Vietcong Tactics

• Peasants


  The Vietcong treated the peasants in the villages with respect, sometimes even helping them with their workloads in the fields. They needed the peasants to give them food, shelter and hiding places.
• Enemy


  Land that was taken from large landowners would be given to the peasants. The Vietcong encouraged a fear amongst the peasants that the Americans and South Vietnamese would take this land back. They would frustrate the Americans by simple tactics: retreating when the enemy attacked; raiding enemy camps; attacking the enemy when they were tired and pursuing the enemy when they retreated.
• Guerrilla


  The Vietcong made sure they picked battles they would be able to win. Weapons included daggers and swords, and explosives captured from the Americans to ambush patrols. Booby traps were made from pointed bamboo sticks, mines, grenades and artillery shells. The Vietcong wore no uniform and could not be found in any particular location. Tunnels existed for them to escape into the jungle. The cells they worked in were very small so that if captured, they could not be tortured for information about others.