Vietnam era interdiction of Ho Chi Minh trail

Around 1968 the US stopped trying to deter the North Vietnamese from infiltrating the south by bombing the north. Instead they implemented a plan where they dropped thousands and thousands of sensors on the Ho Chi Minh trail in order to detect when and where the North Vietnamese were sending supplies and personnel south along the trail. When movement was detected this information was sent to patrolling F-4s which bombed the heck out of the area where the movement was detected. Ultimately the whole plan was a failure as it didn't do a whole lot to prevent the NV from infiltrating the south. Instead of providing a specific alternative possibility wherein the US could have better interdicted the movement south along the trail, I'm curious if anyone can provide a scenario where the US could have better interdicted the movement south. Could the sensor-shooter loop have been better implemented? Could some other plan have better worked? Was McNamara just too enthusiastic about throwing something hi-tech at the problem? Any thoughts?
 
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stalkere

Banned
Uh, hit the source, not the symptom?

Why not simply heavy duty interdiction of the harbors? I'm no diplomatic technician, but I've never understood why we didn't say something on the lines of "Hey Russia, China, you go in these harbors, you will hit a mine. You hit a mine, so solly, Challie."
GATOR and CAPTOR mines were in the early stages of development and deployment in those days, but they were ready to go by 1968, IIRC.
NV was a net EXPORTER of food in those days, so they can't claim starvation - and maybe leave a small marked channel in the harbors to ensure that some commerce remains - but not the high-rate importation of munitions.
It'd take some diplomatic wrangling to keep it from becoming a cause celebre - but it's a hell of a lot easier to stop a wide body cargo hull than thousands of guys with laden bicycles.
Just my $0.02
Ed
 
Why not simply heavy duty interdiction of the harbors? I'm no diplomatic technician, but I've never understood why we didn't say something on the lines of "Hey Russia, China, you go in these harbors, you will hit a mine. You hit a mine, so solly, Challie."
Ed


Would not have made any difference, North Vietnam had land border with China, they could have and did use roads, railroads and river tranport. Haiphong actually was mined in 1972.

Bombing and/or mining Chinese ports would have meant all out war with PRC ála Korea as would invading North Vietnam.

McNamara's memoirs have really interestin information on the trail and supply/interdiction efforts, I'll dig out a reference as soon as I can. Assuming 90% efficiency in blocking Ho Chi Minh Trail (IMHO possible only with ASB) would only have meant slower build up of regular communist forces in the south. Guerilla war would have extended, there propably would not have been Tet offensive in 1968. the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) was still able to meet most of its supply needs internally.
 
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