From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs – about 2.5 million tons of munitions – on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions.
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How many bombs did America drop in the Vietnam War?
Between 1965 and 1975, the United States and its allies dropped more than 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—double the amount dropped on Europe and Asia during World War II.
What bomb did us drop on Vietnam?
Beginning on December 18, American B-52s and fighter-bombers dropped over 20,000 tons of bombs on the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. The United States lost 15 of its giant B-52s and 11 other aircraft during the attacks. North Vietnam claimed that over 1,600 civilians were killed.
How many bombs were dropped on the Ho Chi Minh trail?
Dubbed the “Ho Chi Minh Trail,” the American military reasoned that if it could be sufficiently damaged, the enemy would be unable to sustain itself. Three million tons of explosives would be dropped on the Laos portion of the trail alone. But as often as the Trail was bombed, it was repaired.
How many unexploded bombs were there in Vietnam?
Vietnam remains one of the world’s most contaminated countries, with an estimated 800,000 tons of unexploded bombs left over from the war that ended more than 40 years ago.
Why did the US not bomb Vietnam?
The US did not resort to using nuclear weapons in Vietnam for a variety of reasons: fear of the damage it would cause to the US’s international reputation, domestic political considerations, a reluctance to break the ‘tradition’ of non-use, and a realization that, although there were plenty of viable targets such as
What is the most bombed place on earth?
Making history in 1942, Malta became the most bombed place on earth. Ever. In total, 15,000 tonnes of bombs were dropped on this archipelago.
How many American soldiers who served in the Vietnam War were drafted?
The Draft in Context
The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million.
Were nukes used in Vietnam?
While no nuclear weapons were deployed in Vietnam, they were on board aircraft carriers and stockpiled in the region, increasing in numbers up through mid-1967. [22] CINCPAC plans for a major escalation of the war included both nuclear and nonnuclear options.
Did the US stop the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
The United States could not block the Ho Chi Minh Trail with ground forces, because the countries it passed through were officially neutral. Extensive aerial bombing did not prevent the North Vietnamese from moving hundreds of tons of war supplies per day down the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the south.
Is Vietnam still communist?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a one-party state. A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all organs of government, politics and society.
Why did Rolling Thunder fail?
Failure of Operation Rolling Thunder
The bombing campaign failed because the bombs often fell into empty jungle, missing their targets.
Is there still unexploded ordnance in Vietnam?
During the Vietnam War, the Americans wanted to stop the enemy in Vietnam from getting supplies through Laos, so they began the nine-year long air bombardment. More than 270 million submunitions were dropped and 80 million of these are believed to remain unexploded on the ground.
How many landmines are still in Vietnam?
Up to three million pieces of unexploded ordnance and cluster munitions are still buried in Vietnam’s soil.
Where in Vietnam was Agent Orange sprayed?
Phu Cat base
Over 3.5 million liters of Agent Orange were located on the Phu Cat base during the American war in Vietnam. Several areas of the Phu Cat base were found to have elevated levels of dioxin requiring remediation (above 1000 ppt in soil or 150 ppt in sediment).
Did the US want to nuke Vietnam?
Vietnam was never a US goal. The US wanted a cease-fire and for NVN to cease its support for revolution in the South— a limited goal.. Originally Answered: How come America didn’t nuke Vietnam? Same reason we didn’t nuke Korea in 1951.
Did the US bring nukes to Vietnam?
With the approval of the American commander in the Pacific, General Westmoreland had put together a secret operation, code-named Fracture Jaw, that included moving nuclear weapons into South Vietnam so that they could be used on short notice against North Vietnamese troops.
Did any US soldiers stay in Vietnam?
Fighting resumed and South Vietnam eventually surrendered to the forces of North Vietnam in April 1975. Approximately 2,700,000 American men and women served in Vietnam. It was the first war in which the US failed to meet its objectives.
What was the secret war in Vietnam?
“The Secret War”
In the early 1960s, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Special Activities Division began to recruit, train and lead the indigenous Hmong people in Laos to fight against North Vietnamese Army intruders into Laos during the Vietnam War.
Why did the U.S. drop bombs on Laos?
The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.
What was the most destroyed city in World war 2?
The punishing, three-day Allied bombing attack on Dresden from February 13 to 15 in the final months of World War II became among the most controversial Allied actions of the war. The 800-bomber raid dropped some 2,700 tons of explosives and incendiaries and decimated the German city.
