Tactics used during vietnam war

 South Vietnamese Communist part of the National Liberation Front NLF  Located near Cambodian border  Depended on the Ho Chi Minh trail for ammunition, arms and special equipment... 

Tactics used during

Guerrilla Tactics

 The Vietnamese had became very skilled in the art of Guerrilla warfare

 WW2 – Japan

 1950s – French Colonial Forces

 Both of these forces were technologically advanced and in theory should have easily

 South Vietnamese Communist part of the National Liberation Front (NLF)

 Located near Cambodian border

 Depended on the Ho Chi Minh trail for ammunition, arms and special equipment

 Main force Vietcong units were uniformed,

full-time soldiers, and were used to launch

large scale offensives over a wide area

Regional forces were also full-time, but

operated only within their own districts When necessary, small regional units would unite for large scale attacks If enemy pressure

became too great, they would break down

Local Vietcong

 Mostly Teenagers

 Less confident

 Many idealistic

 Others forced or shamed into joining

 Basic military training with Weapons and explosives

Vietnamese Weaponry

 Chinese version of the Soviet AK-47

 Light and Medium Machine guns supplied

by the Soviets and Chinese

 Less often Heavy Machine guns were used

to defend against US Helicopters

 RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades)

 Mortars

 Local forces used booby traps and mines

 “Punji Traps” – sharp spikes hidden in pits

 Contaminated to increase the risk of

infection

 Avoid Pitch Battles

 Hit and Run battles

 Tunnel system to safeguard bases against American Spotter Planes

 Located largely in forests and swamps

Tunnel system



Advantages of the Tunnel System

 Hide from Air and Ground sweeps

 Provide excellent refuge and defensive

positions

 Ability to disappear

 Difficult for US to estimate enemy numbers

in the region

Other Vietcong advantages

 Familiar with the terrain of jungles and swamps

 Found protection across the border with Laos and Cambodia

 Local population support



Operation Rolling Thunder

 EXTENSIVE daily bombing campaign of North Vietnam

 Air strikes were strictly forbidden within 30 miles of Hanoi, along the Chinese border at the start of the campaign

 Launched from bases in Thailand

 Plan was to destroy the North Vietnamese Economy

America shows its technological Muscle

 Burns for a long time

 Will burn through skin, muscle and bone

producing 5 th th degree burns

 Most victims died from the ordeal

 Burns at 5000 f or 2777C

Anti-Personnel Bombs

 Designed to maim

rather than kill.

 Bombs would explode

and spew out

thousands of pellets

and needles on the

land below.

Agent Orange and Blue



Helicopters as Cavalry

 Would transport

platoons in and out of

the jungle quickly



Search and Destroy

 Missions using US and

Problems with search and destroy

 Inadequate intelligence

 Inexperienced troops

often hit by booby traps

 Civilian casualties high

 Tactics made the US

very unpopular with

villagers.