Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005
O R 251000Z OCT 73
FM AMEMBASSY SAIGON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8387
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
PART VI: MR-4
- SECURITY SITUATION:
(A) OVERALL ACTIVITY: MILITARY ACTIVITY
DURING THE WEEK INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. MR 4 REPORTED A TOTAL
OF 343 VC/NVA – INITIATED INCIDENTS, AS OPPOSED TO 242 THE
PRECEDING WEEK. GVN CASUALTIES DOUBLED: 246 KILLED (COMPARED WITH
115) AND 897 WOUNDED (COMPARED WITH 500). THE GVN ALSO LOST 57
TROOPS MISSING IN ACTION, ONE CREW-SERVED WEAPON, AND 136
INDIVIDUAL WEAPONS. VC/NVA LOSSES WERE ALSO UP: 760 KILLED, 19
PRISONERS AND SUSPECTS, AND 30 CREW-SERVED AND 189 INDIVIDUAL
WEAPONS SEIZED.
(B) RANGERS TAKE NUOI GIAI: ARVN RANGERS SCORED A NOTABLE IF
NOT YET COMPLETE SUCCESS ON GIAI MOUNTAIN IN CHAU DOC PROVINCE.
AFTER ABOUT TWO MONTHS OF HARD FIGHTING AND HEAVY CASUALTIES,
RANGERS TOOK CONTROL OF HILL 549, THE MOUNTAIN’S HIGHEST POINT.
IN AN EARLY MORNING ENGAGEMENT ON OCTOBER 20 THE GVN KILLED 52
ENEMY, SUFFERING ONLY 7 WIA THEMSELVES. THERE IS NOW NO ARMED RESISTANCE, ALTHOUGH PERHAPS AS MANY AS A FEW HUNDRED VC/NVA
ARE STILL HIDING IN CAVES IN SMALL GROUPS ON THE WESTERN SLOPES
OF THE MOUNTAIN. ACCORDING TO A GROUP OF NEWLY-CAPTURED
INFILTRATORS, VC/NVA ON THE MOUNTAIN WERE DESPERATELY SHORT OF FOOD
AND AMMUNITION IN THE LAST DAYS. SOME OF THE VC/NVA HAVE SUCCEEDED
IN EXFILTRATING TO EASTERN KIEN LUONG DISTRICT, KIEN GIANG, WHERE,
IT IS REPORTED, PROVINCIAL GVN FORCES ARE REACTING STRONGLY.
(C) 512 VC BATTALION BADLY BEATEN: GVN TROOPS SCORED A SECOND
SUCCESS IN CHAU DOC OCTOBER 9 IN AN OPERATION AT THE NORTHERN EDGE
OF AN PHU DISTRICT ALONG THE CAMBODIAN BORDER (WT103116). A
RALLIER REPORTED THAT THE ACTION LEFT THE 512 VC LOCAL FORCE
BATTALION INOPERATIVE. HEAVY CASUALTIES, HE SAID, REDUCED THE
UNIT TO SOME 40 PERCENT OF ITS EARLIER STRENGTH. THE BATTALION
COMMANDER WAS AMONG THE DEAD.
(D) DINH TUONG: STRENGTHENED VC/NVA CLOSER TO QL4: DESPITE THE
CONFIDENTIAL CHAU DOC SUCCESSES, THE DELTA’S PRINCIPLE ARENA OF ACTION WAS
DINH TUONG PROVINCE,WHERE A MAJOR INCREASE IN VC/NVA ACTIVITY
ACCOUNTED FOR HALF OF ALL MR 4 REPORTED INCIDENTS, INCLUDING 29
GROUND ATTACKS (3LAST WEEK), AND 74 ATTACKS BY FIRE (11 LAST WEEK).
THIS IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF VC/NVA ACTIVITY IN THE PROVINCE SINCE
THE CEASEFIRE. GVN KILLED IN THE PROVINCE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY
TO 52 (7 LAST WEEK), AND WOUNDED TO 177 (62 LAST WEEK). FOLLOWING
A PATTERN BEGUN A WEEK EARLIER, VC/NVA ACTIVITY IN THE CENTER OF
THE PROVINCE MOVED CLOSER TO ROUTE 4: ON OCTOBER 22-23 ALONE,
THERE WERE TWELVE VC/NVA GROUND ATTACKS ON OUTPOSTS NEAR THE
HIGHWAY. THERE HAVE, HOWEVER, BEEN NO DISRUPTIONS TO ROUTE 4
CIVILIAN TRAFFIC. A MINE WAS ALSO FOUND ON ROUTE 29, JUST NORTH
OF CAI LAY TOWN – THE THIRD MINING INCIDENT ON THE ROAD IN TWO
MONTHS. ACTIVITY IN THE PROVINCE WAS CONCENTRATED IN SAM GIANG
AND CAI LAY DISTRICTS. SINCE EARLY SEPTEMBER, ACCORDING TO MR 4,
ABOUT 1100 NEW NVA TROOPS HAVE INFILTRATED INTO DINH TUONG.