THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM - 24 JANUARY 1968

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06753734

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July 27, 2018

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1 3.5(c) - � - - - - - - Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE /9-7 c._. cret 3.5(c) MEMORANDUM The Situation in Vietnam 11-hiCnIv. PLR AL ASZ 441Ver 4 rURAr 1,4�4 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 13-8 l'et 24 January 1968 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) . Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734. DaP-81ECIIIT Information as of 1600 24 January 1968 HIGHLIGHTS � 'In contrast to earlier efforts to underscore the reasonableness of the Communist position, Hanoi now' seems unwilling to publicly elaborate on the � .issue of talks with the US. I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:. North 'Vietnamese gunners.fired a'half-hour, 150- round heavy i artillery :barrage at Khe. Sanh on 24 January (Paras. 12). A- North Vietnamese prisoner' indicate that: the Communists have brought heavy antiaircraft . machine guns into the Khe Sanh .area (Para. 3). Two major clashes between allied and Communist troops were reported in coastal Binh Dinh Province on 22-24 January (Paras. 4-6). �Enemy.forces at- tacked. regional forces in. Darlac and Binh :Thuan provinces on 22 and 23 January (Para.. .7). The weekly review-of South Vietnam battle statistics (Para 8). (charts) � - II. Political Develo ments in South Vietnam: President Thieu'and Vice President Ky are ap- parently attempting to give the impression that they have reconciled their differences (Paras. . 1-2).; Several Lower House deputies may be plan- ning to make proposals on the peace issue. (Pares. 3-4). III. Military Developments in North Vietnam: MIGs again make unusual flight M the southern part of the country (Paras. 13). IV. Other Communist Military Developments: There is nothing of significance to report. V. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi seems unwilling to go further in publicly elaborat- ing its position concerning talks with the US (Paras. 1-4). TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 3.3(h)(2) 3.5(c Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 �\. \ NORTH VIETNAM -,,Demilitirized Zone � -\ QUANG TRI Ban Houei Sane � k Hue THAILAND. 1-O7:1 CIA DOI ,Ku Uu01- . � THUA THIEN' a Nang QUANG NAM e CORPS �t "\er QUANG TIN .01 f" \.._.-.�. QUANG NGAI KONTUM PLEIKU � CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH / CHAU � DOC STAY NINH BI USA OPERATION PERSHING ..Phu My � Phu Cat PHU YEN Thuot � .J.Lac Th QUANG DUC KHANH HOA . PHUOC LONG NINH THUAN. CAM .RANH Xi EN GIANG � PH U OC TU Y Vung Tau CO CON'S KIEN HOA AN XU YEN BA X U Y EN . BAC LIEU BINH THUAN � Phan Thiet Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 7 SOUTH VIETNAM 24 JANUARY 50 75 I O 2r., Sq.`7 I Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 I. ..MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM - 1. North Vietnamese gunners fired 150 heavy. artillery rounds into the main Khe Sahli base in the late afternoon, on 24. January.. .There.was no word of US casualties, but three Marines'were - wounded in the hills north. of Khe' Sanh where.spo- radic enemy shelling. continues. 2. Marine patrols earlier on 24. January dis- covered, that two .outer rows of the barbed mire barrier surroundingthe Khe Sanh strongpoint-had. been cut by enemy infiltrators-and then 'replaced to indicate.that they were undisturbed. Other us, patrols and outposts along- Route 9 .west of Khe Sanh repOrted sighting extensive, enemy troop movements. A battalion of Laotians Army troops . which ,has been .stationed at Ban- Houei. Sane on Route 9-just over.the- Laotian border were driven out of' their positions by North Vietnamese troops on 24. January.. Laotian :officersyat.the Southern. Laos Army Command at Savannakhet said that they assumed that the isolated Laotian battalion would withdraw into South Vietnam. Enemy Antiaircraft Weapons . . 3. Further,. interrogation of the'North Viet-- namese who deserted atKhe Sanh .on 20. January in- dicates. that'the: Communists have- brought 12.7-mm. antiaircraft. machine guns. into the area./ These weapons, which compare with the US 50-caliber machine gun, have probably accounted for most of the eight US aircraft which have been downed in the Khe Sanh area during the past week. 24 January 1968' I-1 TSIE_SEGR-E Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 TOP-SECRET Fighting in Binh Dinh Province 4. �Two major clashes were reported during 22-24 January between allied forces and elements of the North Vietnamese Army 3rd Division along the central coastal region of Binh Dinh Province. 5. In the first of these actions, elements of the US 1st Air Cavalry Division in Operation PERSHING� killed 128 Communist troops on 22 January some three miles east of Phu My district town. US losses during the eight-hour battle included four killed and 19 Wounded. �The enemy unit in contact was identified as the 95th Battalion, 2nd Viet Cong Regiment, 3rd North Vietnamese Division. 6: -The second battle, involving six companies- of the South Korean Capital Infantry Division and elements of the 9th:-Battalion, 18th Regiment, 3rd. North-Vietnamese Division, began early on,23 January' approximately six miles southeast of Phu Cat district town. The battle, which apparently continued into the 24th, has thus far cost the Communists 125 killed and 78 weapons captured. South Korean casualties to date. -stand at four killed and eight wounded. Enemy Pressure Against Regional Forces Increases 7. In II Corps Communist forces on 22 and 23 January inflicted heavy losses on South Vietnamese regional forces in Darlac and Binh Thuan provinces. In Darlac Province, the government's district head- quarters at Lac Thien some 18 miles southeast of Ban Me Thuot was attacked and overrun on the 22nd. The defending regional forces company lost 41 killed and 40 wounded; 12 were missing. The district chief and the unit commander were among those listed as missing. In coastal Binh Thuan Province, an estimated two enemy companies inflicted losses of 33 killed, 32 wounded, and three missing on regional forces de- fending a New Life Hamlet near the provincial capital of Phan Thiet on the 23rd. 24 January 1968' 1-2 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C067537341 ..1.4P-SECTZTT 3.5(c) Weekly Review of South Vietnam Battle Statistics 8. The week of 14-20 January compared with the week of 7-13 January: I. Casualties VC/NVA 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Killed 2,216 Wounded Missing/ Captured 1,842 US -7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan � 278 218 1,323 1,796 TOTALS 2,216 1,842 1,601 2,014 GVN FREE WORLD 7-13 Jan. .14-20 Jan Killed 257 Wounded 739 Missing/ Captured 105 TOTALS 1,101 � 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan 198 19 657 4 36 65� 0 920 1-3 55 24 January 1968 �ET Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) II. Viet Cong Incidents 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Attacks , 107 48 Battalion or Larger. ,, 4 � � � . 2 Small Unit 103 . . . 46 Harassment 345 354: Terrorism 29 49 Sabotage 69 44 Propaganda 11 5 Antiaircraft 301 189 TOTALS 862 689 III. Weapons Captured GVN VC/NVA 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Individual 501 Not 258 126 Crew-Served 77 Reported 39 26 TOTALS 578. 297 152 24 January 1968 I -4. TaP--SECR-ET Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Viet tong Attacks 600 400 , DEC . 286 � 200 . 0 11111111111 11111111111_1111_1_1_11_111 1_11_1_1111_111 1_ I 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1964 1965 1966 1967 Viet Cong Incidents (E chiding attacks) 11 I LLI__11J_L_I I _1 1_ I I I I_LL_LA 111111 1964 69179 1-68 CIA 1965 1966 1967 1968 DEC 3,034 11111111111 1968 1000 750 NOV DEC 1968 JAN 14-20JA 500 250 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 0 n, 1 )1 j�pogo da 118/5APAr Fire 641 TOTAL \ , 98 445abotage 4P.Terrorism -, � � 354 Harassment NOV DEC JAN 1968 8000 6000 4000 2000 16000 12000 8000 4000 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Weapons Losses I Cong. I . Viet �� GVN 7 t - 2,404 I 1 ' 932 1964 1965 1966 Casualties (Killed only)* 1967 1968 Vi. Viet Cong/NVA Pree World �� GVN/US/other r fi DEC " , r A. H ;. 1 ,.-I r , .1.1.1.1-111-1-1-1-L11.1.1.1.1.1. 7,- 938 2,125 1964 1965 US Casualties to Date: 1966 1967 1968 �� 4000 3000 2000 1000 NOV DEC JAN 1968 0 L I ill NOV DEC JAN 1968 Killed 16,677 Wounded 103,993 Captured 232 Missing 736 *Due to o change in the reporting of personnel losses, from 12 February 1967 the weekly and monthly figures represent only personnel killed. 693801-68 CIA Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.3(h)(2) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.3(h)(2) 'Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734-- NA . LAOS Samneua � Lao Calij CHINA --�7 L.: r Ning-ming Lang Son +-Thai Nguyen -\ ..� Thanh Hoa �1/4�. Vinh ? --N. , J . 5 ..\ \ viENTirlitt f. 7 THAILAND .".� 'N. NORTH VIETNAM 24 JANUARY 0 25 50 75 Kies 0 25 50 /5 Kdometers LAOS Dong Hol DEMARCATION LINE SOUTH k.� VIETNAM � .; . ............ 69396 1-68 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 . . Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 \ TO-P-SECrET Ili.. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM 1: MIG fighters have again been noted in un- usual flight operations in the southern portion of North Vietnam./ two .MIG-21s made a round- trip flight between the Hanoi area and a point about 25 miles north of Vinh. 2. The flights marked the third time MIG-21s have flown to the Thanh Hoa - Vinh area this year. 3. The purpose of these extended flights is not known. MIG-21s based near Hanoi could fly brief defensive patrols between Thanh Hoa and Vinh or possibly complete a round-trip flight as far south as the Demilitarized Zone. Such missions would be severely limited in time available for combat. North Vietnam is not known to have an inflight refueling capability or operational jet airfields in its southern provinces. -24 January 1968' Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 e 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 3.3(h)(2) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 1:Z--ET IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS 1. There is nothing of significance to report. 24 January 1968 102-8-ECIT-ET A Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.3(h)(2) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.3(h)(2) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 EGRET �3.5(c) South Vietnamese and Viet Cong Casualties and. .Weapons Losses: 1962 - 31 December 1967 1. General Statistical Data: Viet Killed Wounded Cong in in Captured Total Weapons Time Inci- Action Action or Missing Casualties Losses Period dents GVN VC GVN VC GVN 1962 1825 299 1294 475 212 116 Jan 1963 927 453 1754 908 318 102 1964 1770 343 1223 913 - 555 1965 2206 904 2203 1938 - 471 1.966 3914 747 2648 1557 - 450 1967 3369 887 6064 2036 - 166 1962 1460 244 1205 300 316 124 Feb 1963 788 379 1082 �656 303 82 1964 2078 374 1055 916 - 303 1965 1982 880 1564 1840 - 1394 1966 3100 1015 4727 2095 477 1967 3183 771 7341 2125 - 154 1962 1961 523 1456 737 551 140 Mar 1963 1282 410 1443 851 368 66 1964 2160 439 1456 1249 - 345 1965 2056 751 2022 1633 - 720 1966 3670 938 5685 1961 - 466 1967 3379 1718 10313 2786 - 468 1962 1933 387 1596 532 292 151 Apr 1963 1331 506 1660 878 256 96 1964 2284 594 1671 1584 - 398 1965 1860 591 1909 1650 - 232 1966 3190 573 2818 1522 - 121 1967 3494 935 6227 2490 - 134 1962 1825 390 1756 509 352 94 May 1963 1208 435 1895 889 295 94 1964 2143 458 1135 987 - 202 1965 2263 1049 1975 2143 873 1966 3566 661 4239 1454 196 1967 3571 1026 9808 2830 - 148 1962 1477 325 1666 613 413 77 Jun 1963 1311 389 1863 772 310 90 1964 2062 494 1005 1145 - 313 1965 2597 1211 2208 1920 - 1260 1966 3359 860 4815 1800 - 183 1967 2893 771 7354 2118 - 139 1962 1564 384 1544 686 424 212 Jul 1963 1368 529 1918 1071 372 306 1964 3045 900 1427 1812 510 1965 2520 1160 2980 1591 540 1966 2844 862 5532 1638 - 242 1967 3078 666 7923 1935 123 S-1 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 VC 390. GVN 890 VC 1896 GVN - VC - 379 1463 2451 457 �683 240 1811 1463 917 532 565 3313 2768 1700 711 588 2754 3236 935 979 - 3089 -- 738 2360 353 668 1874 - - 292 1117 1677 253 399 289 1593 1344 708 471 309 4114 1873 2454 620 508 3587 5235 1076 1219 - 3050 -- 532 2395 523 1400 2530 - 222 1327 2033 467 367 531 2033 1987 814 532 394 3104 2416 1442 698 604 3365 6289 1393 1.632 - 4372 10313 984 4215 415 1070 2303 388 1440 2304 797 468 245 2576 1916 990 424 529 2473 2438 757 973 483 2216 3301 594 829 3559 725 2118 524 993 2632 - - 695 1418 2885 463 564 242 1647 1377 723 281 548 4065 2523 1701 831 652 2311 4891 493 1087 - 4006 9808 646 2781 441 1015 2520 - . - 437 1251 2609 580 394 230 1952 1235 718 387 189 4391 2397 2387 793 752 2843 5567 735 3761 - 3028 7354 536 1979 542 1282 2510 - - 387 1906 2677 663 374 219 3222 1646 1889 447 580 3425 3560 1375 882 414 2742 5946 744 1483 - 2724 7923 560 3508 3.5(c) � Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734- . SEGRET 3.5(c; Viet Killed Wounded . Cong in in Captured Total Weapons Time Inci- Action Action or Missing Casualties Losses Period dents GVN VC GVN VC GVN 1962 Aug 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1962 Sep 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 � 1962 Oct 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1962 Nov 1963 1964 1 1965 1966 1967 4 1962 Dec 1963 1964 � 1965 1966 1967 1642 377 1349 411 2580 721 2498 808 2401 722 3271 852 1375 419 1763 672 3091 819 2473 655 2864 566 3757 740 1357 365 1422 428 2827 739 3330 961 2923 906 3130 753 1311- 410 3182 664 1982 574 3638 1034 2778- 804 2759 1112 1346 294 1921 389 2504 � 1002 4106 1239 2837 815 3320 1249 2271 626 367 63 1685 804 237 352 1449 1612 478 3624 1945 - 287 5857 1491 - 209 5810 2282 - 131 2218 646 365 59 1982 1155 234 566 1187 1759 - 737 3485 1724 - 266 4447 1554 185 6354 2416 - 103 1967 619 286 64 1520 989 244 398 1617 1583 693 3874 2416 - �225 5665 2118 216 6272 2355 - 136 1982 834 368 '92 2333 1554 .373 665 1747 1404 - 410 5516 2056 - 520 5227 1933 - 200 7662 2981 281 2203 .618 289 ' 78 1440 961 191 320 1813 2053 - � 1092 4076 2262 - 926 3864 1851 - 338 7938 3095 - 356, � Composite Annual Totals VC 669 GVN 1066 VC 3307 GVN - VC 482 1567 2404 637 428 282 2811 1731 1106 619 606 3040 4230 705 1074 924 2422 6781 654 1298 - 3265 5810 521 2068 446 1124 3029 - - 347 2393 2563 878 389 230 3315 1417 1465 525 838 2645 4323 778 838 839 2305 5286 426 1580 - 3259 6354 444 1877 373 1048 2626 - - 236 1815 2000 753 330 576 3015 2193. 1510 482 660 3602 4534 762 1013 2438 3240 8103 851 1977 - �3244 6274 556 3303 561 1336 2911 - - 252. 2883 2958 1595 455 5.70 2388 2317 1104 515 592 3610 6108 1126 2164 816 2937 6043 650 .1423 -r 4374 7662 865 2579 463 990 2955 - - 190 1670 1821 724 546 503 4147 2316 2111 666 516 4427 4592 1728 1158 701 3004 4565 830 1338 - � � 4700 7938 932 2404 VC Captured Total � Weapons Time Inci- KIA WIA or Missing Casualties Losses Period dents GVN VC � GVN VC GVN VC 7195 4235 1270 5700 11488 3501 3137 4307 17017 - 6036 4157 � 23118 - 7848 6326 20974 - 3283 9719 29449 - 2349 1962 19076 4417 21158 1963 17852 5665 20575 1964 28526 7457 16785 1965 31529 11243 35436 1966 37446 9469 55524 **1967 39141 10880 � 88104 *Monthly data unavailable for 1962 Weapons Losses. **Through 31 December 1967 S-2 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 GVN VC GVN VC 12882 31093 5195 404' 20290 28383 8267 539 30510 20942 14055 588 42209 41762 16915 1175 33726 65243 9381 1860. 42668 - 8039 3119 3.5(c � Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 SET 3.5(c: 2. Viet Cong Incidents: 1962 - 31 December 1967 Time Period Viet Cong Incidents ATTACKS Harassment & Terrorism Sabotage Propa- ganda Anti- Aircraf Small Unit. Bn. Size or Larger Total. 1962 1825 549 0 549 839 180 257 Jan 1963 927 250 2 252 447 49 179 1964 1770 220 3 223 1244 129 174 1965 2206 62 1 63 1489 272 170 212 1966 3914 65 5 70 2490 312 299 743 1967 3369 141 1 142 1772 70 128 1257 1962 1460 500 0 500 613 137 210 Feb 1963 788 194 1 195 433 69 91 1964 2078 214 3 217 1389 210 271 1965 1982 79 3 82 1411 267 91 131 1966 3100 60 9 69 1829 201 172 829 1967 3183 115 2 117 1499 39 �76 1452 1962 1961 588 0 588 660 290 423 Mar 1963 1282 344 0 344 653 131 154 � 1964 2160 202 1 203 1632 158. 167 , - 1965 2056 83 3 86 1476 240 90 164 1966 3670 42 10 52 2332- 212 154 .920 1967 3379 212 � 7 219 1844 50 45 1221 1962 1933 497 0' 491 1024 220 192 Apr 1963 1331 380 3 383 688 105 155 1964 2284 217 3 220 1738 169 157 1965 1860 39 4 43 1407 149 96 165 1966 3190 68 9 77 2238 252 110 513 1967 3494 155 T 162 1992 67 109 1164 1962 1825 518 0 528 892. 154 251 - May 1963 1208 357 0 357 . fi08 93 150 - 1964 2143 173 2 175 418 217 140 .193 1965 2263 -47 11 58 . 1558 365 115 170 1966 3566 46 7 51 2552 295 106 560 1967 3571 189 4 193 � 1985 74 59 1260 1962 1477 362 0 362 . 736 157 222 Jun 1963 1311 409 1 410 � 652 107 142 - 1964 2062 138 2 140 1390 176 162 194 1965 2597 63 6 69 1784 469 103 -172 1966 3359 57 11 ' 68. 2382 211 110 588 1967 2893 166 2 - 168' 1557 72 44 1052 1962 1564 447 1 448 735 158 223 Jul 1963 1368 416 1. 407 698 80 183 - 1964 3045 178 7 185 2132 286 224 '218 1965 2520 42 6 48 1706 400 154 212 1966 2844 91 0 91 1906 200 86 561 1967 3078 188 9 197' ' 1739 141 61 940 S-3 Approved for for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) . Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734_ -SECRET 3.5(c Time Period Viet Cong Incidents ATTACKS Harassment & Terrorism Sabotage Propa-i Anti- arida lAircraf Small _Unit Bn. Size or Larger Total. 1.962 1642 378. 0 378 885 146 233 Aug 1963 1349 367 1 368 647 113 221 1964 2580 110 3 113 1775 315 173 204 1965 2498 47 5 52 1597 349 200 �300 1966 2401 59 5 64 1752 113 87 385 1967 3271 203 1 204 1653 145 96 1173 1962 1375 391 0 391 624 178 182 Sep 1963 1763 500 3 503 889 164 207 1964 3091 114 4 118 1938 482 178 375 1965 2473 26 5 31 1530 278 185 449 1966 2864 84 2 86 1972 90 115 601 1967 3757 255 5 260 2148 206 65 1078 1962 1357 418 1 419 583 189 166 Oct 1963 1422 365 0 365 802 105 150 1964 2827 77 6 83 1790 480 197 277 1965 3330 32 12 44 1969 415 198 704 1966 2923 119 2 121 1749 103 81 869 1967 3130 262 2 264 1684 149 Al 992 1962 1311 418 3 421 614 144 132 .Nov 1963 3182 642 3 645 1990 269 278 1964 1982 59 1 60 1391 247 109 175 1965 3638 42 10 52 2234 486 255 611 1966 2778 84 2 86 1701 125 72 794 1967 2759 256 7 263 1500 201 16 759 1962 1346 383 1 384 670 107 185 Dec 1963 1921 261 0 261 1298 111 251 1964 2504 90 6 96 1719 318 128 243 1965 4106 50 7 � 57 2572 442 317 718 1966 .2837 97 4 101. 1761 98 112 765 1967 3320 277 9 286 1822 229 41 942 Composite Annual Totals 1962 19076 5459 6 5465 8875 2060 2676 No 1963 17852 4475 15 4490 9805 1396 2161 No 1964 28526 1792 41 1833 19556 3178 20080 187S 1965 31529 612 73 685 20730 4132 1974 400f 1966 37446 872 66 938 24664 2212 1504 812E *1967 39141 2419 56 2475 21132 1443 801 1329E *Through 31 December 1967 S-4 AEGRE-1-' Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c)

THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM - 24 JANUARY 1968 - 1968/01/24