed and one secondary fire was
observed at the Nam Dinh Petroleum Storage site. Also armed reconnaissance
missions destroyed one bridge, six trucks, nine surface-to-air missiles, one
radar van and five rail cars.
An F-4 on a strike mis .ion 25 miles north of Hanoi was hit by two air-to-air
missiles. The status of the two crew-members is unknown, but search and
rescue efforts are in progress.
Since the commencement of"the North Vietnamese offensive on March 30,
aerial engagements have accounted for the loss of 34 MIG aircraft. Additionally,
four MIG aircraft have been destroyed on the ground and three MIGs have been
lost due to missiles fired by U. S. ships.
As the campaign against North Vietnam's transportation systems continues,
the cumulative impact of operations against enemy ports, coastal shipping
lanes, and rail lines is forcing a greater reliance on the use of trucks to haul
supplies. Evidence of this increased reliance on cargo trucks has been noted
in photographs, pilot reports, and enemy communications. To date, however,
it is not believed that the use of trucks has been adequate to fully offset the
denial of seaborne imports and the disruption of other transport modes for
supply distribution.
Naval Gunfire
In naval gunfire operations, three destroyers conducted 11 harassment and
interdiction missions in the vicinity of Hon La Island while keeping a Chinese
merchant ship under surveillance. In four strikes, other task units shelled
the Ngoc Tra pontoon bridge and assembly area 13 miles south of Thanh Hoa,
the T rang Dung storage area and Chau Khe ammunition storage area 12 miles
south of Thanh Iloa, the Hoi Thang boat yard three.miles east of Ha Tinh,
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CONTAINS CODEWORD
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/12/18: LOC-HAK-547-10-6-7
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TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CONTAINS CODEWORD -6-
the Dan Hai transshipment point six miles east of Vinh, and the Ngoc Lam
transshipment point 25 miles north of Vinh. Strike damage was not observed.
Soviet Naval. Activi
One E-class submarine is believed to still be in the South China Sea, and two
other E-class units remain east of Taiwan. The three surface combatants
that departed the Macclesfield Bank Tuesday remain on a northeasterly course
and should depart the South China Sea shortly enroute home to Vladivostok.
Merchant Shipping
There continues to be no evidence of any attempt to transit the minefields in
North Vietnam since their activation. The number of foreign ships in North
Vietnamese ports and anchorages remains at 31, with no additional diversions
noted.
Soviet-North Vietnamese Agreement on New Proposals
The UPI reported from. Moscow that according to "qualified diplomatic sources"
Soviet President Podgorny's recent visit to Hanoi resulted in a general agree-
ment that a political, rather than a military, settlement must be sought, the
Paris Talks must resume, and new constructive -- and more realistic
peace proposals are to be submitted in Paris by both sides.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CONTAINS CODEWORD'
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TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CONTAINS CODEWORD
North Vietnamese Ne otiators Deny Ceasefire Possibility, Admit Setbacks
According to a French radio news broadcast, the Spokesman for the North
Vietnamese Paris Delegation told newsmen June 21 thL,.t there is no possibility
for a ceasefire in the near future which would be outside the framework of
Madame Binh's* Seven Point Proposal. The Spokesman. also denied -- somewhat
-defensively -- that the offensive in the south is slackening.
Military Region 2 Returning to Normalcy
A CORDS field report noted that Military Region 2 is beginning to return to
normalcy. Market prices have stabilized throughout most of the region, and
60 percent of Pleiku's population has returned to that city. Military Region 2
residents also view the death of John Paul Vann as a serious loss. Many
reportedly believed that Vann was responsible for the successful defense of
Kontum.
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/CONTAIN? CODE, WORD
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/12/18: LOC-HAK-547-10-6-7