Vietnam War Collection: books plus

[Granite_State]

There was a good article in Foreign Affairs, sometime in the mid-Sixties, that demonstrated (by truck, sampan, bicycle, and elephant (!) load) how little the VC needed in terms of daily supplies. Wish I could be more specific, I had a photocopy but misplaced it I think. It was in the same issue as an article by Templer of Malaysia fame.

[slapout9]

From 1978 Air University Review about C-130 gun ships and Ho Chi Interdiction.

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/a...b/gilster.html

[William F. Owen]

There was a good article in Foreign Affairs, sometime in the mid-Sixties, that demonstrated (by truck, sampan, bicycle, and elephant (!) load) how little the VC needed in terms of daily supplies. Wish I could be more specific, I had a photocopy but misplaced it I think. It was in the same issue as an article by Templer of Malaysia fame.

I'd be extremely interested to see that. My own research pretty comes down on the side that the NVA romanticised a good deal about "the trail." Without Soviet trucks, they would have been lost. Bicycles and porters could not effectively sustain the tonnage's of supplies needed, and whole NVA units, manning the trail frequently went hungry and were forced to grow their own food. There is also some evidence (from the Chinese) that the trail was massively inefficient, with as little of 30% of resources, that entered the Mu Gai pass, actually reaching combat units in the South.

[davidbfpo]

Just tried the Foriegn Affairs website search function and it found two possible issues: July 1965 and April 1968.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/search...l+Text=templer

Tried the July 1965 issue and nothing appears to match Granite State's recollection: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/1964/4.html

April 1968 seems a better match, as there are two articles 'Must We Invade the North?' by Roger Hilsman ( http://www.foreignaffairs.org/196804...the-north.html ) and 'Squaring the Error' by Sir Robert Thompson (http://www.foreignaffairs.org/196804...the-error.html ).

Hope this helps all those interested; note the articles are a summary and paid access is then the option - unless you are near a very good library.

davidbfpo

[Granite_State]

Just tried the Foriegn Affairs website search function and it found two possible issues: July 1965 and April 1968.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/search...l+Text=templer

Tried the July 1965 issue and nothing appears to match Granite State's recollection: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/1964/4.html

April 1968 seems a better match, as there are two articles 'Must We Invade the North?' by Roger Hilsman ( http://www.foreignaffairs.org/196804...the-north.html ) and 'Squaring the Error' by Sir Robert Thompson (http://www.foreignaffairs.org/196804...the-error.html ).

Hope this helps all those interested; note the articles are a summary and paid access is then the option - unless you are near a very good library.

davidbfpo

Thank you, almost positive April 1968 was the one, confused between Templer and Thompson. I think it was Hilsman's article then, he might have made the case that since interdicting supplies from the North was hopeless, the VC would always have a sanctuary and supplier in Hanoi. Will keep an eye out for my copy, but doesn't look like it survived the trip home across the Atlantic.

[sapperfitz82]

Moyar's book does an excellent job covering the growth, total tonnage moved but what means, and the effect of this on the insurgency and later invasion by NVA.

It seems that the bombing did work quite well, but because Pres. Johnson only pursued it in fits and starts, the long term result was an negative.

Surprisingly, a great deal of supply was brought by sea until a co-ordinated campaign by the navy finally brought a halt to this. The reason the water routes were used is because the GSVN troops had severed the trail in the Central Highlands.

Well documented read on this particular issue.