During the Vietnam War, many tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to defeat the other, while the Viet Cong mostly engaged in guerrilla warfare, the USA usually used chemical warfare and conventional warfare to fight the other side. Many of these tactics were not intended to kill the enemy, but to demoralise them and limit their supplies.
A key strategy that was used by the Viet Cong was guerrilla warfare, which encompassed rapid, small groups of combatants which use various tactics to fight larger and more traditional troops. During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong and the NVA were vastly outnumbered by the United States and their allies, however, they were able to utilise booby traps to slow down and demoralise the American troops, due to their ability to navigate the terrain. Booby traps were relatively simple to construct which allowed the Viet Cong to place them throughout the terrain. Additionally, the Viet Cong devised a tunnelling system which served as a base of operations and also the location for various military campaigns. Booby traps and tunnelling systems were particularly important to the Viet Cong as they aided in countering American forces during the war.
The American troops were disadvantaged against the Viet Cong as they were unable to navigate the terrain and distinguish between the Viet Cong and normal civilians. As a result, they used chemical warfare to clear the land and also to eliminate the North Vietnamese troops. Agent Orange was a herbicide which was intended to defoliate the dense foliage which covered the enemy troops and to cause targets for bombing distinguishable. It was usually released from aircrafts on, not only, forests but also crops to limit the North Vietnamese troop’s food supplies. NAPALM was another chemical mixture used by the American troops, which was initially intended to be used in flamethrowers to burn down sections of forest to reveal guerrilla fighters. As the war progressed, NAPALM bombs were implemented into air raids, with the intention to eliminate Vietnamese villages that were providing guerrilla fighters shelter.
A main tactic that was used by American troops during the Vietnam was the use of bombing campaigns, which were usually intended to prevent the flow of supplies of the North Vietnamese forces. Operation Rolling Thunder was a bombing campaign that was conducted by the United States aimed to discourage the North Vietnamese troops and encourage the North Vietnamese government to cease its support for the Communist regime. The campaign, over time, expanded by increasing the target area towards the north in order to pressure the Communist government while also building the intensity of the air strikes. Operation Commando Hunt was another bombing campaign launched by the United States that was intended to restrict the transit of supplies and personnel along the Ho Chi Minh trail.
To summarise, both sides utilised various tactics to fight each other and pressure their respective governments to surrender. The United States resorted to mostly conventional and chemical warfare as they were able to supply their troops with the resources to conduct them. However, since the Viet Cong was outnumbered, they had to engage in guerrilla warfare which required less resources and a smaller army.