Vietnam - tactics Flashcards
identify 5 American tactics
Strategic Hamlets Search and Destroy Bombing Campaigns Herbicides Napalm
what were Strategic Hamlets and what effect did they have?
whole villages moved to American controlled zones
Peasants were angry to leave their homes
were search and destroy patrols effective?
not really…
1% found Viet Cong troops
6 civilians were killed for every VC
why wasn’t Operating Rolling Thunder affective?
Viet Cong were still able to hide supplies in tunnels
$400,000 to kill one VC fighter
states on Agent Orange
82million of litres dropped
4million acres of forest destroyed
how many tons of Napalm was dropped in the war?
20,000
why were all American tactics ineffective overall
failed to win over the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese peasants
identify the Viet Cong tactics
Ambushed Booby Traps Underground tunnels Hi Chi Minh trail Winning over Vietnamese people "Hanging onto the belts"
how effective were ambushes?
caused 51% and of all American casualties
hard to use airpower in close quarter fighting
destroyed morale of US troops
name two VC booby traps
Punji Traps
Bouncing Betty
how many US casualties were caused by booby traps?
11%
what did the House Chi Minh enable troops to do?
transport supplies and hid from US troops
how did the Viet Cong win over the support of Vietnamese people?
provided them with education and farming techniques
forced them with intimidation and threats/killing
targeted police, teachers and employees of the south’s government
killed 27,000 civilians
