What type of war was fought in Vietnam?

Answer 1

The Vietnam War was the FIRST "Helicopter War." A war of mobility. Mobility that was used to "Search and Destroy" any and all communist forces found. The results of search and destroy was the "Body Count." He that killed the most men, would win the war; a war of attrition. This was the type of war that was fought in Vietnam.

Another type of warfare was guerrilla warfare. The concept acknowledges a conflict between armed civilians against a powerful nation state army, either foreign or domestic and uses tactics such as ambush, sabotage and mobility in attacking vulnerable targets in enemy territory.

Answer 2

The southern portion of South Vietnam (Mekong Delta area, III & IV Corps) was mostly hot, humid, swampy, resembling Louisiana and Florida in the United States. This area contained mostly Viet Cong (VC) guerrilla forces. It was to open and to soft to conduct conventional battle; and when the Communists tried to fight in that manner, it often resulted in their quick defeat. This was booby trap, land mine, sniper, hit & run country.

The Central Highlands (II Corps) of SOUTH Vietnam approached the terrain and weather of the midwestern United States; Dry, hilly, hard wood tree forests, creeks & streams, etc. These areas had more organised VC forces, which would conduct the same hit & run ambush tactics, land mines, etc. But, worse, this was mainly NVA territory, where uniformed regular army forces from North Vietnam would establish bases and operations. Big conventional battles would occur in this AO (Area of Operations), "Hamburger Hill", "Dak To", and the dreaded A Shau Valley.

I Corps, was near the DMZ (17th Parallel), this was mainly US Marine Corp territory. They re-took the city of HUE in this AO, during the TET offensive of '68. I Corps consisted of the Khe Sahn battles, and the first use of NVA tanks (PT-76's) over-running of the US Green Beret (Special Forces) outpost at Lang Vei in '68. Many fights in this area were small unit conventional slugging matches with regular NVA units. Small units meaning company sized firefights, (approximately) one hundred men per side.

Answer 3

Warfare in SOUTH Vietnam consisted of guerrilla hit & run fighting; with some small unit firefights (less than 100 men apiece on each side) these units consisted mainly of Viet Cong forces. NVA (Regular Army units from the north) engaged in conventional battle usually from battalion down to company level engagements. In areas bordering Laos and Cambodia, the NVA sometimes employed armor (tanks); such as at Firebase Lang Vei and Ben Het in 1968. The NVA armor used in those actions have been historically classified as Soviet built PT-76 Amphibious Tanks, but may have been mis-identified as actually Chicom Type 63's, which were license built derivatives of the Soviet PT-76.

The war over NORTH Vietnam consisted of aerial dog-fighting between MIG-17, MIG-19, and MIG-21 jet fighters from the North Vietnamese Air Force, against US Navy F-8 Crusaders & F-4 Phantoms; US Naval A-4 Skyhawks (As Presidential Candidate John McCain flew over North Vietnam), A-7 Corsair II's, and A-6 Intruders flew bombing attacks while the F-8's & F-4's flew fighter cover. The US Air Force bombed with B-52 Stratofortess's, F-105 Thunderchief's, F-100 Supersabers, F-104 Starfighters, F-102 Delta Daggers (as flown be President George Bush with the Texas Air National Guard); with F-101 Voodoos flying reconnaissance. These USAF bombers flew under fighter escort of the USAF version of the navy's F-4 Phantoms. The only visible difference between USAF & USN F-4 Phantoms, was that Air Force F-4's were painted in camoflage (as were their ex-navy A-7 Corsair II's & A-1 Skyraiders (seen in latest film release: "Rescue Dawn").

Answer 4

There were four types of warfare occurring in Vietnam: 1. The Air War over North Vietnam. 2. The Riverine war in South Vietnam. 3. The Ground War in South Vietnam. 4. The Covert War in Laos/Cambodia.

Answer 5

Guerrilla warfare from 1955 thru 1964; conventional war from 1965 until the end (1975).