1960s North Vietnamese Propaganda Film Reveals Some Of Their Tactics. Frightening!

The time was 1965. Early on in the Vietnam War. This very rare film was given to an American television network that aired it in the primetime. It presented a Viet Cong/North Vietnamese propaganda film and for most Americans, it was the first time we saw some of the Guerrilla War tactics they were using that made the conflict frightening for American troops. In this video, they show some examples of these military tactics. They made the film to show their people how they could win the war. Punji Sticks: These were sharpened bamboo sticks that were often coated with poison and planted in pits, or arranged in clusters at different angles in the field to impale soldiers. They were intended to wound, rather than kill, American soldiers, thus slowing the progress of troops and draining medical resources. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs): The Viet Cong made use of many different types of homemade bombs, including grenades made from unexploded American ordinance. These could be rigged to detonate when a vehicle passed over or when a soldier tripped a wire. Booby Traps: These included a wide variety of devices intended to kill or maim, such as tripwire grenades, snake pits, and even spring-loaded boxes filled with scorpions. Again, these traps were intended to slow the progress of troops and cause fear and uncertainty. Homemade Firearms: While the Viet Cong were supplied with weapons such as the AK-47 from their Communist allies, they also manufactured their own guns and mortars from scavenged or repurposed materials. Tunnels: Although not a weapon per se, the extensive tunnel systems used by the Viet Cong were a crucial part of their strategy. These tunnels were used to move troops and supplies, to hide from enemy patrols, and to launch surprise attacks. The intention of these weapons was multifaceted. They were not only designed to inflict physical damage but also to cause psychological harm by inducing fear and uncertainty. These tactics were part of a larger strategy of guerrilla warfare aimed at neutralizing the superior firepower and numbers of the American and South Vietnamese forces. The intention of the video was to convince the Vietnamese people that they could win against the enormously superior firepower of Americans and South Vietnamese forces. To me after all these years is still disturbing to view.