Tactics of the USA

What tactics did the USA use in the Vietnam War to fight against the Vietcong?

The USA had one of the most feared armies in the world as it was well trained and well equipped. But the USA's military resources were no match for the Vietcong's guerrilla warfare. The US had to alter its tactics against the Vietcong as the war progressed.

What kind of soldiers did the USA send to combat the Vietcong's tactics in Vietnam?

When the war started the USA sent experienced GIs, or general infantryman, to fight against the Vietcong. However, as fatalities and casualties piled up they increasingly sent younger, less experienced troops.

What was a GI, sent by the USA to combat Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

American soldiers in the Second World War started calling themselves GIs, which stood for 'general infantryman'. The nickname became popular during the conflict in Vietnam. GIs faced many challenges there, which hampered America's ability to defeat the Vietcong and win the war.

What were the typical features of a US soldier fighting against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

American GIs had 10 typical features or attributes:

• ❖ By the end of the war, the average age of a GI was 19.
• ❖ Many of the soldiers were forced to fight in Vietnam as part of military conscription, known as the draft. Soldiers had to serve for a one-year period known as a 'tour of duty'.
• ❖ Unlike the Vietcong, American GIs didn't travel light. They carried ration packs, ammunition, spare uniform, and as much water as they could. No matter how much water they carried, it was never enough to quench the thirst caused by the climate of the Vietnamese jungle.
• ❖ The GIs' uniforms often rotted in Vietnam's hot, damp climate.
• ❖ GIs were often overzealous and made careless mistakes when out on patrol. They were often killed by the Vietcong's booby traps.
• ❖ Many GIs came from urban cities in the USA. Many had never travelled before and were ill-prepared for the environment and culture of Vietnam.
• ❖ They carried smoke grenades, to let US helicopters know when and where to extract them from the jungle.
• ❖ They carried fragmentation, or frag, grenades. When they exploded these sprayed red-hot fragments. However, many GIs were themselves accidentally killed by them, as the grenades often got caught on jungle plants.
• ❖ Unlike the Soviet AK-47 rifles used by the Vietcong, the MI6 rifles carried by American GIs often jammed near water and mud, which was not ideal in Vietnamese jungle terrain.
• ❖ GIs wore boots with drainage holes to let the water out, and reinforced soles to combat the punji traps.

What methods did the USA use to combat Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

The USA employed a number of tactics to fight against the Vietcong guerrillas:

• ❖ 'Search and destroy', in which the US troops would enter Vietcong territory, search out the enemy, and destroy them.
• ❖ Bombing campaigns, such as Operation Rolling Thunder.
• ❖ The use of explosive technology, such as pineapple bombs.
• ❖ The use of chemical warfare, including napalm and Agent Orange.
• ❖ The USA fought a war of attrition.
• ❖ The use of helicopters.

What was the 'search and destroy' tactic used by the USA to fight against the Vietcong in Vietnam?

Search and destroy was a US military tactic that worked in the following ways:

• ❖ Bases were built that stretched all along the South Vietnamese coast and border, to launch 'search and destroy' missions into the jungle.
• ❖ American forces searched villages for the Vietcong. When they found the enemy they burned down the entire village, which destroyed the Vietcong base and served as a warning to other villages not to harbour the guerrillas.
• ❖ This tactic soon earned the name 'zippo raids', as Zippo cigarette lighters were used to set fire to the thatched roofs of village houses.

What was Operation Cedar Falls in the USA's fight against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

Operation Cedar Falls was an example of 'search and destroy'. In 1967, 750 Vietcong were killed. Despite early successes, the guerrillas soon returned. The level of violence created 4 million refugees, which increased the unpopularity of the South Vietnamese and USA.

Why was the USA's tactic of 'search and destroy' a failure fighting against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

The USA's tactic of 'search and destroy' failed for a number of reasons:

• ❖ US soldiers were simply not cut out to cope with the Vietcong's guerrilla tactics.
• ❖ America's superior technology of heavy weapons and aircraft were better suited to open combat, but the Vietcong did not engage with that method of fighting.
• ❖ As US troops searched for the enemy they were taken by surprise and attacked. The Vietcong fighters would disappear back into the jungle before the Americans could respond.
• ❖ Young and inexperienced GIs could not tell the difference between Vietcong soldiers and innocent villagers, and killed many ordinary civilians.

How did the USA use Operation Rolling Thunder to fight against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

Operation Rolling Thunder was a major bombing campaign that lasted 3 years. It was an important US tactic.

• ❖ B-52 bombers dropped millions of tonnes of explosives.
• ❖ It targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail and industrial targets but not Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam. As the campaign progressed, targets also included towns and cities in South Vietnam, and Vietcong bases in Laos and Cambodia.
• ❖ It cost the USA $4 billion, and killed 90,000 people.
• ❖ President Johnson wanted to bomb the Vietcong into submission.

Why did the tactics used by the USA in Operation Rolling Thunder fail against the Vietcong in Vietnam?

There were 2 main reasons the bombing tactics of Operation Rolling Thunder failed:

• ❖ Supplies continued to get through to the Vietcong via the extensive tunnel system and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
• ❖ Destroying industry didn't have an effect, as China and the USSR were sending military supplies to North Vietnam.

How did the USA use 'pineapple bombs' to fight against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

The USA developed a new weapon called the 'pineapple bomb', which exploded in the air and released 500 smaller bombs that caused huge damage. It was developed to maim rather than kill, so when someone was wounded, others would help - taking their attention away from the battle.

How did the USA use chemical weapons to fight against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

When the bombing campaigns failed to defeat the Vietcong, the Americans started to use chemical weapons. The 3 most widely used were:

• ❖ Agent Orange, a toxic weed killer used to destroy the jungle so the Ho Chi Minh trail could be seen from the air.
• ❖ Agent Blue, a weed killer used to destroy crops so the Vietcong would have no food.
• ❖ Napalm, a combustible chemical used to destroy the jungle.

What tactics were used by the USA in Operation Ranch Hand to fight against the Vietcong in Vietnam?

Operation Ranch Hand saw 3,000 villages sprayed with chemicals across 24% of South Vietnam. Water supplies were poisoned. There were some fatalities and many ongoing health problems.

What were the problems with the USA's use of chemical weapons to fight against Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

The use of chemical weapons was inhumane. Agent Orange and Agent Blue led to people developing cancer and caused birth defects in newborns. Napalm burned through victims' skin, muscle and bone.

What were the US Zippo raids tactics Vietnam?

US soldiers used cigarette lighters, known as Zippos, to burn down villages suspected of housing Vietcong soldiers.

How did the USA use attrition warfare against the Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

The US tactic of attrition meant focusing on killing as many Vietnamese soldiers as possible. It is estimated that around 1 million North Vietnamese and Vietcong soldiers died, compared to 55,000 Americans. However, this tactic did not bring success for the US.

How did the USA use helicopters to fight against the Vietcong tactics in Vietnam?

Helicopters were used in 3 key ways.

• ❖ They were used to bring troops to a battle zone quickly, over difficult terrain.
• ❖ They supported ground troops during 'search and destroy' missions.
• ❖ They were used to evacuate wounded soldiers.

What was the McNamara Line tactic used by the US in Vietnam?

The McNamara Line, named after US secretary of defence Robert McNamara, was an electronic infiltration barrier that attempted to block the Ho Chi Minh Trail with barbed wire and mines. It was eventually abandoned due to the severity of attacks on US troops.

What were the successes of the USA's tactics used to fight against the Vietcong in Vietnam?

Overall, the US Army had little success. They did damage some of the supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh trail. However, the trail was so extensive it made little difference, making it impossible for the US to gain a strategic advantage in the war.

What were the failures of the USA's tactics to fight against the Vietcong in Vietnam?

Not only did US tactics result in the capture of very few Vietcong, their tactics alienated ordinary people. Many innocent people were killed, and the local people turned to the Vietcong due to the tactics employed by the US forces. Their use of chemical warfare was also condemned around the world for its abuse of human rights.