3.3 The Nature Of Te Conflict 1964-68

Question 1

Describe the Vietcong guerrila tactics?

Answer 1

Any man, women or child could be part of the VC

-hard for US troops to tell enemies from allies

• tunnel networks
• propoganda and talks in villages
• light weapons
• simple ambushes

Question 2

Describe the VC tunnels?

Answer 2

Used tunnels to move around shelter during the war

• 100 miles of tunnels on several levels that connected many villages around Saigon and allowed VC to move more easily
• tunnels contained hospitals
• US used tunnel rats to try and destroy them

Question 3

When was operation rolling thunder?

Answer 3

March 1965

Question 4

Why did Johnson do ‘operation rolling thunder’?

Answer 4

Wanted North to negociate wothout having to send in troops

Question 5

What was operation rolling thunder?

Answer 5

Bombing campaign over north Vietnam

• targeted Ho Chi Minh trail
• industry

Question 6

As well as dropping bombs in operation thunder what e,s did the US airforce drop?

Answer 6

Pineapple bombs: canisters that explode and shoot pellets everywhere(like bullets)

Napalm: -slow burning petrol mixture, sticks to skin and can burn through bone

Question 7

What was the limitations of operation rolling thunder?

Answer 7

• didn’t bomb border with China

- didn’t targer haiphong-port where supplies from USSR arrived

Question 8

Rolling thunder is stopped for a short time in? Because?

Answer 8

Christmas 1965 and Jan 1966 as US offered negociating terms with North Vietnamese

-they turn it down and bombing continues until the end of 1968

Question 9

The damage of operation rolling thunder on: Ho Chi Minh trial?

Answer 9

Caused significant damage to roads and bridges but the trail was constantly repaired

Question 10

The damage of operation rolling thunder on: industry

Answer 10

Damaged industry but most war supplies were made in China and the USSR

Question 11

Whar were the negatives of using pineapple bombs and napalm in North Vietnam

Answer 11

Made North Vietnemess more determined to oppose UsA-thousands being killed is bad for public opinion in USA and world wide

Question 12

Why were troops eventually brought in to Vietnam

Answer 12

Operation rolling thunder brought more US aircraft bases in Vietnam which was easy targets for the Vietnamese

General wesrmorland(in charge of US operations in Vietnam) asked for ground troops to protect the bases

Question 13

How did Johnson get more troops

Answer 13

Draft-opposition in the USA

Question 14

US troops in Vietnam in 1964?

Answer 14

20,000

Question 15

US troops in Vietnam in 1965?

Answer 15

180,000

Question 16

US troops in Vietnam in 1966

Answer 16

380,00

Question 17

US troops in Vietnam in 1967?

Answer 17

480,000

Question 18

US troops in Vietnam in 1968?

Answer 18

530,00

Question 19

What was the main US counter to the Vietcong?

Answer 19

Search and destroy

Question 20

What was search and destroy?

Answer 20

• small units of US soldiers seach jungle for VC bases, then call helicopers to bomb them
• no full scale battles due to hit and run by Vac

Question 21

What was the problem with search and destroy

Answer 21

VC just moved back into an area when US were done

-US bombing and spraying harmed ordinary villagers ‘lose hearts and minds’

Question 22

What happened in cedar falls 1967?

Answer 22

Failed search and destroy mission

Village is burnt by 30,000 ARVN, becomes a fire free zone but can be bombed at any time

Villagers fail to underantand, warnings dropped in leaflets were no use as they couldn’t read

Question 23

Why did Kennedy approve of chemical warfair?

Answer 23

-kill jungle plants and crops in farmland around villages to make VC bases easier to find

Question 24

What is operation Ranch hand?

Answer 24

Chemical warfair operation from 1964-1970

• 300 acres sprayed in 4 mins(herbicides were 50% stronger than those used in USA)
• over 3,000 villages sprayed

Question 25

Whar was agent blue

Answer 25

Fast acting herbicide used to kill crops

Question 26

What was agent orange?

Answer 26

Stronger herbicides used to kill jungle forests

Question 27

What is the health issues with herbicides?

Answer 27

Produces a posion that does not dissolve in water, rain is carried to rivers and streams and affects people

-affects crops decades after replanting

Question 28

When is the Tet offensive?

Answer 28

1968

Question 29

What was thinking behind the tet offensive?

Answer 29

• series of attacks on US bases

- begins on Lunar New year-most ARVN would be on holiday

Question 30

The tet offensive occured on 30 jan what were the key features?

Answer 30

• VC got into US embassy,ARVN headquaters and presidential palace
• humilitation for US goverment even though VC were soon captured
• took 3 weeks in streets to win back old city of Hue

Question 31

Why was tet offensive?

Answer 31

• 84,000 communists took part, big change from hit and run

- south Vietneames cities were cinsidered safe

Question 32

What did the South Vietnamese expect the tet offesive to do?

Answer 32

Cause a revolution in the south, didn’t happen

Question 33

How did the tet offensive end

Answer 33

US capture nearly all bases quickly and VC were almost wiped out

-However American opublic saw it as a defeat for the USA