Page 453 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

D. - MODERNIZATION OF WEAPONRY FOR
THE COMBAT FORCES

The rnoderni zation of the Cornrnunist weaponry in
South Vietnarn was carried out in several phases. First in 1959 when
they re-launched their rnilitary drive for a Cornrnunist take ower in
South Vietnarn the Viet Cong were using arrns left over frorn the
resistance war against the French.

Later, they used arrns captured frorn RVN forces.
However they could not rely only on captured arrns and arnrnunition
as the war deweloped, for they needed rnodern weapons to rnodernize
and expand their arrned forces now deploying as larger unitF.

By rnid-1967, arrns rnade in various Comrnunist
countries were introduced into South Vietnarn by the Viet Cong. A
governrnent docurnent showed that fnorn rnid-7962 to 1965, rnore than
twenty different kinds of Cornrnunist weapons were seized as follows :

No CATEGORY ORIGIN DATE OF LOCATION
CAPTUR€
I MP-82 RiJle Ru6 s ia. 10,5.1962 Binh Dinh
z 57 mln Recoitless ! iJle Corn. China 25 . L. t96Z Quang Tin
3 K. 50 Sub-machinegun -id- -id- - id,
60 rnm Mortar -id- 7.1,1963 Phuoc Thanh
5 82 mm Mortar -id- 25,3.1963
6 MP-82 Rocket 24. 4.1963 Quang Ngai
7 27 mrn Rocket launcher r0,6.1963 _id_
8 MoBBid Nagant Carbin with
automatic baJonet (cKc) Ru66ia 13.6. ).963 Kien Fhotrg
9 SKS 7, 62 .nm Calbin - id- r0.9.1963
l0 75 mm Recoilless riJle Corn. C hina. -id- - id-
It 7.92 mm Heavy rnachinegun
(8 Maxin) -id- -id-
lz 7.92 mm Carbin -id- I5,9.1963 Dinh Tuong
13 l2 mm Hea\,:r machinegun - id- 21, \t, 1963 Duc Hoa
t4 Translormed Mat 49 North VietDam 25,rr.1963 Ouang Tin
I5 90 rnm Bazooka Com. China zz.Iz.1963 Tuong
16 90 mm Rocket launcher EaBt Germa.ny t6.2,1965 Vung Ro
t7 53 tYPe Carbin -id- -id- - id-
l8 7.92 mm Sub -machinegun _id_ 12.1964 Thien
19 7.92 rnm Mauser _id_ t6.2. t965 Vung Ro
20 12.7 mm anti-aircraft heavy
machinegun, 54 type Com, China 15 .12. t965 Quang Ngai
2l RP46 Automatic RiJle RUB 6ia t5 - rz, t965 Quang Ngai
zz RPD Machinegun - id- - i.l- -id-
RPG-2 anti-tank gun, Ru6 sian
type, and Communist Chinese
type known as B.40 Co'n. China

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