THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM NO. 8

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Keywords: INDEXF199300857
• Keywords: MILITARY SITUATION
• Keywords: TET OFFENSIVE
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00010636
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 2, 1968

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� CENTRAL INTELLIGa'CE_AGENCY
Directorate of In:telligence
2 February 1908
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INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
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The SitUatien-in-SouthiViotnam-No. 8
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1. The Communist -Tot offOsivo continued into
its fourth day with Communist forces_ resisting al-
lied mopping-up operations within, or onthe out::;
skirtsof key cities throughout' South Vietnam. The7
Lighting In Saigod is subsiding; hewover, the Com-
munists still maintain Strong positions in the prov-
incial capitals of Hue, Rontum,;Dan Me Thuot, Da Let,
and sevoral_cities-inthe dolta-provintes.
2. EneMy losses_continueto_Soar=with VS IiIi-
tary authorities in Saigon claiming well over 10,000
Communists killed-in-the-first�hree days of fight-
ing. An additional 3,000 suspect Communists have
reportedly been detained. By Contrast only some
1,700 individual and crow-served enemy weapons have
boon recovered in the fighting._!._Friendly losses now
total 559 killed (232 US) and pmO2,300 vounded
(1,000 US).
Saigon
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3. Saigon was relatively quiet during the
night of-14 February. in �ally morning action,
howevor, the Viet Cong overran' two Senn Vietnamese
'police precinct stations Sporadic firing was re-
ported at several other points in the city and
_fighting continued early this Morning near Tan Son
Mut airbaso just northwest of the capital. Only
limited aircraft traffic WA8 permitted at the air-
field due to reports of an imminont rocket attack.
AprovociS r4�glise -.
Date I
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4. Available evidence indicates that the enemy
troops involved in the Saigon area were mostly in
the 16 to 18 ago bracket and wore well armed with
Modern automatic rifles and-rock4-launchers. Sev-
eral prisoners stated-that-they-had-infiltrated into
..-fho city In civilian clothes wherb they were armed
from weapons caches which had beeh set up well in
�advance. The enemy in SaigonAidnotappoar to be
well trained, although their morale was high in the
early stages of the fighting.
5. Several-enemyunits in the city have been
tentativory identifiedTanNiet7Cong:untte from the
Mekong Delta and from As far west. is Tay Ninh Prov-
ince._ Reports ot.NOrth_Vietnameefaunits in the
Saigon fighting have not been conSirced, but north-
erners assignod-to nearby Viet Cong unite AS Cadre
._and fillers possibly participated.'
I Corpa
7. The city_of_Rue Is stili the focal point
of stubborn enemy resistance in Smith Vietnam's
northern I Corps area. The rest of the major cities
in the northern provinoos-pro-undbr the control of
allied forces, although scattered attacks were con-
ducted against some of them on:14-rebruary.
Noe: The_two,-square-milei_valled citadel
area is eirm partially occupied by enemy forces
this morning. Two South Vietnamese armored battalions
are commited to the clearing opOationsaround the
citadel, and a US lst-Atr Cavalry :battalion may be
added to the effort. Three other South Vietnamese
battalions have encountered stiff enemy resistanco.
in clearing operations in some areas on the outskirts
of the city. All US and South Vietnamese installa-
tions within Rue remain under allied control.
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. D. Cam Lo: The Combined 4tion Platoon Head-
6arters WT-UR Lo was attRekod with mortar and
small arms fire early today. Th es enemy was forced
to withdraw afteria heavy six-hoip battle.
;
10. Phu Loc: The Phu Lep Area, located some
25 miles sat1W-451 Huelwas subjected to a day-long
-Attack, which ended late last Met.* The Phu Loc
District Headquarters-and village were reported secure;
however, a sizeable onemy-threat:ie believed still in
the general area. According to an unconfirmed report,
the US Mine base at-Phu- Loc we� overrun at one point
in the fighting. !
11. Tan Ry and,Quang Ngai:l. Both of these prov-
incial pit 1�dTiy C�irnuiist mortarmen
during the night of 1-2 February: The bombardment
of Tam Ky reportedly included artillory. fire. No
reports of casualties or damage have been received.
8
12. Duy Kuyen:_ This district capital located
several miliki-gbuthwest of hot An in coastal Quang
Nam Province was roportedstill phder the control
of an unknown-sized enemy force. 'A South Korean
brigade has moved into the area in preparation for
* counterattack later today.
II Corps
13. Kontum: Tho most sor4us_threat in the,
II Corps alrorlantinues_to_oxist.in the city of
Kontum in the westonl highlands., The 'enemy con-
tinuos attacks in And around the. city, and has es-
tablished strongpoints in several'buildings, in-
cluding pagodas and churches. An entire North
viotnamese battalion is still believed in control
of approximately half of the city. The airfield
has been cleared out is now open to emergency
traffic.
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14. Ban Me Thuot: At last.report, elements
of the NorTE-Vialife 33rd Regiment were still
occupying most of the city. Two South Vietnamese
23rd infantry Division battalion, together with US
. units,
are attempting to regain tontrol of the city.
The airfield is still open, but has Leen hit by -
mortar and small arms fire. � LYNDoN BA= .101.1.11)
RAIY
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15. Da Lat: At last roport,'Communist forces
still bola-VW-market place in the center of town
As voll as scattered strongpointWwIthin the city.
- South Viotnamoso forces are loading the effort to
drive tho attackors out of the
16. Tan An: A total of-208;.onomy_tooppn voro
roported WI-Ma-during a ftveco two-heur battlo yos-
terdays�vhon they attomptod_to overrun this villago
which i8 located'somo_15 Milos southwest of Ploiku.
village vas dofonded'by_South_Viotnamoso irregulars
who sustainod light lossos. '
s
17, Phan_Thiot: Heavy fig4ting was still re-
.
ported freirViiirstal proVincial capital through
the midmorning of 2 February. The MACV and Sector
Headquarters compounds havo not yot'come under attack.
US and South VietnamosoAroops havo ostablished a
blocking position and aro presontly attemptiog to
sweep through tho-city in an-effort.to drive tho
attackors out. _
IS. To the north of Corps--1h
area where the current Communist campaign has so
far boon the lightessoveral now attackswore
reported during the night of 1-2 February. Xuan Loo,
the capital of bong-KhanhProvinco, was Under heavy
attack throughout the night. One Viet.Ceng platoon
penetrated into the town, but by morning !allied reac-
tion troops had cleared them out. Firstreporto indi--
catod that US and South Vietnamese casualties vier�
light in the action. Other onemy assaults and mortar
attacks occurred in Phuoc Toy, Mau Nghia, and Tay
Ninh but few details were available, - -
IV Corps
19. In the Mekong Delta, sharpfighting con-
tinues within sevoral provincial capitals and A num-
-bar of smaller towns,
20,- Some 700-800 Viot Col* are still believed
to be tnsido Ben To, tho capital of Kioa Hoa Prov--
incos.whoro two companies of the US Dth'Infantry
Division companies have arrivocrto roin::4Ala
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forces. Noavy fighting occurred during the night in
the provincial capital Of Vinh Long. A US Navy patrol
-boat hese in the city wag overrun but-later retaken
by South Vietnamese forces.
21. Allied troops were alho engaged with Viet
Cons forces in Can The, My Tho hnd Moe Noe, the
capital of Kion Tuong Province; The latter city was
under heavy mortar and rocket attack (early this
morning. The Viet Coal,: were reported using loud-
-speakers to appeal to ARVN troops to lay down their
a rms.
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Prospeets for the-Immediate Future
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22. The situation reported atSa,Dec is char-
acteristic of many areas-in-Senth Vieth a, where
enemy forces have been pushed out of tht urban area,
but continue to maintain:positions-on strategic ground
nearby. It seems possible that, in some areas, the
Communist units williattempt te-renew their attacks
on urban areas, or will atteMpt to remain nearby in .
an effort to keep the-situation-tense and the populace
intimidated. .
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. 23. -Although the _enemy u/nits so far involved
in the current action have repertedly.taken heavy
-
losses in some of the fighting, .it appears certain
that-the enemy highToommand was fully prepared to -
sacrifice these units in their entirety, if necessary
in order to carry out the offensive, 7 .ThisTwould_
strongly suggest that the enemy has-not thrown his
Lull weight into the current effort, but that it is
-rather a carefull-selective application of his power.
In the bitterly contested fighting in Hue, for ex-
ample, only elements of the North Vietnamese 6th
Rogtment have been identified, Along With a few,
_possible local force _elements:. This would indicate, .
in view of the standard CZ for the area, that at least -
One other full NVA regiment is in this sector, and
'at least three other regiment's within 20 miles.
24. Although the Commutiists are probably in-
.
)cepable, in the immediate fufuro, at least, of again
'mounting a coordinated attack against so many targets
as in the past four days, they do appear to have
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the necessary punch in reserve to keep up heavy pros-
our� on seloctod semi-urban and urban areas for A
-considerable period. Prospects for Such enemy pros- -
sure appear geed.
25. Kho Oanh; Tho situation in the r7,e Sanh .
AtOR of_vonorn Oriang Tri-Provinco'remainrI]ntatic.
Thi US Marino garriseh thoro roceiv411 it 1 cut
attacilt durrng the night.:146cording7:to
a prisoner, however; tbe second phave'o he OMMUlaS
Sanh offensive will begin on 3 robruary t.
"artillery: tanksl'and twice As manir-troops.",
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