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Did the Viet Cong ever fall into their own traps?
The booby trap was one of the signature tactics the Viet Cong used against American troops in Vietnam. It seems impossible, but the VC thought of that. In order to avoid falling victim to their own simple but effective traps, they created a system to clandestinely mark the traps.
Why did the Viet Cong use traps?
The Viet Cong were the guerrilla force that, with the support of the North Vietnamese Army, fought against South Vietnam and its allies. Booby traps were cheap and relatively simple to make, and the Viet Cong used them to devastating effect.
When were booby traps used in the Vietnam War?
Booby traps were among the most dreaded weapons of the Vietnam War. Between January 1965 and June 1970, 11 percent of Army deaths and 17 percent of wounds were the result of booby traps.
Why was the Gulf of Tonkin resolution passed?
U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War: the Gulf of Tonkin and Escalation, 1964. On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.
How many US soldiers were killed by booby traps in Vietnam?
According to the report, Army research shows that nearly 90 percent of the mines and booby traps used against American troops in Vietnam were either American-made or were manufactured by enemy troops with captured American components. About 64,000 American troops were killed or injured by mines in the Vietnam War.
How did Viet Cong traps work?
These are traps made with sharpened bamboo stakes, often smeared with urine, feces, or another substance that would cause infection in the victim. The VC would dig a hole and put the sticks in the bottom, then cover it with a thin frame. The victim would put his foot through the cover and fall on the spikes below.
How did the Viet Cong use traps?
Similar to the mace, the tiger trap consisted of a weighted, spike-studded board. A tripwire would undo the catch on a rope, releasing a plank weighted with barbed metal spikes. 7. Pressure Release Traps The Viet Cong quickly learned to booby trap not only items that were of military importance but also items such as flags and other war trophies.
How effective were the snakes in the Vietnam War?
Left in old weapons caches, or tied and left around corners in the various tunnel complexes dug by the Viet Cong, the snakes were not necessarily the most effective booby trap of the war but ranked high in terms of the fear the thought of finding one instilled. During the course of the war, the Vietnamese perfected the “art” of the booby trap.
Why did the Viet Cong fly flags in Vietnam?
The NVA and Viet Cong loved to fly flags and knew US troops liked to capture them – when forced to leave a location, they often rigged the flags with an explosive, so when US troops started to take down the flag, the booby trap would go off.
How did the Vietnamese use pressure release traps in Vietnam?
The Vietnamese made use of pressure release traps as well. In the famous movie “Platoon” (1986), a GI lifts an ammo case filled with maps he has just found in a hastily abandoned Viet Cong headquarters. When the case is lifted, an electrical charge was released, which ignited an explosive within, killing two men.