RIVER CROSSING ACTIVITY RON, NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00849A001100070016-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: January 19, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

2006/03/16 : CIAM P79E0jT 00110007 016-8
ATTACHMENT TO L-4725
19 JANUARY 1968
PAGE 1 3
COPY
RIVER CROSSING ACTIVITY
RON, NORTH VIETNAM
1752N 10626E
1. SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BRIEFING BOARD DEPICTS DAYTIME VEHICULAR ACTIVITY ON THE ROADS AND
FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR CROSSING THE SONG RON (RIVER) DURING THE CHRISTMAS
TRUCE, 24-25 DECEMBER 1967.
2. LOCATION:
THE ACTIVITY IS LOCATED IMMEDIATELY WEST OF THE VILLAGE OF RON AND THE
INOPERABLE RON HIGHWAY FERRY OVER THE SONG RON WEST OF 25X1
ROUTE IA.
3. BACKGROUND:
GROUND ACTION IN SOUTH VIETNAM WAS LARGELY SUSPENDED AND AIR OPERATIONS
OVER NORTH VIETNAM WERE HALTED (EXCEPT FOR RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS) BY A
DECEMBER 24-25, 1967 CHRISTMAS TRUCE AGREED TO BY THE ALLIES. THE VIET
CONG OBSERVED A THREE-DAY TRUCE THAT STARTED 1 A.M. DECEMBER 24 AND ENDED
1 A.M. DECEMBER 27.
4. COLLATERAL:
NORTH VIETNAM USED THE ALLIED CHRISTMAS TRUCE TO IMPROVE ITS POSITION
THROUGH LOGISTIC RESUPPLY OPERATIONS. ADVANTAGE WAS TAKEN OF THE CEASE FIRE
TO MOVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF SUPPLIES TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF NORTH VIETNAM, TO
LAOS, AND TO SOUTH VIETNAM.
DURING THE TRUCE, NORTH VIETNAMESE LOGISTIC ACTIVITIES WERE MOST EVIDENT
NGA review(s)
completed.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
25X1
25X1
 0
ATTACHMENT TO L-4725
19 JANUARY 1968
PAGE 2
IN THE USE OF TRUCKS TO MOVE SUPPLIES SOUTHWARD, AS MANY AS FIVE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY TRUCKS WERE OBSERVED ON ROUTE 1A BETWEEN THANH HOA AND DONG HOI.
AN ADDITIONAL TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TO THREE HUNDRED TRUCKS WERE SIGHTED
DURING AND AFTER THE TRUCE. AT LEAST SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY OF THE COM-
BINED TOTAL WERE HEADING SOUTH IN "BUMPER-TO-BUMPER" TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD
BETWEEN THANH HOA AND VTNH DURING THE CEASE FIRE, A MILE-LONG, FIFTY-FIVE
TRUCK CONVOY WAS SEEN NORTH OF VINH AND APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY
TRUCKS WERE SEEN NEAR THE QUANG KHE FERRIES NORTH OF DONG HOI WHERE ONE
HUNDRED AND FORTY SAMPANS CARRIED SUPPLIES ACROSS THE SONG GIANG (RIVER).
ASSUMING THAT EACH OF THE SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY TRUCKS OBSERVED TRA-
VELLING SOUTH DURING AND JUST AFTER THE TRUCE CARRIED THREE TONS OF CARGO,
UP TO 2,250 TONS OF MATERIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED DURING THE PERIOD. IF
THE TONNAGE WERE DELIVERED TO SOUTH VIETNAM, IT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO
APPROXIMATELY A NINETY-DAY SUPPLY OF THE ESTIMATED EXTERNAL REQUIREMENTS
PROVIDED BY NORTH VIETNAM TO VIET CONG AND NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY FORCES IN
SOUTH VIETNAM.
WATER-BORNE LOGISTIC CRAFT ACTIVITY WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DURING
1 -
DIA. INTELLIGENCE SUPPLEMENT 5-68, 05 JANUARY 1968 (TOP SECRET
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
Approved For Release 2006/03/16 : CIA-RD
TOP SECRET
 roved For Release 006/03/16 : CIA401NS 016-8
- c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPREMAILOIL
ATTACHMENT TO L-4725
19 JANUARY 1968
PAGE 3
THE SOUTH BANK OF THE SONG RON AT UIM XE524765 AND CROSSES THE RIVER APPROXI-
MATELY 0.5 NM UPSTREAM, WEST OF ROUTE 1A. THIS ROUTE TRAVERSES A FORD BEFORE
CROSSING THE TIP OF AN ISLAND AND BISECTING THE MAIN CHANNEL VIA A FERRY
CROSSING AT UTM XE516773. UPON REACHING THE NORTH BANK THE ROUTE LINKS UP
WITH ANOTHER BY-PASS ROAD.
A SOUTHBOUND CONVOY OF TWENTY-FOUR CANVAS-COVERED CARGO TRUCKS ARE
OBSERVED ON ROUTE lA APPROACHING THE ROUTE lA BY-PASS (WHICH UTILIZES ROUTE
108) AND MOVING TOWARD THE RIVER CROSSING.
(INSET 1)
SIX CARGO TRUCKS ARE OBSERVED NORTHBOUND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE
RIVER AND FIVE ADDITIONAL CARGO TRUCKS ARE MOVING SOUTH ON THE BY-PASS
(TWO ON THE MID-RIVER ISLAND AWAITING FERRY CROSSING AND THREE APPROACHING
THE FORD CROSSING).
(INSET 2)
I
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
Approved For Release
TOP SECRET
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Approved For Release 2006/03/16: CR&0A'QA4~16-8
RON, NORTH VIETNAM
17-52N 106-26E