Page 454 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Frorn the beginning of. 1966 to the end of 1962, other
kinds of C ornrnuni st weapons were introduced into South Vietnarn but
the enerny infantry forces were rnainly equipped with weapons as listed
above, plus sorne obsolete ones. Only VC guerilla and regional units
still used weapons captured frorn governrnent forces.

During the Cornrnunist generaL offensive of 1968, it
could be noticed that the enerny had discarded all kinds of weapons
considered as obsolete and only those with a strong fire power were
being used, particularly in the attacks against cities and townships.
The se were :
- RPG-Z anti-tank guns rnade in Comrnunist China and
known as B.40 and B.4l;
- 4K.47 and 50 sub-rnachineguns rnanufactured in Corn-
rnunist China.

Both are light and easy to handle, with a strong destruc_
tive power. Their caracteristics are as follows :
The RPG-2 anti-tank gun was first rnanufactured by
the Gerrnan Nazis during World War II. It was perfectioned by Corn-
rnunist China into the B.40 rocket gun, and the rnore rnodern 8.41.
This arrn was introduced into South Vietnarn for the first tirne in
late 1965 when it was captured by governrnent troops in the Don pho
Trang battle in euang Ngai, The first 8.40 rocket fired in the 196g
general offensiwe was at the Khe Sanh outpo6t on 20 January.1968.
It rnade headlines in local newspaperB which clairned that a new enerny
weapon was able to fire through sand bags. During the C ornrnunist
offensive against cities and townships, a nurnber of governrnent tanks,
bunkers and buildings were destroyed by 8.40 rockets.

The RPG-2, is very light and easy to carry, and has
a strong destructive power. With it one rnan can destroy an arrnored.
vehicle. During .World War II, each Soviet platoon was equipped with
one such weapon. When it was f ir st rnanu-f actured, it could not be
used more than once. It was perfect by the Cornrnunist Chinese

who rnade it capable of repeated firi.ng. The RPG-Z gun weighs
2,750 kilograrns while its rocketrs weight is 1.840 kilograrn. Its range
is 150 rneters, and the harder the target, the rnore destructive its
power.

The AK sub-rnachinegun was also firet rnanufactured
by Gerrnany during World War II. It is an autornatic and serni-
automatic individual rveapon used by Soviet and other C ornrnunist

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