Describe the tactics used by the U.S and the N.L.F in the Vietnam War. How effective do you think these tactics were?

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Describe the tactics used by the U.S and the N.L.F in the Vietnam War.

How effective do you think these tactics were?

During the Vietnam War, the United States took a completely different approach than the National Liberation Front (NLF) when it came to tactics. America was more modern in their attacks, using their air force and heavily armed ground troops. Whereas the NLF only had guerrilla fighters, who stayed on the ground and attacked quickly.

        The first tactic involved the US air force strategically bombing North Vietnamese targets. This included bombing army bases, bridges, railways and factories, even though North Vietnam didn’t have many factories to bomb. US panes were flying 164 flying missions a day on average in early 1966. Bombs often missed their target. Hospital patients and school children were among those killed. This bombing campaign had limited success.

Part of this massive bombing campaign was called “Operation Rolling Thunder” – which also took place over North Vietnam. It was only meant to last for eight weeks, but finally ended after three years. This is a symbol of how much America struggled to pick out the communists, and this statistic alone implies how the U.S was finding this War harder than it first appeared.

        The Americans knew that they had to try and destroy the Vietcong’s supply routes. They were receiving weapons from the North, along the 17th parallel, but in particular along the Ho Chi Rail. This road linked the South and the North, and was also densely covered by forest. This meant that it was easy for the South to be supplied, and made it even harder for the Americans to spot the transactions. Due to this, America decided that the only way that they would be able to stop weapon supplies along this road and through the forests would be to use bombs. They did this by dropping chemical bombs that defoliated the vast amount of trees. This chemical became known as “Agent Orange”. This now meant that American helicopters were able to spot the enemy more easily.

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        Although “Agent Orange” worked, it did effect the Vietnamese people. One effect of this chemical was that it caused cancer amongst those who used it or were affected it. It also had an effect on pregnant woman who ended up giving birth to seriously deformed children or stillborns. The war also had many psychological effects. The North Vietnamese used this as propaganda against the Americans, suggesting that they had done it deliberately to harm innocent people. But aside from this, the Americans were still struggling to have a clear view of the enemy. Because of this, they introduced another chemical ...

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