vietnam 3.3 the nature of conflict 1964-68 Flashcards
what were the us tactics
bombings
chemical weapons
search and destroy
whay was operation rolling thunder
series of bombing attacks
from feb 1965
what were operation rolling thunders targets
military and industial complexes in n. vietnam
towns and cities
ho chi minh trail (laos and cambodia)
in what ways was operation rolling thunder successfull
- damaged north vietnams war effort and supply routes
- eventually forced north vietnam to the negotiating table in the 1970s
in what ways was operation rolling thunder unsuccessful
- only slowed n. vietnam
- vietcong supply lines still operated
- communists still able to launch major assault
- cost extortionate- $400,000 to kill one vc fighter
what were the chemical weapons used
agent orange and napalm
whatwas the name of the operation where the usa dropped herbicides
operation ranch hand
how muchof south vietnam was sprayed with herbicides btw 1964-70
24%
how did the herbicides fail to gain the vietnamese peoples favour
- up to 50% stronger than those in the us
- over 3,000 villages sprayed without warning
- caused health problems for generations
how many tons of napalm were dropped
20,000 tons
how was napalm ineffective
killed many soldiers and civilians
what warface did the vietcong use
guerilla warfare
what tactics were used by the vc
ambushes
booby traps
underground tunnels
ho chi minh trail
winning over civilians
how effective were ambushes
very
- caused 51% of us casualties
- made airpower ineffective for the us
- undermined morales
name examples of booby traps
bouncing betty landmine
punji pits (with sharpened bamboo staves)
what happened on search and destroy patrols
american troops sent on helicopter patrols
target villages and destroyed any vc
how were search and destroy missions effective
some vc fighters were killed
how were search and destroy missions ineffective
- raids based on inadequate info
- civilian lives lost - villages often mistaken
- us soldiers became very unpopular
what is an example of a failed search and destroy mission
operarion cedar falls 1967
how were booby traps effective
- cheap and easy to make
- disrupted search and destroys
- caused 11% of us casualties
- caused fear and loss of morale for us
how long was the underground tunnel network used by vc
~240km
how wefe the vc underground tunnels effective
- could stay very hidden from us
- helped vc avoid us airfire
how did vc treat civilians
- courteous and respectful
- helped with farming and education
- helped win them support
evidence for vc using violence and terror
- vc killed peasants who opposed them
- targeted police, tax collectors, teachers and employees of s. vietnamese government
how many vietcong + north vietnamese soldiers died during the war
1 million
who launched the tet offensive
viet cong
when did the tet offensive take place
jan 1968
what was the tet offensive
- during tet new year holiday, 4500 vc fighters attacked over 100 cities in s.vietnam - saigon and hue
how did the vc distract the us before the tet offensive
atatcked us base at khe sanh to distract soldiers before attacking cities
what did the vc capture during the tet offensive
us embassy and arvn headquarters
how long did the us take to recapture the cities and bases
three weeks
how many vietcong were killed
50,000
why was tet a turning point in the war
- humiliating for us
- propaganda victory for vc as us public were shocked (media images)
- led to rise in opposition to war
- media turned against - cronkite
- johnson didnt stand for reelectionin 68
