Weapons of the First Indochina War

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The First Indochina War involved the North Vietnam or Việt 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, the State of Vietnam (1949–1954) and the French Fourth Republic (Army: French Armed Forces (Forces armées Françaises) or French Indochina, French Far East Expeditionary Corps (Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême-Orient (CEFEO)), Kingdom of Cambodia (1946–1954), Kingdom of Laos (1947–1954), Vietnamese National Army (VNA)).

From Vietnam supported by Soviet Union, East Germany and China^[1]

From France and State of Vietnam supported by United States

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

Hand combat weapons

• Bolo Knife
• Ka-Bar (American supply)
• M1905 bayonet - used on the M1903 Springfield, M1 Garand (American supply)
• M1917 bayonet - used on the M1917 Enfield (American supply)
• M3 fighting knife used on the M1 Carbine (American supply)
• M4 bayonet - used on the M1 and M2 Carbine (American supply)
• M5 bayonet - used on the M1 Garand (American supply)
• S84/98 III bayonet used on the Karabiner 98k (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• MAS 49/56 Bayonet used on the MAS-49 rifle
• Pattern 1907 bayonet used on the Lee–Enfield (United Kingdom supply)
• 17-inch spike bayonet MAS-36 rifle

Pistols and revolvers

• M1911 pistol (American supply)
• Pistolet automatique modèle 1935A
• Modèle (Mle.) 1935 S
• MAC Mle 1950
• Modele 1892
• Smith & Wesson Model 10 (American supply)
• Luger P08 (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• Walther P38 (Captured from Gemany in WW2)

Rifles

Bolt-action rifle

• M1903 Springfield (American supply)
• M1917 Enfield (American supply)
• MAS-36
• Karabiner 98k (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• Lee–Enfield (United Kingdom supply)
• Berthier rifle

Semi-automatic rifles

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

Carbines

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

Submachine Guns

• MAS-38
• Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun (American supply)
• Thompson M1A1 submachine gun (American supply)
• M3 submachine gun (American supply)
• MP 40 (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• MAT-49
• Sten (United Kingdom supply in WW2)

Machine guns

Light machine gun

• M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (American supply)
• FM 24/29 light machine gun
• AA-52 machine gun
• MG 34 (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• Hotchkiss M1922 machine gun

Medium machine gun

• M1919 Browning machine gun (American supply)
• MG 34 (Captured from Gemany in WW2)
• Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun
• AA-52 machine gun
• Reibel machine gun

Heavy machine Guns

• M1917 Browning machine gun (American supply)
• M2 Browning (American supply)
• Vickers machine gun (United Kingdom supply)

Anti-tank weapons

• Bazooka (American supply)
• M18 recoilless rifle (American supply)
• M20 recoilless rifle (American supply)

Mortar

• M2 Mortar (American supply)
• Brandt Mle 27/31
• Brandt Mle 1935

Artillery

• M116 howitzer (American supply)
• M101 howitzer (American supply)
• M114 155 mm howitzer (American supply)

Explosives, grenade

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

Anti-aircraft warfare

• M45 Quadmount (American supply)

Half-track, Armored car

• M2 half-track car (American supply)
• M3 half-track (American supply)
• M5 half-track (American supply)
• M3 Scout Car (American supply)
• M8 Greyhound (American supply)

Tanks

Light Tanks

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

Medium Tanks

• M4 Sherman (American supply)

Communications

Radios

Support vehicles

Weapons of the North Vietnam (Viet Minh)

Hand combat weapons

• Bolo Knife (Captured from France)
• Ka-Bar (Captured from France and State of Vietnami)
• M1905 bayonet - used on the M1903 Springfield, M1 Garand (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1917 bayonet - used on the M1917 Enfield (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)
• HY1935 bayonet used on the Chinese Chiang Kai-Shek rifle (China supply)
• Type 30 bayonet used on the Arisaka Type 30 Rifle, Type 38 and Type 99 rifles (Captured from Japan)
• bayonet scabbard used on the Mosin–Nagant (Soviet Union supply)
• S84/98 III bayonet used on the Karabiner 98k (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• 17-inch spike bayonet MAS-36 rifle (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 (Captured from France)
• Crossbow

Pistols and revolvers

• M1911 pistol (Captured from France)
• Pistolet automatique modèle 1935A (Captured from France)
• Modèle (Mle.) 1935 S (Captured from France)
• MAC Mle 1950 (Captured from France)
• Modele 1892 (Captured from France)
• Smith & Wesson Model 10 (Captured from France)
• TT pistol (Soviet Union supply)
• Makarov pistol (Soviet Union supply)
• Nambu pistol (Captured from Japan)
• Luger P08 (Soviet Union supply and captured from France)
• Walther P38 (Captured from France)
• Mauser C96 (China supply) (By Chinese copies)

Rifles

Bolt-action rifle

• Berthier rifle (Captured from France)
• Chiang Kai-Shek rifle (China supply)
• Hanyang 88 (China supply)
• Karabiner 98k (Soviet Union supply and captured from France)
• Lee–Enfield (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1903 Springfield (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1917 Enfield (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MAS-36 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Mosin–Nagant (Soviet Union supply)
• Type 30 Rifle (Captured from Japan)
• Type 38 rifle (Captured from Japan)
• Type 99 rifles (Captured from Japan)

Semi-automatic rifles

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

Carbines

• M1 carbine (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M1A1 carbine (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)

Assault rifle

• StG 44 (Soviet Union supply)

Submachine gun

• MAS-38 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Thompson M1A1 submachine gun (Soviet Union supply and captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• M3 submachine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• MP 40 (Soviet Union supply and captured from France)
• PPSh-41 (Soviet Union supply)
• Type 100 submachine gun (Captured from Japan)
• MAT-49 (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• Sten (Captured from France)

Machine gun

Light machine gun

• M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• FM 24/29 light machine gun (Captured from France and State of Vietnam)
• ZB vz. 26 (Soviet Union supply)
• ZB vz. 30 (Soviet Union supply)
• Degtyaryov machine gun (Soviet Union supply)
• MG 34 (Soviet Union supply)
• Hotchkiss M1922 machine gun (Captured from France)
• Type 11 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Type 96 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Type 99 light machine gun (Captured from Japan)

Medium machine gun

• M1919 Browning machine gun (Captured from France)
• MG 34 (Soviet Union supply)
• Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun (Captured from France)
• Reibel machine gun (Captured from France) used dismounted

Heavy machine Guns

• M1917 Browning machine gun (Captured from France)
• M2 Browning (Captured from France)
• DShK (Soviet Union supply)
• PM M1910 (Soviet Union supply)
• Type 24 (China supply)
• Type 92 heavy machine gun (Captured from Japan)
• Vickers machine gun (Captured from France)
• Lewis gun (Captured from France)

Anti-tank weapons

• Bazooka (Captured from France)
• Vietnamese Bazooka (by Tran Dai Nghia)
• SKZ 60 recoilless rifle
• M18 recoilless rifle (Captured from France)
• M20 recoilless rifle (Captured from France)

Mortar

• M2 Mortar (Captured from France)
• Brandt Mle 27/31(Captured from France)
• Brandt Mle 1935 (Captured from France)
• 82-BM-41 (Soviet Union supply)
• M1938 mortar (Soviet Union supply)

Artillery

• Type 41 75 mm mountain gun (Captured from Japan) (Vietnamese call Son Phao)
• M116 howitzer (Captured from France)
• M116 howitzer (Variants by chinese)
• M101 howitzer (Captured from France and China supply)

Anti-aircraft warfare

• 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) (Soviet Union supply)

Explosives, grenade

• Molotov Cocktail
• Mk 2 fragmentation grenade (Captured from France)
• Stielhandgranate (Soviet Union supply)
• Chinese stielhandgranate (China supply)
• OF35 offensive grenade (Captured from France)
• OF37 offensive grenade (Captured from France)
• DF37 defensive grenade (Captured from France)
• Type 91 grenade (Captured from Japan)
• Satchel Charge
• Vietnamese Bangalore torpedo
• Type 10 grenade discharger (Captured from Japan)
• Type 89 grenade discharger (Captured from Japan)

Communications

Radios

Support vehicles

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

References