FOIA: Unknown - Teletype message (Gulf of Tonkin)

relea00276.pdf
Unknown - Teletype message
This is a teletype message and has no report number that can be seen.
Document date: 1964-08-02
Department: NSA Headquarters, Ft. Meade, MD (DIRNSDA)
Author: SIGINT; Phu Bai
Document type: Teletype
pages: 1

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Archivist's Notes: This document appears to communicate extracts from different messages. It is cryptic and gives information on DRV Naval T boats and Port Wallut.

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[edit on 6/18/2008 by JacKatMtn]

This document is an unmarked report of intercepted communications from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, in which the DRV attacked US Naval vessels on Aug. 2nd, 1964.

This communication is difficult to read, but it looks like it was orders for DRV patrol boats, and also mentions Port Wallut. Possibly a rendezvous point.

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident prompted the US Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Johnson authority to use military force to defend allies in the area and ultimately lead to the beginning of the Vietnam War.

Related FOIA Documents:
FOIA: DRV attack on US Ships in Gulf of Tonkin; 2 - 4 August 1964
FOIA: Summary of DRV Naval Communications Revealing Pre-Planned Attacks on USS Maddox
FOIA: SIGINT Reflections of DRV Attacks on USS Maddox - 08/08/1964


Here are links to Readiness Reports:
FOIA: SIGINT Readiness Bravo, Lantern Report Number 1
FOIA: 2/G11/VHN/R07-64 SIGINT Readiness Bravo Report Nr 2
FOIA: 2/G11/VHN/R08-64 SIGINT Readiness Bravo Lantern Report Nr 3

Port Wallut was a North Vietnamese naval base at one point that housed PT boats, and had some shore infrastructure as well. The Americans hammered it pretty often on bombing runs, and individual aerial attacks.

Port Wallut

Port Wallut 2

Port Wallut 3

I also found some information that shows that at one point, it was Northern Fleet Headquarters, and was actually called Van Hoa.

See Here

So, from some minor research we can see that Van Hoa (Port Wallut) was actually a major base and source of activity for the NVA. The document does look like encrypted vessel orders.