Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 MEMORANDUM DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE The Sitztatiorzin: Vietr2a11z A 3.5(c) 24 January 1968 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 J:OP-8ECRET . 3.5(c) Information as of 1600 24 January 1968 3.5(c) HIGHLIGHTS · In contrast to earlier efforts t6 undersc6re 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 artillery barrage at Khe Sanh on 24 a Pa ·as. 1.:...2 A North Vietnamese prisoner· indicate that · 3.3(h)(2) L__~~---~~~--~--~-_~e_a_v_y_a_n____,iaircraft Sanh area (Para. 3). Two major clashes between allied and Communist troops were reported in·coas~al 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 Developments in South Vietnam: President Thieu and Vice President Ky are ap­ parently attempting to give the impression that · t~ey have reconciled their differences (Paras. 1-2) ~ Several Lower House ·de~uties may be plari~ nin~ to make proposals on tte peace issue (Paras. 3-4). -· III. Military Developments in North Vietnam: MIGs again make unusual flight in the.southern part ,· of the coutttry (Paras. 1~3). IV. Other ··conmmnist •Mili taiy Developments: There is nothing ot·significance to·report. v. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi seems unwilling to.go further in publicly elaborat­ ing its position concerning talks with the US 3.3(h)(2 ) .(Paras~ 1-4) o ~I ------~-~------___J I I i I I 3.5(c) I I TOP SRCRETL__I-~ I ' Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 .. \ NO,.,-H •, ,,,VIETNAM . .\. ·7~-s- -'.'.'.""~; ..', DemWta'rired..,__, Zontt '7 . ·-_lQUANGffRI • Khe h - . Ban Houe1 Sane (I· _ Hue• \_ 0 ·- ..Tl·tUA THIEN' --·,.- \ /! -, ··\....._____....___,./'·~oa Nang __) < r:.OXPS THAILAND . \ .. ,,.I ~~ ( ( . > ( USA OPERATION .. - J .. ·" ,,J PERSHING ___..,,, "'- --· -------- - -- - f._.,... Y......:---"--·I'_./ r \. .- ·. ·. ,_·. , __..,,,. ___ "\.._ ~ ·-<.:....../ ,,___ CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH@ - ·· [)A l l ., • • • .... ' f · ~ P>1u•JuCir SOUTH VIETNAM 24 JANUARY " Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 ·•·•·---- ·-----·- . --··-----·.. .. ' Approved for Release : 2_018/07/26 C06753734 3.5(c) I •. MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM .. 1. North Vietnamese gunners fired 150 heavy. artillery rounds irito the main Khe Sanh 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 pa~rols earlier on 24 January dis~ covered that two -outer rows of the barbed wire barrie~ ·surrounding the Khe Sanh strongpoirit·had been cut by enemy infiltrators· arid 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 Laotian : Army troops which -has been stationed a:t Ban Houei Sane on Route 9- just over . the Laotian boider were dri~en out of · their positions by North Vietnamese troops on 24· J4nuary._ Laotian ~fficers.at·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. F.urther interrogation of the · North Viet-· . namese who deser·ted · at .Khe· Sanh on 20. January· in­ dicates. tha.t · the, Communists have· brought J,,4. 7-rnm. antiaircr~ft machine guns. into the area. / · I 3.3(h)(2) ! I ~---- ~ - ~~ · These weapons, which compare with. the US. SO-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 Janu~ry 1968 · I-1 T_QP SEGRE~ . 3.5(c) ~- --~ ' Approved for Release : 2018/07/26 C06753734 i;._,,__ _ .Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 _____ ____-·- -· ··· .---- -.---·· TOP SECR:E1 I 3.5(c) 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 6£ Binh Dinh Pr6vince. 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 l· of the South Korean Capital Infantry Division and (' ~lements of the 9ih : Battalion, 18th Re~iment, 3rd I. North Vietnamese Division, began ea~ly 6n 23 January I 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 casrialties to _date · stand at four killed and eight wounded. Enemy Pressure Ag'ainst Regional Forces Increases 7. In rt Corps Communist for ·ces on 22 and 23 January inflicted heavy lo~ses on South Vietnamese · iegional 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 corn~any lost 41 killed ~nd 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 I-2 -~ET I~~ -----' 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release : 2018/07/26 C06753734 .:__- - ..TOP S~GRET/ . 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 us 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan · 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Killed 2,216 . 1,842 278 218 Wounded 1,323 1,796 . Missing/ Captured TOTALS 2,216 1,842 1,601 2,014 GVN FREE WORLD 7-!3 Jan . 14-20 Jan · 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Killed 257 198 0 19 Wounded 739 657 4 36 Missing/ · Captured · 105 65 0 ,< TOTALS 1,101 920 4 55 24 January 1968 I-.3 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 \ 3.5(c) T~ I I II. V1et Cong Incidents 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Attacks ...107 48 Battalion or Larger . • . • • • . ·. 4 • • •. • 2 Small Unit. • • • • • • . • • .103 . • . 46 Harassment 345 354 ,' . · .· Terrorif;;m 29 49 Sabotage · 69 44 Propaganda . 11 ·s . Antiaircraft 301 189 TOTALS 862 689 III. Weapons .captured VC/NVA GVN . 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan Individual 501 Not .. 258 126 Crew-Seryed 77 Reported 39 26 TOTALS 578 . i 2_97 152 ' . 24 January 1968 I-4· 3.5(c) Approved' for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release : 2ifrsio1i26··co67537-34-··--·­ - ') . er:~ ~~--T _· Viet·Cong Attacks 600.....----....----.....----......,....----.-------. 150--~-....--. 14-20JAN · 4001-----+-----+-----+-----+------f 100 1----+--+'l---t DEC 286 l 50 1, _.A '\..:f\ 48 0 "'' NOV DEC JAN 1964 1965 1966 1967 - 1968 1968 VietCong Incidents (f eluding attacks) 4000.....-----r-----'--l>r---=-.......-----......,....----, lOQQ.-----T---1-4--2-0-JA-N DEC 30001-----~---1-4---+--4--~J:.-4-l-3..!..,0_3_4_---I _I 10001-----+-----+-----+------I-------I ·; ':·354 Harassment NOV DEC JAN 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1968 69379 1-68 CIA Approved' for Release : 2018/07/26 C06753734 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 .. '\ .. WeaponsLosses 8000 2000 ~ YietCong . ~ - I -GVN 6000~----+-----+-----+-----+---,------I 150Qt-- - -+-----+-----l 40001------r------i-------i---t------i-------1 10001-----+- ---, t-----i 14-20JAN 0 ' I 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 NOV DEC JAN 1968 Casualties (Killed only)* 16000...-------.--------r------...-----.------, 4000 LJ Viet Cong/NVA - GVN/US/other ee World 120001--------- --+-- - -- +-----+----~ 3000t-----+----4-----4 f 8000 A ~EC ---i 2000 I-----+- ---r'-l;_:.,__-l ) / 1 \' ·._.~-_,, :~___-:<··.:: 7,938 A. r- ' ~- r·\ A \' ~J. 40001--------~.CS----f,.~;;....-----1-------'--------1t 1000 ' 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 NOV DEC JAN 1968 US Casualties to Dote: Killed 16,677 Wounded 103,993 . Captured 232 Missing 736 •Due too change in. the reporling of personnel lo$ses, from 12 February 1967 the weekly and monthly figures represent only personnel killed. 693801-68 CIA ' 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 Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734 . .,. Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753734---- -----~---- :· -···-·-···•· ··• ···-··· t....~ .• -~/\,, r,-;- . ., . ' ··- .., . J'"' / .. ._.r-,""- C H I N A - !". ..\.. ..-. /......: . ~ - >, ··-......··, ./\.,· · (, \:• I "' . ,..r , \ _j .. LaoCai r~ •-"V·• I ··--...,; ' l :· \ .....,, ·-·- <, ·• \ \···.·· \..JL\ I C. \.. \. ~../'-...., ,............ r' "'\ . .. ~ "''·..J \ _.; LAOS · Samneua • "'-··1 ··, .) ·"'Thanh . Hoa r'-"-••, ·{ _,,,) ,.. , ........ ~\ ....... ........\.-.. Vinh, I I \ ·'\...:....,,, ,, \. ,, \ THAILAND '•"" \. \, .. .JI \ 0 "-,, r ' DEMARCATION LINE ~---- NORTH VIETNAM \ ··, /"I SOUTH \,,.,,.,.· ; Hu :!4.JANUARY ' VIETNAM LAOS -~---·· 0 25 50 75 M,les // ..........