IEDs are common in modern warfare, but were used in Vietnam by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese military. They used booby traps such as punji stakes and tripwires to attack American soldiers, causing injury and psychological damage.
Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs as they are now known, have become commonplace in 21st century warfare. But these types of traps have been around for years. During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese military found numerous unexpected and deadly ways to attack American soldiers. For example, early in the Southeast Asian conflict, the VC noticed that American soldiers liked to kick empty soda cans left on the ground. Then the VC filled those cans with explosives and planted them along normal patrol routes. When the cans were thrown down the road, they exploded, causing injury or death.
Read more about sneak attacks in Vietnam:
Booby traps in Vietnam have been used to delay and disrupt the mobility of enemy forces. What the VC lacked in firepower, it made up for in deadly ingenuity, which took a heavy psychological toll on US soldiers.
The most common booby trap for VCs was the punji stake. Punji poles were sharpened pieces of bamboo or metal. They may be covered in excrement to cause infection when stepped on.
Another VC favorite was the tripwire, which could cause dangerous reactions when moved, setting off an explosive, perhaps, or hurling a handful of bamboo spikes directly at a soldier.
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