Tactics-US (VIETNAM)

Question 1

Bombing -Carpet Bombing-Cluster Bombs

Answer 1

> Operation Rolling Thunder- 13th Feb 1965 8week campaign, turned into 3years nearly 1 mil tons of bombs dropped
Operation Barrel Roll
cluster bombs- 1964-1973 260million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos and 80 million failed to explode

Question 2

Napalm

Answer 2

> 388,000 tones were used by the US to destroy the jungle terrain
It often hit civilians- Napalm girl 1972(9year old child)
93% Americans own a TV= more media/publicity
“Water boils at 100 degrees C. Napalm generates temperatures of 800 to 1200 degrees C” Nick Ut

Question 3

Rainbow Herbicide

Answer 3

> Agent Orange(toxic weed killer):
destroy jungle so that Vietcong could be found
US sprayed 82 million liter’s
over 4.5 million acres of land were sprayed

Agent Blue(also toxic weed killer):
had serious side effects-caused cancer, in pregnant women's babies born with deformities
3 million Vietnamese suffered & 1 million are still living with illnesses caused by the Agents

Question 4

Unifrom

Answer 4

>very heavy/not suitable 
>helmets&boots made to stop booby traps made travelling slow
>US Casualties:
total deaths-58,156
missing in action-2,338
wounded in action-303,704
severely disabled-75,000

> Amputation rates were 300% higher than in WW2

Question 5

The Draft

Answer 5

> soldiers being forced to join the war for a one-year period or face 5 years in prison
average age of soldiers in Vietnam was 19
draft dodgers- burn their draft cards
41% of conscripts were black, although made up 11% of pop.
African-Americans made up 1/2 of the frontline
900 US soldiers died on their first day and 1400 died on their last scheduled day

Question 6

Equipment

Answer 6

> Backpack weighed 41Kg
weren’t used to heat
M16 rifles jammed if wet or muddy
‘Frag’ grenades often got caught in branches & exploded injuring US soldiers

Question 7

Search & Destroy

Answer 7

> also known as Zippo Raids
US soldiers would descend on Vietnamese villages and search for Vietcong fighters, and if they suspected any were there, would destroy the village
6 people were killed per Vietcong weapon found
many citizens turned to the Vietcong for help
My Lia Massacre
more protests at home