The Liberation Army of South Vietnam (LASV, ), also known shortly as the Liberation Army () was the military arm of National Liberation Front of South Vietnam established by the

Communist Party of Vietnam The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), also known as the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP), is the founding and sole legal party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Founded in 1930 by Hồ Chí Minh, the CPV became the ruling party of North ...

in 1961 in

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

. In 1962, the People's Revolutionary Party of South Vietnam separated from the Vietnamese Labor Party/Communist Party in terms of external appearance, openly directing the Liberation Army's military forces. Politically, the South Vietnamese Liberation Army was under the direction of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. The military forces from the North to the South of Vietnam, although collectively known as the Liberation Army of South Vietnam, still use the unit names, military badges and War flag of the Vietnam People's Army. After the 1973 Paris Agreement, the forces of the South Vietnamese Liberation Army were merged into the

Vietnam People's Army Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

one by one. This merger was completed in 1975 and 1976. Although administratively the Liberation Army of South Vietnam and the People's Army of Vietnam are two different armies, they share the same leadership and can completely merge, split, and supplement forces according to their needs a unified principle. After 1975, the Vietnam Labor Party acknowledged leading both the South Liberation Army and the Vietnam People's Army during the war. The National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam also received the secret direction of the Labor Party of Vietnam. The South Vietnamese Liberation Army is under the open direction of the High Command of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam, and secretly under the direction of the Politburo of Vietnam Labor Party and the Central Military Commission of the Vietnamese People's Army, Central Department for South Vietnam, the High Command of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam. Regarding secrecy, the Central Department for South Vietnam and the High Command of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam directed in the area B2 (Ninh Thuan to Ca Mau).

Organization

According to 1954 Geneva agreements, the Viet Cong were not compulsorily removed to the North because it was a political entity, not a military force. North Vietnamese support for the Viet Cong to establish the NLF forces was allowed on the basis that it remained a militia in the South. The LASV was recognized as the official force on February 15, 1961, by North Vietnam. The LASV originally carried out operations ostensibly to protect South Vietnamese citizens from offensives by the Republic of Vietnam and the United States. Most early soldiers in the LASV were South Vietnamese. However, casualties of war forced North Vietnam to provide volunteers for the LASV. As a result, many people mistakenly believed that the LASV was a part of the

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...

. North Vietnam and other communist nations recognised the LASV as the primary militarily force in South Vietnam and considered the

to be its parent organization. Command structure: Public: * The National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government politically led the Liberation Army . * The People's Revolutionary Party of South Vietnam and the Regional Command command military affairs throughout the South. Secret: * The Politburo and Central Military Commission of the Labor Party of Vietnam, the General Command of the Vietnam People's Army direct the entire South, directly on the battlefields B1, B3, B4, B5. * The Central Department of the South, the Military Commission of the South, the Command of the Region on the battlefield B2, under the general direction of the Labor Party of Vietnam. * The Politburo, the Secretariat of the Labor Party and directly the Central Department of the South of the Labor Party secretly directed the National Front for Liberation and the Provisional Revolutionary Government. Main army - infantry - in South Vietnam in 1975: *308th Division (founded in 1949 in North Vietnam, participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign and the Vietnam War, in 1975 as a reserve force) *Division 312 (founded in 1951 in North Vietnam, participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign and the Vietnam war, in 1975 in the 1st Corps formation to participate in the Ho Chi Minh campaign, north wing) *Division 320B, established in 1951 in North Vietnam as the 320th Division, in 1965, the 320th division was split into 2 divisions with the designations F320A and F320B, of which the F320B belonged to Corps 1 (rebranded) became the 390th Division in 1973. *The 304th Division was established in 1950 in North Vietnam, participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, in 1974 was part of the 2nd Army Corps *Division 325 was established in 1951 with 3 regiments in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien, in 1974 in the 2nd Army Corps *The 324th Division was established in Thanh Hoa province in 1955 based on the armed forces of the 5th Inter-Region which were withdrawn to the North. In 1975, the division was in the 2nd corps but later moved to the 4th military zone. *The 316th Division was established in 1951 in North Vietnam, participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, in 1975 was in the 3rd corps but later moved to the 2nd military zone. *Division 320A, established in 1951 in North Vietnam, split in 1965, division 320A in the 3rd Corps in 1975. *The 10th Division was established in 1972 by the General Command of the Vietnam People's Army based on the main regiments of the Central Highlands Front, in 1975 was part of the 3rd corps, participated in the Ho Chi Minh campaign, northwest wing. *The 7th Division was established in 1966 in South Vietnam, on the basis of the 2 Regiments 141 and 165 of the old 312th Division in the North. After that, the formation had many other regiments marching southwards, subordinated to the division. Regiment: 16th Regiment (101st Regiment, 325th Division), 14th Regiment (18th Regiment, 325th Division), 209th Regiment (312th Division), 95C Regiment (9th Division)... In 1974, The group was in the 4th Army Corps (B2). *The 9th Division was established in 1965 in South Vietnam, on the basis of two regiments Q761 and Q762. Soldiers in the formation of the division consisted of all three regions, the largest number of which were Southerners who had participated in Dong Khoi. In 1974, the division was in the 4th Army Corps (B2). In 1975 the division was in Division 232 for some time. *The 6th Division was established in 1974 under Military Region 7, participated in the Ho Chi Minh campaign in the 4th Army Corps, then disbanded. *The 5th Division was established in 1965 in South Vietnam from 2 regiments Q.764 (E4) and Q.765 (E55), in 1975 was part of Division 232 for a period of time, participating in the Ho Chi Minh campaign, wing west-south, then to Military Region 7. *The 3rd Division was established in 1965 under the 5th Military Region, consisting of the 2nd Regiment (an "original Viet Cong" regiment completely recruited from the local), the 12th Regiment (former the 18th Regiment of the 325th Division with the traditional tradition from the Indochina War.February 1965, regiment departed for the battlefield), 22nd Regiment, 21st Regiment *The 2nd Division was established in 1965 in the 5th Military Region, on the basis of the 1st regiment in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, the 21st regiment of the North and the addition of the 70th infantry battalion...In 1975, it belonged to the 3rd Army Corps. When the 3rd Army Corps marched to the South, the 2nd Division stayed in the 5th Military Region. *The 3rd Division belongs to the Regional Command (B2) (also called Phuoc Long division or 303 division, in Legion 232) *The 4th Division belongs to the 9th Military Region *the 8th Division belongs to the 8th Military Region, established 22 October 1974... *The 812th Infantry Regiment was established in 1950, formerly known as 120 Company, local army zone 6, developed into the main 840 battalion of Military Region 6, operating mainly on the southernmost battlefield of Central Vietnam. After the Geneva agreement was signed, the 840th battalion was ordered to assemble to the North. In 1974, the 6th Military Region Command decided to establish the 812th Infantry Regiment. *Gia Dinh Regiment was established in 1959 in South Vietnam. On April 1, 1975, the unit was officially named Gia Dinh Regiment. *The 341st Division was established in 1972, belongs to Military Region 4 *The 88th Infantry Regiment was established in 1949 in North Vietnam and split in 1965 into Regiment 88B and Regiment 88A. Regiment 88A was assigned to the South. In March 1975, the Regiment separated from the 8th Military Region to consolidate its forces, participating in the Ho Chi Minh campaign as the 5th wing of the 232nd division. After that, the 88th Regiment belonged to the 302nd Division, the 7th Military Region. *The 6th Infantry Regiment belongs to the Tri - Thien Military Region, established 1965 *The 31st Division was formed on 11 July 1974 in the

Plain of Jars The Plain of Jars ( Lao: ທົ່ງໄຫຫິນ ''Thong Hai Hin'', ) is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of ...

(Laos) After the reunification of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

in 1975, the Liberation Army of South Vietnam was merged into the

in 1976. In fact, all the Viet Cong army forces had been incorporated into the North Vietnamese army since early 1975.

Developments

In January 1961, the militia in South Vietnam became the official force there. On February 15, 1961, North Vietnam recognized it as the main battle force in South Vietnam. At the end of 1961, there were 24,500 soldiers and 100,000 militants in the LASV. The LASV had 11 battalions, with commanding generals

Trần Văn Trà Nguyễn Chấn, known as Trần Văn Trà (1918 – April 20, 1996) was a Vietnamese general. He was a commander in the Vietcong; a member of the Central Committee of the Lao Dong Party ( Workers' Party of Vietnam) from 1960 to 1982; a lieutena ...

, Hoàng Văn Thái, Lê Trọng Tấn, Lê Đức Anh, Nguyễn Thị Định, and others. The LASV initially confined its operations to rural areas due to Ngô Đình Diệm's tough crackdown on Communist sympathizers. However, the number of soldiers still went up to 64,000 in 1963. As the result, regiments were established. Since 1964, North Vietnam started providing soldiers for the LASV by voluntary mans. The number of the LASV soldiers reached over 290,000 in December 1974, including 90,000 from the South. The South Vietnamese and United States forces outnumbered the PAVN by at least 7 to 1 until 1965; even after 1965 the coalition forces still outnumbered the PAVN by 3 to 1. The LASV also included urban fighting forces, especially in Saigon. These forces had mission of carrying out cover attacks against South Vietnam and American forces and its allies in urban areas, especially in Saigon. The urban special force in Saigon is famous in the 1968 Tet offensive. The Liberation Army of South Vietnam merged into the

after the reunification of Vietnam by the 1976 general election.

Equipment

The Viet Cong established the NLF in order to help create a Communist state in South Vietnam. PAVN forces that went to the South were sent with the express mission to aid the NLF. The NLF army had different uniforms, flags and badges to those of the PAVN. FLMM - The Vietcong (detail)

Small arms

Handguns

Tokarev TT-33 The TT-30,, "7.62 mm Tokarev self-loading pistol model 1930", TT stands for Tula-Tokarev) commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is an out-of-production Soviet semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in 1930 by Fedor Tokarev as a service pisto ...

– Soviet-designed single-action 7.62×25mm semi-automatic pistol. More commonly used were the Chinese variants of the T33, known as the Type-51 and Type-54. Carried by PAVN and Viet-Cong officers, it accepted an 8-round single stack box magazine. * Makarov PM – Soviet-designed double/single-action 9×18mm Makarov (9.5×18mm) semi-automatic pistol. Reproduced in China as the Type-59, this small and reliable pistol became the standard sidearm of communist forces in Europe and Asia. Utilizing a simple blow-back action, this self-loading pistol fed from an 8-round single stack box magazine. *

P-64 CZAK The P-64 is a Polish semi-automatic firearm, semi-automatic handgun, pistol designed to fire the 9×18mm Makarov cartridge. The pistol was developed in the late 1950s at the Institute for Artillery Research (Polish language, Polish: ''Zakład Bro ...

handgun *

Nagant M1895 The Nagant M1895 Revolver is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62×38mmR, and featured an unusual "ga ...

revolver *

Mauser C96 The Mauser C96 (''Construktion 96'') is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937. Unlicensed copies of the gun were also manufactured in Spain and China in the first half of the 2 ...

(from the Soviet Union) *

Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, ...

(from the Soviet Union)

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles

* AK-47 and

AKM The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior. Introduced ...

assault rifles (from the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries) * Type 56 assault rifle (from the People's Republic of China) *

Vz. 58 The vz. 58 (or Sa vz. 58) is a 7.62×39mm assault rifle designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and accepted into service in the late 1950s as the 7,62 mm samopal vzor 58 ("7.62mm submachine gun model 58"), replacing the vz. 52 self-l ...

assault rifle (from the Czechoslovakia) *

Type 63 assault rifle The Type 63 () is a Chinese-designed assault rifle with a resemblance to the SKS. The weapon features a fully-automatic rotating-bolt system modified from the Type 56 assault rifle instead of the tilting bolt system of the SKS. Overall, the weapo ...

* Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle (captured by the Soviets during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and provided to the PAVN and the LASV as military aid) *

SVD-63 The SVD (russian: Сна́йперская Винто́вка систе́мы Драгуно́ва образца́ 1963 года, lit=Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963, translit=Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém'y Dragunóv ...

Very limited use semi-automatic marksman rifle, also known as the "Dragunov" sniper rifle * MAS-49 rifle Captured French rifle from first Indochina War, used by PAVN throughout the 1950s and up to the mid-1960s * M16A1, M14 American assault rifle captured from U.S and ARVN forces. *

SKS The SKS (russian: Самозарядный карабин системы Симонова, Samozaryadny Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945, self-loading carbine of (the) Simonov system, 1945) is a semi-automatic rifle designed by Soviet small arms ...

semi-automatic carbine, also known as Simonov

Bolt-action rifles

* MAS-36 rifle Captured French rifle from first Indochina War, used by PAVN in earlier stages of the Vietnam War *

Mosin–Nagant The Mosin–Nagant is a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine–fed military rifle. Known officially as the 3-line rifle M1891 and informally in Russia and former Soviet Union as Mosin's rifle ( ru , винтовка Мосина, ISO 9: ) ...

bolt-action rifles and carbines (from the Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact countries, and the People's Republic of China) * Mauser Kar98k bolt-action rifle (many of the Mausers used by the PAVN and the LASV were from rifles captured from the French during the First Indochina War and rifles provided to them by the Soviets as military aid) *

Type 99 Rifle The was a bolt-action rifle of the Arisaka design used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. History During the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s, the Japanese soon found that the 7.7mm cartridge being fired by their Type 92 h ...

captured from the Japanese during World War II

Submachine guns

K-50M The PPSh-41 () is a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgy Shpagin as a cheaper and simplified alternative to the PPD-40. A common Russian nickname for the weapon is "''papasha''" (), meaning "daddy", and it was sometimes called the "burp gun" ...

submachine gun (Vietnamese edition, based on Chinese version of Russian PPSh-41, produced under license) *

Škorpion vz. 61 The Škorpion vz. 61 (or Sa vz. 61 Skorpion) is a Czechoslovak machine pistol developed in 1959 by Miroslav Rybář (1924–1970) and produced under the official designation Samopal vzor 61 ("submachine gun model 1961") by the Česká zbrojovka ...

sumbmachine gun from Czechoslovakia *

PPSh-41 The PPSh-41 () is a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgy Shpagin as a cheaper and simplified alternative to the PPD-40. A common Russian nickname for the weapon is "''papasha''" (), meaning "daddy", and it was sometimes called the "burp gun" ...

submachine gun (both Soviet and Chinese versions) *

MP-40 The MP 40 (''Maschinenpistole 40'') is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with in ...

German sub machine captured during World War II by the Soviet Army, supplied to the Viet Cong in limited amounts * MAT-49 submachine gun – Captured from the French by the North Vietnamese, many were converted to 7.62×25mm. *

PM-63 The PM-63 RAK (often incorrectly referred to as ''Ręczny Automat Komandosów''—"commandos' hand-held automatic"; the name itself means cancer or crayfish in Polish) is a Polish 9×18mm submachine gun, designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc in cooper ...

Polish submachine gun *

MP-38 The MP 40 (''Maschinenpistole 40'') is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with in ...

submachine gun (captured by the Soviets during World War II; provided to the PAVN and the NLF as military aid) * PPS-43 Russian submachine gun * Type 100 (use from Indochina war)

Machine guns

* Type 99 LMG *

RPD RPD may refer to: People * Robert Prentiss Daniel, American psychologist * Rahul Peter Das, German professor * Rajendra Prasad Das, Indian archaeologist * Royal Page Davidson, American scholar * Richard Paul Davies, English priest * Richard Pe ...

light machine gun *

Degtyarev DP The Degtyaryov machine gun (russian: Пулемёт Дегтярёвa Пехотный, Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny literally: "Degtyaryov's infantry machine gun") or DP-27/DP-28 is a light machine gun firing the 7.62×54mmR cartridge that was ...

light machine gun *

SG-43 The SG-43 Goryunov (Russian: Станковый пулемёт системы Горюнова, ''Stankovyy pulyemyot sistyemy Goryunova'', meaning "Mounted machinegun, Goryunov design") was a Soviet medium machine gun that was introduced during t ...

SGM SGM, or sgm, may refer to: Science * Second Generation Multiplex DNA profiling system - also see SGM+ * Scanning gate microscopy * Spherical Grating Monochromator beamline of Canadian Light Source * Semi-global matching algorithm in stereo ima ...

medium machine guns (including Chinese copies) *

RPK The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...

light machine gun * PK machine gun Very limited use. * MG-34 light machine gun (captured by the Soviets during World War II; provided to the PAVN and the NLF as military aid) *

MG-42 The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enterin ...

medium machine gun (captured by the Soviets during World War II; provided to the PAVN and the NLF as military aid) * Uk vz. 59 general-purpose machine gun *

DShK The DShK 1938 (Cyrillic: ДШК, for russian: Дегтярёва-Шпагина Крупнокалиберный, Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny, links=no, "Degtyaryov-Shpagin large-calibre") is a Soviet heavy machine gun with a V-shaped but ...

heavy machine gun * PM M1910 heavy machine gun

Grenades and other explosives

* F1 grenade * Type 67 stick grenade * RG-42 grenade * RGD-5 grenade * 9K32 Strela-2 anti-aircraft weapon *

RPG-2 The RPG-2 (Russian: РПГ-2, Ручной противотанковый гранатомёт, ''Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot''; English: "hand-held antitank grenade launcher") is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that was desi ...

anti-tank weapon (both Soviet and locally produced B-40 and B-50 variants used) * RPG-7 anti-tank weapon * Type 69 RPG anti-tank weapon

Flamethrowers

LPO-50 The LPO-50 (Lyogkiy Pyekhotnyy Ognyemyot (Легкий Пехотный Огнемет), "Light Infantry Flamethrower") is a Soviet flamethrower. Developed in 1953 to replace the ROKS-2/3 flamethrowers used during World War Two, it was kept in t ...

flamethrower (limited use)

Artillery

ZPU-4 The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft gun based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide. Qua ...

quad 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun * ZU-23 twin 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon * M1939 37 mm anti-aircraft gun *

S-60 S60 may refer to: Automobiles * S-60 (tractor), a Soviet tractor * Toyota Crown (S60), a sedan * Volvo S60, a compact executive car Aviation * Blériot-SPAD S.60, a French biplane fighter * Kenmore Air Harbor, in Kenmore, Washington, United ...

57 mm anti-aircraft gun * 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) *

100 mm air defense gun KS-19 100 mm air defence gun KS-19 (russian: 100-мм зенитная пушка КС-19) was a Soviet anti-aircraft gun. Initially deployed aboard ships as the B-34 during the Second World War, a ground-mounted version was introduced into service ...

82-PM-41 The 82-pm-41 (russian: 82-Полевой Миномёт-41), M-41 or the 82-mm mortar Model 1941 (russian: 82-мм миномет обр. 1941 г.) was a Soviet 82-millimeter calibre mortar developed during the Second World War as an infantry bat ...

82mm mortar * 107 mm M1938 mortar * M1938 120mm mortar * M1943 160mm mortar * Type 63 107mm rocket launcher * BM-21 Grad 122mm rocket launcher *122 mm Katyusha rockets * BM-25 (MRL) limited numbers *

122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) 122 mm corps gun M1931/37 (A-19) (russian: 122-мм корпусная пушка обр. 1931/1937 гг. (А-19)) was a Soviet field gun developed in late 1930s by combining the barrel of the 122 mm gun M1931 (A-19) and the carriage of the ...

122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) The 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) (GRAU index: 52-G-463) was a Soviet 121.92 mm (4.8 inch) howitzer. The weapon was developed by the design bureau of Motovilikha Plants, headed by F. F. Petrov, in the late 1930s, and was in producti ...

D-74 122 mm Field Gun The 122mm D-74 towed gun is a Soviet-built gun. Developed in the late 1950s it provided direct and indirect fire for the Soviet Army. Today it is in reserve units with the Russian Army. It is in active service with the Egyptian Army and the Pakis ...

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 (russian: 130-мм пушка M-46) is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954. For many years, the M-46 ...

152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) The D-1 howitzer M1943 (russian: 152-mm gaubitsa obr. 1943 g. (D-1)) is a Soviet World War II-era 152.4 mm howitzer. The gun was developed by the design bureau headed by F. F. Petrov in 1942 and 1943, based on the carriage of the 122 mm ho ...

152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20) The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, (russian: 152-мм пушка-гаубица Д-20 обр. 1955 г.) is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was fir ...

Aircraft weapons

* Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 *

Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 was a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A.E. Nudelman and A. A. Rikhter, entering service in 1954. Description Prior to the introduction of the ...

* Nudelman N-37 *

Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 The Nudelman-Richter NR-23 is a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A. E. Nudelman and A. A. Richter to replace the wartime Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 and Volkov-Yartsev VYa-23, ...

Activities

The Viet Cong established the NLF army in order to create the status of independence with North Vietnam and

. PAVN forces that were sent south had the express mission of supporting NLF operations in the south. The NLF forces had different uniforms, flags and badges to those of the PAVN. The People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam was recognized as the main battle force of the communist coalition in the

Vietnam war The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

by North Vietnam and other communist nations. In Vietnam war, members of the NLF army had differing and irregular uniforms, depending on circumstances. There are few traits to distinguish between Liberation Army of South Vietnam (LASV) and

(PAVN) forces. Over half of LASV and PAVN soldiers were members of the Labor Party of Vietnam, the old name of the

. However, LASV and PAVN forces used different flags. PAVN troops carried the

North Vietnamese North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

flag, while LASV troops carried the National Liberation Front flag. The PAVN was under the leadership of the Northern government, while LASV was under the leadership of the NLF. After the collapse of

, the Liberation Army of South Vietnam merged into the

. The event marked the end of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and the start of a transition period, followed by the formal reunification of Vietnam under the

Socialist Republic Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ec ...

through government-controlled elections in 1976. FNL Flag

For propaganda purposes of dividing forces of enemies, the ARVN and the

US army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

always said that the LASV was comprehensively independent to the

. In South Vietnam, members of the Communist Party of Vietnam held membership of the People's Revolutionary Party. According to American documents, the main battle force in South Vietnam was the NLF, not the

List of military victories

Battle of Ap Bac The Battle of Ấp Bắc was a major battle fought on 2 January 1963 during the Vietnam War, in Định Tường Province (now part of Tiền Giang Province), South Vietnam. On 28 December 1962, US intelligence detected the presence of a radio ...

- January 2, 1963 *

Battle of Hiep Hoa The Battle of Hiệp Hòa was a minor battle of the Vietnam War. On the night of November 22, 1963, an estimated 500 Viet Cong (VC) fighters overran the Hiệp Hòa Special Forces Camp, resulting in four American personnel missing. South Vietnames ...

- November 22, 1963 *

Attack on USNS Card The attack on USNS ''Card'' was a Viet Cong (VC) operation during the Vietnam War. It took place in the port of Saigon in the early hours of 2 May 1964, and was mounted by commandos from the 65th Special Operations Group ( vi, Đội Biệt đ ...

- May 2, 1964 *

Battle of An Lão The Battle of An Lão was a battle that took place in the An Lão District of Bình Định Province, just over 300 miles north-east of Saigon between December 7–9, 1964.Spencer Tucker, ''The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War'' The battle was ...

- December 7–9, 1964 *

Battle of Binh Gia The Battle of Bình Giã ( vi, Trận Bình Giã) was conducted by the Viet Cong (VC) and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) from December 28, 1964, to January 1, 1965, during the Vietnam War in Bình Giã, Phước Tuy province (now part of Bà ...

- December 28, 1964 - January 1, 1965 *

Attack on Camp Holloway The attack on Camp Holloway occurred during the early hours of February 7, 1965, in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Camp Holloway was a helicopter facility constructed by the United States Army near Pleiku in 1962. It was built to support t ...

* Battle of Ba Gia * Battle of Dong Xoai *

Operation Starlite Operation Starlite (also known in Vietnam as Battle of Van Tuong) was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War from 18 to 24 August 1965. The operation was launched based on intelligence pr ...

(both sides claimed victory) *

Battle of Gang Toi The Battle of Gang Toi (8 November 1965) was fought during the Vietnam War between Australian troops and the Viet Cong. The battle was one of the first engagements between the two forces during the war and occurred when A Company, 1st Battalion ...

* Battle of Xa Cam My *

Attack on the SS Baton Rouge Victory The SS ''Baton Rouge'' was a cargo Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The ''Baton Rouge'' (MCV-846) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards. The Maritime Administrat ...

Battle of Ong Thanh The Battle of Ong Thanh was fought at the stream of that name (Ông Thành) on the morning of 17 October 1967, in Chơn Thành District, at the time part of Bình Dương Province, South Vietnam, today in Bình Phước Province. During the ...

Attack on Cu Chi Base Camp Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Offensive (military) * Charge (warfare) * Attack (fencing) * Strike (attack) * Attack (computing) * Attack aircraft Books and publishing * The Attack (novel), ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * ''Attack ...

Battle of Snuol The Battle of Snuol, fought over the border inside Snuol a Cambodian district, was a major battle of the Vietnam War, conducted by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) as part of ''Operation Toàn Thắng TT02''. The battle lasted from 5 J ...

* Battle of FSB Mary Ann *

Battle of Loc Ninh The Battle of Lộc Ninh was a major battle fought during the Easter Offensive during the Vietnam War, which took place in Bình Long Province, South Vietnam between 4 and 7 April 1972. Towards the end of 1971, North Vietnamese leaders decided ...

Battle of Phước Long The Battle of Phước Long was a decisive battle of the Vietnam War which began on December 12, 1974, and concluded on January 6, 1975. The battle involved the deployment of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 4th Army Corps for the first time, ...

* Ho Chi Minh campaign *

Battle of Ban Me Thuot The Battle of Ban Me Thuot was a decisive battle of the Vietnam War which led to the complete destruction of South Vietnam's II Corps Tactical Zone. The battle was part of a larger North Vietnamese military operation known as Campaign 275 to c ...

Hue–Da Nang Campaign The Hue–Da Nang Campaign was a series of military actions conducted by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) during the Vietnam War, also known in Vietnam as the American War. The campaign was ...

* Fall of Saigon

Significant leaders

Commanders

Political Commissars

Chiefs of Staff

Other leaders

Battle forces

If a LASV unit has the same name with a PAVN unit, the LASV name will have the letter "B" added after the unit number. * Tây Nguyên Corps (Main battle force in Central Highlands area) * Cửu Long Corps (Main battle force in Mekong Delta area) * Division 1 (Main battle force in Central Highlands area) * Division 2 (Main battle force in South Central Coast area) * Division 3 Sao Vàng (Golden Star) (Main battle force in South Central Coast area) * Division 4 (Main battle force in the South) * Division 5 (Main battle force in

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...

area) * Division 6 (Main battle force in

Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

area) * Division 7 (Main battle force in the South) * Division 8 (Main battle force in

area) * Division 9 (Main battle force in the South) * Division 10 (Main battle force in Central Highlands area) * Division 31 * Division 303 (Main battle force in the South) *

Division 304B (Viet Cong) Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

Division 308B (Viet Cong) Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

Division 324B (Viet Cong) Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military) A division is a large milita ...

* Division 325 (Main battle force in Central Highlands area) * Special forces Division 100 (Viet Cong) * Special forces Division 305

References

{{Reflist History of South Vietnam National liberation armies Rebellions in Vietnam Guerrilla organizations Viet Cong 1961 establishments in South Vietnam