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Viet Cong Tactics - Lesson 2

The Viet Cong used guerrilla warfare tactics effectively against the larger US forces during the Vietnam War. They would attack US camps when soldiers were tired or at unexpected times, then disappear into the jungle or tunnel systems. This made the US troops constantly fearful of ambushes. The Viet Cong also maintained good relationships with local villagers for blending in, and they were highly determined fighters, building an extensive tunnel network to avoid US air attacks. Through the use of guerrilla tactics that exploited hit-and-run attacks, camouflage, and mobility, the Viet Cong were able to effectively counter the numerical strength of US forces.

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Watuzana Kasengele
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145 views1 page

Viet Cong Tactics - Lesson 2

The Viet Cong used guerrilla warfare tactics effectively against the larger US forces during the Vietnam War. They would attack US camps when soldiers were tired or at unexpected times, then disappear into the jungle or tunnel systems. This made the US troops constantly fearful of ambushes. The Viet Cong also maintained good relationships with local villagers for blending in, and they were highly determined fighters, building an extensive tunnel network to avoid US air attacks. Through the use of guerrilla tactics that exploited hit-and-run attacks, camouflage, and mobility, the Viet Cong were able to effectively counter the numerical strength of US forces.

Uploaded by

Watuzana Kasengele
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Viet Cong tactics – Lesson 2

The Viet Cong were no match for the US troops, in early 1965, they only had 170,000 soldiers. Ho Chi
Minh knew very well that his men were heavily outnumbered and even after the incident at La
Dreng Valley (where 2,000 Viet Cong were killed), he did not give up. When Ho was in China he saw
and observed chairman Mao use the guerrilla warfare to achieve communist victory, he later used it
to drive out the French and this was the perfect time to retry the tactic. Guerrilla warfare was
working in favour of the Viet Cong.

For starters, the Viet Cong raided when the US army camped, and they attacked when the enemy
was tired. This meant that the attacks by the Viet Cong happened at very unexpected times and this
made it difficult for the US soldiers to fight back. The guerrilla warfare was a nightmare for the US
army. Why? Well, this is because the guerrillas did not wear a uniform and it was almost impossible
for them to be spotted out once they were among the peasants in the villages. They had no base
camp or headquarters. Also, the guerrillas worked in small groups with limited weapons, they
attacked then disappeared into the jungle, villages or into tunnels. Even if the Americans could find
an entrance they struggled to get through the tunnels as many were booby-trapped. It was almost
impossible to find and attack the Viet Cong because the US troops did not know where to find them
and they did not know whether they were attacking the right people. This made the US soldiers live
in constant fear of ambushes and booby traps. This proves that the Viet Cong’s aim to wear down
enemy soldiers and wreak their morale was very effective and it was falling into place.

Ho also knew how important it was to keep the population on his side. So, the Viet Cong maintained
a good relationship with the peasants of the village by helping them in the fields during busy periods,
they had to be courteous and respectful. This was another excellent tactic because it helped the Viet
Cong blend in very well with the peasants, making it even harder for the US soldiers to identify them.
Another amazing attribute of the Viet Cong was their endurance. They did not give up simply
because the US army was larger than theirs. They were very determined to win the battle, and this is
shown by the tunnels that they built, it is said that they were about 240 km of them. The whole
point of building the tunnels was to avoid US air force. In conclusion, throughout the war, the Viet
Cong had the upper hand, this was because of their strength and the experience that they had in
using the guerrilla tactics. The USA on the other hand had no idea what they were dealing with, they
had no idea about the guerrilla warfare.

watuzana kasengele

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