Communist Supply Lines and

Areas of Influence
January 1975
Gulf of Tonkin ·
Ho Chi Minh Trail
/"' Truong Son Corridor
- - - - Proposed additions to
Truong Son Corridor
-=-==• Petroleum pipeline
~~,./ Communist controlled
By 197 5 the Communists had a dual road system
and a fuel pipeline that poured men and supplies
into South Vietnam. The journey from Hanoi to
the PRG capital at Loe Ninh took less than two
weeks.

THAILAND

e Kontum

• Pleiku

·,

SOUTH VIETNAM
CAMBODIA
• Ban Me Thuot South China
Sea

• Saigon

~ s
l<i lome1ers
0 100
Miles
0 100
 '
\
\ )
\ North Vietnam
'-....
\ Ho Chi Minh
I
\ OUANGTRI=
Trail
( HUE•
Infiltration Routes~
"' \ '---:J DA NANG

""'""'
CHU LAI

THAILAND
xxx

. PHU CAT

•
AN KHE
OUI NHON
.

TUY HOA

CAMBODIA
NHA TRANG

lCAM RANH BAY

PHAN RANG
.

.
PHAN TH IET

BINH THUY Ho Chi Minh Trail

CAN THO
PERSONNEL ROUTES. fiS:\~t"~i
LOGISTICAL ROUTES. I I
VC BASE AREAS.
 .!... ~ : !....;.....1 - . ....•• _ _ _ '"

./
'
'
,

.'
i
i· i i'~~'..·- .( '' 1.'-;_l\:·rn A,,~,"~·: 1.e ,\:ir:.-1:< 8 (li€p~u:_-':.l<:~t) to tiCT :.:.t:;d;7 (t:::
A p?6.l\f'TJI'< . ( f?,#!°~ t4R~;l} 7b

· -~ ·

..

-- - -~ _.: _
.. . . .

... .: . :·

.'
i
 The majority of the people were able to exist in primitive comfort,
without too much hard work, on agriculture or fishing, the only real
cash crop being opium. Under the French, Laos had been a compara-
tively peaceful backwater, existing without railways, newspapers or
telephonic communication with the outside world, and managing with
Jess than 500 miles of all-weather roads. There were nm capitals, the
Royal one at Luang Prabang and the Administrative one at Vientiane,

Trail 2 which had been the French government centre.

power grows out of

f?ed Book.

eventual declaration
:nt of what became
nountain and jungle
assumption by the
\'1\ . A VC supply . ;,
H A
ihanoukYiile so it is
vell as SV1'_. and to
.mtries have always
.onally antagonistic

:h, who made the

d only been united
~nit was known as
irasol, after which
iendent tribes. On
i Laos autonomy,
Laotian-speaking 11
m area of about lj
..aos was mainly
WlP 3 _ q
py areas near the
ough the country.
one knew exactly The independence of Laos, formalised by the Geneva Agreements of
ere primitive hill 1954, allowed the French to retain a garrison of 5,000 troops, and a
es, that included military mission to train the 25,000-strong Royal Laotian Army. French
the colouring of troops soon withdrew and their military mission was stultified by Jack
of money as French financial aid to Laos ceased, but the Americans
stepped in, providing money and a small advisory mission, that soon
27

t.
r
•
------~-~-- ------ - ----...__. --~- ------...--...--- --..- ------
 GRAPHICS ~

) Nt-r 7/&/'78
NORTH
YIETNAM
. , ... ~ t .
•... ~. ~ •. ; l . ..

LAOS

: .: . ~:_ : y

p~+~to~
~.~ II CORPS ~
:cENTRAt 'l
HIGHLANDS -~
~ .:
' .

o~~
~e'+!

Pnompenh
~·
lsoun-{
s . '
'···-·
VIETNAM
. '
• ,.
' • ... · '· .. Nhatrang · ·
;· .

-South China Se~

H
 "A NOi
. -
•

SAC 80 GULF

HO CHI 'MINH
- TRAIL
THAiLAND

-·
./'...., ..
...;r I/
, l'F.Jku
/
•
f(i~9 fre1t5

~ \ MAIN lllU TE .
'
KAM PU CHEA
....-...._... WEST- EAST BRANCH
RllAD .

........... I ...... J'il'i LiNG.

•• clvhiAN ClfltRi£RS' ~

. ..
\ ~
.
·:· AND LiAiSON TRAiL.

EP.ST SEA
' 'I.

No. 5-1984
ll
 SUBJ.
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT INFILTRATION MAP - Feb 1965 .

100° 105 ° 11 oc

. / -.

'
,
, _)
~ .. ' - ...).
.1"'--.J·~ .- v
__/"\

CHINA
,''\. '
)
,
·
\..._
NORTH
VIETNAM
l
L./. (
": ,./L- .!-.
'.
~
I
-~ XUAN MAI
'

'- --.r--,

.\ LAOS

;
I. ,,./'.. "l..r'- I
~/ -.
\
{
TCHEPONE
'\.

-,
THAILAND '/

KONTUM •
·v ~. j, PLEIK U •
,1
r. CAMBODIA

I
)

~
~ BAN ME THUOT e

I 05° 11 0°

V I E M I C R 0 F I L M
 Khe San

THAILAND

Sihanoukville

Gu lf of Siam

- - -- - - - - Ho Chi Mmh trail

1:111 m1l1'\
 I . . ;

GRAPHICS ~

DATE
2111

{ ' - ~ !i..-/ -
• • I ... •.J ~. ' • /I
-0 ~;; J > _.....,..
; _,,
Duang;·; Tri .·
Provi~ce ~,~ · I
' 60S · _ ~ '- f , -
; .

VIE TNAM
., .,
Khe Sanh
... ..
, .
- !

"

l 5 10
Scale(mi.~

H VIETNAM
 I

SI\ \II\ NA KHET KHE soc~

$ LEGEND
Areas vigorously uttacked by the
Libernlio n Army : m a ny e nemy
units wiped out

~ Liberation forces attack enemy

lrnse;; or lay a mbushes on com-
m11nicut ion lines

Ene my battalion, regim e nt o r bril!-

 KHE soc~

:'. )

( KHE SANH)

1f/I
QUA NG TRI
~
TICH TUONG

LEGEND
Areas vigorously attacked by the
Liberation Army: many e nemy
unit s wiped ou t

Liben1llun fo rc es attack enemy

!lases 01· lu y umbushes on com -
1nu111 c <tl iun lines

,~
I· 11 1e my battalion, regiment or brig-
<1de \VI ped OU l.
I
 '<;7 •,

( KH E SA NH

If

LEGEND
J\reas vigorously attacked by the
Liberation Army : many enemy
unils wiped out

~ Liberation forces attack enemy

bases or Jay ambushes on com-
munication Jines

~~~
..
Enemy battalion, regiment or brig-
ad e wiped out

Enemy battalion , regiment or brig-

ade heavily decimated

r!; Areas pounded by Liberation forc es'

arti ll ery

Enemy brigade C.P. overrun

Hanoi map of Highway Nine Battle
(Lam Son 719) - March 1971

fr om VI ETNAM IN ST RU GG LE
3/ 71
GRAPHICS FILE
Indochina Archive
University of California
 -- FILE: SUBJ.

DATE SUB-CAT.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- --- - - - --- -- -- -- - - - ---'!

HO CHI MINH TRAIL MAPS - 1965- 74

'U' T NAM M I C R0 F I L M
 I /((Hr
9UB.I

CHINA
CHINA

THAILAND

Gull ol Siam

Soufh Chino Seo

0 '}00

STATUTE MILES

Broken line traces route of Ho Chi Minh Trail along which

Communist troops, arms and supplies were passed from North
Vietnam, through Laos, to South Vietnam. The U.S. in 1964
rejected proposals to attack North Vietnamese territory lo de-
prive the Viet Cong of these supplies. (Wide World map)

a:
Ir!
...
 APPENDIX IV

f!l!llB TNF/LTRRTION
5!.15TCM INT0/1111fN'
---
/\-:--- .....--
/,
'- \\ ....._ .....

TM11.l...O..OtM.·

•' al
HJ£Uu
THANH PHU
lE6END
INFILTRATION BY ROAD

I11.F1LTl?ATION BY .SEA

HISTORY OF TH t:
,,,,
MICROFILM
 w 71./,
.. Fl..:.:L~Y~J I s/,.
~
TE .. -~
kl I El<biw=B ~" 6.,:;J.c.\ T I
't'G• .
Infiltration of Military Personnel From North Viet-Nam Into South Viet-Nam
(See section I, B.)

1. Map showing the route over which Huynh Due Tha, deputy commander of a Yiet Cong company,
infiltrated into South Viet-Nam from the Korth in Mar.-Apr. 1962. Tha surrendered to Government
forces in July 1963.

105' 11 O'

·"'I.·-.,.,. __ _
-~ '-'""":> CHINA
f
NORTH
I \
VIETNAM

·~...---~
LAOS
;;
.J
\ .r··--...
r .. )"'-·'---.....?,,,..! \·. I \ ~DONG HOI !
\." IN LAOS'.. IMARCH 10, 1962)
I

!MARCH 13) \
i I l IN E
THAILAND
\J I
CROSSED BORDER I
!MARCH 25, 1962) I
I II ~ '-·) DESTINATION
15' ' ----il5'

r - - - - - - - . - - .,...__-_-_ ._J--
. -.-+--'-·
........
- . .. -_,..-"---.J-_4-j
- ..,_____:;.>,___,....- (APR 1l 4, 19 6 2)

) I . '- ../ \.,

./ \
~; )
~ (

105' 110'
 2. Map showing the infiltration route of VC' Master Sergeant Tran H uu Hung. who was taken
prisoner in .Tune 1963.

JOO' 110'

\
"') CHINA

J
'
------

LAOS

15'

100° 105" 110·

32
 date
196'1_[

l'f' ,.,
COMMUNIST INFILTRATION ROUTES FROM NORTH
TO SOUTH VIET NAM THROUGH LAOS AND CAMBODIA

.
I
I
!I
,I
LAOS I

,,_
" .
'•. '• KHA. M DU'C.
CHA VANE 3_'1----..:.
s·
:>'

ATIOPEl'

\
\
...... ____ , DAKTO

·. ·. '• .
SIEM PANG

CAMBODIA
KRATIE
MONOOLKIRI

KHUM EK , •••:-;;,···· )
:\· \ \
,_.. \--~
_:.....TAY NINH
SVAYRIENG ~

~~--'··-·~
~
,..: •••• •• SAIGON

---"""'·· ~

Infiltration routes -

I l:f &. 'f

HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR ON MICROFILM
 fi~e l~~~~
·'
I
/--d-a_t_e_/_sub- cat. /

frl

z
0
j\J
0 -i
I

z LAOS fND NEVADA:

A comparison in size

_J

<[

I
AP Newsleatures

CAM m
---!
0 50 JOO MlltS z
~ Dominated by l>
~Communist Pathet Lao ~

HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR ON MICROFILM

-------------------------------·-----