751G.00/6–2053: Telegram
The Consul at Hanoi (Sturm) to the Department of State
840. Sent Department 840, Saigon 660, Paris 391. Two groups of six Viet-Minh each penetrated Shell Oil Company tank dump at Haiphong about one o’clock morning nineteenth and with hand grenades blew up four of the tanks; destroyed containers held 3.6 million liters of petroleum products in 4,000 cubic meters of storage space. [Page 614] Shell installation is largest of its type in North Vietnam and vital both to military and to civilian economy. Viet-Minh withdrew after attack, apparently without losses. General Cogny, who made special visit to scene yesterday, told me that principal immediate problem created by episode is shortage of grease, nearly entire north Vietnamese stock of which was destroyed by explosions and subsequent fires. Emergency shipments of grease from Saigon will be required. Some lube oil also lost.
Governor Tri said last night he was unable understand how this essential installation could have been so imperfectly guarded, especially since his own security officers on May 20 warned military that exactly such an attack on Shell dump was in preparation.
Merlo1 commented that High Commissioner Gautier, now in north on official visit, was “furious” over the episode.
This commando raid is clearly one of series inaugurated by attack on Kienan munitions depot and continued by successful coup against military training center at Nam-Dinh. It appears as partial Viet-Minh answer to Cogny’s policy of freeing military units from guard duty for offensive operations.
- Guy Merlo, Delegate General of the French High Commissariat in North Vietnam.↩