Weapons of VietnamBy: Mark

Andy

Dennis

United States Small Arms Colt M1911A1 was the most commonly

used pistol among US Troops KA-BAR, a knife used by US soldiers, it

was 12 inches and very sharp

US Weapons of Vietnam M-16A1 and M-60 are

easily them most recognizable US weapons (shown left)

Lesser known weapons CAR-15 (Commando

colt) M-203, grenade

launcher

The M16 Rifle Most commonly used weapon by the US

soldiers Not accurate beyond 300 yards Weighted at 20 pounds

M61 Grenade Used by common US

military solider Covered in thin metal After explosion, parts

of coal are released into the air about 15 meters

US Helicopters AH-1 Cobra Small utility helicopter Loaded with missile

launchers and machine gun fire

Camouflaged to hid behind the trees

The cobra:

The 175mm Gunner Used by the US Could fire over 20

miles But the aiming was not

exact Needed a crew of

about 5 or 6 men

US Bombing Raids The US bombed a number of suspected places

where they believed the VC were hiding One piece of transportation used to do this was

the B-52 bomber One piece of transportation used to do this was

the B-52 bomber http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88jrZjsNHPc

US Troops in Vietnam Regular Infantry Special Ops

Green Berates Navy Seals

Tunnel rats

Tunnel Rats Only job to clear VC

tunnels Had to be small Short life expectancy Under command of

Captain Herbert Thorton

No Americans left in the tunnels

Tunnels of Cu Chi Stretched for miles Underground cities Impenetrable to

booming raids Booby trapped for

tunnel rats

Extent of Cu Chi Tunnels

Booby Traps Explosive and non-

explosive Explosive

Bouncing Betties Toe Poppers

Non-explosive Punji Stake Pit Punji Bear Trap

How to make a Booby Trap Anything can be used

American or French land mines/ weapons

Unexploded bombs or shells

Large causality rates for VC working in underground bomb factories

Weapons of North Vietnam North Vietnam’s weapons were supplied mainly by the Soviet

Union and China, fellow Communist countries. Also they used weapons that had been captured from the

French and Japanese when they occupied Vietnam.

NVA Small ArmsAK-47

•Russian made assault rifle

•Used for its durability and low cost

•Made for short range fighting

•SKS-(Chicom)

•Russian made semi-automatic rifle

•Longer range than AK-47

NVA Transportation•Junk

•Traditional Chinese sail boat

•Transported troops and weapons

•Not used for fighting

•http://www.pbase.com/afuent/diving

•BTR-60

•Russian made anphibious personell carrier

•Carried 16 soldiers

•Speeds of 50 mph on land & 10 mph in water

•http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/imgs/btr60.jpg

NVA Transportation Cont.

T-54 & 55 Tanks

Russian made tank

Not used often by NVA

•http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/saigon/

MIG-21

•Russian made jet fighter

•Maximum speeds of 1300 mph

•Used for quick assaults and retreats

•http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Gillespie2005/Highlights/index.html

NVA Tactics• NVA trained many VC

officers in North Vietnam in Guerilla warfare.

• NVA Troops brought to SV through Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Tet Offensive changed NVA tactics by going into SV and using guerilla tactics in cities.

• NVA led by Gen. Giap who’s strategy changed througout the war.

NVA StatisticsDeaths in Vietnam Conflict-US and NVA/NLF

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1

NVA & NLF

U.S. Forces

North Vietnam’s Goal "Defend the North, Free the South, and

Unite the Country.“- Ho Chi Minh North Vietnam would hold out until Vietnam

was united.

Quick Stats 7,078,032 tons of bombs

were dropped in to Vietnam, almost four times the amount dropped in the whole of WWII

3 million people Killed, 1 million wounded

By 1972 an estimated 70,000 draft dodgers lived in Canada

Total war cost about 200 billion dollars

Work Cited "Fighting Tactics of the Viet Cong." Angelfire. Wired. Apr.-

May 08 http://www.angelfire.com/hero2/vietcong/ "The Tunnel Rats." Time. 04 Mar. 1966. CNN. Apr.-May 2008

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,835207-2,00.html

"Vietnam War Revision." Learn History. 9 May 2008 http://www.learnhistory.org.uk/vietnam/vctactics.htm

"Vietnam War Timeline." 15th Field Artillery Regiment. 15 Apr. 2005. May 2008 http://www.landscaper.net/timelin.htm