What were the vietcong tactics during the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

The Viet Cong's used Gorilla Warfare during the Vietnam War because with there landscape and territory that we had to fight in was so thick and full of trees and bushes that guns did not work because if you shot it you might hit a tree and they knew that hand to hand combat and setting up traps for the Americans or who ever else would walk into it, was the only way to sesesfully kill the Americans or anybody else and they were right.

Hand to hand combat was rarely used by either sides during the Vietnam war. The General in command of US Forces in Vietnam once said that the US troops weren't familiar with the landscape and that it was 'A kind of trial and error'. This meant that they did not have an idea of what the war would be like and with too much confidence in the Amercian soldiers, 'The mere presence of US Forces would force them into quitting' (Philip Caputo, US Marine), the use of Guerilla tactics by the NLF Fighters or Vietcong, were far more effective than the tactics used by the US. Spike pits and underground tunnels, along with attack and disperse techniques were a major contribution to why the US was beaten.

As a desperate solution, the US forces executed 'Zippo raids' and used chemical weapons to try and wipe out the Vietcong, but as they did not wear a uniform, they were hard to identify and looked like 'villagers with guns'. Many civilians were killed by this technique, and also with massacres. Ultimately, the South Vietnamese support of the Amercians was lost and they began to supoprt North Vietnamese communist fighters, or the Vietcong. :)

Answer 2

The US Military has experienced guerrilla warfare thru-out it's history. During the US Civil War 1861-1865, Quantrill's Raiders conducted guerrilla warfare against the Union Army (US Army). Vietnam was simply "guerrilla" warfare on a larger scale over a larger area, done more often, using more lethal weapons than had occurred during the Civil War.

Answer 3

They worked well in the beginning, until the US learned how to fight back, with Special Forces, SEALs, etc. However, during the TET offensive of '68, the VC surfaced and fought conventional, and were eliminated (killed off)...leaving the NVA to carry on the war against the US. Some historians have stated that that was Ho Chi Minh's plan to begin with...

Answer 4

Since the VC were not regulars or conventional troops & they were guerrillas they had to use guerrilla tactics. Guerrillas use un-conventional methods because they are unconventional forces.

Answer 5

Because conventional military tactics would have failed miserably.

Answer 6

Guerilla Warfare and Conventional Warfare.

Answer 7

Guerilla Tactics