"ARVN platoon organization" Topic

I was recently reading the Ospray book on Vietnam War infantry tactic and found that they said that after the M-16 was introduced, the BAR was replaced by the M-79. The only machinegun (M-60) was at the company level.

Other sources show both a M-60 and M-79 at the squad level (this is the way I had organized my platoon).

My ARVN are not modeled as any type of elite unit just the average gang of grunts.

How have you organized your ARVN platoons?

Thanks,

Vince

ARVN infantry were organized from 1956 onward along American lines of the Korean War era. When the new weapons arrived the ARVN was equipped like the US Army of the ROAD era.

Just as with the US Army in Vietnam, M60s in the infantry platoon were often pushed down to infantry squads. ARVN organization was similarly affected by attrition, as well as supply issues. However, on paper the M60s would have been part of the platoon weapons squad, as had the M1919A6s that preceded them.

Joe
of course is correct , I have my ranger squads at 7 men with 1 M79 and 1 M60 and 5 M16 with a 3 man Plt Hqs and a weapons squad with a 60mm mortar and and old 1919 30 cal.
is this an absolute correct orbat don't know but it based off of photos of rangers in Saigon during tet (ARVN RANGERS)Plus it fits exactly Elhiems Arvn packs Old ones not sure about the new packs..These figures are very very good Ive seen his new stuff and thats even better..(20mm)

ARVN Organization
Sources:Army of the Republic Of Vietnam Gordon Rottman
The Long Road South Iron Ivan Games

Rifle Company= Three Rifle Platoons Weapons Platoon and a small company Headquarters

Rifle Platoon=Plt Leader, Platoon Sgt, Platoon Guide (Assistant Plt. Sgt.)Medic, Radio Operator

Rifle Squad=Sqd. Ldr., Assistant Sqd. Ldr., BAR Gunner, seven rilfemen with mix of M-1 Garands and M-2 Carbines. After 1968 M-16s and BAR replaced with M-79

Weapons Platoon= Two M1919A6 machine gun teams (replaced with M-60s about 1969) two 60mm mortars, two 2.36/3.5 rocket launchers

After 1968 M-16s and BAR replaced with M-79

I'm not sure where this is coming from. The automatic rifleman's BAR should have been replaced by an M16A1 as in the US military. The ARVN had grenadiers with rifle grenade launchers just like the US did before the introduction of the M79. When the M79 was introduced, the ARVN replaced these weapons just like the US did.

The M1 rifle was also supposed to be the standard infantry weapon of the ARVN, but was found to be cumbersome for the majority of Vietnamese soldiers. The decision was then made to try supplant the M1 rifle with the M2 carbine (which was actually the control weapon in the tests of the AR-15 conducted by ARPA for the ARVN), but I'm not sure how far this got in the regular ARVN before the M16A1 was introduced.

Mistake on my part. Trying to type and prevent the Grandkids from killing each other at the same time.

What I meant was the BAR was replaced by the M-79. Suggest Gordon Rottmans book on the ARVN. See page 34.

As to the ARVN having mixes of Garands and M-2 again see either of the two sources I cited above.

If I'm wrong please provide your sources.

MACV Command History for 1968 says clearly that the M16A1s were issued to replace remaining M1 rifles, M1 and M2 carbines, M1918A2 BARs, and M1 and M3 SMGs in regular ARVN units.

While its true to say that the squad lost the BAR and gained the M79, the M79 did not replace the BAR. The M79 replaced the rifle grenade launchers that had been issued with the M1 rifles and M1 and M2 carbines.

Bottom line, based on what has been presented above, was that the was no M-60 directly assigned to the basic platoon. It was held at the Weapons platoon. The basic squad had nine M-16's and one M-79.

Thanks to all,

Vince

Yes, I was in error when I mentioned a weapons squad. The MGs would have been held at company level with other heavy weapons in a separate weapons platoon.