DOCID: 4131269

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··.. ~~PRA258 LOG LN NO. 869 98 2932314

H Z.KZK 00 ss·D ZLZ DE 0. 19231"Z OCT 72 ZYH FM DIRllSA ro-··t1SA-l'UtllFORM WHISKEY

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ZEM ... -_ ~=- . 2100/VCKtR-1112-72 SPOT REPORT .FOLLOW-UP NR 2 AND FINAL TO

VCK/iRl8 -.;;72 17112BZ'OCT ' .. (IUN"/OPER-:..vzr.z NVH SAM COMMUNICATIONS REFLECT B CRASH OF F-111 COUVER·S-AT"!'O-NS ON 17 OCTOBER BETWEEN PERSOHHEL OF AT

LEAST ONE NORTH VIETNAMESE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE REGIMENT REFERENCED THE CRASH OF A U.S. AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF THANH BA C21-27N 185-86E), AND THE DOWNING OF AN F-111. ALTHOUGH NEITHER THE EXACT TIME OF THE CRASH NOR THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT HAS REVEALED Ill THE CONVERSATIONS, THE REFERENCES MOST PROBABLY EQUATE TO THE F-111 LOST TO UHKHOHN CAUSES DURING THE EARLY 178SZ HOUR ON 16 OCTOBER (17 OCTOBER NVN TIME> WllILE CONDUCTING A STRIKE AGAINST THE DAI LOI RAILWAY BRIDGE C21-25N 185-42E>. AT S459Z OU 17 OCTOBER, AN OPERATOR AT AN UNIDEHTIFIED SAM BATTALION UORTHWEST OF HANOI WAS ASKED BY THE PROBABLE REGIMENTAL CONTROLLER·IF AN AIRCRAFT HAD GOHE DOHN NEAR THE BATTALION. THE BATALION OPERATOR REPLIED, $YES, WE HAD ONE GO DOHN IH THE AREA OF THANH BA.$ THIS OPERATOR WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO $ ... DETERMINE THE EXACT POINT AND GO OUT TO PICK UP THE WRECKAGE.$ THE RESPOUSE INDICATED THAT THESE STEPS HAD ALREADY BEEN INITIATED. AT BSB6Z Otl THE 17TH, THE COUTROLLER MADE A STATEMENT TO A POSSIBLE DIVISION LEVEL COtlTROLLER INDICATitlG THAT THE DOWHED AIRCRAFT WAS INITIALLY BELIEVED TO BE A DROHE. HE THEii WENT OH TO SAY THAT $THAHH BA REPORTED THE SOUUD OF AN EXPLOSION AND THAT THERE HAS SMOKE AND FIRE RISING.$ AT S736Z, ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION DISCLOSED THAT ANOTHER BATTALIOU OF THE SAME SAM REGIMENT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT CRASH. THE BATTALION REPORTED THAT, $HE HAD AN AIRCRAFT THAT APPEARED IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING DOWN-­CRASHitlG THERE. THERE WAS THE SOUllD OF A LOUD EXPLOSION AND AFTER THAT THERE WAS A COLUMN OF SMOKE AND A FIREBALL THAT ROSE UP. WE HAD THE ABILITY TO SEE THAT.$ LATER ON IN THE DAY, AT 14SSZ, ANOTHER COUVERSATION REFERRED TO U.S. AIRSTRIKES THAT HAD BEEN CONDUCTED EARLIER IN THE YEN BAI AREA AND THE DOHNINO OF AN F-111. IT WAS REPORTED THAT A $DRONE WAS DOHHED AND ALSO AN F-111.$ SOME CONFUSION AS TO THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT DOHNED APPARENTLY STILL EXISTED WHEH IT WAS REPORTED THAT$ ... IT ISN 1 T/WASH'T CLEAR IF IT CCTHE AIRCRAFT>> HAS AN F4.t IN ADDITION TO THAT AIR SURVEILLANCE TRACKING OF A POSSIBLE F-111 IN THE AREA WEST OF HANOI DEPICTED EARLIER ((1)), A SECOND AIR SURVEILLANCE RAID WAS NOTED IN THAT AREA, AS FOLLOWS, <READ ZULU TIME, COORDINATES> 1657 21-S8N 184-lSE 1658 21-18N 184-lSE 1789 21-48N 1S4-58E 1715 21-lBN 184-43E 1718 21-SSN 1S4-3SE 1738 28-38N 1S4-S3E 1731 2S-12N 183-58E 1733 19-48N 1S3-28E NEITHER OF THOSE

-AIR SURVEILLAUCE RAIDS TERMIHATED OR PASSED NEAR THE COMitlT-REPORTED SHOOT DOHN SITE OF THANH DA. SUBSEQUENT REVIEH OF ALL AIR SURVEILLANCE TRACKING FOR THE LATE 1698- EARLY 17BB ZULU HOUR ALSO REFLECTED THREE OTHER $HOSTILE$ RAIDS, NONE OF WHICH ENTERED THE AREA EAST OF 184-38E, AND ALL EXITED NVN AIRSPACE Itl THE FAR WESTERN REGIOH. COMMENTS, NORTH VIETNAMESE PRESS RELEASES REPORT THAT AN F-111 WAS SHOT DOHN BY AAA FIRE Itl VINH PHUC PROVINCE, NORTHWEST OF HANOI ON 17 OCTOBER. ACCORDING TO THE PRESS ACCOUHTS, THE AIRCRAFT $BLEW UP IN AN EARTH-SHAKING EXPLOSION •... THE BLAZE HAS SO INTENSE THAT IT ILLUMINTED THE

" 3Ef)RET 31'6KE c>>

f" @'pproved for release by NSA on 07-14-2014. Transparency Case# 6588a ·

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DOCID: 4131269

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~ VILLAGE.$ IT WAS FURTHER REPORTED THAT SOME OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE HAD FALLEN QN THE BANKS OF THE $CA LO RIVER,$ AH ALTERNATE HAME FOR THE RED RIVER. THANH &A IS ALSO ON THE BANKS OF THE RED RIVER. IN VIEW OF THOSE SAM COMMUNICATIONS DISCUSSED ABOVE AND THE NVN PRESS, IT IS BELIEVED THAT NEITHER OF THE TRACKS

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