Page 455 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

forces. The AK50 was introduced into South Vietnarn by the end of
1962 when it was captured by governrnent forces in Phuoc Chau,
Quang Tin. Its sharp bayonet can cut barbed wire and dig srnall holes'
The rnore rnodern AK 47 was rnanufactured to replace the AK 50 as well
as the serni- autornatic SKS carbin. The AK 47 weighs 4.800 kilograrns
including its arnrnunition, and has a range of 400 rneters while the
AK 50 weighs 5.450 kilograrns with a range of only 200 rneters. Each
soldier can carry up to 400 rounds with each rnagazine containing 30
to 35 rounds. Both tyPes of AK were used by the Viet Cong in the
general offensive. The AK firepower is considered equal to the
Arnerican M.16.
Like the Soviet forces in World War II, each Viet Cong
assault platoon involved in the general offensive was equipped with
one or two B.40 or B.41 while platoon rnernbers were individually
arrned with AK guns for either sporadic or uninterrupted firing'

The rnoderni zatiol:' of VC weaponry should have been
begun years ago since before it could be carried out it required long
p.iioa" of tirne for solliciting rnodern arrns supplies frorn cornrnunist
countries, transporting thern into South Vietnarn through North Viet-
narn, and for training personnel in handling thern.
In addition to infantry weapons, heavy artillery guns'
particularly the IZZ rnm rocket, were also used by the enerny in
their o{fensive against the cities.
Sorne C ornrnunist Chinese 107 rnrn rockets were also
fired into the capital city in May 1968. This rocket weighs 26 kilo-
grarns and. is less efficient than the l?Z rnrn, The 107 rnrn rocket had
been supplied to North Vietnarn by Cornrnunist China since Septernber
1962, but it dirl not appear on the battlefield in the South until 9 rnonths

late r .
The rnodernization o{ enerny weaPonry from a prirnitive
level into one superior to our own fire power in view of a decisive
battle was one of the rnany surprises of the Vietnarn war (1)

Why the delay in rnodernizing the ARVN {orces ?
High-ranking US rnilitary authorities in Vietnam
blarned the White House and the civilian authorities at the Pentagon
for the slow Process. They put forward the following argurnents :

- Frorn 1961, Washington had believed that the RVN
forces were not willing to fight and supplies of new weapons would

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