Weapons of the First Indochina War

This article is about the weapons used in the First Indochina War, involved the North Vietnam or Viet Minh (Army: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN)), Lao Issara (1945–1949) → Pathet Lao (1949–1954) (Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF)), Khmer Issarak or United Issarak Front (1950–1954), Japanese volunteers and which of the French Fourth Republic (Army: French Armed Forces) or French Indochina (Army: French Far East Expeditionary Corps), Kingdom of Cambodia (1946–1954), Kingdom of Laos (1947–1954), State of Vietnam (1949–1954) (Army: Vietnamese National Army (VNA)).

Weapons of the French Fourth Republic (French Indochina), State of Vietnam

Edged weapons

• 17-inch spike bayonet used on the MAS-36 rifle
• Bolo knife
• Ka-Bar (American supply)
• M3 fighting knife used on the M1 Carbine (American supply)
• M4 bayonet used on the M1 Carbine and M2 Carbine (American supply)
• M5 bayonet used on the M1 Garand (American supply)
• M1905 bayonet used on the M1 Garand and Springfield M1903 (American supply)
• M1917 bayonet used on the Enfield M1917 (American supply)
• MAS 49/56 bayonet used on the MAS-49 rifle
• Pattern 1907 bayonet used on the Lee–Enfield rifle (British supply)
• Seitengewehr 84/98 III (Bayonet) used on the Mauser Karabiner 98k (Captured from Germany in WW2)

Sidearms

Pistols and revolvers

• Colt M1911 (American supply)
• Luger P08 (Captured from Germany in WW2)
• MAB D
• MAC M1950
• MAS M1892
• SACM M1935A
• SACM M1935S
• Smith & Wesson Model 10 (American supply)
• Walther P38 (Captured from Germany in WW2)

Shotguns

(not included yet)

Rifles

Carbines

• M1 carbine (American supply)
• M1A1 carbine (American supply)

Semi-automatic rifles

• M1 Garand (American supply)
• MAS-44 rifle
• MAS-49 rifle

Bolt-action rifles

• Berthier M1902
• Enfield M1917 (American supply)[1]
• Gras M1874
• Lee–Enfield rifle (British supply)[1]
• MAS-36 rifle
• Mauser Gewehr 98 (Captured from Germany in WW2)
• Mauser Karabiner 98k (Captured from Germany in WW2)
• Springfield M1903 (American supply)

Automatic weapons

Submachine guns

• Lanchester submachine gun (British supply in WW2)
• M3 submachine gun (American supply)
• Madsen M-50
• MAS-38
• MAT-49
• MP 40 (Captured from Germany in WW2)
• Sten submachine gun (British supply in WW2)
• Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun (American supply)
• Thompson M1A1 submachine gun (American supply)

Light machine guns

• AA-52 machine gun
• Bren light machine gun (British supply)
• Browning M1918 (American supply)
• Chauchat M1915
• Hotchkiss M1922
• Lewis machine gun[2]
• MAC M1924/29 light machine gun
• MG 34 (Captured from Germany in WW2)

Medium machine guns

• AA-52 machine gun
• Browning M1919 (American supply)
• Hotchkiss M1914
• MG 34 (Captured from Germany in WW2)
• Reibel machine gun

Heavy machine guns

• Browning M1917 (American supply)
• Browning M2 (American supply)
• Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun[2]
• Vickers machine gun (British supply)

Explosives and grenades

• DF37 defensive grenade
• Mk 2 fragmentation grenade (American supply)
• Molotov fire grenade
• OF35 offensive grenade
• OF37 offensive grenade

Mortars

• Brandt M1927/31
• Brandt M1935
• Brandt 120 mm M1945[2]
• Lance Grenades 50 mm M1937[2]
• M1 mortar (American supply)[2]
• M2 mortar (American supply)
• M2 4.2-inch mortar (American supply)[2]

Anti-tank weapons

• M1 Bazooka rocket launcher (American supply)
• M3 37 mm gun (American supply)[3]
• M18 recoilless rifle (American supply)
• M20 recoilless rifle (American supply)
• M20 Super Bazooka rocket launcher (American supply)
• Ordnance QF 6-pounder (British supply)[3]
• PIAT (British supply)[2]

Anti-aircraft weapons

• Bofors 40 mm gun (American supply)[4]
• Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun[4]
• M45 Quadmount (American supply)
• Oerlikon 20 mm cannon (American supply)[4]
• Schneider 75 mm M1913, M1915 and M1917 AA gun

Artillery

• 75 mm M1897 field cannon[4]
• M101 105 mm howitzer (American supply)
• M114 155 mm howitzer (American supply)
• M116 75 mm howitzer (American supply)
• QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer (British supply)[4]
• Schneider 65 mm M1906 mountain cannon[4]
• Schneider 105 mm L M1936 field cannon[4]

Other vehicles

• M2 half-track car (American supply)
• M3 half-track (American supply)
• M3 Scout Car (American supply)
• M5 half-track (American supply)
• M8 75 mm Howitzer motor carriage (American supply)
• M8 Greyhound (American supply)

Tanks

Light tanks

• M5A1 Stuart (American supply)
• M24 Chaffee (American supply)

Medium tanks

• M4 Sherman (American supply)

Aircraft

• Amiot AAC.1 (A copy of the German Junkers Ju 52-3M)
• Bell F-63C Kingcobra (American supply)
• Chance-Vought AU-1 Corsair (American supply)
• Chance-Vought F4U-7 Corsair (American supply)
• Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (American supply)
• Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver (American supply)
• Douglas B-26 Invader (American supply)
• Douglas C-47 Skytrain (American supply)
• Douglas C-124 Globemaster (American supply)
• Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (American supply)
• Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat (American supply)
• Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat (American supply)
• Nakajima Ki-43-II Kai (Captured from Japan)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX (British supply)

Communications

Radios

• SCR 300 Walkie-Talkie (With earphones)
• SCR 536 Handie-Talkie

Weapons of the North Vietnam (Viet Minh)

Edged weapons

• 17-inch spike bayonet used on the MAS-36 rifle (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Bayonet scabbard used on the Mosin–Nagant rifle (Soviet Union supply)
• Bolo knife (Captured from France)
• Crossbow
• HY1935 bayonet used on the Chinese Chiang Kai-Shek rifle (Chinese supply)
• Ka-Bar (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M3 fighting knife used on the M1 Carbine (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M4 bayonet used on the M1 Carbine (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M5 bayonet used on the M1 Garand (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1905 bayonet used on the M1 Garand and Springfield M1903 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1917 bayonet used on the Enfield M1917 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MAS 49/56 bayonet used on the MAS-49 rifle (Captured from France)
• Pattern 1907 bayonet used on the Lee–Enfield rifle (Captured from France)
• Seitengewehr 84/98 III (Bayonet) used on the Mauser Karabiner 98k (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Type 30 bayonet used on the Arisaka Type 30 rifle, Arisaka Type 38 rifle and Arisaka Type 99 rifle (Captured from Japan)

Sidearms

Pistols and revolvers

• Colt M1911 (Captured from France)
• Luger P08 (Captured from France and Soviet Union supply)
• MAB D (Captured from France)
• MAC M1950 (Captured from France)
• Makarov pistol (Soviet Union supply)
• MAS M1892 (Captured from France)
• Mauser C96 (Chinese supply by Chinese copies)
• Nambu pistol (Captured from Japan)
• SACM M1935A (Captured from France)
• SACM M1935S (Captured from France)
• Smith & Wesson Model 10 (Captured from France)
• Tokarev TT (Soviet Union supply)
• Walther P38 (Captured from France)

Shotguns

• IZh-58

Rifles

Carbines

• M1 carbine (Someone from OSS in WW2 supplied it but it was primarily captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1A1 carbine (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)

Automatic rifles

• StG 44 (Soviet Union supply)

Semi-automatic rifles

• M1 Garand (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MAS-44 rifle (Captured from France)
• MAS-49 rifle (Captured from France)

Bolt-action rifles

• Arisaka Type 30 rifle (Captured from Japan)
• Arisaka Type 38 rifle (Captured from Japan)
• Arisaka Type 99 rifle (Captured from Japan)
• Berthier M1902 (Captured from France)
• Chiang Kai-Shek rifle (Licensed copy of the Mauser Gewehr 98, also known as Type 24 rifle, Chinese supply)
• Enfield M1917 (Captured from France, State of Vietnam and Chinese supply)[1]
• Gras M1874 (Limited use)
• Hanyang 88 (Chinese supply)
• Lee–Enfield rifle (Captured from France, State of Vietnam and bought secretly from Malaysia and Thailand)[1]
• MAS-36 rifle (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Mauser Gewehr 98 (Captured from France and Soviet Union supply)
• Mauser Karabiner 98k (Captured from France and Soviet Union supply)
• Mosin–Nagant rifle (Soviet Union supply)
• Springfield M1903 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)

Automatic weapons

Submachine guns

• Lanchester submachine gun (Bought secretly from Malaysia and Thailand)[5]
• M3 submachine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Madsen M-50 (Captured from France)[6]
• MAS-38 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MAT-49 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MP 40 (Captured from France and Soviet Union supply)
• Nambu Type 100 submachine gun (Captured from Japan)
• PPSh-41 (Soviet Union supply)
• Sten submachine gun (Limited use, someone from OSS in WW2 supplied it but it was primarily captured from France)
• Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Thompson M1A1 submachine gun (Captured from France, State of Vietnam and Soviet Union supply)

Light machine guns

• Bren light machine gun (Captured from France)
• Browning M1918 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Chauchat M1915 (Captured from France and used in limited numbers because of no ammunition)
• Degtyaryov machine gun (Soviet Union supply)
• Hotchkiss M1922 (Captured from France)
• Lewis machine gun (Captured from France)[2]
• MAC M1924/29 light machine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MG 34 (Soviet Union supply)
• Type 11 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Type 96 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Type 99 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• ZB vz. 26 (Soviet Union supply)
• ZB vz. 30 (Soviet Union supply)

Medium machine guns

• Browning M1919 (Captured from France)
• Hotchkiss M1914 (Captured from France)
• MG 34 (Soviet Union supply)
• PM M1910 (Soviet Union supply)[2]
• Reibel machine gun (Captured from France and used dismounted)

Heavy machine guns

• Browning M1917 (Captured from France)
• Browning M2 (Captured from France)
• DShK machine gun (Soviet Union supply)
• Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun (Captured from France)[2]
• Type 3 heavy machine gun (Captured from Japan)[2]
• Type 24 machine gun (Chinese supply)
• Type 92 heavy machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Type 93 machine gun (Captured from Japan)[2]
• Vickers machine gun (Captured from France)

Explosives and grenades

• Chinese Stielhandgranate (Chinese supply)
• DF37 defensive grenade (Captured from France)
• Lunge anti-tank mine
• Mk 2 fragmentation grenade (Captured from France)
• Molotov fire grenade
• OF35 offensive grenade (Captured from France)
• OF37 offensive grenade (Captured from France)
• Satchel charge
• Stielhandgranate (Soviet Union supply)
• Type 91 grenade (Captured from Japan)
• Vietnamese Bangalore torpedo

Mortars

• 82-BM-41 (Soviet Union supply)
• 120-PM-38 (Soviet Union supply)
• Brandt M1927/31 (Captured from France)
• Brandt M1935 (Captured from France)
• Brandt 120 mm M1945 (Captured from France)[2]
• Lance Grenades 50 mm M1937 (Captured from France)[2]
• M1 mortar (Captured from France)[2]
• M2 mortar (Captured from France)
• M2 4.2-inch mortar (Captured from France)[2]
• Type 10 grenade discharger (Captured from Japan)
• Type 89 grenade discharger (Captured from Japan)
• Type 97 81 mm infantry mortar (Captured from Japan)[7]
• Vietnamese 50,8 mm, 60 mm, 81 mm, 120 mm and 187 mm mortar[7]

Anti-tank weapons

• M1 Bazooka rocket launcher (Captured from France)
• M3 37 mm gun (Captured from France)[3]
• M18 recoilless rifle (Captured from France)
• M20 recoilless rifle (Captured from France)
• M20 Super Bazooka rocket launcher (Captured from France and Chinese supply from Korean War)
• Ordnance QF 6-pounder (Captured from France)[3]
• PIAT (Captured from France)[2]
• SKZ 60 recoilless rifle
• Type 94 37 mm anti-tank gun[8]
• Vietnamese 60 mm, 120 mm and 185 mm rocket launcher[7]
• Vietnamese Bazooka rocket launcher (Supplied by Trần Đại Nghĩa)
• Vietnamese SS recoilless rifle[2]

Anti-aircraft weapons

• 37 mm 61-K M1939 automatic air defense gun (Soviet Union supply)
• Bofors 40 mm gun (Captured from France)[4]
• DShK machine gun (Soviet Union supply)
• Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun (Captured from France)[4]
• Oerlikon 20 mm cannon (Captured from France)[4]
• Schneider 75 mm M1913, M1915 and M1917 AA gun (Captured from France in fort Lang)[9]
• Type 88 75 mm AA gun (Captured from Japan)[4]
• Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon (Captured from Japan)[4]

Artillery

• 75 mm M1897 field cannon (Captured from France)[4]
• H-6 Multiple rocket launcher (Chinese supply)[10]
• M101 105 mm howitzer (Captured from France and Chinese supply)
• M116 75 mm howitzer (Captured from France and Chinese supply)
• QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer (Captured from France)[4]
• Schneider 65 mm M1906 mountain cannon (Captured from France)[4]
• Schneider 105 mm L M1936 field cannon (Limited use, captured from France)[4]
• Type 38 75 mm field gun (Captured from Japan and called Son Phao by the Vietnamese)[4]
• Type 41 75 mm mountain gun (Captured from Japan and called Son Phao by the Vietnamese)
• Type 92 battalion gun (Captured from Japan)[4]

Other vehicles

• GAZ-51 (Soviet Union supply)
• GAZ-63 (Soviet Union supply)

Communications

Radios

(not included yet)

References

1. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
2. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
3. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
4. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
5. VCCorp.vn. ""Kho" súng tiểu liên đa dạng của Việt Nam". soha.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2020-07-12.
6. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
7. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
8. "Vũ khí Việt Nam trong hai cuộc kháng chiến". www.quansuvn.net. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
9. News, VietNamNet. ""Giải mã" một bức ảnh về Pháo binh Việt Nam". VietNamNet (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2020-07-14.
10. Boylan, Kevin; Olivier, Luc (2018-07-26). Valley of the shadow: The siege of Dien Bien Phu. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-2438-7.