The viet cong, or national front for the liberation of south vietnam, supported the replacement of president ngo dinh diem. The us and the rvn republic of vietnam were against the southernbased revolutionary movement known as the viet cong. Interspersed in viet cong memoir are 4 maps and 46 photographs. The us forces relied on high technology weaponry and massive firepower, particularly air strikes and carpet bombing of vietcong bases. In conclusion, i believe that the guerrilla tactics of the viet cong were much superior to those of the us troops as they were more adapted to the vietnamese environment whereas the us tactics could not be put fully into action, and the fact that the viet cong knew their. Why were the military tactics of the vietcong so successful. Jun 21, 2009 facts about vietcong weapons, traps and tactics the vietcong were the national liberation fronts military branch and they were commanded by the central office for south vietnam. The tunnels were used to connect villages, districts, and provinces together so the guerrilla fighters could move between areas undetected. The united states air tactits frustrated by lack of success on the ground, the us tried to win the war from the air. They would set bamboo stakes in the gound and cover it with feces to add poison. The tactics they employed at ap bac stealth, concealment, patience, discipline and teamwork withstood the most modern weaponry in vietnam. This article was originally published on, march 27, 2015. The viet cong and the north vietnamese peoples army of vietnam pavn used wellorganized logistics methods to supply and equip their fighting forces.
The program was called the strategic hamlet program. President johnson ordered the bombing of strategic military targets in north vietnam, including air raids on the capital city, hanoi, and bases and supply routes for the vietcong. I refer to the book frequently in my discussions of various aspects of the second indochina war. The pentagon papers, the sacred willow four generations in the life of vietnamese family, and a history book that began in the 5th century. The viet congs fulltime soldiers were referred to as the. The work derives from 425 specially designed inter. They used precision and set out long range snipers and spotters. They were originally dug as hiding places for the viet minh. They based their strategies and tactics on those used by mao zedongthe communist leader in china.
The digging began in the 1940s, and the vietcong joined the efforts in the early 1960s. It may be release to the ctoerlnghouie, department of commerce, tar tele to. The vietcong, alongside the north, dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels underneath vietnam. The broad strategy underlying successful guerrilla warfare is that of protracted harassment accomplished by extremely subtle, flexible tactics designed to wear down the enemy. Tactics wise, the primarily domainant tactics that the viet cong used was to conduct hit and run attacks against small, isolated groups of u. The back matter includes a glossary of names, a list of prg officials, a 10page index, and copies of the nlf manifesto and program december 1960, the political program of the vietnam alliance july 1968, and the action program of the prg june 1969. Their field works defended villages, hidden base camps, and fortified complexes, and took the form of trench systems, individual fighting positions, crewserved weapon positions, bunkers. After the commanding general of us forces said he saw a light at the end of the tunnel in late 67, the.
Background the war in vietnam lasted from the mid 1950s 1975. How successful were the military tactics used by the vietcong. It may be release to the ctoerlnghouie, department of commerce, tar tele to the genera public. Some very good accounts of the campaigns of 1914 had been.
Dec 02, 20 the weapon pictured is clearly a m16a1, the updated and improved version of the first model deployed in vietnam. Km5848 rm5849 rm5850 rm5851 rm5852 rm611 rm63751 vi. This logistics organization helped greatly in their war against the american and south vietnamese military during the vietnam war. The main strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare tend to involve the use of a small attacking, mobile force against a large, unwieldy force. Viet cong and nva tunnels and fortifications of the. One of the fighting tactics used by the viet cong was answers. In december 1965, the whole fighting method of the viet cong was altered when ho chi minh, leader of the viet minh, announced a change in the way the north and south were being fought. Some very good accounts of the campaigns of 1914 had been written by 1916 and during world war ii one could follow the unfolding. Guerrilla tactics in december 1965, ho chi minh and the north vietnamese leadership ordered a change in a way the war in the south was to be fought. American military strategy in the vietnam war, 19651973.
Nov 18, 2017 the genius of north vietnams war strategy how they did it the most admirable thing about this falls pbs series on the vietnam war is the way in which it forces american audiences to confront the. Tactics and objectives during the tet offensive, v. The heavy machine guns were mainly used as antiaircraft weapons, most effective against u. For nearly a decade, american combat soldiers fought in south vietnam to help sustain an independent, noncommunist nation in southeast asia. Vietnamese tactics local citizens in villages assisted their army and built their own bombs and traps for the viet cong. You could find women like her almost everywhere during the war, said the photographer. American attitudes to the viet cong a us soldier explores a viet cong tunnel during the. By the mid1960s, most main force vietcong troops were armed with chinese. By the end of the city battles, 37,000 vietcong troops deployed for tet have been killed. Guerrilla warfare guerrilla warfare strategy and tactics. The war was the second of two major conflicts that was spread all throughout indochina. Viet cong and nva forces against military bases and formations. The cold war, 194575 vietcong tactics 196468 in early 1965 the viet cong and north vietnamese army nva had about 170,000 soldiers.
They were well supplied with weapons and equipment from china and the ussr, but they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned by the south vietnamese forces and their us allies. Twostep charlie was the nickname for several of the snakes in the jungles of vietnam. What tactics did the vietcong use against the us and s. As show more content the viet cong also thought of backup. The genius of north vietnams war strategy how they did it the most admirable thing about this falls pbs series on the vietnam war is the way. Some fighting members of the vietcong were part of the fulltime, main and regional forces. How effective were the guerrilla tactics of the viet cong.
This was highly effective due to their mastery of it. The vietcongs tactics and technology in the vietnam war. May 26, 2017 the vietcong would raid villages, and eliminate government appointed village leaders. Vietcong military tactics the vietnam war bbc bitesize. Nlf and pavn battle tactics comprised a flexible mix of guerrilla and conventional warfare battle tactics used by the main force of the peoples liberation armed forces known as the national liberation front or viet cong in the west and the nva peoples armyvietnam to defeat their u. These tunnels allowed them to disappear at any time and remain hidden as long as they need. Operation rolling thunder that began with dropping millions of explosive bombs on north vietnam and ho chi minh trail.
Vietcong tactics vietnam war gcse teaching resources. Truong nhu tangs a vietcong memoir is an easy read if youre familiar with vietnams lengthy colonial history. Diems opponents in sv began to revolt nv supplied weapons to the vietminh in south vietminh in sv formed the national liberation front nlf and called military forces the vietcong vc vietcong assassinated many sv leaders and controlled much of countryside 1960. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of ch. This logistics organization helped greatly in their war against the american and south vietnamese military during the vietnam war the viet congs fulltime soldiers were referred to as the main force chu luc.
Contrasting tactics of us and vietcong forces teaching. The nlf made sure training for the viet cong included political instruction to remind them they were fighting for freedom from foreign influence and for the unification of their country. What military advantages did the viet cong have over the. The viet cong were a guerrilla army, meaning that the people fighting for them are not proper soldiers. Main force vietcong units and regional forces were fulltime soldiers. A viet cong guerrilla stands guard in the mekong delta. Viet cong and north vietnamese forces among the popula tion in saigon and its environs during the tet offensive of february, 1968, and with some of the popular reactions to viet cong behavior at this time and subsequently. Theyusedanticaircraftguns,surfacectocairmissilesandfighterplanes. S troops, which involved firing at the troops from. The guerrilla force is largely or entirely organized in small units that are dependent on the support of the local population.
Koreans in the 2nd marine brigade, the blue dragons, practice tae kwon do during a morning exercise near qui nohn, south vietnam, in april 1966. Female viet cong guerrilla, 1972 rare historical photos. If youre talking about military success, then their tactics really cant be called successful. Guerrilla warambush, booby traps, hit and run, underground tunnels, blending in with population, using terrain, etc. They based their strategies and tactics on those that were used by mao zedong,the communist leader in china. The strategic hamlet program t his chapter will describe a program designed to help beat ho chi minhs vietcong the communist guerrilla organization attempting to overthrow the diem government. South korean soldiers in the vietnam war warfare history. Jun 18, 2019 in contrast, the viet cong lost only 18 men. These are flashcards for all 7 vc tactics that were used effectively in the vietnam war.
The viet cong had many tactics which they used against the us and arvn troops in the vietnam war, however these tactics were not those that you would expect to be used in a war. Prior to reading a vietcong memoir, i read several books on vietnam. Facts about vietcong weapons, traps and tactics susan wong. Whatever the particular tactic used, the guerrilla primarily lives to fight another day, and to expand or preserve his forces and political support, not capture or holding specific blocks of territory as a conventional force would. Used jungle to their advantage guerrilla type fighting. During the vietnam war, the viet cong vc main forces and north vietnamese army nva were forced to hide weapons and supplies underground and to dig protective shelters to counter massive us firepower. The fighting styles of the us military and the viet cong. Please pay particular attention to the authors discussions of north vietnamese army intelligence, tactics and operational art, the nomadding concept, and the ho chi. The viet cong were famous for using the guerrilla warfare tactic in vietnam to attack american forces. Time magazine reported in 1966, captured vietcong orders now stipulate that contact with the koreans is to be avoided at all costsunless a vietcong victory is 100 percent certain. Initially, the viet cong had doubts and worried about fighting off the heavily armed, legendary and well trained american soldiers.
The time gained is necessary either to develop sufficient military strength to defeat the enemy forces in orthodox battle as did mao in china or to subject. Guerrilla warfare and war of attrition the vietnam war. A closed cylindrical suppressor at the muzzle for the a1 versus the open threepronged version. American military tactics vs vietcongs tactics prezi. These vietnam war documents have been curated by alpha history authors. They would ambush the enemy on roads and launch attacks on us military advisors. It was not the last time these tactics would prove successful. For the rock band formerly known as viet cong, see preoccupations. The viet cong department of defense literally translated, the phrase viet cong vc means vietnamese communist, and those who are viet cong employ the whole communist arsenal of deceit and violence. All of these factors added up to increasing fear for the americans and a winning war effort on part of the northvietnamese and the vietcong. Despite having no aircraft, tanks or artillery of their own, the vietcong managed to hold out against the americans until the usa left vietnam in the 1970s. Feb 09, 2012 the contrast between the two sides in the vietnam war could hardly have been greater. Ho chi minh sent north vietnamese army nva south to fight with. The fighting tactics used by the viet cong during the vietnam war were.
The messages of secrets of the viet cong are certsainly too chilling to be ignored. The strategy of general giap since 1964 it seems extraordinary that after several years of heavy fighting in viet nam we have so little idea of the way in which the war has been conducted. Oct 22, 20 the effective of the search and clear tactics were proved in many operations such as operation pinnaroo where only 5 australians were killed compared to 40 of the viet cong, or operation hammersley where the ratio of death between australian and vietcong was 5. How effective were the tactics used by the us during the vietnam war the us used many tactics during the war with vietnam and the tactics used were usually for one of two purposes. Mar 12, 2012 the viet cong and the us forces both uses many effective weapons. In contrast to this, the americans used tactics such as search and destroy which heavily increased support for the vietcong due to the ridiculous amount of damage and unnecessary casualties of the peasants. The vietcong did not win a single major battle above divisional sized in the entire vietnam w. The effective of the search and clear tactics were proved in many operations such as operation pinnaroo where only 5 australians were killed compared to 40 of the viet cong, or operation hammersley where the ratio of death between australian and vietcong was 5. Guerrilla warfare tactics, in their simplest forms, are used to allow smaller forces to defeat much larger ones.
The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh april 1967 duration. The viet cong and the us forces both uses many effective weapons. It actually really depends on your definition of success. The tunnels of cu chi missouri university of science and. In more than 100 cities and towns, shock attacks by vietcong sappercommandos are followed by wave after wave of supporting troops. Symon wrote this article based on his interview with a former viet cong soldier, nguyen hoa giai, during the vietnam war. Had elaborate system of tunnels and supply routes through cambodia and laos ho chi minh trail. The viet cong were also famous for their extensive use of tunnels and traps. By about 1965 vietcong soldiers had access to chinese versions of the ak47. Apr 14, 2015 a entire lesson 1 hour on the tactics used by the vietcong in the vietnam war. Other weapons such as land mines, and booby traps were hand crafted in north vietnamese villages. Tactically, the guerrilla army makes the repetitive attacks far from the opponents center of gravity with a view to keeping. As if the vietnam conflict wasnt rough enough, here are 5 intense booby traps used by the viet cong in the jungles of vietnam.
One of the fighting tactics used by the viet cong was. Many more had been wounded or captured, and the fighting had created more than a half million civilian refugees. A key city in what was formally south vietnam, saigon now ho chi minh city was the site of hundreds of these tunnels. To ensure that the guerrillas understood why they were fighting, all training courses included political instruction. Strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare wikipedia. Her name is lam thi dep dep means beautiful in vietnamese, the picture was taken in 1972 at soc trang province by vietnamese journalist minh truong.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Even if your knowledge of the vietnam war comes exclusively from hollywood films and texan textbooks that only refer to. Historians of the conflict and participants alike have since critiqued the ways in which civilian. Explain why the us forces were unable to defeat the. The contrast between the two sides in the vietnam war could hardly have been greater. Along with an unknown number of traps set by the viet cong, they also made over 75 miles worth of tunnels underground. But they did have an advantage on them by the guerrilla tactics they had learnt in their training, the viet cong proved themselves wrong and fought against the americans as hard as they could.