6. Huge Intelligence Failure
Seen from a tactical perspective, Operation Ivory was a brilliant tactical success. It completely accomplished its objective of seizing control of the camp within minutes of touching down. The attackers sustained only two injuries: one shot in the leg, while another broke an ankle. The absence of prisoners to rescue, however, made that tactical success meaningless. As it turned out, outdated intelligence comprised the mission’s plans. Months earlier, the POWs had been moved from Son Tay. This camp lay adjacent to a river prone to flooding; they relocated to another prison camp. Within 26 minutes of landing, the Green Berets were airborne again, headed back to base.
The assault had succeeded tactically, but the mission had clearly been an abject failure. The blame fell squarely on the shoulders of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). And the other entities involved in the gathering and dissemination of the information upon which the raid was planned. In Operation Ivory’s aftermath, there was much criticism of the faulty intelligence that led to a risky operation to rescue prisoners. Especially considering it was from a prison camp that held no prisoners. This led to an extensive overhaul and restructuring of the intelligence apparatus.