by C. R. Ryder
TRUCKS
ZIL-130 General purpose truck
ZIL-131 General purpose truck
ZIS-151 General purpose truck
UAZ-469 All-Terrain vehicle
UAZ-452 Van-type transport vehicle
UAZ452D Single cab pickup truck
UAZ-2206 Van-type transport vehicle
UAZ-3741 Van-type transport vehicle
UAZ-3909i Ambulance
UAZ 39625 Van-type transport vehicle
UAZ 39094 Crew cab pickup truck
Ural-375D General purpose truck
GAZ-66 General purpose truck
KrAZ-255 General purpose truck
MAZ-537 Tank transporter
SMALL ARMS/INFANTRY WEAPONS
PISTOLS
TT-33 Pistols Militia force
PMM Pistols Standard issue service pistol
APS Pistols Standard issue
Type-54 Pistols (Chinese copy of TT-33) Militia Forces
CZ-52 Pistols (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong))
RIFLES
AK-47 Assault rifle
Type-56 Assault rifle
AKM Assault rifles Standard issue
AK-74 Assault rifle
AKS-74U Compact Assault rifles (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong))
XM-177E2 Carbines Used by Special Forces
SKS-45 Carbines (Militia forces, Military police)
Type 56 Carbines (Militia forces, Military police)
IMI Tavor TAR-21 Assault rifle
SVD Sniper rifles Standard issue
SVU Sniper rifles (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
SUBMACHINE GUNS
PM-63 Submachine guns (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
MP-5A4 Submachine guns (used by the Police Force)
Uzi Submachine guns (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
Mini Uzi Submachine guns (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
Micro Uzi Submachine guns (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
HEAVY MACHINE GUNS
IMI Negev Light Machine Gun (Used by Naval Special Force)
RPD-44 Light Machine Guns Standard issue
RPK Light Machine Guns Standard issue
PKM General Purpose machine Guns Standard issue
DShK-38/DShKM Heavy machine guns Standard issue
NSV Heavy Machine Guns Standard issue
EXPLOSIVES
GP-25 under barrel grenade launchers (used by Special Forces (a.k.a. Dac Cong)
M203 under barrel grenade launchers (used by naval infantry)
AGS-17 Automatic grenade launchers Standard issue
M-79 Grenade Launchers Standard issue (locally self-produced)
MGL Mk-1 40 mm Grenade Launcher
M-72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon, improved for more durable launchers and rockets, used sometimes as flame throwers
Type 69 RPG rocket propelled grenade system
RPG-7 rocket propelled grenade system Standard Issue
RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenade system
9K111 Fagot (AT-4 Spigot) Anti-tank missile system
9K11 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) Anti-tank missile system
9M113 Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) Anti-tank missile system
MD-82 mine Anti-personnel blast mine
ARTILLERY
B-10 82 mm Recoilless gun (700)
SPG-9 73 mm Recoilless gun (900)
82-PM-41 82mm infantry mortar (200)
M1938 107mm infantry mortar (200)
120-PM-43 mortar 120 mm infantry mortar (200)
M-160 mortar 160 mm infantry mortar (100)
2S1 122 mm Self-propelled artillery gun (300)
2S3 152 mm Self-propelled artillery gun (200)
D-20 152 mm howitzer gun (700)
D-30 122 mm howitzer gun (900)
M-46 130 mm towed field gun (500)
BM-14 16tubes 140 mm multiple rocket launchers (400)
BM-21 40tubes 122 mm multiple-launch rocket system (700)
SS-1 Scud B/C/D Tactical ballistic missiles (two brigades, 24 launchers)
M-114 155 mm howitzer gun (100)
9K720 Iskander Tactical ballistic missiles (10 systems orders in 2012, will deliver in 2015)
While some V1 era American equipment, like the M-113 armored personnel carrier, was in the PAV active inventory, there was also a large number of American equipment that’s condition was largely unknown.
American Weapons sold to ARVN and captured by North Vietnam:
TANKS
In storage
M48 Patton Medium tank (100)
M-41 Light tank (100)
SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY
In storage
M107 Self-Propelled Artillery 175 mm (5)
CARGO VEHICLES
In storage
M-35 cargo truck
M-151 Jeep
SMALL ARMS
Phased out/In storage due to lack of parts or ammo
M16 Assault rifles (In storage)
M16A1 Assault rifles (In storage)
Kbkg wz. 1960 Carbine-grenade launcher (status unknown)
M14 Battle Rifle (In storage)
AMD 65 Assault rifle (In storage)
M1919 Medium machine gun (In storage)
M2HB Heavy Machine Guns (In storage)
M-60 Machine Guns (In storage)
ARTILLERY
Phased out/In storage
B-11 107 mm Recoilless gun (900)
BM-13 16tubes 132 mm multiple rocket launchers (200)
M-40 106 mm Recoilless gun (100)
M-107 175 mm howitzer self-propelled gun (100)
So there it all was in a nutshell. It sure looked more manageable on paper. It was going to be a slog in real life.
There was another issue as well.
The PAV Dac Cong were getting a lot of press and not the good kind.
As the spiritual successors to the Vietcong, the Dac Cong scared the shit out of the civilians and politicians. They were jungle fighters and after years of Vietnam War movies they, and an extended war of attrition in the Central Highlands, were what the American people feared the most. In a survey over the holidays most Americans answered that we had lost V1 because there were too many trees in Vietnam. That is why popular support was turning to a war in the Middle East. The argument was that there was no place to hide in a desert and our troops would be safe.
The PAV sappers were going to be a both a real and imagined threat. They were the Vietnamese army’s elite commando/special forces unit. The Dac Cong also provided specialized commando training to foreign forces at the PAVN Sapper Training School in Vietnam as well as by Vietnamese sapper advisors assigned to the Cuban Army’s Sapper School in Cuba, and, in the last decade, by Vietnamese sapper training teams stationed in Nicaragua. The Dac Cong were responsible for training super sappers among El Salvador, Cambodian, Laotian, Soviet and Cuban militaries. The Vietnamese had been on the ground in Afghanistan helping Soviets root out guerilla forces there. It reminded me of how the US Army had used Indian scouts against their own in the Indian Wars. It took a guerilla fighter to battle a guerilla fighter on their own turf. They were experts in sapper tactics including bomb-making, sniping and commando hunting.
We would have to deal with them along with the conventional forces one way or another.
All the pieces were in place. The weapon was assembled. All that was needed was for the trigger to be pulled.
I could only imagine how scared those men must be who would have to storm those beaches. What kind of people could possibly want to do a job like that?
Corporal Mason Lee
United States Marine Corps
Marine Landing Force
This Marine is ready to eat his own guts to get his countrymen back home.
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