THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 29, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

TOP SECRET
Approved Fc Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T008-26AO01200010005-7
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
29 August 1966
ARMY and DOS review(s) completed.
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
25X1
Approved For Release - 0005-7
TOP SECRET
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 Appro
29 August 1966
Rumors persist in South Vietnam about the pos-
sibility of command changes in II and IV Corps
after the September election. The North Vietnamese
economic delegation currently in Peking has signed
an agreement under which the Chinese will provide
Hanoi with "economic and technical assistance."
I. Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Thirty large-scale allied/Vietnamese group opera-
tions continue according to plan but without sig-
nificant enemy contact (Para. 1). The pattern
of Communist-initiated military activity continues
to emphasize small-scale probing actions, terror-
ism, harassment, and sabotage against military
and civilian targets in widespread sections of
South Vietnam (Paras. 2-4).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
corps commander General oc and corps com-
mander General Quang may be replaced after the 11
September elections (Para. 1). Flood conditions
expected soon in the heavily populated delta re-
gion south of Saigon may interfere with the voter
turnout on election day (Para. 2). A special
South Vietnamese court has sentenced a Vietnamese
businessman to death in absentia for speculation
(Para. 3) .
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
A second North Vietnamese Navy patrol boat was
probably sunk east of Haiphong on 29 August
(Para.l). A US Air Force plane was lost to un-
known causes on 29 August near Dong Hoi (Para. 2).
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Appro jed For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010p05-7
 Appr
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: The
North Vietnamese economic delegation currently in
Peking has signed an agreement for economic and
technical assistance with the Chinese (Para. 1).
VI. Other Major As ects: The primary rail
supply line from China into North Vietnam is appar-
ently usable by standard- as well as narrow-gauge
rolling stock for about half the distance trom
the China border to Hanoi (Paras. 1-3).
29 August 1966
25X1
25X1
ApprovId For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO0120001p005-7
 Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826 001200010005-7
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 Appr ed For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010005-7 25X1
I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. No significant contacts have been reported
during the past 24 hours in any of the 30 battalion-
sized or larger allied/Vietnamese search-and-de-
stroy operations currently in progress.
Viet Cong Activity
2. Communist military activity during this
period reflected an absence of large-scale attacks
or ambushes against major troop concentrations and
stationary target areas. Rather, the pattern of
enemy operations continued to emphasize small-
scale, widespread probing actions against isolated,
lightly defended military installations and out-
posts, acts of minor harassment and terrorism
against both military and civilian personnel, and
intensified sabotage against railroad, highway,
and inland waterway transportation routes.
3. Late on 28 August, Viet Cong forces
shelled the Vinh Long airstrip in Vinh Long Prov-
ince, 65 miles southwest of Saigon, with 10-20
rounds of 75-mm. recoilless rifle fire. Seven
US Army helicopters were damaged but no friendly
casualties were reported.
4. Southeast of Saigon, in the Rung Sat Spe-
cial Zone, a Viet Cong mine exploded early today
approximately 15 feet from a US Navy minesweeper
operating along the main channel of the Tong Tac
River. There has been no report of casualties or
damage. Delayed MACV reports of 26 August indi-
cate that the Viet Cong mined a GVN boat convoy
of three landing craft in Vinh Long Province,
sinking one boat and killing one Regional Forces
soldier.
29 August 1966
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A0012000110005-7
 Appro
II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. I
25X"1 the government is
p anning to make changes in the military leadership
in II and IV Corps after the 11 September elections,
possibly including the replacement of II Corps
commander General Loc and IV Corps commander Gen-
eral Quang. In such an event, Generals Quan and
Loc would be assigned posts in Saigon.
Both Quang
and Loc have sporadically been rumored for replace-
ment since last March, when General Thi was dis-
missed as I Corps commander.
2. The US Embassy in Vientiane has reported
that flood conditions have been reached on the Me-
kong River in the vicinity of the Laotian capital.
It is estimated that the flood stage will reach the
heavily populated delta area in South Vietnam within
a week or ten days, possibly posing an additional
problem to the government in assuring a large voter
turnout for the constitutional assembly election on
11 September.
3. According to the press, South Vietnam's
special court for economic crimes today sentenced
a Vietnamese businessman to death for speculation
in imported refrigerators. The accused was tried
in absentia and a warrant has been issued for his
arrest. The trial and subsequent execution of a
local Chinese merchant by this same court last
March touched off an adverse reaction among the
important Chinese segment of the Saigon business
community.
29 August 1966
25X1
25X1
I 25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A0012000110005-7
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 AW -A&
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
? Ko-chiu
CFtINA
He Giang
% 1 ?~i
?. ao Cai
'?\l Lai Chau?
? Phong Saly ` ?~
Dien Bien Phu ?
Son La
t~ _ ng Yen, ,
? Haiphong
Hai Duong
Kien An
Hung Yen
?
Phu Ly ?\
?Thai Binh
Nam Dinh`)
Ninh Binh.
r.?, %ong Van
r-?' 1 Ching-hsi
Cac Bang
Ning-ming
Lang Son*,}}
\
Tuyen Quang
Yen Bai \\
Phu Tho
Ban Chieng
X
ieng Khouang ? Cua Roa
T H A I L A N D
Muang Nakhon Phanomo Khammouane
NORTH VIETNAM
Lannakhet
x
PT Boat
Vinh Linh
?~,,: DEMARCATION LINE
Fz Dang He
Bo:Ho Su Quang Tri
SOUTH
Hu a
? VIETNAM
Muong Nong ??--~,
Mong Cai
,I'SO?'
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 Apps
1. A second North Vietnamese Navy patrol boat
was probably sunk in the coastal islands east of
Haiphong on 29 August. The boat, tentatively
identified as an SO-1 class subchaser, was dis-
covered moored near an island and opened fire as
US Navy aircraft made an identification pass over
the ship. The flight leader of the four A4 aircraft
reported that the North Vietnamese craft was de-
stroyed by gun and rocket fire. In an earlier en-
counter on the same day US Navy planes were re-
ported to have sunk a North Vietnamese torpedo boat
in the coastal waters 45 miles east of Haiphong.
2. A US Air Force F-105 aircraft was lost to
unknown causes on 29 August while conducting armed
reconnaissance near Dong The pilot made a
successful ejection but could not be rescued by
search-and-rescue aircraft because of heavy ground-
fire.
29 August 1966
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010015-7
 Appro
port.
IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
29 August 1966
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A00120001p005-7
 Approj'
V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. The North Vietnamese economic delegation
headed by politburo member Le Thanh Nghi, which
has been in China since 19 August, signed an aid
agreement with the Chinese on the 29th, according
to press reports. Under the agreement, whose terms
were not spelled out, China will provide "economic
and technical assistance" to North Vietnam. Le
Thanh Nghi led two similar economic delegations
to China and several bloc countries in the past
two years. There is as yet no indication as to
whether this present delegation will visit addi-
tional countries before returning to Hanoi.
29 August 1966
25X1
Apprpved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A00120q010005-7
 Approved For 1ease 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T0082 001200010005-7
DRV Standard Gauge Railroads
Standard gauge railroad
under construction
Standard gauge
Thai Nguyen] rolling stock
Kepi
Hanoi ?
CHINA
Dual gauge;V"-1F"'
third rail added
sr~xu rk nuts
29 AUGUST_tt 66
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200p10005-7
1. The primary rail supply line from China
into North Vietnam is apparently usable by standard
as well as narrow-gauge rolling stock for about
half the distance from the China border to Hanoi.
Photography showed standard-gauge roll-
ing stock--including a locomotive--near Kep, a town
about midway on the Hanoi - Ping-hsiang railroad and
one terminus of the standard-gauge line under con-
struction to Thai Nguyen. The standard-gauge roll-
ing stock could only have come from China using a
third rail added to the original narrow-gauge
track. Segments of line with the third rail have
been observed between Kep and Ping-hsiang since
early April.
2. The ability to use standard-gauge stock
will raise the line's speed and its load capacity.
In addition, North Vietnam will now be able, if neces-
sary, to draw on the Chinese inventory of cars to
supplement domestic stocks of narrow-gauge cars.
3. If the third rail is eventually added be-
tween Kep and Hanoi, the necessity for transloading
Vietnam-bound freight would be postponed until ar-
rival in Hanoi, a transport hub with a profusion of
transshipment facilities.
29 August 1966
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010005-7
 TOP SECRET
Approved FoN@release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T0082W01200010005-7
Approved For Release 2004/12/16 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010005-7
TOP SECRET