Big Question 6 - How effective were the tactics used in the Vietnam War?

Question 1

Name the four main US tactics during the Vietnam War

Answer 1

Bombing, Chemical weapons, Ground troops, and Search and destroy

Question 2

Where did the USA have air superiority?

Answer 2

North and South Vietnam

Question 3

What planes were the VC supplied with?

Answer 3

MiGs (supplied by the USSR)

Question 4

What did air superiority allow US forces to do with their troops?

Answer 4

Quickly and relatively easily insert and remove troops from key areas and supply troops without a proper ground connection

Question 5

On what date did Operation Rolling Thunder begin?

Answer 5

7th February, 1965

Question 6

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 6

A US bombing campaign primarily targeting North Vietnamese industrial and military targets

Question 7

To what other countries did US bombing spread as a result of Operation Linebacker?

Answer 7

Laos and Cambodia

Question 8

In which month did Operation Linebacker begin?

Answer 8

May, 1972

Question 9

What trailed through Laos and Cambodia that Operation Linebacker specifically targeted?

Answer 9

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

Question 10

For how many years did Operation Rolling Thunder last?

Answer 10

3 years

Question 11

How much did Life Magazine estimate it cost to kill one VC soldier mainly as a result of Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 11

$400,000

Question 12

How many helicopters were destroyed during Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 12

5000

Question 13

How many aircraft were destroyed during Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 13

3500

Question 14

In total, how many US and South Vietnamese aircraft were destroyed during the Vietnam war?

Answer 14

14,000

Question 15

How many Vietnamese civilians were killed in 1968 alone as a result of US bombing?

Answer 15

300,000

Question 16

What two chemicals did the USA use to clear jungle?

Answer 16

Napalm and Agent Orange

Question 17

How many tons of napalm were dropped on Vietnam between 1965 - 1973?

Answer 17

20,000 tons

Question 18

How many missions were flown to drop Agent Orange?

Answer 18

30,000

Question 19

How many acres of land was cleared by agent orange between 1961 - 1970?

Answer 19

4 million acres

Question 20

How many litres of Agent Orange was dropped on Vietnam?

Answer 20

82 million litres

Question 21

How many people have been affected by the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam?

Answer 21

1.3 million

Question 22

Why did the use of napalm lead to an increase in ‘draft dodging’?

Answer 22

Many people in the USA saw horrific images of burning villages and horrifically scared women and children as a result of napalm

Question 23

After how long were drafted soldiers returned home from Vietnam?

Answer 23

1 year

Question 24

What percentage of draft soldiers died within only 3 months?

Answer 24

43%

Question 25

How many times more men were treated for drug abuse than for combat wounds?

Answer 25

4x

Question 26

What percentage of US casualties were caused by VC booby traps?

Answer 26

11%

Question 27

Why was the M-16 an ineffective weapon in Vietnam?

Answer 27

It was not suited to wet conditions and would frequently jam or break

Question 28

What American equipment was vital for the success of Search and Destroy missions?

Answer 28

Helicopters

Question 29

What event laid bare the issues with Search and Destroy missions?

Answer 29

The My Lai Massacre

Question 30

What were Search and Destroy missions more commonly known as?

Answer 30

'Zippo Raids'

Question 31

How many Vietnamese civilians were killed for every 1 VC weapon captured during Search and Destroy missions?

Answer 31

6

Question 32

Why did Search and Destroy significantly harm the USA's war effort?

Answer 32

The US army fell out of favour with both US and Vietnamese civilians

Question 33

What did VC soldiers do to avoid US bombing?

Answer 33

Stayed close to American units - 'Hanging on to American belts'

Question 34

Why did 'hanging on to American belts' particularly help the VC during the Tet Offensive?

Answer 34

The US could not bomb dense urban areas or their own military installations - the main targets of the Tet Offensive

Question 35

Which two North Vietnamese cities were severely damaged by Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 35

Hanoi and Haiphong

Question 36

How many VC and North Vietnamese soldiers died during the Vietnam War?

Answer 36

900,000

Question 37

What method did VC soldiers use with South Vietnamese peasants to win their favour?

Answer 37

'Carrot and stick'

Question 38

How many VC troops were there in South Vietnam?

Answer 38

170,000

Question 39

Where did VC actions instead push South Vietnamese civilians towards the USA?

Answer 39

Towns and cities

Question 40

Why was it an advantage for the VC to carry only basic items?

Answer 40

They could move quickly even through dense jungle terrain, a useful ability when primarily fighting guerrilla warfare

Question 41

What advantage did the VC's AK-47s have over the USA's M-16s?

Answer 41

They were resilient, reliable, easily repairable - even in Vietnam's hot, wet climate

Question 42

How much aid did North Vietnam rely on from the USSR and China?

Answer 42

$2 billion

Question 43

What percentage of US casualties were as a result of small arms fire?

Answer 43

51%

Question 44

Name the five main VC tactics during the Vietnam War

Answer 44

Limiting US air support, Treatment of the South Vietnamese, Well-trained soldiers, Guerrilla tactics, and the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Question 45

How many casualties did the USA suffer in total during the Vietnam War?

Answer 45

60,000

Question 46

Why could the VC retreat to Laos and Cambodia?

Answer 46

They were sympathetic to North Vietnam but were not technically at war with the USA therefore VC troops could enter whilst US troops could not

Question 47

How many North Vietnamese civilians brought supplies down the Ho Chi Minh Trail to South Vietnam?

Answer 47

40,000

Question 48

Why were VC supplies not reliable?

Answer 48

They had to travel over great distances and were susceptible to US bombing