GLOSSARY

US ARMOURY

HELICOPTERS: AH-1 "Cobra" C47 "Chinook" H-21 "Shawnee" HH-53 "Jolly" OH-6 "Loach" UH-1 "Huey"

TOP SECRET: 30mm Cannon Flamer Napalm Grenades

SUPPORT: Airstrike Artillery Flares/Smoke Grenades Gunship Strike SEAL team

WEAPONS: 2.75" Rockets 20mm Cannon 40mm Grenades GUA-2A MiniGun M113 APC M16 Assault Rifle M60 Machine Gun TOW Missiles

VEHICLES: Jeep M48A3 Medium Tank Patrol ACV River Patrol Boat Truck

VC ARMOURY

VEHICLES: Truck GAZ Jeep PT-76 Tank T-54 Battle Tank VC Boat

WEAPONS: 12.7mm DShK-38 AK47 Assault Rifle M1939 37mm AAA S-60 57mm AAA KS-19 100mm AAA RPG-7 SA2 SAM

Select the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary.

US ARMOURY

UH-1 "Huey"

The ‘Huey’ was the most used helicopter in Vietnam due, mainly to its versatility. It came in two basic forms, the ‘slick’ and the ‘gunship’. The slick was not armed at all; except for door gunners and whatever the flight personnel were carrying. The free weight allowed the Huey to act as a transport, usually to take troops in and out of a war-zone or for medical evacuation. The gunship variant was loaded with various weapons configurations on side mounted weapons pylons.

Armour Speed Weight

800 204 2116

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

17.46 13.41 512

m m km

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OH-6 "Loach"

The Loach was used for scouting and reconnaissance due to its speed and manoeuvrability. Standards arms were a side mounted M134 Minigun and there was space in the back for a door-gunner. Some were fitted with a nose mounted M129 Ball-gun grenade launcher but this wasn’t standard practice throughout the US Army.

Armour Speed Weight

500 241 1225

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

9.24 8.03 611

m m km

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C47 "Chinook"

Used primarily as a transport helicopter, its strengths were its massive lifting power. The Chinook could fill its cabin space and still have enough power to lift an under-slung cargo load. It’s carrying capacity warranted an experiment for a Chinook gunship (affectionately known as ‘Go Go Birds’) but, although it was heavily armed and armoured, it’s lack of manoeuvrability made it a sitting duck for VC gunners.

Armour Speed Weight

600 290 9352

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

15.54 18.29 185

m m km

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AH-1 "Cobra"

The Cobra was the first specifically designed assault helicopter. It used the same rotor system and transmission as the Huey but its thinner fuselage gave it improved aero-dynamics and made it a harder target to hit. The cockpit seated the gunner and pilot in tandem and it had a nose mounted turret and stub wings for carrying armament. Most of the Cobras were painted with eyes and big, scary teeth like a shark for psychological impact.

Armour Speed Weight

1200 352 2754

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

13.59 13.41 574

m m km

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H-21 "Shawnee"

The Shawnee was the first helicopter to be deployed in Vietnam. Its piston-engine was a far cry from the turbine-engined helicopters that were to be involved later on. It was used primarily as a transport helicopter and attempts to arm it weren’t very effective so an escort was required. This saw the first Hueys brought into Vietnam.

Armour Speed Weight

800 201 3992

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

16.00 13.43 650

m m km

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HH-53 "Jolly"

The most powerful helicopter to serve in Vietnam, The HH-53 was used for the rescue of downed aircraft. There wasn’t much that it couldn’t lift. It was also involved in many Special Forces operations and a new variant; the CH-53 was developed for such purposes.

Armour Speed Weight

800 315 10653

pts kmh kg

Length Rotor Diameter Range

20.47 22.02 869

m m km

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M113 APC

The M113 is a superb ground based fighting platform for US troops. It’s fully air tight, which proved to be an asset during search and destroy missions in the rice paddies. However, its light armour leaves it very vulnerable to heavy weapons and mines. The M113 was armed with one 0.5 inch gun and a pair of 7.62 machine guns.

Armour Speed Weight

500 67 1135

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

6.55 3.35 485

m m km

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M48A3 Medium Tank

Although the role of armour was curtailed in Vietnam due to the rivers and canals, tanks still played a role in the war. Fitted with vegetation cutting bars, it could cut through jungle, supporting ground troops. The M48A3 was fitted with a 90mm M41 gun, which was more than a match for the 100mm guns of the NVA T54.

Armour Speed Weight

500 48 47100

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

6.90 2.80 465

m m km

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Truck

US Trucks came in a variety of sizes and were normally used for only for transporting troops or equipment. Some were used as ‘Gun Trucks’ that would accompany convoys. They were usually fitted with a .50 and one or two M60s, plus individual weapons for usually a crew of four to five.

Armour Speed Weight

300 95 1754

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

7.80 2.80 465

m m km

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Jeep

The US jeep was based on the Wiley’s jeep from World War II. The term ‘jeep’ was derived from GP standing for General Purpose. Jeeps were used for a variety of tasks such as transporting officers or as couriers. In the field, it was used for reconnaissance or as an advanced scout.

Armour Speed Weight

200 110 1245

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

3.85 1.90 385

m m km

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River Patrol Boat

These 8 ton fibre-glass craft were driven by water-jets, doing away with vulnerable propellers and rudders. It’s fibre glass body meant that the armour left a lot to be desired.

Armour Speed Weight

300 25 6500

pts kts kg

Length Width Range

9.50 3.61 800

m m km

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Patrol ACV

The acronym stands for Air Cushioned Vehicle, or, put simply, a hover-craft. This was by far the most mobile vehicle that the river forces had, being able to cross water and land. Its effectiveness was proven, however, it needed much too much maintenance, which wasn’t favoured by their hard working crews.

Armour Speed Weight

600 60 3400

pts kts kg

Length Width Range

11.8 4.25 350

m m km

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M16 Assault Rifle

The M16 rifle became standard issue for US troops in Vietnam. Its two strengths were it’s high fire rate and it’s very fast bullet speed. It did have teething problems however, the slow burning ball powder ammunition left calcium deposits in the gas tube which caused the gun to jam. With the problems solved, the M16 became so popular with western forces that it’s almost the NATO version of the AK-47.

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M60 General purpose machine gun

The US Army’s heavy machine gun was carried by ground troops as heavy weapons support as well as being used on a variety of mountings. Although it had a reputation for low reliability due to it’s, then, new gas operated firing mechanism, it became a symbol of US presence in Vietnam.

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GUA-2A MiniGun (M134 variant)

An extremely powerful and versatile weapon system compatible for use on a variety of mountings, ranging from helicopter turrets to fixed wing gunships.

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20mm cannon

Various 20mm cannons were borrowed from the Navy and Airforce for use on Army helicopters. The size and weight of the 20mm shell would devastate troops in soft cover (such as a hut). This firepower was also good on vehicles and light armour.

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40mm Anti-personnel grenades

Grenades were fired from a nose mounted ball gun. There were two warhead types, standard ‘buckshot’ or fletchetes. The US army also developed the M79 ‘Blooper’ which was a grenade launcher used by infantrymen who fired the same rounds.

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2.75" Rockets

These rockets were mounted on the side pods of helicopter gunships. They were mounted in pods of 7, 19 and 24. Completely unguided, it was down to pilot skill to get them on target.

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TOW Missiles

TOW stands for Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided. The gunner would spot the target, the pilot would line himself up for the approach and when the missile was launched, the gunner would make slight adjustments to the missile’s flight path and guide it in towards the target. The missile packed a big punch and was devastating against NVA armour.

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Flamer (Top secret)

An M10 flame-thrower, usually mounted on US Navy river assault boat, was experimentally adapted to fit on the underside of a gunship. Although it never saw active service, it did prove to be an effective but unreliable weapon.

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30mm cannon (Top Secret)

An experimental 30mm cannon was fitted on some fixed-wing aircraft. The cannon was mounted on the underside of an UH-1 ‘Huey’ Gunship. Each shell was packed with a small explosive charge, which exploded on impact. Although it never reached a field test, experts believed that you probably wouldn’t need any more armaments if you had a 30mm cannon strapped to your Huey.

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Napalm grenades (Top secret)

The larger than standard size napalm round meant a little adjustment was needed for the M129 nose-mounted ball-gun to launch them. The idea of a weapon, which was anti-personnel and exfoliant all-rolled into one good enough to warrant a prototype. Although the pilots that tried the prototype liked it, it never actually made it through final approval by the Pentagon.

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(Support) Flares/Smoke Grenades

Flares or smoke grenades were used by US units to mark out targets or positions. The jungle in Vietnam would make certain targets invisible to air units. Ground units would mark out the target with a marker so support units (an airstrike or artillery, for example) can pinpoint targets and fire with a bit more accuracy. Other uses were for ground units to mark and area as an evac point for helicopters to extract them from a war-zone. Flares also had the ability to light up a war-zone in the dark.

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(Support) Airstrike - Napalm bombs

Dropped by a fixed wing aircraft, napalm consisted of a flammable organic solvent, usually gasoline, gelled by soap. Delivered by bombs or flame-thrower, napalm clung to the surfaces it touched, holding the burning solvent in place on the target.

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(Support) Artillery - M101A1 105mm Light Howitzer

The howitzer was developed from the mortar family, which means that it has a very high shell trajectory. This allowed gunners to engage targets that were obscured by geographical features such as hills. Another strength was that it could use a variety of rounds, including high-explosive, anti-personnel and anti tank.

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(Support) Gunship Strike - Wing-man

On launching a marker flare, A gunship wing man would fly down and empty all his munitions into a target or group of targets. The accuracy of a gunship means that it was the most devastating type of support a pilot could have.

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(Support) SEAL team

A division of the navy, this highly-trained Special Forces unit operated in Sea, Air and Land. Used mainly for covert operations in neighbouring countries Laos and Cambodia.

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VC armoury

Truck

The NVA used trucks from the Soviet Union and China. Although it was primarily as a transport vehicle, some NVA commanders had 37mm AAA cannons fixed onto the flat bed leading to increased AAA mobility.

Armour Speed Weight

300 90 4551

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range (road)

6.40 3.15 485

m m km

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GAZ Jeep

Soviet built ‘GAZ’ jeeps were used by the NVA mainly for transporting officers or as couriers. In the field, however, with armed troops onboard, it turned the basic jeep into a fast and manoeuvrable weapons platform.

Armour Speed Weight

200 115 1355

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range (road)

4.12 1.55 515

m m km

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M1939 37mm AAA

This was a copy of the Swedish designed Bofors 40mm gun. It was a purely optical sighted weapon, which relied on gunner skill. It fired shells up to a ceiling of 2000 feet.

Damage Fire rate Weight

7 80 12005

pts rpm kg

Length Calibre Operation

6.65 37 Gas

m mm m

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S-60 57mm AAA

The S-60 was based on a German experimental weapon of World War II. It was a four-wheeled mount and fired shells to a ceiling of 12000 feet. Although it had an optical sight, for firing on ground targets, it was normally connected to a fire control computer and used as a battery. The radar detected targets and then fed the speed and course of the target to the computer. The data was then fed to dials from which the gunner can match the transmitted data and open fire.

Damage Fire rate Weight

10 70 4500

pts rpm kg

Length Calibre Operation

8.50 57 Electric

m mm m

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KS-19 100mm AAA

This was an extremely powerful post-war Soviet designed Anti-Aircraft cannon. It could fire a 35lb shell to a height of 45000 feet. There were no optical sights but a radar controlled targeting system. There was a fuse setting machine on the gun which, in conjunction with the radar data, allowed gunners to burst the shell in the sky.

Damage Fire rate Weight

15 15 6882

pts rpm kg

Length Calibre Operation

11.20 100 Gas

m mm m

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SA2 SAM

The SA-2 Surface to Air Missile used a solid-fuel booster to accelerate the rocket when launched, and then switched to a liquid-fuel sustained rocket kept it going during flight. Radar controlled, it had fins on the back of the rocket, which would adjust the flight path of the rocket on to the target. It had a range of 35 miles and a ceiling of 60000 feet.

Damage Fire rate Weight

160 n/a 2300

pts pts kg

Length Calibre Operation

10.70 21.6 Electric

m " m

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PT-76 Light Amphibious Tank

The PT-76 was a lightly armoured but fairly manoeuvrable tank. Its amphibious nature was perfects for Vietnam’s natural environment as it could ‘swim’ in any depth of water, as it had two water-jets to propel itself along. It was more popular than any other tank of the NVA but due to its lack of armour, it was no match for the firepower of the US forces. It was armed with a 76.2 mm cannon and some were fitted with a turret mounted 12.7 mm gun.

Armour Speed Weight

500 44 13780

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

6.91 3.17 250

m m km

PT-76 Cannon

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T-54 Main Battle Tank

This Soviet built tank was the best one in the NVA armoury. Its 100mm gun was developed from a naval gun of the same calibre. With an armour piercing shell, it could go through 200mm of armour from a range of 900m. Most T-54s were fitted with a turret mounted 12.7mm gun. The T-54 was not used to its full potential due to its poorly trained VC crew. This, and its lack of sophisticated targeting, meant that it was no match for the US tanks.

Armour Speed Weight

750 48 36100

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

6.45 2.68 400

m m km

T-54 Cannon

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VC boat

The VC travelled along rivers in ordinary Vietnamese river boats to conceal themselves amongst the civilian population. They were built from wood or straw. Most of the boats the VC would use were propelled by an on-board motor.

Armour Speed Weight

50 30 20-30

pts kmh kg

Length Width Range

various various 400

m m km

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AK47 Assault Rifle

Many weapons experts rate the AK47 as the best small-arm ever made. Its advantages are the lack of undue vibration during fully automatic fire and it could be field stripped without the use of specialist equipment. As it was Soviet built, it’s the most common small-arm for communist forces around the world.

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12.7mm DShK-38 Heavy Machine Gun

The 12.7mm HMG was usually mounted on vehicle due to its cumbersome weight. However it was carried by ground troops and was a very mobile form of anti aircraft weapon for the VC.

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RPG-7

This Soviet designed Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher was the most common one of the various RPGs that the NVA used. It had a simple ‘point and shoot’ firing principle and using HEAT rounds, could pierce 320mm of armour at a range of about 150m.

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