A british take on the american involvement in vietnam. Covering the evolution of the forces from 1958 onwards, this book takes an. The pavn is a part of the vietnam peoples armed forces and includes. The name is said to have first been used by south vietnamese president ngo dinh diem to belittle the rebels. Viet cong and pavn strategy, organization and structure. Viet cong, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the north vietnamese army, fought against south vietnam late 1950s1975 and the united states early.
During the vietnam war 19651975 and the cambodianvietnamese war 19771989, the vietnam peoples ground forces relied almost entirely on sovietderived weapons and equipment systems. The ausa book program has many titles devoted to their work, such as ranger. North vietnam, officially the democratic republic of vietnam, was a country in southeast asia from 1954 to 1975. General vo nguyen giap, commander of the north vietnamese army, wrote in his memoirs that his army was on the brink of collapse, but the u.
The enemy rarely accepted battle in unfavorable situations and only accepted decisive contact under exceptional circumstances. Anderson, the columbia guide to the vietnam war 2002. The peoples army of vietnam pavn, popularly known as the north vietnamese army nva, was the main branch of the armed forces of the democratic republic of vietnam. He wanted ho chi minh, and the viet cong, to believe that he was obsessed with communism, and was prepared to use nuclear warfare to target it. North vietnamese army soldier by gordon l rottman is part of ospreys warrior series, which seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of historys fighting men and women, detailing their motivation, training, tactics, and experiences. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. The nva were well supplied, well organized, and did not restrict themselves the way many large armies do.
For most americans, there is a lot of mystery that surrounds our old adversaries in the vietnam war. The north vietnamese army nva and the vietcong bartleby. The viet cong and the north vietnamese peoples army of vietnam pavn used. Memories of an officer in vietnam, ballantine books. Anniversary of the battle of hue during the vietnam war.
Viet cong and pavn strategy, organization and structure wikipedia. The pows who endured north vietnam s most infamous prison. The formation of the viet cong vc and north vietnamese army nva lies in the communist dominated resistance to the. Guerrilla tactics in december 1965, ho chi minh and the north vietnamese leadership ordered a change in a way the war in the south was to be fought. Originally serialized much like the history of the second world war series of the 70s, this work is. The many falsehoods surrounding the vietnam war continue to frustrate those. The guerilla warfare tactics of the north vietnamese required u.
The north vietnamese army nva and the vietcong vc were fast, agile, adaptable, and extremely unpredictable. Books examine special operations forces during the vietnam. Professional reading list center of military history. A us general on military tactics in vietnam 1984 general bruce palmer jnr served in the upper echelons of the united states army in vietnam in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In a masterful study of military strategy gone awry, the author a professional. Vietnam have long history with guerilla style warfare, first happen in war against ancient chinese dynasty of han in 200s bc. The journalistviet cong spy who changed the course of the. Taking the offensive, october 1966september 1967 in early 1966, the head of the u. This is a very popular misunderstanding in indonesia. The definitive book about this subject is alvin townleys defiant. The term pavn peoples army of vietnam identifies regular troops of the north vietnamese army nva. Viet cong and vietnam peoples army logistics and equipment. Viet cong guerrillas supported by regular units of the north vietnamese army overran towns and cities across the south as the surprised soldiers of the us and the republic of vietnam flailed helplessly. They organized a new guerrilla army of south vietnamese communists, which became known as the vietcong.
With the end of the cold war in 1992 soviet military equipment subsidies ended and vietnam began the use of hard currency and barter to buy weapons and. The vietnamese communists, or vietcong, were the military branch of the. What is true is vietnam military leaders use a book wrote by a top indonesian guerilla fighter served in indonesian armys siliwangi division on the war of independence against the dutch from 19451949 named general abdul haris nasution. Many exgrunts and officers are quoted without editing. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. The north vietnamese conducted massive operations which were carefully scripted and rehearsed. Ground force, navy, air force, border defence force, and coast guard.
Armed forces of the vietnam war pritzker military museum. North vietnamese army soldier 195875 warrior book 5. Nlf and pavn battle tactics comprised a flexible mix of guerrilla and conventional warfare battle tactics used by the main force of the peoples liberation armed forces known as the national liberation front or viet cong in the west and the nva peoples army vietnam to defeat their u. The significance of the battle of ia drang vietnam war books. American pows gave all the guards at north vietnamese prisons cute. Five days of b52 bombing runs explain the need to estimate casualties on the other side, as well as the. I wrote this on a fellow quora comment and friend of sorts at least he and i respect each other lets see the us army kept 1. Viet cong, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the north vietnamese army, fought against south vietnam late 1950s1975 and the united states early 1960s1973. Is it true that vietnam learned about guerrilla warfare. A us general reflects on military tactics in vietnam 1984. Reagan doctrine, viet cong and pavn strategy, organization and structure, viet cong and vietnam peoples army logistics and equipment, history of guerrilla warfare, insurgency, splan, liberation of paris, northern campaign, leaderless resistance.
The defeat of the viet cong and the north vietnamese army, 19611973 by mark. It now began reorganizing its meager ranks into a single composite battalion in the valley between the ia drang river and hill 542, the most prominent peak of chu pang in this area. The official vietnamese history of the war states that the liberation army of south vietnam vi. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war.
In his 1984 memoir, palmer reflected on american military tactics in vietnam. A unit formed, trained and designated b north vietnam as an nva unit and composed completely or primarily of north vietnamese. The tactics and strategies employed by the viet cong essay. North vietnamese army and viet cong order of battle 1965. Viet cong and nva tunnels and fortifications of the vietnam war.
During the second indochina war, better known as the vietnam war, a distinctive land warfare. Yet, in the end, it was north vietnam, not the united states, that emerged victorious. Female communist soldier with assault rifle somewhere on the ho chi minh trail, 1973 north vietnamese army nva pinup girl from the handwritten diary and photo album by north vietnamese war correspondent and photographer le minh truong, documenting his journey along the ho chi minh trail from north vietnam to saigon between 1973 and. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. While the north vietnamese army fought in direct combat from the north, the viet cong used guerilla warfare and insurgency tactics to interrupt operations in the south. Guerrilla warfare tactics, in their simplest forms, are used to allow smaller forces to defeat much larger ones. South vietnamese dead were estimated at more than 400,000, and viet cong and north vietnamese at over 900,000.
The vc hid among the common populace and fought like demons. The genius of north vietnam s war strategy how they did it the most admirable thing about this falls pbs series on the vietnam war is the way in. The history and the tactics is an excellent book about the conflicts in vietnam from before world war ii to the end of the u. The army and vietnam, krepinevich argues that military strategy in vietnam. In engagement after engagement the forces of the viet cong and of the north vietnamese army were thrown back with terrible losses. The book covers organization, equipment, training or the lack thereof, indoctrination, food, living quarters, and tactics. Vietcong recruitment would be stepped up and more north vietnamese army troops. Until the weakened viet cong forces could be rebuilt or replaced with north vietnamese, both guerrilla and regular communist forces had adopted a defensive posture.
Nevertheless, 90,000 north vietnamese army troops were in the south or in border sanctuaries waiting to resume the offensive at a. Viet cong vc, in full viet nam cong san, english vietnamese communists, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the north vietnamese army, fought against south vietnam late 1950s1975 and the united states early 1960s1973. The authors draw on many, many sources to provide what surely must be a thorough description of the viet cong and the north vietnamese army. For arms, ammunition and special equipment, the vietcong depended on the ho chi minh trail. The conflict in vietnam ended 40 years ago, with chaotic scenes in saigon, now ho chi minh city, as the north vietnamese army closed in on the. Army, said to his north vietnamese counterpart on a small team in hanoi negotiating the. This is the story of a viet cong guerrilla based in south vietnam. The north vietnamese army easter offensive of 1972. On the second day of the battle, a battalion from the u.
A massive countrywide offensive exploded during the lunar new year. Collected via email, october 2004 something all of you should think about is what general vo nguyen giap, the commander in chief of the north vietnamese army had to. The fall of dien bien phu in 1954 signaled the end of french rule in indochina, the establishment of the north vietnamese army as a recognized professional fighting. The vietcong the vietnamese communists, or vietcong, were the military branch of the national liberation front nlf, and were commanded by the central office for south vietnam, which was located near the cambodian border. One of nixons favoured tactics was the madman theory. However, vietnam does not have a separate ground force or army branch. During the second indochina war, better known as the vietnam war, a distinctive land warfare strategy and organization was used by the national liberation front better known as the viet cong or vc in the west and the peoples army of vietnam or nva north vietnamese army to defeat their american and south vietnamese army of the republic of vietnam arvn opponents. Just reread in full for the first time in probably eight years. Krepinevich, guenter lewy, lewis sorley, and john nagl. When people read about those who served as soldierlawyers in. In vietnam, special operations forces focused on counterinsurgency and in training local forces in ranger techniques and tactics. A network of paths that began in north vietnam and ended in south vietnam used by the north vietnamese army to send weapons, soldiers, food and other supplies to the vietcong forces in south vietnam. The canonical difference is this the nva were north vietnamese regulars sent from north to south. Staying the course october 1967 to september 1968, united states army in vietnam combat operations, official comprehensive history of battles in southeast asia against viet cong and north vietnamese.
Military assistance command, vietnam macv, general william c. For the average american interested in military history, the north vietnamese army soldier, or bo doi, has held little of the fascination generated by such enemy soldiers as the british redcoats or the japanese kamikazes. North korean national strategy and military policy foundation. The editor has excellent photos from the time when the french battled the vietminh to when the u. Ralph puckett and forging a special operations force. Nov 18, 2017 the genius of north vietnams war strategy. Journalists could not travel around north vietnam and report freely, let alone accompany the north vietnamese army into battle and witness their ruthless tactics. North korean military tactical doctrine, regiment level and higher. Explains some of the differences between the south vietnamese guerrillas and the mindset of the north vietnamese, primarily the south were more democratic thinking than their northern communist comrades. He wanted the north vietnamese to believe that hed go to extraordinary lengths, so that theyd start peace negotiations. Sep 22, 2018 journalists could not travel around north vietnam and report freely, let alone accompany the north vietnamese army into battle and witness their ruthless tactics. Despite americas abundant resources and advanced technology, their various tactics such as search and destroy, operation rolling thunder, defoliation, air attacks, the.
Sorrow of war offers the north vietnamese perspective by tracing the warhaunted life of kien, a former infantryman turned writer, as he. Combat advisers in vietnam knew the score and got ignored. Now that im more familiar with the documentary record concerning vietnam and not just the vietnam literature or the coinasmilitary reform oeuvre, which in many cases are the same thing, krepinevichs tendentious book holds up very poorly indeed. The 33d north vietnamese army regiment, originally a 2,200man fighting force, had lost 890 killed, 100 missing, and 500 wounded during the plei me debacle.
It provides an excellent introduction to the vietnam war and i would highly recommend. List of equipment of the vietnam peoples ground forces. A unit formed and trained in south vietnam whose original personnel composition consisted primarily of people residing in south vietnam. Soldiers, civilians, and us military strategy jstor.
I read it a while ago, and this is what i remember. Gordon rottman has written another excellent book on military tactics. The vietnamese communists, or vietcong, were the military branch of the national liberation front nlf, and were commanded by the central office for south vietnam, which was located near the cambodian border. Over the last eighteen months he and his south vietnamese allies had checked the growth of the communist insurgency and were now. The peoples army of vietnam, also known as the vietnamese peoples army, is the military force of the socialist republic of vietnam.
Army 1st cavalry division reported 1,500 north vietnamese deaths by bodycount, an additional 2,000 by estimate, and 304 deaths among their own troops. The evolution of us army tactical doctrine, 19461976. A good primer on the north vietnamese army during the vietnam war. North vietnamese army soldier 195875 warrior rottman, gordon l. The viet cong were famous for using the guerrilla warfare tactic in vietnam to attack american forces.
What tactics did the north vietnamese and viet cong employ. The tactics and strategies employed by the viet cong and the north vietnamese army, and the us and australian armed forces, were to become the prime determinants of the outcome of the conflict. Feb 10, 2018 the journalistviet cong spy who changed the course of the vietnam war. Additionally, i have refined this paper as a result of many comments and facts contributed by lieutenant colonel kim, yong bum, north korean tactics instructor, republic of korea army college. The thing i liked best about the book is that it gave a real feel for how different service was with the nva compared to the other armies involved in the war, including the viet cong. With the end of the cold war in 1992 soviet military equipment subsidies ended and vietnam began. The easter offensive of 1972 caught not only the south vietnamese military by surprise, but also the military commanders of the united states. Feb 05, 2016 but the north vietnamese and viet cong had hundreds of photographers of their own, who documented every facet of the war under the most dangerous conditions. Lacking the firepower of the american forces, the vietcong used ambushes, booby traps, and other guerrilla tactics. The genius of north vietnams war strategy the daily beast. Through several days of fighting they were unable to isolate the city. In the middle of the night on january 31, 1968, 10,000 north vietnamese and vietcong troops swept into the historic city of hue, a major cultural center in south vietnam. Like the army of the republic of vietnam arvn, the pavn was divided into regular, regional, and security forces that each received different degrees of training and supplies.
In all, at least 45,000 vietnamese men and women are said to have died defending the cu chi tunnels over the course of the vietnam war. Nlf and pavn battle tactics comprised a flexible mix of guerrilla and conventional warfare battle tactics used by the main force of the peoples liberation armed forces known as the national liberation front or viet cong in the west and the nva peoples armyvietnam to defeat their u. What was the difference between nva and vc soldiers in. The vietcong and north vietnamese army used essentially infantry tactics, and mobility was the key to all operations, from the small actions of the local forces to the larger actions of the regular forces. The north vietnameses plan responded positively to the following criteria. This was highly effective due to their mastery of it. During the vietnam war, the viet cong vc main forces and north vietnamese army nva were forced to.
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