How difficult an enemy were the Vietcong?

The Vietcong were a South Vietnamese communist faction that fought against the U.S. and South Vietnamese armies during the Vietnam War. Their use of civilians in combat and guerrilla style fighting, such as spider holes and tiger traps, made them a difficult enemy for the United States military.

Why were the Vietcong such a difficult enemy?

The Vietcong had an intricate knowledge of the terrain. They won the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people by living in their villages and helping them with their everyday lives. Their tunnel systems, booby-traps and jungle cover meant they were difficult to defeat and hard to find.

What tactics used by the Vietcong made fighting difficult?

Lacking the firepower of the American forces, the Vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, and other guerrilla tactics. These techniques could be greatly destructive.

Who were the Vietcong afraid of?

The destructive effects of American planes dropping napalm bombs—the Vietcong are terrified of them—are very great, and the insurgents have no answer to them.

Did the Viet Cong ever win a battle?

The Viet Cong won its first military victory against South Vietnamese forces at Ấp Bắc in January 1963.

Vietcong Guerilla (Vietnam war)

What was the most feared army in Vietnam?

The Marine Raider Regiment (MRR), formerly known as the Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR).

How effective were the Vietcong as a fighting force?

They were extremely successful because they had very good and vital knowledge of the forests and jungles and were able to protect their supplies from damage by using the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Why was fighting the Vietcong so difficult for American soldiers?

The Vietcong were a South Vietnamese communist faction that fought against the U.S. and South Vietnamese armies during the Vietnam War. Their use of civilians in combat and guerrilla style fighting, such as spider holes and tiger traps, made them a difficult enemy for the United States military.

Why were the Vietcong so successful?

The Vietcong had a hidden system of tunnels stretching over 200 miles. There were hospitals, armouries, sleeping quarters, kitchens and wells underground. These tunnel systems could hide thousands of Vietcong which helped them fight their guerrilla war.

What was Vietcong fighting style?

The Vietcong successfully utilized guerrilla warfare to fight against the United States and South Vietnamese forces. Guerilla warfare is a type of fighting that utilizes ambushes, raids, and mobility to fight a traditional military.

What are the soldiers most afraid of?

» Most feared weapons were bomb fragments (36%), trench mortars (22%), artillery shells (18%). » Fear changes. Untried soldiers were more afraid of "being a coward" (36%) than of being crippled and disfigured (25%). But veterans dreaded crippling (39%) nore than showing their fears (8%).

What made the Vietnam War so difficult to win?

Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam.

What did the Viet Cong do to civilians?

By 1969, nearly 250 civilians were being murdered or kidnapped each week. VC/PAVN terror squads committed over 36,000 murders and almost 58,000 kidnappings from 1967 to 1972 according to a U.S. Department of Defense estimate in 1973.

What did American soldiers call the Vietnamese?

Collectively the United States often called them the Viet Cong. It was commonly shortened to VC, which in military alphabet code was spoken as Victor Charlie. It was further shortened to just Charlie. American soldiers called them Charlie, they called themselves liberators.

Did the Soviets help the Viet Cong?

As the original communist state, the Soviet Union aided North Vietnam, with increasing support in the late 1960s. While the U.S.S.R. supplied some troops, their biggest contribution was in weaponry.

Did any Americans defect to the Vietcong?

Only a handful American servicemen are believed to have defected to the communists during the Vietnam War. One of the more bizarre cases is that of McKinley Nolan. A Texan with the U.S. Army's 1^st Infantry Division, Nolan reportedly slipped away from his basecamp in Tay Ninh Province on Nov.

Which American soldiers were most feared by the Vietcong?

Depending on where they were at, the communists feared a number of American infantry units. If they were up north near the Dong Ha River the communists feared the 101st Airmobile Division and the U.S. Marines. If they were in the center of S. Viet Nam they feared the 173D Airborne and the 4th Infantry Division.

How many Americans actually fought in Vietnam?

2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation. 4. 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).

Were the Vietcong good fighters?

These qualities make them excellent fighting men… In little more than five years, the Viet Cong armed forces have grown from an essentially guerrilla army to one that includes regiments of uniformed, well-equipped, highly foot-mobile regulars, capable of engaging in conventional operations of limited duration.

What did the Vietcong do to POWs?

Although North Vietnam was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, which demanded "decent and humane treatment" of prisoners of war, severe torture methods were employed, such as waterboarding, strappado (known as "the ropes" to POWs), irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement.

Did the Vietcong get support from peasants?

The Vietcong were supported by the South Vietnamese peasants because they would offer to help them with their daily work. It was difficult for American troops to know who was a Vietcong and who was not.

What was the deadliest job in Vietnam?

Overall, the U.S. military used nearly 12,000 helicopters in Vietnam, of which more than 5,000 were destroyed. To be a helicopter pilot or crew member was among the most dangerous jobs in the war.

Who was the most badass soldier in Vietnam?

Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez of the 1st Special Forces was credited with single-handedly saving the lives of eight men during six hours of non-stop battle.

What unit lost the most men in Vietnam?

1st Cavalry Division – Ia Drang Valley, Republic of (South) Vietnam, November 16, 1965. At the battles at LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany, 234 men were killed and more than 250 were wounded in a period of four days.

How violent was the Vietnam War?

More than two decades of violent conflict had inflicted a devastating toll on Vietnam's population: After years of warfare, an estimated 2 million Vietnamese were killed, while 3 million were wounded and another 12 million became refugees.