Weapons of the Vietnam, US, South Korean, Australian, and New Zealand

Chemical weapons

In 1961 and 62 the Kennedy administration authorized the use of chemicals to destroy vegetation and food crops in South Vietnam. Between 1961 and 1967 the US Air Force sprayed 12 million US gallons of concentrated herbicides, mainly Agent Orange (a dioxin) over 6 million acres (24,000 km²) of foliage, trees and food crops, affecting an estimated 13% of South Vietnam's land. In the year 1965, 42% of the herbicide used was allocated to food crops. The herbicide use was also intended to drive civilians into RVN-controlled areas.[2] In 1997, an article published by the Wall Street Journal reported that up to half a million children were born with dioxin related deformities, and that the birth defects in South Vietnam were fourfold those in the North. The use of Agent Orange may have been contrary to international rules of war at the time. It is also of note that the most likely victims of such an assault would be small children. A 1967 study by the Agronomy Section of the Japanese Science Council concluded that 3.8 million acres (15,000 km²) of land had been destroyed, killing 1000 civilians and 13,000 livestock.

Small arms

The KA-BAR knife was the most famous edged weapon of the war.1. Edged weapons (Combat knives, bayonet)

Randall No. 1
Gerber Mark II
M1 bayonet
M6 bayonet
M7 bayonet
KA-BAR (USMC)
KCB70 bayonet (Limited use with Stoner 63 rifle only)
2. Pistols & Revolvers

FNH Browning H-P Mk III pistol - used by Australian and New Zealand forces
Smith & Wesson Mark 22 Mod.0 "Hush Puppy" - Suppressed pistol used by SEALs, among others
Colt M1911A1 pistol and its variants
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Carried by General Officers
Colt Commander
Smith & Wesson Model 15 (USAF M-15) carried by USAF SPs (Security Police Units)
Smith & Wesson Model 12
M1917 revolver
High Standard HDM
Walther PPK with suppressor
Ruger MK II with suppressor (Navy SEALs)
3. Shoulder arms

L1A1 Self Loading Rifle (SLR) - Used by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Vietnam
Springfield M1903 limited use
A U.S. soldier with an M14 watches as supplies are dropped in Vietnam, 1967.M1 Garand limited use
M1 Carbine
M2 Carbine
M14 rifle
XM16E1 and M16A1 Early issue M-16 had problems replaced by M16A1. After 1968 were issued to special forces and then infantry a year or two later.
XM177E2
M1A1 Thompson
M3 Greasegun
Swedish K
Smith & Wesson M76
Madsen M/50
Beretta M12
MAC-10
MP40 (CIDG)
UZI (SOG recon teams)
Owen Gun (Australian submachine gun)
F1 submachine gun (Australian, replaced Owen Gun)
L2A1 a copy of the British sterling used by the SASR for prisoner extraction also used with Silencer
T223 which is a copy of the Heckler & Koch HK33 Assault Rifle under license by Harrington & Richardson used in small numbers by Navy SEAL teams
Winchester Model 1912 pump-action shotgun
Ithaca 37 pump-action shotgun
Remington 870 pump-action shotgun
Remington 11-48 semi-automatic shotgun
The shotguns were used as an individual weapon during jungle patrol; infantry units were authorized a shotgun by TO & E (Table of Organization & Equipment). Shotguns were not general issue to all infantrymen, but were select issue, such as one per squad, etc.
4. Sniper Rifles


The Winchester Model 70 was used by U.S. Marine Corps snipersWinchester Model 70 bolt-action sniper rifles - used by U.S. Marine Corps snipers
M-40 sniper rifle - used by U.S. Marine Corps snipers* M21 Sniper Weapon System (or XM21 in test phase) - an accurized version of M-14
Springfield M1903A4 sniper rifle
M1 Garand M1C and M1D sniper variants
5. Machine guns

L2A1AR Full auto machine gun version of the L1A1 SLR used by ANZAC forces
Stoner M63a Commando & Mark 23 Mod.0 - used by U.S. Navy SEALs and tested by Force Recon
M60 machine gun GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun)
M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle, known as BAR
M1917 Browning machine gun .30cal heavy machine gun
Browning M1919-A6 medium machine gun
Browning M2HB .50cal Heavy Machine Gun
6. Grenades and Mines


Claymore anti-personnel mine in use in VietnamMark 2 Fragmentation Hand/Rifle Grenade
Claymore M18A1 is an anti-personnel mine
M61 Fragmentation Hand Grenade
WP M34 grenade White Phosphorus Hand Grenade is a smoke grenade that uses white phosphorus, which, when in contact with air ignites and creates white smoke. The white phosphorus was also a useful way to dislodge the Viet Cong from tunnels or other enclosed spaces as the burning white phosphorus absorbs oxygen, causing the victims to suffocate or suffer serious burns.
M18 grenade Smoke Hand Grenade
7. Grenade Launcher

M79 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher used late in the war by special forces.
China Lake NATIC a pump-action grenade launcher - used by U.S. Navy SEALs
XM148 grenade launcher
Mk.19 Automatic Grenade Launcher
8. Flamethrower
M2 flamethrower

Infantry support weapons

U. S. soldier carries a M67 recoilless rifle past a burning Viet Cong base camp, 1968M18 recoilless rifle 57-mm,
M20 recoilless rifle 75-mm
M67 recoilless rifle 90 mm
M40 recoilless rifle 106-mm
M19 Mortar 60 mm
M29 Mortar 81 mm
4.2 inch mortar 107 mm commonly referred to as the "four deuce"
M20 Super Bazooka used mainly by U.S. Marine Corps before introduction of M72 LAW
M72 LAW Light Anti-Tank Weapon
FIM-43 Redeye MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defence System)
[edit] Artillery

Self-propelled Howitzer M109 in Vietnam75mm Pack Howitzer M1
105 mm Howitzer M102
105 mm Howitzer M2A1
L5 (Aust) Pack Howitzer 105-mm
M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
M107 Self-Propelled Gun 175 mm gun
M110 8-inch self-propelled howitzer

Artillery ammunition

Beehive rounds
White phosphorus (marking round) "Willy Peter"
HE, general purpose (High Explosive)
Canister
[edit] Combat aircraft

Spotter's silhouette of the RAAF Canberra B.20 medium bomberA-1 Skyraider ground attack aircraft
A-37 Dragonfly ground attack aircraft
F-5 Freedom Fighter fighter used in strike aircraft role
A-4 Skyhawk carrier borne multirole strike aircraft
A-6 Intruder carrier borne all weather multirole strike aircraft
A-7 Corsair II carrier borne multirole strike aircraft
AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter
AC-47 Spooky gunship (four) with the 1st Air Cavalry Division
AC-130 "Spectre" Gunship
AC-119G "Shadow" Gunship
AC-119K "Stinger" Gunship
B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber
B-57 Canberra medium bombers - used by the U.S. Air Force
Canberra B.20 Royal Australian Air Force medium bomber
F-4 Phantom II carrier and land based fighter-bomber
F-8 Crusader carrier borne fighter-bomber
F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber
F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bomber
F-101 Voodoo (RF-101) fighter-bomber/reconnaissance plane
F-102 Delta Dagger fighter
F-104 Starfighter fighter
F-111 Aardvark medium bomber
OH-6 Cayuse Transport/ Observation helicopter
OH-58 Kiowa Transport/ Observation helicopter
OV-10 Bronco, light attack/observation aircraft
UH-1 "Huey" gunship role (various models)

Support aircraft

USS Garrett County at anchor in the Mekong Delta with two UH-1B Iroquois helicopters on deck.C-123 Provider tactical cargo aircraft
C-130 Hercules tactical cargo aircraft
C-141 Starlifter strategic cargo aircraft
UH-1 Iroquois helicopters in several configurations
CH-47 Chinook medium lift helicopter
C-5 Galaxy strategic lift cargo aircraft
C-7 Caribou tactical cargo aircraft - used by the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force
CH-46 Sea Knight rescue helicopter
H-2 Seasprite helicopter
H-3 Sea King rescue and recovery helicopter
UH-34 Seahorse Transport/Cargo helicopter
CH-53 Sea Stallion medium lift helicopter
CH-54 Skycrane heavy lift helicopter
H-43 Huskie Transport/cargo helicopter
O-1 Bird Dog, observation aircraft
O-2 Skymaster, observation aircraft
OV-1 Mohawk battlefield surveillance and light strike aircraft

Aircraft Ordnance

See also: List of Bombs in the Vietnam War
GBUs
CBUs
BLU-82 Daisy cutter
Napalm
Bomb, 250 lb, 500 lb, 750 lb, 1000 lb, HE (high explosive), general purpose
Rocket, aerial, HE (High Explosive), 2.75 inch

Aircraft weapons

A minigun being fired from a gunship in Vietnam.M61 Vulcan, 20 mm (aircraft mount)
Minigun, 7.62 mm (aircraft and helicopter mount)
M197 Gatling gun, 20 mm
M60 machine gun, 7.62mm (helicopter mount)
[edit] Vehicles
M38A1 1/4 ton jeep
Ford M151 MUTT 1/4 ton Military Utility Tactical Truck (jeep)
Dodge M37, 3/4 ton (pick-up truck)
Kaiser Jeep M715 1 1/4 (Pickup Truck)
Truck, cargo/troops, 2 1/2 ton (deuce and a half)
Truck, cargo/troops, 5 ton
M520 Goer Truck, Cargo, 8-ton, 4x4
Land Rover short and long wheelbase Australian and New Zealand forces.

Armoured fighting vehicles

M48 Patton tank in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, 1969.M41 Walker Bulldog light tank Used by South Vietnamese Army [ARVN]
M48 Patton medium tank
M551 Sheridan airborne reconnaissance assault vehicle, currently referred to as a light tank
Centurion main battle tank - used by the Australian Army
Sherman m4a3-m4a6 variants medium tank used in small numbers refitted with 76mm - used by American Army/Marines
Army and USMC vehicles

M113 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier)
M113 ACAV Armoured Cavalry Assault Vehicle
M8 Greyhound,used only by (ARVN)
LVTP5 Landing Craft
M50 Ontos
Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando
Mark I PBRs (Patrol Boat River)
LARC-LX
BARC
AMTRAC'S, amphibious tractors, US Marine Corps
M-114 Reconnaissance vehicle
M42 Duster (M-41 light tank hull, with a naval twin 40 mm mounted on an open turret)
Naval craft


Fast Patrol CraftMonitor, heavily gunned riverine craft
Swift Boat, (PCF) Patrol Craft Fast
ASPB, Assault Support Patrol Boat, (known as Alpha boats)
PBR, Patrol Boat River, (all fiberglass boats, propelled by twin water jets)
Gunship Vehicles (commonly cargo), armed with automatic weapons.

Gun trucks, 2 1/2 ton (deuce an a half), and 5 ton cargo trucks with quad .50 cal machine guns mounted in the back
M16 Halftracks with quad .50 cal machine guns in the back
Gun jeeps, 1/4 tons with mounted M-60 machineguns
Land Rover, short and long wheelbase, with single and twin M60 machineguns. Aust. and NZ forces
[edit] Weapons of the PAVN/NLF
Main article: Viet Cong and PAVN logistics and equipment
NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and the Southern communist guerrillas NLF, or Viet Cong as they were commonly referred to during the war, largely used standard Warsaw Pact weapons. Weapons used by the North Vietnamese also included Chinese Communist variants, which were referred to as CHICOM's by the US military. This distinction was in recognition of Taiwan (Nationalist China), a US ally.

Artillery

North Vietnamese SAM crew in front of a SA-2 launcher.ZPU-4 quad 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun
ZU-23 quad 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon
M1939 37 mm anti-aircraft gun
S-60 57 mm anti-aircraft gun
82 mm and 120 mm mortars (M1938)
122 mm Katyusha rockets
120 mm guns


MiG-21 jet fighter
MiG-19 jet fighter, used in limited numbers
MiG-17 jet fighter
MiG-15 jet fighter, used in limited numbers
An-2 aircraft
Mi-4 helicopter
Mi-8 helicopter