The tactics of search and destroy and defoliation were very ineffective in the Vietnam War. There was some element of success to the US tactics, but not enough for them to win the war overall. They were the wrong tactics to use against a guerrilla force, which is what caused them to be ineffective.

How was search and destroy used in the Vietnam War?

NARRATOR: In Vietnam, General Westmoreland’s strategy was to fight a war of attrition. He called it “search and destroy.” American forces would search out the enemy, make contact, and then, with superior numbers and firepower, destroy him.
 

Why did the US strategy of search and destroy fail in Vietnam?

Failures for the USA



The bombing campaign failed because the bombs often fell into empty jungle, missing their targets. The North Vietnamese guerrillas knew the jungle and made use of elaborate underground bases and tunnels to shelter from US bombs, and often re-used unexploded American bombs against US soldiers.

What was the impact of American search and destroy missions in Vietnam?

American ‘search and destroy’ missions were often successful but their strategic impact was limited. In other words, they killed numbers of the enemy but failed to eradicate them completely or halt their activities. One of the most significant problems was the evasiveness of the Viet Cong.
 

Did the US use search and destroy in Vietnam?

Beginning in 1965, William C. Westmoreland, the commanding general of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), sent large numbers of soldiers on search-and-destroy missions against Viet Cong forces.

Why were search and destroy missions unsuccessful?

Failure of Search and Destroy: Search and Destroy missions were often based on poor military intelligence. They failed to reliably find Vietcong soldiers and the brutal tactics used by US troops often drove more Vietnamese civilians to support the Vietcong.

Did search and destroy fail?

Both Operation Rolling Thunder and Search and Destroy were crucial elements of US tactics in Vietnam. Their failure only highlighted the fact that despite their superior finance and technology, they could not compete with the Viet Cong.

How effective were US tactics in Vietnam?

The USA’s tactics under President Johnson



The USA would ultimately drop three million tonnes of bombs in Vietnam – more than all the bombs dropped in Europe during World War Two. However, bombing was highly inaccurate due to the jungle landscape and the lack of industrial targets in North Vietnam.

What was the US strategy for winning the Vietnam War?

The Strategy



The U.S. would wage a war of attrition, a military tactic through which a long series of small-scale attacks gradually wears down the enemy. The goal was to inflict heavy damage on North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, so much damage in fact, that it would be impossible for them to recover and keep fighting.
 

What were three reasons the US was unsuccessful in Vietnam?

Why did the United States lose the Vietnam War?

• Ambiguous Aims & Objectives of the War.
• Lack of Consistency in Policy Formulation.
• Terrain.
• Public Support for Vietcong.
• Support of China.
• Lack of understanding of Political Dynamics.
• Intelligence failure of the CIA.
• Dwindling Domestic Public Support.

What are the flaws with search and destroy missions?

Search-and-destroy missions had many flaws. First, there was lack of distinction between clearing and search-and-destroy missions. Thus, clearing missions, which were less aggressive, eventually morphed into a more violent and brutal form of tactic, just as search-and-destroy missions were.

What was the most significant impact of the Vietnam War?

The most immediate effect of the Vietnam War was the staggering death toll. The war killed an estimated 2 million Vietnamese civilians, 1.1 million North Vietnamese troops and 200,000 South Vietnamese troops. During the air war, America dropped 8 million tons of bombs between 1965 and 1973.

What methods were used to protest Vietnam?

In addition to national protests, which attracted tens of thousands to Washington, DC, there were acts of civil disobedience that became more widespread over time, including sit-ins on the steps of the Pentagon, draft induction centers, and railroad tracks transporting troops, as well as the public burning of draft

What method did the US use in the Vietnam War?

The USA’s tactics under President Johnson



American tactics in Vietnam can be summed up by the acronym BEAST – Bombing, Escalation, Air and artillery, Search and destroy and Technology.

What search engine is used in Vietnam?

Google

What was destroyed during the Vietnam War?

The bombing did terrible damage to the land. It destroyed many of the dams and canals that the peasants had installed to irrigate their farmland. It also created huge craters in the rice paddies and hillsides. In fact, by the end of the war there were an estimated 21 million bomb craters in South Vietnam.

What did Vietnam War smell like?

In the back of a candy shop in Hai Duong, another man recalled: “The war smelled of burnt nylon.” That was just one day of almost 40 we spent in Vietnam, over three years, capturing testimonies and images of more than 100 North Vietnamese veterans and their families.
 

Was Vietnam a bloody 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.