- J - ' ' • n111·• i i t - r ·• · 1•t• ' i fliC 4ici · - - J • -- ' J _ 1 i L 7 __ _ J er '· ' l V OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 11 April 196 9 _______ ___ _ MEHO FOR _________ Dr Henry Kissinger j 'l _ _ _ 1 __ Henry I am forwarding a plan which I under stand you and some of your staff have been working on with the Navy General Wheeler's comments are attached While I am providing both the basic plan and General Wheeler's con1ments I would like to talk with you about such operations before serious consideration is given for implementation I have serious reservations about this proposed operation in particular ·------- ___ Cl DECLASSIFIED APR O6_ 2007 AuthoriW EO 12958 as amended Chief Records Declass Div WHS Attachments -- - ' OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN Joint Chiefs of Staff 11 April 1969 MEMO TO Secretary Laird Attached is a proposed plan for a mining feint of Haiphong Harbor which has been prepared in response to Dr Kissinger's request I believe Dr Kissinger discussed this with you previously I have gone over this plan and find nothing wrong with it militarily The sequential actions indicated down through Step Three can all be done unilaterally by the Navy However several of the actions indicated under Step Four would require coordination with and implementation by CINCPAC - ·' I understand that this plan is to be considered in addition to OPERATION LUNCH-BREARFAST BRAVO and not in lieu of the latter I believe that the l at ter operation is more meaningful from a military viewpoint While I am not fully informed on the complete politico-military considerations involved I believe that this plan £or a mining feint is feasible - ' OfCLASSIFIED APR O6 2007 Au kori Y EO 12958 as amended 1 1H Jf Records Declass Div WHS EARLE G WHEELER Chairman -- -- I cefeawt It t • PLAN FOR A MINING FEINT OF HAIPHONG HARBOR Objective To create indecision within the Government of North Vietnam with regard to intended U S military actions specifically as they relate to the mining of Haiphong harbor General Cover Story U S Navy conducting a Pacific-wide test of its mining plans including logistic procedures training mine readiness and reaction times The exercise includes movement of mines from storage areas to ships operating in the South China Sea Assun1ption That increased U S military activity in certain specific areas of prepa1·ednes s will come to the attention of the Hanoi governr nent through the cornmunist intelligence and espionage systems General Concept To undertake a series of military actions which separately or collectively create the impression that the U S is making plans for or giving consideratfon to the mining of Haiphong Each action will a be deniable both publicly and within the U S government b have a suitable cover story which would permit denial of any actual mining plan in the event of unintentional public disclosure c be relatively low key when taken alone d be credible in both near and far term Sequence The following sequential actions provide a scenario of events designed to transmit signals to the North Vietnamese government These actions provide an increasing order of activity The earlier steps are more deniable both publicly and within the U S government as being part of any master mining plan The supplementary actions at the higher end of the spectrum have both an increased threat potential and are less deniable as a function of time DECLASSIFIED APR 0 Authori Y EO 12958 as arReJSWd Chief Records Declass Div WHS ' ' C ' ' t ' - 2 - Step One -- 1 CNO transmit message inquiries to Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet normal information addressees to Sat 12 Apr a confirm actual on-board inventory and location of Pacific Command mine assets Message could be transmitted UNCLASSIFIED then upgraded next day to SECRET in order to focus attention Sun 13 Apr b report material condition of mines and estimated manhours necessary to bring to operational readiness Mon 14 Apr c verify quantity of MK-36 destructo1· mines on-board deployed carriers Mon 14 Apr d report state of n1ining readiness of en1barked aircraft squadrons Mon 14 Apr 2 Direct Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet to rn ake 1·cady 50 MK-52 mines 50 MK-50 mines and 50 MK-55 mines and hold in high state of readiness at Subic Wed 16 Apr 3 Airlift fifty MK-52 mines each from Yokosuka Atsugi Iwakuni and Naha to the Naval Ammunition Depot Subic Bay Philippines Thurs 17 Apr 4 Airlift all available MK-52 training-configured inert mines from locations in Western Pacific to Naval Air Station Cubi Point Philippines for pilot crew training and indoctrination Step Two -Sat 1 19 Apr Sun 20 Apr 2 Airlift mines and mine personnel from Cubi Point to attack carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin Load ammunition ship in Subic Bay with replenishment mines and sail to Tonkin Gulf This ensures exposure to local stevedores DECLASSIFIED APR O6 MJJ Au horin EQ 12958 as amended Ch ef Recortls Declass Div WHS T l__ cJ till ' t ' - 3 - Mon 21 Apr 3 Load attack carrier in Subic Bay with mines Step Three Tues 22 Apr 1 Conduct mine plant exercises from Naval Air Station Cubi Point for carrier air wing personnel Tues 22 Apr 2 Provide suitable number U S Marine Corps A-6 pilots temporary additional duty from Danang to Naval Air Station Cubi for mine qualification Fri 25 Apr 3 Move 1 000 mines from Yokosuka to Snbic by ship Step Four Supplementary actions for further study and considei-ation dates to be detennined 1 Move North SAR Sea Air Rescue and PIRAZ Positive Indent Radar Advisory Zone ships from present southern positions· to pre-bombing halt stations Provide suitable escort CAP Combat Air Patrol etc 2 Increase reconnaissance over coastal approaches to Haiphong 3 Initiate continuous and intensive surveillance of sea approaches to Haiphong with p 3 and ASW antisubmarine warfare aircraft 4 Drop empty mine drogue parachutes in area of ostensible minefield off approaches to Haiphong Time permitting soluble mine shapes could be manufactured 5 Position squadrons of destroyers in area 20 miles off Haiphong to simulate threat of blockade 6 Load and sail submarine from Subic with mines 7 Replenish or increase West Pacific mine stocks from U S depots 8 Initiate low-key procurement discussions with U S mme manufacturers Q APR 6 JllW DECLASSIFU D Authori Y E0 1 2958 as am nded Chief Records• Declass Div WHS