Explain why US tactics were ineffective against guerrilla tactics during the conflict in Vietnam
B52 bombers bombard Ho Chi Minh trail
Attempt to obliterate all insustrial + major transportation targets asap Hope: sink morale of Viet Cong + make people afraid of Americans; in turn disheartening Managed to disrupt flow of supplies
Extensive aerial bombing prevent hundreds of tons of war supplies/day down trail - ran from North Vietnam through Laos + Cambodia - into SV. VC continually built route into extensive network of trails + support systems bombing futile; when section discovered + destroyed by American plane, simply redirected through dense jungle, concealed it from the opposition. When most visible, truck-navigated sections targeted, supplies loaded onto bicycles. Intense U.S. bombing/1965 trail never closed once estimated 40,000 used to keep route open morale + determination untainted.
Due to ineffectiveness forced to drop defoliants onto jungles/kill vegetation Believed uncover VC shielded by forest
Estimated 17 million litres AO sprayed succeeded clearing woodland, didn’t aid struggle to spot enemy NLF built system of underground tunnels made impossible to be seen from sky at peak linked support bases some 250km in areas much life spent underground tunnels grew - house entire underground villages, invisible to the U.S. soldiers. use of herbicides=failure didn’t help American’s expose Viet Cong – had begun hiding below ground.
tunnels = ‘unseen enemy’ – not confronted response = search and destroy inserting troops, hostile territory, search + destroy enemy, withdrawing immediately never simple, navigating unknown terrain avoid booby traps (60%) sharpened stakes coated in excrement in pits delay + disrupt ops confrontation usually by ambush NLF fought close not possible to back up without injury didn’t wear uniform – innocent killed in popular areas – couldn’t be distinguished never prepared for ambushes long-lasting psycho impact of murdering civilians at random severe mental fatigue created by fear of booby traps = efforts hindered
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