III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
 1. North Vietnamese fighter planes opposing a
 force of 80 US aircraft in the Hanoi area on 2 January,
 suffered several losses as at least seven and
 probably eight MIG-21s were shot down. No American
 planes were lost as air-to-air missiles launched from
 F4C jets achieved the highest number of kills of any day
 of the air war to date.
 2. The large-scale USAF mission, known as a
 counter-air operation, was unique in being directed
 solely against elements of the DRV air defense system
 rather than ground forces or industrial and transportation
 targets. The air operation was mounted with
 the specific intent of luring the Communist fighters
 into air-to-air combat--the US planes carried a full
 load of heat-seeking and beam-rider missiles, but no
 bombs. At least 14 DRV MIGs were launched against
 the US planes from Phuc Yen and Gia Lam airfields
 near Hanoi.
 3. The North Vietnamese air order of battle now
 includes only seven of the advanced Soviet-built MIG-21
 interceptors. Prior to today's engagement, US planes
 were credited with shooting down as many as 32 DRV
 fighters, seven of them MIG-21s.
 DRV Coastal Shipping Rises During New Year's Truce
 4. US destroyers operating off the southern
 coast of North Vietnam reported a considerable increase
 in DRV ship movements during the New Year's
 cease-fire period. DRV naval radars reflected an
 extremely high level of activity on 31 December as
 at least 33 Vessels were tracked along the coast on
 a southerly heading. On the same day, the US
 destroyer Maddox reported sighting approximately 25
 waterborne logistics craft under sail. In several
 instances it was noted that the North Vietnamese
 ships operated in groups consisting of four heavily
 loaded barges accompanied by one or two gun boats.
 A similar surge in the level of DRV coastal traffic
 was noted during the Christmas truce period.
 2 January 1967
 III-1
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 LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON LIBRARY