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American History: Weapons Used In The Vietnam War

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American History: Weapons Used In The Vietnam War
Jesse Arneberg
American History
Group 4 Collaboration
Weapons Used in the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1954 to 1975, ushered in a new era of weapons, bringing forth new tactics and technology. The Vietnam War was a war located mainly in the jungles and forests of South Vietnam. The war was fought between the communist regime of North Vietnam and their counterparts in the south, the Viet Cong, and South Vietnam, who had allies like the USA, and resulted in over 3 million deaths, including over 58,000 Americans. There were many different categories of weaponry used in Vietnam. From air, to infantry, to chemical warfare, there were many new weapons being implemented. The US and South Vietnam relied heavily on their superior …show more content…
Planes like the B-52 bomber (developed by Boeing in 1940s) were excellent at bombing large areas, while smaller, more manueverable planes such as the F-4 Phantom were also used. Aircrafts were also used for transport. The Bell UH-1 helicopter, nicknamed the “Huey,” was used for transporting troops, supplies and equipment, aid with additional firepower, evacuate injured or killed soldiers. Napalm, a chemical compound created during World War II, was mixed with gasoline to poison the air and destroy the landscape, but proved to be ineffective against the form of guerilla warfare the Viet Cong used. Many other vehicles were used by the US and South Vietnam, such as the M-48 tank, armored personal carriers, and …show more content…
The 105mm howitzer fired explosive shrapnel shells and could be towed behind a truck or dropped into location by helicopter, and had a range of 12,500 yards. Some of the common infantry weapons used were machine guns and rifles. The M-60 machine gun could be used by infantrymen or be attached to a helicopter or truck to provide artillery support. Standard issue for US soldiers in Vietnam was the gas-powered M-16, and rifle that could fire over a few hundred yards and was relatively easy to reload, and could be used on either an automatic or semi-automatic setting. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong also had their branch of weapons, supplied by the Soviet Union and China. A popular anti-aircraft weapon was the SA-7 Grail, a shoulder-mounted missile launcher. On the ground, a popular gun was the DP 7.62mm light machine gun, equivalent to the US ' M-60 machine gun. AK-47s were also used. Although with less range, rate of fire, and was heavier than the US-made rifles, it was extremely
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