What did the declassified documents reveal?

This declassified United States Navy record, a preliminary analysis memorandum from November ninth, nineteen-sixty-four, reveals intelligence on a possible missile-capable submarine near Dairen, China. This document can be found at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was declassified by the National Photographic Interpretation Center, or N-P-I-C, under declassification authority C-R-D-N-V and released on May eighteenth, two-thousand-four. It is part of the records concerning U.S. Intelligence on China. Memorandum for Assistant Director, Current Intelligence. Subject: Preliminary Analysis of Mission C Two Four Four C Flown on seven November nineteen sixty-four. Paragraph one. This mission provided good coverage of airfields in North Korea and North and Northeast China. It also covered some of the major naval installations in the area. It appears that a probable "G" class submarine, missile capable, is tied-up at a shipyard near Dairen. No new missile sites or nuclear installations were disclosed. Paragraph two. Preliminary field analysis indicates that a probable "G" class submarine is tied-up at a shipyard near Dairen. The submarine is estimated to be three hundred ten feet long and twenty-eight feet wide. Communist China is known to have about twenty-one "W" class submarines which were constructed in their own shipyards at Shanghai and Wuchang. There has been no evidence of submarine construction in Communist China since the Soviets withdrew in mid-nineteen-sixty. It is possible that the submarine, if in fact a missile submarine as reported, is a Soviet submarine there on a port visit. Paragraph three. There are other vessel identifications in the preliminary field read-out which we regard with reservation. Two cruisers and four destroyers are reported at the Lushun naval base as well as seven "W" class submarines. Three additional destroyers are reported at the Port Arthur shipyard. Eleven more destroyers are reported at the Tsingtao naval base where seven "W" class submarines are also identified. Communist China has no cruisers. The old Chungking which defected to the Communists from the Nationalist Navy in nineteen forty-nine was sunk and later junked. They are known to have only four Gordy Class destroyers which they received from the U-S-S-R in nineteen fifty-four and nineteen fifty-five and they later built four Riga glass destroyer escorts at Shanghai. The field report lists ten destroyer types we cannot account for. N-P-I-C has been asked to review these naval identifications as soon as possible. Paragraph four. Most of North Korea's major tactical airbases were covered. There has been no significant changes in aircraft strength. Four M-I-G-two-one's were identified at Pukchang-ni Airfield. This is the airfield where four M-I-G-two-one's, two assembled and two being assembled, [four lines redacted under exemption B one]. Paragraph five. North Korea's Mayang-do naval base was covered. The two "W" class submarines detected there…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

This Declassified United States Navy Record, A Preliminary Analysis Memorandum

◆ BLUF — The short version

This declassified United States Navy record, a preliminary analysis memorandum from November ninth, nineteen-sixty-four, reveals intelligence on a possible missile-capable submarine near Dairen, China. com. This document was declassified by the National Photographic Interpretation Center, or N-P-I-C, under declassification authority C-R-D-N-V and released on May eighteenth, two-thousand-four.

Date: AUG 31 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

↯ Dispatch — press play1:00

0:001:00

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

This declassified United States Navy record, a preliminary analysis memorandum from November ninth, nineteen-sixty-four, reveals intelligence on a possible missile-capable submarine near Dairen, China. This document can be found at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was declassified by the…

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was This Declassified United States Navy Record, A Preliminary Analysis Memorandum about?: This declassified United States Navy record, a preliminary analysis memorandum from November ninth, nineteen-sixty-four, reveals intelligence on a possible missile-capable submarine near Dairen, China. com. This document was declassified by the National Photographic Interpretation Center, or N-P-I-C, under declassification authority C-R-D-N-V and released on May eighteenth, two-thousand-four.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

This Declassified United States Navy Record, A Preliminary Analysis Memorandum

Questions about this case

Related cases

This Declassified Briefing Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum

CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified Central Intelligence

This Declassified Briefing Covers A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency

CIA The Chinese Communists In Laos: A Summary.

Today, Declassified Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Record From December

Questions about this case

Related cases

This Declassified Briefing Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum

CIA This Episode Of Declassified Presents A Declassified Central Intelligence

This Declassified Briefing Covers A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency

CIA The Chinese Communists In Laos: A Summary.

Today, Declassified Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Record From December

Get the next declassified case in your inbox