Captured WW2 Weapons in Vietnam

[imntxs554]

Here is just a few WW2 Weapons that were Used and Captured from the VC in Vietnam by U.S. Army Soldiers. The Link posted below has some Amazing Photos and Stories.

WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War

Information

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[Paul S.]

Circa 1968-69 we were capturing a lot of WWII German stuff that we were sure had come from Eastern European Warsaw Pact countries - Bulgaria, Romania and the like. We also captured a fair bit of leftovers from the French as well as some weapons (STENs) supplied to Vietnamese resistance during WWII by SOE/OSS.

[boltaction]

I would LOVE to get my mitts on that FG42......

[burb1989]

I have a couple of berthiers, one being the very rare Indochinois variant, and a crude Chinese copy of a Gew 88 that were captured in Vietnam. My dad's unit even captured several k98s and MAS 36s according to his units after action reports. He even witnessed a mosin nagant 91/30 sniper with a homemade silencer being captured over there and who knows what all else was there. I've seen pics of VC with 1903s, p1917's, other us firearms stolen from the South Vietnamese, even crude VC made weapons.

[Flying10uk]

Does anyone know what the U.S. army did with these captured weapons? Did they hand them over to the south Vietnamese or dispose of them by perhaps dumping at sea? My understanding was that the Soviets/Eastern Europeans supplied obsolete WW2 weapons etc to the NVA/VC so that they could use the excuse of "plausible deniability" which they couldn't so much if more modern weapons were supplied.

[Calif-Steve]

I think the ARVN had a big depot full of capture stuff. If I recall it correctly they sold off a huge pile 1969 or so. It went off to some European buyer.

[Flying10uk]

Post 1 middle picture, about half way along there is what looks like a Mosin Nagant rifle sticking up slightly above the others in the line. Is it the sniper's version with the scope missing because it has the turned down bolt handle?

[Paul S.]

My understanding was that everything went to military intelligence first - or was supposed to - so that they could do their investigations and the like. After that, some was kept for historical purposes and then what wasn't wanted (or needed) went to the US MAAG. That meant some/all supposedly went to the SVN military, and some went to MAAG (MACV, 5SFG, etc.) programmes in country or - shall we say - 'places the US military wasn't'.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I would LOVE to get my mitts on that FG42......

If only for a few bursts.

[mrclark303]

I believe a not insignificant amount of this gear originated (BAR's, M1 carbines etc) came from China who in turn captured large amounts of western materiel during their civil war and following that, in the Korean war. I once had the chance to sift through a number of NVA/VC small arms that used to be left out for display/supervised handling, at the Vietnamese Airforce museum in Hanoi.

This was 23 years ago now, so memory might be a little fuzzy, but some of the M1 Carbines in particular, seemed to have typical Chinese small arms inspection markings on them, so perhaps signs of Chinese arsenal refurbishment.

As a side note of interest, displayed just down the road, outside the Airforce headquarters and still in good overall condition was the wreck of a substantially complete US Navy F4 Phantom, ejector seat rods still extended, this was recovered in complete (but somewhat crumpled) condition after being shot down in 67, both crew members being captured unfortunately after ejecting.

Back then it was in very good order, clearly having been undercover and being stripped of internal avionics, what a prize this must have been for the Eastern block back then!
When I was noticed reaching for my camera it went down like a lead balloon and I was forcefully, but polity, advised it would not be a good idea !

I believe this same wreck, now in poor condition has moved over the road to the Army museum.