Tactics of the Vietcong

What tactics did the Vietcong use?

The US army was one of the largest, strongest, most advanced, and well-equipped armies in the world. In order to beat it, and the ARVN, the Vietcong had to use local jungle knowledge and guerrilla warfare to overcome their enemies' technology and defeat them.

What guerrilla warfare tactics were used by the Vietcong?

The Vietcong used 6 main guerrilla warfare tactics to fight the US army and the ARVN:

• ❖ Soldiers did not wear uniforms, so its members could hide in plain sight among peasants. It was very hard to tell them apart from ordinary civilians.
• ❖ It had no headquarters and operated in small, well-armed groups, making it difficult to find them.
• ❖ It repurposed US mines by digging them up and creating booby traps, adding bamboo spikes and crossbows.
• ❖ It followed the rule of retreating when the enemy attacked, and attacking when the enemy retreated.
• ❖ It never attacked directly, instead picking off the enemy in ones and twos. Vietcong members were famous for disappearing quickly into tunnels before the enemy had a chance to react.
• ❖ It constantly attacked enemy camps.

What was the aim of the Vietcong tactics of guerrilla warfare?

The aim of guerrilla warfare was to create fear and break down the morale of the US forces.

What did Ho Chi Minh say about the Vietcong tactics of guerrilla warfare?

Ho Chi Minh said the following:

• ❖ 'We must not go in for large-scale battles and big victories, unless we are certain of success.'.
• ❖ 'The aim of guerrilla warfare is to nibble at the enemy, harass him in such a way that he can neither eat nor sleep in peace, to allow him no rest, to wear him out physically and mentally.'.
• ❖ 'Wherever the enemy goes, he should be attacked by our guerrillas, stumble on land mines, or be greeted by sniper fire.'.

What were the typical features of a guerrilla fighter that used Vietcong tactics?

Vietcong fighters shared a number of typical features and attributes:

• ❖ They had extensive knowledge of the local jungle which helped them ambush the enemy.
• ❖ They wore everyday civilian clothes so US forces could not identify them.
• ❖ They usually carried Soviet AK-47 assault rifles. This was a simple weapon to use but very accurate, and it could weather the watery terrain of the jungle.
• ❖ They travelled light with small rations of rice, enabling them to move quickly through the jungle.
• ❖ They would have tools to make 'punji sticks', which they used to make booby traps.

What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail that the Vietcong used in its tactics?

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a 600-mile route of many roads running through the thick jungle of Laos and Cambodia, parallel to the length of Vietnam. Supplies were sent along it from North Vietnam and China to South Vietnam. At the height of the war, 60 tons of equipment a day and 20,000 soldiers a month were transported.

What was important about the Ho Chi Minh Trail to Vietcong tactics?

The Ho Chi Minh trail was incredibly important. It meant North Vietnam could ensure fighters in the south received regular supplies of weapons, food, and soldiers.

Why did the Vietcong tactic of using the Ho Chi Minh trail make it difficult for the enemy?

The US forces and the ARVN found the Ho Chi Minh trails difficult for 2 main reasons:

• ❖ The trail was well organised. By the end of the war, you could travel the route from North Vietnam to Saigon in six weeks. The trail was 15,000 km long, and both US forces and the ARVN found it hard to overcome the challenges it posed.
• ❖ The US tried bombing the trail. However, when one section was bombed, the Vietcong simply used a different section.

What was the idea of 'hanging on the belts' of Americans as a tactic of the Vietcong?

The idea was that the Vietcong remained close to the enemy and engaged in close-quarter fighting. This helped them carry out surprise attacks and ambushes. As the Vietcong stayed so close it made bombing campaigns more difficult, as the Americans did not want to kill their own soldiers.

How were the tunnels used as a tactic by the Vietcong?

The tunnel system allowed the Vietcong to move across South Vietnam without being seen, rather than risking being a target from the air. The tunnels were widely used as bases, ambush spots, and hospitals and also helped with the 'hanging on the belts of Americans' tactic.

What were the key features of the tunnels the Vietcong used as a tactic?

There were 3 key features of the tunnel systems:

• ❖ They were complicated systems that ran for over 300km beneath the Vietnamese jungle.
• ❖ They included kitchens, hospitals, sleeping quarters and meeting rooms, as well as storerooms for food, weapons, and explosives.
• ❖ They had various defence measures including hand-detonated mines at the surface, trap doors, air-raid shelters, booby traps, blast walls, false tunnels with booby traps, punji traps, tripwires, and remote smoke outlets.

What was the tactic of booby traps used by the Vietcong?

The Vietcong used 6 main types of booby traps:

• ❖ Punji sticks.
• ❖ Snake pits.
• ❖ Grenade-in-a-can bombs.
• ❖ Flag bombs.
• ❖ Cartridge traps.
• ❖ 'Bouncing Betty' bombs.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap punji sticks as a tactic?

The Vietcong sharpened bamboo stakes, hiding them in shallow pits and covering them with leaves. The stakes would pierce the enemy's boots and sever limbs. Sometimes they smeared the spikes with human excrement to infect the casualty's wounds.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap snake pits as a tactic?

The Vietcong guerrillas often carried bamboo pit vipers in their packs, to kill any enemy who searched them. They also tied snakes to bamboo sticks and placed them in their tunnel systems. When the bamboo was released, the snake was freed and would attack the enemy.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap grenade-in-a-can bombs as a tactic?

Two cans were placed on trees, opposite each other. After removing the safety pins, grenades were placed in the cans. A tripwire was then attached to each grenade. When the wire was tripped by the enemy, the grenades would be pulled out of the cans and explode immediately.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap flag bombs as a tactic?

US troops often captured enemy flags, so, when the Vietcong left a base or location it would rig its flags with explosives.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap cartridge traps as a tactic?

It was hard to detect cartridge traps, which made them terrifying. A cartridge - a round of ammunition - was placed inside bamboo and then put in a shallow hole in the ground. At the bottom of the bamboo was a board and a nail. The weight of the enemy on the cartridge caused the nail to act as a firing pin, shooting the bullet upward into the victim's foot.

How did the Vietcong use the booby trap 'Bouncing Betty' bombs as a tactic?

These traps would launch into the air when triggered and explode approximately 1m above the ground - at the height of the stomach or genitals.

How many casualties were caused by the Vietcong's booby trap tactics?

The Vietcong's traps caused around 19% of US casualties.

How was the organisation of the Vietcong part of its tactics?

The Vietcong was organised in small groups called cells. Fighters rarely saw anyone outside their cell, so they couldn't betray the wider group if they were captured.

How did the Vietcong use disguise as part of its tactics?

Vietcong fighters dressed as normal villagers, so US soldiers couldn't tell them apart from civilians. This led to a lot of ordinary people losing their lives.

What were the Vietcong's tactics regarding the peasants?

The Vietcong worked to get the support of the peasants in 4 key ways:

• ❖ They rarely attacked peasants or their property.
• ❖ They seized land from the wealthy and redistributed it among the poor, providing food and supplies.
• ❖ However, they were known to kill those who refused to support them. Between 1966 and 1971, 27,000 civilians were killed by the Vietcong.
• ❖ They used propaganda to convince people they were beating the US Army. This included images of women and children, to show that everyone was helping to rid Vietnam of the Americans.

What were the successes of the Vietcong's tactics?

The Vietcong's tactics were successful in 2 main ways:

• ❖ The aim of the tactics was to 'get inside the heads' of American soldiers and scare them, which they did.
• ❖ As a result of their tactics, the Vietcong was able to use American weapons against them. In 1964, a report stated that 90 per cent of Vietcong weapons were US weapons that had been captured in ambushes.

What were the failures of the Vietcong's tactics?

The Vietcong's tactics failed for 3 main reasons:

• ❖ Many civilians were mistaken as Vietcong troops and killed.
• ❖ Not all Vietnamese people supported the actions of the Vietcong, as terror and intimidation was sometimes used to gain local support.
• ❖ The guerrilla attacks alone were not enough to get rid of the Americans from Vietnam.