The Viet Cong vs USA

Question 1

Who were the Vietcong?

Answer 1

A communist militia who disguised themselves by wearing normal clothing and using guerrilla tactics

Question 2

Name 5 Vietcong tactics that affected the U.S. Troops

Answer 2

• the Vietcong code of conduct
• the Vietcong tunnels
• torture
• booby traps
• ho chi Minh trail

Question 3

Describe the Vietcong code of conduct

Answer 3

They had the villagers on their side and their code of conduct ensured their safety as villagers would hide them

Question 4

Describe the effectiveness on the U.S. Troops of the Vietcong code of conduct

Answer 4

This was very effective because it mean that U.S. Troops couldn’t tell the Vietcong from the other villagers

Question 5

What was an impact of the U.S. Troops being affected by the Vietcong code of conduct?

Answer 5

In frustration, the U.S. Would set fire to villages in attempts to kill the Vietcong which made USA look bad and thy usually did tend up killing the Vietcong

Question 6

Describe the vietcong tunnels

Answer 6

They lived underground in tunnel networks below the peasants villages and used this to their advantage to avoid USA and confuse them

Question 7

Describe the effectiveness on the U.S. Troops of the Vietcong tunnels

Answer 7

This confused the U.S. Troops as they couldn’t understand where any of the Vietcong were when they were underground

Question 8

Describe the vietcongs use of torture

Answer 8

They had very few weapons so they used diy warfare, including ants, Mosquitos, bamboo under the fingernails to intestate

Question 9

Describe the effectiveness on the U.S. Troops of torture

Answer 9

This tortured and terrified the U.S. Troops and was cheap and easy for the Vietcong

Question 10

Describe the vietcongs use of booby traps

Answer 10

They had various booby traps including holes in the floor and trip wires

Question 11

Describe the effectiveness on the U.S. Troops of booby traps

Answer 11

The U.S. Troops were terrified of the Vietcong as they were unpredictable and potentially very dangerous

Question 12

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 12

A trail going through the borders of neighbouring countries, like Laos and Cambodia, from north to South Vietnam so the communists in the north could supply the Vietcong with food and other resources whilst they were fighting the U.S. In the south

Question 13

Describe the effectiveness on the U.S. Troops of the Ho Chi Minh trail

Answer 13

The U.S. Troops were confused by the lives of the Vietcong and how they managed to survive

Question 14

What was the Ho Chi Minh trail a reaction to?

Answer 14

USA bombing the routes from North Vietnam to Saigon and making it difficult for them to get supplies to the Vietcong

Question 15

Who set up base camps at regular points along the trail?

Answer 15

The national liberation front, base camps were for places for Vietcong to rest and seek medical help

Question 16

By 1970, how fast could fit and experiences soldiers complete the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 16

In 6 weeks, whereas at the start it took 6 months

Question 17

How many supplies were the national liberation front able to send per day?

Answer 17

Approximately 60 tons of supplies were able to be sent per day

Question 18

Why did USA find it hard to find the trail from the air?

Answer 18

The trail went through dense jungle

Question 19

How did 10% of people die in the Ho Chi Minh trail?

Answer 19

10% dies of malaria

Question 20

Name 4 of USA’s tactics against the Vietcong

Answer 20

• operation rolling thunder
• search and destroy
• agent orange
• napalm

Question 21

What was operation rolling thunder?

Answer 21

Extensive bombing raids on military and industrial targets in North Vietnam

Question 22

What was operation rolling thunder the beginning of?

Answer 22

An air offence that was to last 7 years

Question 23

How many USA aircrafts did the Vietnamese shoot down?

Answer 23

14,000 aircrafts

Question 24

What is mean by guerrilla warfare?

Answer 24

Irregular warfare for small groups of combatants, including ambushing, petty warfare, sabotage and torture etc

Question 25

What were the impacts or problems of operation rolling thunder? Name 3

Answer 25

• damaged North Vietnams war efforts and supply routes
• USA could strike at communists whilst their ground forces were reducing
• it only slowed down the Vietcong didn’t defeat them

Question 26

What was search and destroy?

Answer 26

Where US troops would launch raids where they would hunt for and bomb the Vietcong from their helicopters

Question 27

What were zippo raids?

Answer 27

When the U.S. Troops would set fire to villages using their zippo lighters

Question 28

What was an impact of search and destroy raids? Name 2

Answer 28

• they became infuriated by not being able to find the Vietcong
• their lighters became more of their weapons than their machine guns

Question 29

What was agent orange?

Answer 29

A toxic weed killer used to destroy the Vietcong jungles, the USA used millions of litres to spray thousand of square kilometres

Question 30

Name 3 impacts of agent orange

Answer 30

• destroyed crops and trees
• led to cancer and other diseases
• pre birth defects

Question 31

What was napalm?

Answer 31

Another widely used chemical weapon to burn skin and bone of the Vietnamese

Question 32

Name an impact of napalm

Answer 32

•there is a world famous picture of a young girl being burned by napalm which made USA look villainous

Question 33

Name 4 other problems that USA faced in the Vietnam war

Answer 33

• heat and humidity was uncomfortable and they weren’t used to it whereas the Vietcong were
• backpacked weighed 41kg
• average age of soldiers was 19, they were inexperienced and didn’t even want to be there
• their rifles jammed when they made contact with water

Question 34

How were USA tactics more successful? Name 4

Answer 34

• effective at taking down the locals
• superior tech
• more funds
• more troops from conscription

Question 35

How were Vietcong tactics more successful? Name 4

Answer 35

• used to the heat and humidity
• superior knowledge and mobility
• intimidated the U.S. Troops because they didn’t know where they were hiding
• the US troops were inexperienced and fell for Vietcong booby traps

Question 36

How did USA feel they would truly stop communism spreading?

Answer 36

If they won everyone’s hearts and minds

Question 37

Why couldn’t USA win everyone’s hearts and minds?

Answer 37

The USA approach was to kill large numbers of the enemy, leading to large numbers of civilian casualties so more people supported the Vietcong

Question 38

What was the my Lai massacre?

Answer 38

The mass murder of hundreds of civilians by U.S. Troops at the village of my Lai

Question 39

When was the my Lai massacre?

Answer 39

March 16th 1968

Question 40

How many victims were there of the my Lai massacre?

Answer 40

504

Question 41

What were USA troops told before the massacre?

Answer 41

That the true civilians would be at the market so those left at the village would be members of the national liberation front

Question 42

When U.S. Troops arrived at the village what did they find?

Answer 42

They didn’t find any national front members

Question 43

What did many U.S. Troops do after not finding any Vietcong in my Lai?

Answer 43

They began to kill the villagers anyway

Question 44

What villagers did the U.S. Troops mainly kill in the my Lai massacre?

Answer 44

The elderly, women and children

Question 45

Who stopped the massacre?

Answer 45

An American helicopter pilot

Question 46

How many soldiers were charged with being involved with the killings of my Lai?

Answer 46

26, despite the fact the whole army were involved

Question 47

Which one soldier was found guilty of the my Lai massacre?

Answer 47

Lieutenant William calley

Question 48

What did the massacre cause to happen in USA?

Answer 48

Caused the public opinion to shift in USA to anti Vietnam war

Question 49

What was operation rolling thunder a U.S. Reaction to?

Answer 49

The Vietcong tet offensive