history topic 3

how many NVA or USA died in la drang valley 1965

NVA= 1800 US= 240

how many shells and rockets were fired by the us in la drang vallley 1965

33,000 shells 7000 rockets

what did NVA realise at la drang valley

they cant win in field warfare

what percentage of deaths was caused by booby traps

11%

Ho chi minh trail facts-

15,000km, 2/3 supplies succeeded, VC killed 30,000 1966-71

chu chi tunnel facts

saigon = 320m, US couldnt fit, booby traps

Macnamara memo-

witdraw troops, continue existing policies, expand substancially

how many additonal troops were in vietnam by 66

1964= 50,000 1966=75,000

macnamara most significant policies within the war

aversion to humiliation, sustain credibility, VC underestimation, military escalation would force communists to make settlements

operation ranch hand facts 10th august 1961

64-70= 24% sprayed, 50% stronger, agent orange = 77million litres/4million acres, 3000 villages, 3million with health problems, 150,000 born with health defects

operation rolling thunder facts feb 1965

response to golf of tonkin, 1m tonnes 65-73, usa offered negotiations in 66

effects of operation rolling thuner

infrastructure damage, industry damage, foreign aid(210m=65 505m=67), death+destruction, expense(1m tonnes 65-73, 400,000 usd to kill one VC)

what happened at pleiko airfield? 7th feb 1965

more US bases in vietnam- 9 dead, 122 aircraft damaged

search and destroy first wave

1100 VC dead 100US dead, effective in finding tunnels

operation cedar falls

30,000 troops, 3500 villagers evacuated, 3 weeks burning villages, 750VC dead 450ARVN dead

US morale facts

2.8m served- 2m conscripted, 43% who encountered combat died within 3 years, 58,000 died, average age 19, 66-73= 503,000 desertion incidents, 3% of officer deaths caused by fragging- 700 cases, 1971- 5,000 treated for wounds 20,000 for drug abuse

tet offensive facts 30th jan- 24th feb 1968

20th jan attacked khe san near DMZ- 6000 sent to defend, execution of 3,000 civilians- hue massacre, 84,000 communist troops

effects of tet offensive

US= 1500 dead, ARVN= 3000, civilian= 14000, leaders of NLF replaced(losing independence), hue massacre justifies US involvement

media and tet

walter cronkite ‘what the hell is going on? I thought we were winning this war.’

LBJ ‘i’ve lost walter, I’ve lost my average citizen