Vietcong tactics

• What did Vietcong use to defeat USA?

  guerrilla warfare and knowledge of jungle
• What Guerrilla Warfare tactics did Vietcong use?

  -soldiers didn't wear uniforms to blend in with civilians

  -attacked when enemy retreated

  -retreated when enemy attacked

  -worked in small groups

  -repurposed US mines by digging them up and making booby traps

  -raided enemy camps
• what was the aim of guerrilla warfare?

  -to create fear and break down morale of US forces
• what were typical features of a Vietcong fighter?

  -wore everyday clothes so US could not identify them

  -had extensive knowledge of local jungle which they used to ambush enemy

  -usually carried soviet AK-47 rifles

  -travelled light with small rations of rice

  -would have tools to make punji sticks
• What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?

  600 mile route that ran through thick jungle of Laos and Cambodia

  -supplies sent from NV and China to SV

  -ran through thick jungle so enemies found hard to find

  -if enemy destroyed one part a new track would open up
• why was the Ho chi Minh trail important to Vietcong tactics?

  -meant NV could ensure fighter in south received regular supplies of weapons food ect
• what was hanging on belts of Americans ?


  -idea they stayed close to Americans and ambushed them and then retreated back into jungle afterwards

  -Americans did not know how or when Vietcong would attack which made it very mentally draining
• how were tunnels used as a tactic by Vietcong?

  -moved underground to make it even harder for US to find them

  -300 KM long under jungle

  -tunnels had hospitals, workshops ,food etc

  -had defence mechanisms such as trapdoors, booby traps etc
• what was the tactic of booby traps used by Vietcong?

  -punji sticks

  -snake pits

  -flag bombs

  -bouncing betty bombs

  -cartridge traps
• punji sticks


  sharpened bamboo sticks concealed in a hole or mud

  -sometimes smeared spikes with human or animal excrement to infect wounds
• snake pits


  tied snakes to bamboo sticks and placed them in tunnel systems

  when bamboo freed snake was freed and would attack enemy
• flag bombs


  Rig flags with explosives
• cartridge traps


  -cartridge placed inside bamboo and put in hole in ground

  -weight of enemy made cartridge shoot the bullet into the victims foot
• bouncing betty bombs


  traps that launch in air when triggered and explode above ground to target stomach and groin area
• how many casualties were caused by Vietcong booby traps?

  19 percent of US casualties
• what were Vietcong's tactic regarding peasants?

  -rarely attacked peasants or land

  -seized land from wealthy and gave to poor

  -used propaganda to convince people they were beating US
• what were the successes of the Vietcong tactics?

  -scared American soldiers and got inside their heads

  -Vietcong used American weapons against them
• what were the failures of the Vietcong tactics?

  -many civilians mistaken as Vietcong and killed

  -guerrilla attacks were not enough to get rid of Americans from Vietnam