Weapons of the Cambodian Civil War

Cambodian Civil War T-55 tanks

The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict between the forces of the Khmer Rouge and the royal forces of the Kingdom of Cambodia from 1967 to 1970, then between the National United Front of Kampuchea and the Khmer Republic from 1970 to 1975.

Khmer Republic Equipment

Handguns

M1911A1 pistol

• M1911 pistol
• Browning Hi-Power
• Smith & Wesson Model 39
• M1917 revolver
• Smith & Wesson Model 10

Submachine guns

M3 submachine gun

• M1A1 Thompson submachine gun
• M3A1 submachine gun
• MAT-49

Assault rifles

M16A1 was the standard FANK issue assault rifle

AK-47 was used extensively in swamp and jungle environment by FANK forces

• M16A1 Standard FANK issue rifle
• CAR-15 Used by special forces
• AKM Used extensively in swamp and jungle environment
• AKMS Used extensively in swamp and jungle environment
• AK-47 Used extensively in swamp and jungle environment
• AKS-47 Used extensively in swamp and jungle environment
• Type 56 assault rifle Captured from Communist forces
• Type 56-I assault rifle Captured from Communist forces

Carbines

• M1/ M2 Carbine
• SKS Used extensively in swamp and jungle environment
• Type 56 Carbine Captured from Communist forces

Battle rifles

M1 Garand

• M1 Garand
• FN FAL Received limited quantities. Used in small number
• Heckler & Koch G3 Received limited quantities

Bolt-action rifles

M1903 Springfield

• M1903 Springfield
• MAS-36
• Lee–Enfield Used in small number

Shotguns

Ithaca 37

• Ithaca 37 pump-action

Light machine guns

Browning Automatic Rifle

• M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle
• FM 24/29
• Bren Used in small number
• DPM
• RPD

General-purpose machine gun

M60 machine gun

• M60 machine gun Standard FANK issue machine gun
• M60B/M60D machine gun Used on the UH-1 helicopters
• M1919A6 Browning machine gun

Heavy machine guns

• M2 Browning machine gun, cal. .50, HB Used on the M113
• M1917 Browning machine gun In limited service
• M1919A4 Browning machine gun
• SG-43/SGM Goryunov Captured from Communist forces

Anti-tank rocket launchers

M72 LAW

M79 grenade launcher

• M72 LAW Standard FANK issue rocket launchers
• M202 FLASH Used in small number
• RPG-2
• RPG-7
• Type 56 RPG Captured from Communist forces
• Type 69 RPG Captured from Communist forces

Recoilless rifles

• M20 recoilless rifle
• M40 recoilless rifle
• M67 recoilless rifle
• B-10 recoilless rifle
• B-11 recoilless rifle

Grenade launchers

M203 grenade launcher

• M79 grenade launcher Standard FANK issue grenade launcher
• M203 grenade launcher Used on the M16A1 rifle

Grenade and Mines

M67 hand grenade

• M67 grenade Standard FANK issue frag grenade
• M61 grenade frag grenade
• Mk 2 grenade frag grenade
• AN M18 smoke grenade
• M34 white phosphorus grenade smoke grenade
• Claymore M18A1 anti-personnel mine
• M16 mine bounding anti-personnel mine

Anti-aircraft guns

Bofors 40 mm

• Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun
• S-60 57mm anti-aircraft gun
• Type 55/65 37mm anti-aircraft gun Chinese variant of M1939 (61-K)^[1]

Mortars

M2 mortar

• Brandt Mle 27/31
• M19 mortar
• M29 mortar
• M30 107 mm mortar
• M2 4.2 inch mortar

Howitzers

M114 155mm howitzer

• M101 105 mm howitzer
• M102 105 mm howitzer
• M114 155 mm howitzer
• M116 howitzer
• M109 155mm self-propelled gun Used in small number
• Type 59-1 130mm field gun

Land vehicles

M113 APC

• Gun Jeep, 1/4-ton with mounted M60 machine gun or Browning M1919A4
• M151 Truck, Utility, 1/4-Ton, 4×4
• M35 Cargo truck
• M113 armored personnel carrier
• AMX-13 Light tank
• M24 Chaffee Light tank
• Howitzer Motor Carriage M8
• M8 Greyhound armoured car
• Panhard AML
• BTR-40
• BTR-152

Helicopters

• UH-1 Iroquois gunship
• UH-1H transport
• Sikorsky H-34 transport

Aircraft

• MiG-17 fighter jet
• Shenyang J-5 fighter jet
• C-47 transport
• Fairchild C-123 Provider transport
• AC-47D gunship
• AU-24A mini-gunship
• North American T-28 Trojan trainer/fighter-bomber
• Potez CM.170R Fouga Magister jet trainer/fighter-bomber
• Cessna T-37B jet trainer/fighter-bomber
• Cessna T-41 Mescalero trainer
• Cessna O-1D Bird Dog reconnaissance/observation light aircraft
• U-1A Otter liaison aircraft

Naval craft

• Monitor, (MON) heavily gunned riverine craft
• Swift Boat, (PCF) Patrol Craft Fast
• ASPB, Assault Support Patrol Boat, (known as Alpha boats)
• PBR, Patrol Boat River, (all fiberglass boats, propelled by twin water jets)
• Landing Craft Mechanized

Khmer Rouge Equipment

Handguns

• Makarov pistol
• Tokarev TT-33
• Type 54 pistol Chinese variant of TT-33

Submachine guns

PPSh-41

• MAT-49
• vz. 24, 26
• PPSh-41, K-50M
• PPS-43

Shotguns

• IZH-43 double barrel shotgun

Assault rifles

Type 56 assault rifle

• AK-47
• AKS-47
• Type 56 assault rifle Used extensively
• Type 56-I assault rifle Used extensively
• Type 58 assault rifle
• Type 63 assault rifle Used in small number
• Sa vz. 58 Used in small number
• M16A1 rifle Captured from government forces

Carbines

• SKS
• Type 56 carbine Used extensively
• M1/ M2 Carbine Captured from government forces

Bolt-action rifles

Type 53 carbine

• Mosin–Nagant
• Type 53 carbine
• MAS-36
• Arisaka rifle Used in small number

Light machine guns

Type 53 light machine gun

• RPD
• Type 56 LMG Chinese variant of RPD. Used extensively
• RPK
• DP/DPM
• Type 53 Chinese variant of DPM.
• M1918A2 BAR Captured from government forces

General-purpose machine guns

• PK/PKM Used in small number
• Degtyaryov RP-46
• M60 Captured from government forces

Heavy machine guns

Type 53 machine gun

• Type 53/57 Chinese variant of SG-43 and SGM
• DShK
• Type 54 Chinese variant of DShKM
• KPV
• M1919A4 Browning machine gun Captured from government forces

Anti-tank rocket launchers

Type 69 RPG

• RPG-2 Used extensively
• RPG-7
• Type 56 RPG Used extensively
• Type 69 RPG Used extensively

Anti-aircraft guns

Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun

• 57 mm AZP S-60 Used in small number
• Type 59 57 mm anti-aircraft gun Chinese variant of S-60, Used in small number
• ZPU-1/2/4
• 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) Used in small number
• Type 55/65 37 mm anti-aircraft gun Chinese variant of M1939 (61-K), Used in small number

Mortar

• Type 53 82 mm
• 82-PM-41
• Type 55 12 0mm

Artillery

Type 59-1 130 mm field gun

Khmer Rouge used small number of field howitzers or captured howitzers from government forces

• 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)
• 85 mm divisional gun D-44
• T-12 100mm anti-tank gun
• Type 60 122 mm Field Gun
• Type 59-1 130mm field gun Used in small number

Recoilless rifles

B-10

• B-10 recoilless rifle
• B-11 recoilless rifle
• Type 56 recoilless rifle
• Type 65 recoilless rifle

Grenade launchers

• M79 Captured from government forces

See also

• Weapons of the Laotian Civil War
• Weapons of the Vietnam War

Notes

1. Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975 (2011), pp. 263; 268-269.

References

• Albert Grandolini, Armor of the Vietnam War (2): Asian Forces, Concord Publications, Hong Kong 1998. ISBN 978-962-361-622-5
• Bernard C. Nalty, Jacob Neufeld and George M. Watson, An Illustrated Guide to the Air War over Vietnam, Salamander Books Ltd, London 1982. ISBN 978-0-668-05346-4
• Bill Gunston, An Illustrated Guide to Military Helicopters, Salamander Books Ltd, London 1981. ISBN 978-0-86101-110-0
• Kenneth Conboy and Kenneth Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970-75, Men-at-arms series 209, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989. ISBN 0-85045-851-X
• Michael Green & Peter Sarson, Armor of the Vietnam War (1): Allied Forces, Concord Publications, Hong Kong 1996. ISBN 962-361-611-2