The Liberation Army of South Vietnam (LASV; ;

Chữ Hán ( , ) are the Chinese characters that were used to write Literary Chinese in Vietnam, Literary Chinese (; ) and Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese. They were officially used in Vietnam after the Red River Delta region ...

: 軍解放沔南越南), also recognized as the Liberation Army ( or ), was an irregular and

regular military A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a stand ...

force established as the nominal armed wing of the

National Liberation Front of South Vietnam The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the Communism, communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vi ...

(or Viet Cong - VC) by the

Communist Party of Vietnam The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) 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 Vietnam in 1954 and then all of Vietnam after the col ...

in 1961 in South Vietnam. It operated as a part of the existing

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...

(PAVN) of

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...

, having its name the only official organization of communist-aligned armed forces to fought in South Vietnam. In 1962, the People's Revolutionary Party of South Vietnam separated from the Communist Party of Vietnam in terms of external appearance, openly directing the Liberation Army's military. Politically, the LASV was under the direction of the VC and the

Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG, ), was formed on 8 June 1969, by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) as an armed underground government opposing the government of the Republic of ...

. The military forces although collectively known as the Liberation Army of South Vietnam, still use the unit names, military badges and war flag of the PAVN. After the 1973

Paris Peace Accords The Paris Peace Accords (), officially the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam (), was a peace agreement signed on January 27, 1973, to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War. It took effect at 8:00 the follo ...

, the forces of the LASV were merged into the PAVN one by one. This merger was completed in 1975 and 1976. Although the LASV and the PAVN were nominally two different armies, they shared the same leadership and could completely merge, split, and supplement forces according to their needs. After 1975, the Communist Party of Vietnam acknowledged leading both LASV and the PAVN 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 Communist Party of Vietnam. In 1976, with the official reunification of Vietnam, this army was dissloved. The LASV was 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 Communist Party of Vietnam and the Central Military Commission of the PAVN, Central Department for South Vietnam, the High Command of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam. 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 Minh The Việt Minh (, ) is the common and abbreviated name of the League for Independence of Vietnam ( or , ; ), which was a Communist Party of Vietnam, communist-led national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1 ...

were not compulsorily removed to the North because it was a political entity, not a military force. Hanoi support for the Viet Minh 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

. 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. The DRV and other Marxist-Leninist nations recognised the LASV as the primary militarily force in South Vietnam and considered the PAVN to be its parent organization. Command mechanism: Public: The National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government led politically 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. After the reunification of

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

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 (15 September 1919 – 20 April 1996) was a colonel-general in the People's Army of Vietnam. He was Commander of B2 Front during 1963 – 1967, Deputy Commander of Liberation Army of South Vietnam dur ...

Hoàng Văn Thái Hoàng Văn Thái (; 1 May 1915 – 2 July 1986), born Hoàng Văn Xiêm (), was a Vietnamese Army General and a communist political figure. His hometown was Tây An, Tiền Hải District, Thái Bình Province. During the 1968 Tết Offensi ...

Lê Trọng Tấn Lê Trọng Tấn (; 1 October 1914 – 5 December 1986) was an officer of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) during 1945 to 1986. During this period of his military career, Lê Trọng Tấn held several senior positions of the Army. Lê Tr� ...

Lê Đức Anh Lê Đức Anh (; 1 December 1920 – 22 April 2019) was a Vietnamese politician and general who served as the fifth President of Vietnam from 1992 to 1997. He previously led the Vietnamese forces in Cambodia throughout the 1980s. He was regar ...

Nguyễn Thị Định Madame Nguyễn Thị Định (; 15 March 1920 – 26 August 1992) was the first female general of the Vietnam People's Army during the Vietnam War and the first female Vice President of Vietnam. Her role in the war was as National Liberation ...

, 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. From 1964,

started providing soldiers for the LASV through volunteers. 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.

Main units

* 7th Division established in 1966 in South Vietnam, on the basis of the two 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). * 9th Division 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. * 5th Division established in 1965 in South Vietnam from two 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. * 3rd Division established in 1965 under the 5th Military Region, consisting of the 2nd Regiment (a "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 * 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 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

Equipment

The Viet Minh established the NLF in order to help reunified 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.

Small arms

Handguns

* Tokarev TT-33 – 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 The Makarov pistol or PM ( rus, Пистолет Макарова, r=Pistolet Makarova, p=pʲɪstɐˈlʲet mɐˈkarəvə, t=Makarov's Pistol) is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it bec ...

– 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 handgun *

Nagant M1895 The Nagant M1895 is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Fabrique d'armes Émile et Léon Nagant, Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62×38 ...

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 20 ...

(from the Soviet Union) *

M1911 The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge. History Early hist ...

handgun *

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 comparatively comp ...

(from the Soviet Union) * Home-made pistols, such as copies of the M1911, Luger or of the Mauser C96 (''Cao Dai 763'') or crude one-shot guns, were also used by the Viet Cong early in the war.

Automatic and semi-automatic rifles

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...

and AKM assault rifles (from the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries) *

Type 56 assault rifle The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle. It is a licensed derivative of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically the Type 3 variant). The Type 56 rifle was adopted by the People's Liber ...

(from the People's Republic of China) * Vz. 58 assault rifle (from Czechoslovakia) *

Type 63 assault rifle The Type 63 () is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle. The weapon's overall design was based on the SKS (known in Chinese service as the Type 56 carbine), but with select fire capability and a rotating bolt system adapted from the Type 56 assaul ...

Kbkg wz. 1960 The Karabinek-granatnik wzór 1960 (), also designated PMK-DGN-60Katz, Russel, and Volstad, ''Armies in Lebanon'' (1985), p. 44, Plate G1. or PMK-60,Rottman and Volstad, ''Warsaw Pact Ground Forces'' (1987), p. 53, Plate E1. is a Polish-made vers ...

(from the Poland) *

Sturmgewehr 44 The StG 44 (abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 44, "assault rifle 44") is a German assault rifle developed during World War II by Hugo Schmeisser. It is also known by its early designations as the MP 43 and MP 44 (''Maschinenpistole 43'' and ''44''). ...

assault rifle (captured by the Soviets during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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

SVD-63 The SVD (СВД; ), GRAU index 6V1, is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle/sniper rifle chambered in the 7.62×54mmR cartridge, developed in the Soviet Union. History The SVD was designed to serve in a squad support role to provide prec ...

Very limited use semi-automatic marksman rifle, also known as the "Dragunov" sniper rifle *

MAS-49 rifle The MAS-49 is a French semi-automatic rifle that replaced various bolt-action rifles as the French service rifle that was produced from 1949. It was designed and manufactured by the government-owned Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne, MAS arms ...

Captured French rifle from first Indochina War, used by PAVN throughout the 1950s and up to the mid 1960s *

M16A1 The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

, M14 American assault rifle captured from U.S and ARVN forces. *

SKS The SKS () is a semi-automatic rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov in the 1940s. The SKS was first produced in the Soviet Union but was later widely exported and manufactured by various nations. Its disting ...

semi-automatic carbine, also known as Simonov *

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...

* M1/M2 Carbine * Home-made rifles, often spring-action rifles made to look like a M1 Garand or a M1 Carbine, were also used by the Viet Cong.

Bolt-action rifles

MAS-36 rifle The MAS Modèle 36 (also known as the ''Fusil à répétition 7 mm 5 M. 36'') is a military bolt-action rifle. First adopted in 1936 by France and intended to replace the Berthier rifle, Berthier and Lebel Model 1886 rifle, Lebel series of servic ...

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, bolt-action, Magazine (firearms), internal magazine–fed military rifle. Known officially as the 3-line rifle M1891, in Russia and the former Soviet Union as Mosin's rifle (, ISO 9: ) and inform ...

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 The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...

and rifles provided to them by the Soviets as military aid) * Type 99 Rifle captured from the Japanese during World War II *

M1917 Enfield The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield", formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" is an American modification and production of the .303-inch (7.7 mm) Pattern 1914 Enfield (P14) rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No ...

USA bolt-action rifles * Berthier Captured French rifle from first Indochina War, used by Vietcong in earlier stages of the Vietnam War *

Vz. 24 The vz. 24 rifle is a bolt-action carbine designed and produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942. It was developed from the German Mauser Gewehr 98 line, and features a similar bolt design. The rifle was designed in Czechoslovakia shortly ...

bolt-action rifles from the Czechoslovakia *

Type 24 Type 24 may refer to: * Bristol Braemar Type 24, British heavy bomber aircraft * Nieuport Type 24, French biplane fighter aircraft * Peugeot Type 24, motor vehicle by the French auto-maker Peugeot * Type 24 heavy machine gun, Chinese version of t ...

bolt-action rifles from the Chinese * Lebel Captured French rifle from first Indochina War, used by PAVN in earlier stages of the Vietnam War * Older or rarer rifles were often modified by the Viet Cong early in the war: Gras mle 1874 carbines were rechambered to .410 bore while Destroyer carbines were modified to accept the magazine of the Walther P38. * Homemade shotguns, some inspired by the

BAR Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

or the Arisaka Type 99, were used by the Viet Cong early in the war.

Submachine guns

K-50M The PPSh-41 () is a selective-fire, open-bolt, blowback submachine gun that fires the 7.62×25mm Tokarev round. It was designed by Georgy Shpagin of the Soviet Union to be a cheaper and simplified alternative to the PPD-40. The PPSh-41 saw ...

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 zbrojov ...

submachine gun from Czechoslovakia * M3/M3A1 submachine gun from USA * Thompson submachine gun from USA *

PPSh-41 The PPSh-41 () is a selective-fire, open-bolt, blowback submachine gun that fires the 7.62×25mm Tokarev round. It was designed by Georgy Shpagin of the Soviet Union to be a cheaper and simplified alternative to the PPD-40. The PPSh-41 saw ...

submachine gun (both Soviet and Chinese versions) *

MP-40 The MP 40 () is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. Developed in Nazi Germany, it saw extensive service in the Axis forces during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its pre ...

German sub machine captured during World War II by the Soviet Army, supplied to the Viet Cong in limited amounts *

MAT-49 The MAT-49 is a submachine gun which was developed by the French arms factory Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Tulle (MAT) for use by the French Army. It was first produced in 1949 and remained in French service until it was phased out following ...

submachine gun – Captured from the French by the North Vietnamese, many were converted to 7.62×25mm. * PM-63 Polish submachine gun * MP-38 submachine gun (captured by the Soviets during World War II; provided to the PAVN and the NLF as military aid) *

PPS-43 The PPS (Russian: ППС – "Пистолет-пулемёт Судаева" or "Pistolet-pulemyot Sudayeva", in English: "Sudayev's submachine-gun") is a family of Soviet submachine guns chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokarev, developed by Alexei S ...

Russian submachine gun *

Sten The STEN (or Sten gun) is a British submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm which was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and during the Korean War. The Sten paired a simple design with a low production co ...

England submachine gun * Type 100 (use from Indochina war)

Machine guns

* Type 99 LMG * RPD light machine gun * Degtyarev DP light machine gun * SG-43/ SGM medium machine guns (including Chinese copies) *

RPK The RPK (, English: "Kalashnikov's hand-held machine gun"), sometimes inaccurately termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine gun that was developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the early 1960s, in parallel with the AKM assault rifl ...

light machine gun *

ZB-26 The ZB vz. 26 was a Czechoslovak light machine gun developed in the 1920s, which went on to enter service with several countries. It saw its major use during World War II, and spawned the related ZB vz. 27, vz. 30, and vz. 33. The ZB vz. 26 influe ...

light machine gun *

FM 24/29 The Fusil-mitrailleur Modèle 1924 M29 (or MAC 24/29), designed in 1924 by the Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault, is a 7.5×54mm French light machine gun, which was the standard issue machine gun of the French Army from 1925 until the 1960s ...

light machine gun *

PK machine gun The PK (, transliterated as ''Pulemyot Kalashnikova'', or "Kalashnikov's machine gun"), is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mmR rimmed cartridge. The modernized and most commonly known variant, known as the PKM ...

Very limited use. *

MG-34 The MG 34 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 34'', or "machine gun 34") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It introduced an entirely n ...

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. Enteri ...

medium machine gun (captured by the Soviets during World War II; provided to the PAVN and the NLF as military aid) *

FG-42 The FG 42 (German: ''Fallschirmjägergewehr'' 42, "paratrooper rifle 42") is a selective-fire 7.92×57mm Mauser automatic rifle produced in Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapon was developed specifically for the use of the ''Fallschir ...

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 M1938 (Cyrillic: ДШК, for ) is a Soviet heavy machine gun. The weapon may be vehicle mounted or used on a tripod or wheeled carriage as a heavy infantry machine gun. The DShK's name is derived from its original designer, Vasily Degtya ...

heavy machine gun * Browning M1917 heavy machine gun *

PM M1910 The Pulyemyot Maksima M1910 (), or PM M1910, is a heavy machine gun based on the Maxim gun, that was used by the Imperial Russian Army, Navy and Air Service during World War I, then by the Red, White and Green armies during the Russian Civil Wa ...

heavy machine gun

Grenades and other explosives

* F1 grenade * Type 67 stick grenade *

RG-42 The Soviet RG-42 (Ручная Граната образца 42 года > ''Ruchnaya Granata obraztsa 42 goda'', "Hand Grenade pattern of 92 year") was a fragmentation grenade designed by S. G. Korshunov. While it was introduced as a stopgap ...

grenade * RGD-5 grenade *

9K32 Strela-2 The 9K32 Strela-2 (; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile or MANPADS system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing, infrared-homing guidance and dest ...

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 de ...

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

RPG-7 The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has t ...

anti-tank weapon *

Type 69 RPG The Type 69 85mm RPG (), made by Norinco, is a Chinese variant of the Soviet RPG-7. First introduced in 1972, the Type 69 is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the People's Liberation Army, PLA. More advanced Rocket-propelled gr ...

anti-tank weapon *

PTRD-41 The PTRD-41 () is an anti-tank rifle that was produced and used from 1941 by the Soviet Red Army during World War II. It is a single-shot weapon which fires the 14.5×114 mm round, which was able to penetrate German tanks such as the Panzer III a ...

Flamethrowers

LPO-50 The LPO-50 (Legkiy Pyekhotnyy Ognemet (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 the ...

flamethrower (limited use)

Artillery

ZPU-4 The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft guns 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. ...

quad 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun *

ZU-23 The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for ''Zenitnaya Ustanovka'' (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13. Developm ...

twin 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon * M1939 37 mm anti-aircraft gun * S-60 57 mm anti-aircraft gun *

85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) The 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) () was an Soviet Union, Soviet anti-aircraft gun, developed under guidance of leading Soviet designers Loginov Mikhail Nikolaevich, M. N. Loginov and G. D. Dorokhin. This gun was successfully used thr ...

100 mm air defense gun KS-19 The KS-19 100mm anti-aircraft gun () is a Soviet Union, Soviet anti-aircraft gun that also features efficient capabilities against ground targets. Characteristics The KS-19 is a towed anti-aircraft gun that was specifically designed to excel in ...

82-PM-41 The 82-PM-41 (), M-41 or the 82-mm mortar Model 1941 () was a Soviet Union, Soviet 82-millimeter caliber, calibre mortar (weapon), mortar developed during the Second World War as an infantry battalion mortar, and which began production in 1941. ...

82 mm mortar * 107 mm M1938 mortar * M1938 120 mm mortar * M1943 160 mm mortar * Type 63 107 mm rocket launcher *

BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" () is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-S ...

122 mm rocket launcher * 122 mm

Katyusha Katyusha () is a diminutive of the Russian name Ekaterina or Yekaterina, the Russian form of Katherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in c ...

rockets *

BM-25 (MRL) The BM-25 Korshun (Kite) as its Russian (GRAU designation 2K5) name was a multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. It was capable of launching 3R7 250 mm rockets from six launch tubes. The support vehicle is a YAZ-214. Develo ...

limited numbers *

122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) 122 mm corps gun M1931/37 (A-19) () was a Soviet Union, Soviet field gun developed in late 1930s by combining the barrel of the 122 mm gun M1931 (A-19) and the carriage of the 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20). The gun was in production from ...

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

D-74 122 mm field gun The 122mm D-74 towed gun is a Soviet field gun. Developed in the late 1940s, it served with the Soviet Army and was widely exported. A number were produced under license in the People's Republic of China as the '' Type 60''. History The 122 m ...

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) The 130 mm towed field gun 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 was one of the longest range art ...

152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) The 152 mm howitzer M1943 (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 howitzer M1938 (M-30) and using the b ...

152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20) The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, () is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm gun-howitzer artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the West in 1955, at which time it was designa ...

Aircraft weapons

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 () is a twin-barreled 23 mm autocannon developed in the Soviet Union, primarily for military aircraft use. It entered service in 1965, replacing the earlier Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 and Rikhter R-23. The 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 The Nudelman N-37 was a 37 mm (1.46 in) aircraft autocannon used by the Soviet Union. It was designed during World War II by V. Ya. Nemenov of Alexander Nudelman, A.E. Nudelman's OKB-16 to replace the earlier Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 and e ...

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-2 ...

Activities

There are few traits to distinguish between LASV and PAVN forces. Over half of LASV and PAVN soldiers were members of the Communist Party of Vietnam. However, LASV and PAVN forces nominally used different flags and emblems. PAVN troops carried the North Vietnamese flag, while LASV troops carried the Viet Cong flag. FNL Flag

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 ...

- 2 January, 1963 * Battle of Hiep Hoa - 22 November, 1963 *

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

- May 2, 1964 * Battle of An Lão - December 7–9, 1964 *

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

- December 28, 1964 - January 1 1965 * Attack on Camp Holloway *

Battle of Ba Gia The Battle of Ba Gia was a major battle that marked the beginning of the Viet Cong's (VC) Summer Offensive of 1965, during the early phases of the Vietnam War. The battle took place in Quảng Ngãi Province, South Vietnam, between 28 and 31 May ...

Battle of Dong Xoai A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

* Battle of Gang Toi *

Battle of Xa Cam My The Battle of Xa Cam My was fought over two days from April 11–12, 1966, south of the village of Cam My in Phuoc Tuy Province, during the Vietnam War. Originally planned as a U.S. search and destroy mission intended to lure out the crack Viet ...

* Attack on the SS Baton Rouge Victory *

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

Significant leaders

Commanders Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries, t ...

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 In Vietnam, South Central Coast () and South Central Region () are two terms which can refer to the same region or two regions that do not correspond to each other. South Central Coast (sometimes called "South Central Region") consists of the i ...

area) aka Quảng Đà Division or Steel Division * Division 3 (Main battle force in

area) aka Sao Vàng (Yellow Star) Division *

Division 4 ''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series broadcast by the Nine Network and created by Crawford Productions airing between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes. Synopsis The series was one of the first to follow up on the enor ...

(Main battle force in the South) * Division 5 (Main battle force in

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the list of regions of Vietnam, region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong, Mekong River River delta, approaches and empties into the sea th ...

area) * Division 6 (Main battle force in Southeastern 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 308B (Viet Cong) * Division 324B (Viet Cong) * Division 325 (Main battle force in Central Highlands area) * Special forces Division 100 (Viet Cong) * Special forces Division 305

References

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