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Intelligence
Weather: In the DaNang area for the month of May the mean high temperature was 94 degrees, the low 77 degrees. This was above the 25 year mean of 91and 75 repectively. Rainfall for this month was 0.78 as compared with a 25 year average of 2.60.
Intelligence: Enemy activity increased significantly during the month of May. Attacks by fire, terrorists, sabotage and harassment were prevalent. On 5 May the well coordinated attacks throughout South Vietnam were felt in the DaNang AO by attacks by fire and limited enemy initiated ground activity. The threat of a ground attack against the DaNang Vital Area felt to be imminent during the first 20 days of May never materialized. In the second half of the month enemy initiated activity decreased but remained above average. Perhaps with the advent of Operations Allen Brook and Mameluke Thrust, enemy base and assembly areas were interdicted to such an extent that plans to initiate significant ground activity were canceled.
In the Danang AOR low level agent reports at the end of April increased to a level witnessed before the TET Offensive. All evidence pointed to a planned enemy ground attack against the Vital Area during early May as a propaganda victory prior to the opening of peace talk. Although on 5 May a well coordinated attack by fire plus limited ground attacks took place, no ground activity to the extent forecast materialized. During this period DaNang City security elements uncovered substantial weapons caches and infiltration of munitions indicating a renewed enemy threat to GVN and FWF installations within the city proper. Enemy reconnaissance activity remained at a high level throughtout the month of May. Towards the end of the reporting period enemy initiated activity decreased but remained above average and was concentrated in the southern DaNang TAOR. The most sign- ificant enemy contacts have occurred on the Goi Noi Island as a result of Operation Allen Brook where a new, well equipped enemy unit (2nd and 3rd Bn, 338th Regt, 306th NVA Div) was identified by the27th Marine Regiment. Significant contacts occurred also on Operation Mameluke Thrust (7th Marines) in the Thuong Duc Valley area. In this operation the 1st Bn, 136th Regt, 306th NVA Div indentified.
Enemy activity n the Task Force X-Ray AOR paralled the DaNang AOR. Attacks were significant in number but not in magnitude. The majority of enemy resistance continues to be centered around the Hue/Phu Bai area. The enemy continues harassment by fire and terrorists attacks along the coastal region as well as interdiction of Highway 1. Activity decreased towards the end of the month. One enemy initiated incident of note was the ground attack on the night of 20 -21 May on Gia Le Combat Base by an estimated company of well equipped NVA.
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