US tactics in Vietnam 1965 -

1972.

• Lobj: to consider the US response to

Guerrilla Warfare

US tactics 1965 - 1972.

• Feb 1965 – Us launch Operation Rolling

Thunder = intensive bombing campaign.

• Targets = military and industrial in NORTH

Vietnam (bridges, radar systems & weapons

dumps).

• List grew to inc towns and cities in NORTH &

SOUTH Vietnam.

• More bombs were dropped on North Vietnam

than the whole of WW2 on Germany/Japan.

• However – air power could not defeat the

Communists – just slow them down.

• Communists were still able to launch

attacks on the south.

• Air war costs were horrendous –

communists shot down 14,000 aircraft.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

• Powerful weapon = AGENT ORANGE – highly

toxic ‘weedkiller’ (took leaves off trees)

• Used to destroy the jungle where Viet Cong hid –

US used 82 million litres of it!!

• NAPALM – burned skin down to the bone – many

soldiers & civilians were killed – a petrol jelly that

stuck to skin

• Cluster bombs – exploded in small shrapnel pellets

You tube clips

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2dEq

rN4i0

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxb7C

Y13uc&feature=fvst

• US Commander General Westmoreland

developed the idea:

• Est. secure and heavily defended US bases

– descend on a village (by Helicopter) and

destroy any VC forces. (body count

reported back).

Search and Destroy

• PROBLEMS –

1. Raids were based on inadequate

information

2. Inexperienced troops walked into traps

(1/5 chance of being killed).

3. Innocent mistaken for VC

4. Body count was high – average of 6

people killed for every VC weapon

found.

5. Made US and South Vietnamese very

unpopular.

• Destroyed US morale – soldiers started

smoking marijuana, shooting heroin, stealing

and being racist to one another (18% AWOL=

"absent without leave" or "absent without

official leave")

• However – air power could not defeat the

Communists – just slow them down.

• Air war costs were horrendous – communists

shot down 14,000 aircraft.

• North Vietnamese hit back, using Soviet

supplied anti-aircraft guns, SAM (surface-to-

air) guided missiles and MiG (Mikoyan-I-

Gurevich) fighter planes

• At the same time the US thought they had to

help the people of the South to gain their

support

• US built schools, roads, and sewers and

provided medical aid

Hearts and minds