Military Region Tri-Thien-Hue Communications, 25 January …
Transcript of Military Region Tri-Thien-Hue Communications, 25 January …
Doc ID: 6636743 Doc Ref ID: A6636742
2/o/vm11/R7lr-68 AVC,AVN/TCOM/. 8 FEBRUARY 1968 2042Z DIST: OSCAR/VICTOR KILO PIDS USM-604, USN-lf14J HCO
MILITARY REGION TRI-THIEN-HUE COMMUNICATIONS,
25 JANUARY 1968
I. INTRODUCTION
This report presents a detailed description of the Military
Region JMR) Tri-Thien-Hue (TTH) manual Morse radio complex as of
25 January. Included in the report is a diagram (in hard copy
only) depicting unit subordination and the most current unit
locations. Arbitrary designators have been assigned to the
unidentified units to facilitate cross-referencing between the
report and the diagram, and will be used in future reports on this
subject.
II. DETAILS
A. Hg_, MR TTH
Hg_, MR TTH maintains direct communications with PAVN High
Command (HC); Hg_, MR 4 (North Vietnam (NVN)); Hg_, MR 5; Hg_, DMZ
Front; probable Hg_, PAVN 559th Transportation Group; and approximately
11 subordinate stations, including the tentative forward element of
Hg_, MR TTH; the possible Hue Municipal Unit and one of its
subordinates (Station Al); the tentative PAVN 4th Regiment; the
possible PAVN 9th Regiment; the PAVN 6th Regiment; and five
unidentified entities (Stations B4, El-E4). During late December-early
January, the Hg_, MR TTH relocated to within 25 km of Hue from the
area of 16-25N 107-23E (YD 554171). This relocation, together with
a 15 km relocation to within 15 km of Hue by the tentative forward
element of Hq, MR TTH, suggests a renewed interest in the Hue city
1 area by Vietnamese Communist elements in MR TTH.
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B. Tentative Forward Element, Hq,.MR TTH
The emergence of the forward element in :tvlR TTH during
late 1967 has been augmented by an increase in the number of
communications subordinates of this headquarters, as well as the
addition of watch and broadcast facilities. The forward element
was possibly activated in July 1967 as a communications subordinate
of both Hq, MR TTH and HC. During September-October 1967, it
ceased communications with Hq, MR TTH and initiated communications
with three terminals that had been subordinates of only Hq, MR TTH-
the possible Hue Municipal Unit and two unidentified entities
(Stations El and E4). Also during October 1967, the forward
element instituted its own watch facility through which
communications were established with HC; Hq, MR 4 (NVN); and one
unidentified station. During this period, the forward element
used the radio facilities of the possible PAVN 9th Regiment to
communicate with Hq, MR TTH. However, the Hq, PAVN 9th Regiment
first appeared subordinate to the forward element on the watch
facility during November 1967, thus indicating that the forward
element was no longer utilizing the communications facilities of
the Hq, 9th Regiment. The isolation of communications between
the forward element and Hq, MR TTH together with anincreasing
number of stations appearing subordinate to the forward element,
indicated that this headquarters was serving a forward element
function.
In January 1968 the forward element initiated broadcast
communications and relocated from its former operating area
near the possible Hq, PAVN 9th Regiment (16-33N 107-09E, YD 300320)
to an area near 16-24N 107-26E (YD 615143) approximately 15 km
southwest of Hue.
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The current communications subordinates of the forward
element include the possible Hue Municipal Unit and one of its
subordinates (Station Al), the tentative '?AVN 4th Regiment, the
possible PAVN 9th Regiment, the PAVN 6th Regiment, and five
unidentified entities (Stations El-E4, and Fl, which comrntmicates
only with the forward element). All of the forward element's
subordinates--except Fl--comrnunicate directly with Hq, MR 'l'TH.
Two of the unidentified entities (Stations El and E4) have
comf'.ltmicated with the forward element since September or October
1967. The latest location of one(Station El) on 24 January 1968
in west-central Thua Thieu Province near 16-13N 107-17E (YC 452946)
represents a relocation of approximately 12 km from its December
operating area, near 16-16N 107-12E (YD 350000). Two
subordinates (Stations E2 and E3) appeared on the MR '11TIT
communications complex on 27 Novernber 1967 and 1 January 1968,
respectively. These stations are either in the process of
relocating, or have relocated within MR TTH: Station E2 was
initially located on 2 December 1967 near 16-15N 107-25E
(YC 591989) and SIGINT indicates that this station is now in the
process of relocating; 2 Station E3, initially located in SIGINT
on 11 January 1968 near 16~15N 107-15E (YC 408970), has been I
moving in a southeasterly direction, and is currently located
near 16-lJ.N 107-32E (YC 729900). Fl, first observed in
communications on 1.6 January 1968, is currently located near
16-18N 107-19E (YD 472037) as of 20 January 1968. However,
tenuous SIGINT indicates that this entity initiated communications
with Hq, MR TTH and the forward element as early as November 1967,
utilizing the watch facility. The forward element also
maintains communications with HC via both the watch and command
media, and with Hq, MR 4 (INN); Hq, DMZ Front; and several
unidentified stations on the watch commtmications net.
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.Clf Fft ff I .C AVT lrc
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C. Possible Hue Municipal Unit
The current communications posture of the Hue Municipal
Unit includes the hea.dq_uarters and two subordinates, one of
which is the tentative !J0l~th Batta.lion. The second (Station Al)
is an unidentified entity formerly o. subscriber on the Hq, HR T'fH
net used for communicating with subordinates of the PAVN 6th
Regiment. The Hue Municipal Unit and its unidentified subordinate
( Station Al ) also maintain communications with Hq_, MR 'l'TH and the
forward element.
D. Tentative PAVN 4th Regiment
PAVN 4th Regiment communications consist of the regimental
headquarters, which maintains communications with Hq, MR TTH; the
forward element, and three subordinates, two of which (Stations Bl
and B2) were first observed during the latter part of 1967; the
third (Station B3) was first observed during January 1968. This
4th Regiment was formerly identified as serving the possible Thua
Thien Provincial Unit; however, the current communications posture
and area of operations, supported by collateral, permitted the
tentative identification of this unit as the PAVN 4th Regiment. 3
E. Possible PAVN 9th Regiment
Hq_, PAVN 9th Regiment currently communicates with Hq_,
MR TTH, the forward element, and one unidentified subordinate
(Station Cl). Communications emanating from the regimental
headquarters during December 1967 tenuously indicated that one,
possibly two, other subordinates were in existence; this evidence
however, remains unconfirmed.
F. Hq, PAVN 6th Regiment
The Hq, PAVN 6th Regiment communicates with one unidentified
battalion (Station Dl). In addition, the possible 802nd Battalion
and an unidentified, possible battalion were also communications
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s ubordina;tes of the PA.VN 6th Regiment during late 1967, but SIGINT
cannot c:onf'irm the subordination of these battalions t o the
6th Regiment. Hq_, PAVN 6th Regiment maintains direct communications
with both Hq, MR 'l"rII and the forward element.
7.. 3/0/S'1'Y/R20-68 .
2. 2/c11/vcM/R164-6G.
3. 2/o/vcM/R16-68.
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(A) 11 Hue Mncp
TJnit 16-18N l 1i17-<4:i
(YD 745¢41;
* * 804th Dr,
16-15N 107-45E (YC 956977)
* .) * ~ U/I Sta
Al
16-25N 1.// ... ::, f;':: (YD 606~71)
Vietnamese Communist units in Military Region Tri-Thien-Hue
l6-25N 107-2yjE (YD 1 1 0
(B) ! Hq, PAVN 4th Regt
1tz~1~4~~i516E
u/r Sta Bl
U/I Sta B2
l 9-l2N 107-57E , zc l 7;J93¢)
U/I Sta B3
16-lSN 10,7-34E (YD 754¢36)
U/I Sta B4
(C) * Hq, PAVN 9th Regt
16-34N 107-7,l8E (YD 289342)
u/r st.1 Cl
16-39N 1¢7-¢5E (YD 231434)
(D)} Hq, PAVN 6th Regt
16-3¢N 107-14E (YD 395254)
U/I Bn Sta Dl
16-32N 107-¢8E (YD 376301)
£~9~ This diagram depicts apparent unit subordination only.
* Direct communications with Hq , MR TTH
*{} Direct comtaunications with Tent Fwd Ele , Hq, J,ffi TTH
(E) tf U/I Sta
El 16-13N 107-17E
(YC 452946)
I U/I Sta
E2
l6-l4N 1¢7-23E (YC 565969)
* U/I Sta E3
16-llN 107-32S (YC 72990¢)
* U/I Sta
E4
16-46N l p6-46E (XD 885547)
* * U/I Sta
F'l
16-18N 10.7-19E (YD 472¢37)