US And Vietcong Tactics (Nature Of Conflict) Flashcards
What did Kennedy use in the war against the North?
Chemical weapons.
What chemical weapons did Kennedy use against the North Vietnamese?
Herbicides. These were used to kill both jungle plants and crops in the farmland near villages.
Why were herbicides used?
To make VC bases easier to find and kill crops so VC couldn’t get food.
What was the defoliation programme called?
Operation Ranch Hand.
Where did most chemicals be sprayed?
Ho Chi Minh Trail.
How did using chemicals affect US support?
The chemicals harmed ordinary villagers and their homes when bombed. This didn’t help US gain support from villagers.
What was the main US counter-insurgency tactic against VC?
‘Search and Destroy’ missions.
How did operation Rolling Thunder affect Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Bombing caused significant damage to roads and bridges on the trail.
What did the VC/North do after bombing of Ho Hi Minh trail?
Thousand of VC/North Vietnamese constantly repaired trail. More supplies went along trail than ever. Tunnels developed to protect soldiers and supplies.
What was Rolling Thunder?
A bombing campaign over North Vietnam. The military wanted immediate bombing all over North Vietnam, but Kennedy ignored. He started slow and targeted certain areas.
What did Rolling Thunder target?
The Ho Chi Minh trail, to stop supplies being taken South.
Industry in North Vietnam.
What did the planes in Rolling Thunder drop other than bombs?
Napalm: slow-burning petrol mixture that, sticks to skin and burn through to bone. Pineapple bombs: canister explodes and shoots pellets everywhere, like bullets.
Why did the Vietcong fight using guerrilla tactics?
VC were well less armed than ARVN but turned into an advantage. They fought a guerrilla war putting ARVN at a disadvantage.
Why did guerrilla warfare help VC?
The VC were now hidden in plain sight, anyone could be a member of VC.
How where the VC tunnels built?
Just outside of Saigon, the VC built almost 100 miles of tunnels, on several levels. Connecting to villages.