Vietnames Tactics

Question 1

How did the North Vietnamese try to fight back against the American bombers?

Answer 1

• They used anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles and fighter planes (supplied by the USSR).
• Over 1,400 US planes were shot down between 1965 and 1968.
• They also built miles of tunnels and shelters to protect themselves from the bombs.

Question 2

How did the Vietnamese use guerrilla warfare?

Answer 2

• Guerrillas fight in small units, avoiding face-to-face with their enemy.
• The Vietcong guerrillas used ambushes, planted mines and booby traps, targeting isolated US and ARVN units.
• They were experts at camouflage, blending into the countryside. They did not wear a uniform.
• They dug 250km of tunnels to hide in; the tunnels contained kitchens, weapons stores, hospitals and living quarters.
• Vietcong guerrillas were helped by local people, but most of their supplies came down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It was actually many different paths. Thousands of people organised it, enduring terrible conditions.
• The Vietcong tried to win over the peasants in the South, but they did not hesitate to torture and murder government officials and spies.
• The Vietcong also carried out sabotage (usually bombs) in South Vietnamese cities, especially Saigon and even inside US bases.