US Air Cavalry Trooper vs North Vietnamese Soldier: Vietnam 1965-68

The Vietnam War saw the rise of helicopter air assault, with the US establishing airmobile battalions and divisions. The North Vietnamese adjusted their tactics to make landing zones hostile, resulting in high casualties for the US. This study charts the evolution of US airmobile tactics against North Vietnamese countermeasures, including training, logistics, weaponry, and organization.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 17 September 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The evolution of modern air assault tactics, characterized by the vertical deployment of troops by helicopter or similar means, dates back to the 1950s in Korea and Algeria. However, it was during the Vietnam War that helicopter air assault truly flourished, with the United States establishing fully airmobile battalions, brigades, and divisions, including the renowned 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) by 1965. This division revolutionized battlefield tactics by employing massed helicopters to liberate soldiers from traditional overland methods of combat maneuver. The North Vietnamese, in response, adjusted their thinking to counter airmobile assaults. They specialized in ambush, harassment, infiltration attacks, and small-scale attrition, operating with light logistics and a deep familiarity with the terrain. They optimized their defensive tactics to make landing zones as hostile as possible for assaulting US troops, employing extensive kill zones known as "Hill Traps." From 1966 onwards, they worked to draw US troops into these kill zones, where they could engage in defense-in-depth tactics.

By the time the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) withdrew from Vietnam in 1972, it had suffered more casualties than any other US Army division. This comprehensive study, featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-color battle maps, charts the evolution of US airmobile tactics against North Vietnamese countermeasures. The two sides are analyzed in detail, encompassing training, logistics, weaponry, and organization. The study sheds light on the challenges and complexities of conducting airmobile operations in a complex and hostile environment, highlighting the need for specialized training, advanced logistics, and effective coordination between ground and air forces. It also underscores the importance of understanding the terrain and adapting tactics to counter enemy strategies. The Vietnam War remains a significant chapter in military history, and this study provides valuable insights into the tactics and technologies employed in helicopter air assault during that conflict.

Weight: 268g
Dimension: 185 x 247 x 7 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472841759