The Enemy's New Weapons

A main reason for the Communists' stronger military position in South Viet Nam is the fact that in recent months they have been receiving more powerful weapons in vastly increased numbers. Instead of the old-fashioned rifles and homemade mortars of a few years ago, the Communists--both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars--are now equipped with increasingly sophisticated and effective weapons, particularly long-range rockets. Their introduction has drastically changed the strategic situation and presented the U.S. and the South Vietnamese with a new and troublesome factor.

The new weapons have a far greater range and striking power than the old. Simple to operate and light enough to carry from place to place, they give the enemy what amounts to a mobile long-range artillery that he can use to strike at will at practically any target in South Viet Nam. Before, the Communists were forced to creep within a mile or so of their target in order to hit it with mortar fire, thus exposing themselves to detection by allied patrols. Now, using their new weaponry, they can send shells crashing into U.S. bases from as far away as seven miles, well beyond the range of U.S. patrols. Similarly, all South Vietnamese cities are open to such attacks and most, in fact, have already experienced the unnerving whoosh-crack of the new weapons.

Deadly Debut. The most widely used of the new weapons made its first appearance in South Viet Nam nine months ago, and has since been used with increasing intensity. It is the Soviet-made, self-propelled 122-mm. rocket, whose seven-mile range has snatched every sanctuary away from the allies. The 122 has hit every major U.S. installation except Cam Ranh Bay at least once; its 42-lb. warhead has destroyed scores of parked U.S. planes, pockmarked runways from Danang to Tan Son Nhut. It has also been used against most cities, striking dread into the South Vietnamese. They denounce it as a terror weapon because, like most rockets, it is not very accurate at long range and sometimes crashes into civilian areas instead of hitting nearby military targets.

The Chinese are supplying the V.C. and North Vietnamese with a new 107mm. rocket that made its deadly debut during Tet. It fires a self-propelled warhead that can demolish a small build ing or blow up a bunker at a range of five miles. The 107 has about l 1/2 times the striking power of a 75-mm. cannon, but it weighs--rocket, launcher, tripod and all--only about 200 lbs. v. 1,270 for a 75-mm.-pack howitzer.

Ultimate Compliment. In addition to longer-range rockets, the Communists now have a Russian-made close-in com bat rocket whose striking power is so great that it can penetrate ten inches of armor plating at a range of up to 550 yards. Variously called the RPG-7 or B-41, it was developed by the Soviets from the famed German World War II Panzerfaust. It weighs only 20 lbs., has a special sighting device for accuracy, and gives the common Communist fighter the ability to knock a hole in the most heavily armored U.S. tank. The RPG-7 was carried by the suicide squads that attacked the U.S. embassy and the presidential palace in Saigon, has become one of the most popular weapons in the Communist arsenal.

Though the rockets have changed the overall strategy of the war, the enemy is continuing to receive somewhat less sensational weapons in ever greater numbers. The Communists are employing more and more of the old-fashioned but highly reliable Chinese-made 82-mm. mortars that they have been using for years with great effectiveness. Though the mortars have a limited range (1.8 miles), they are easy to carry about because they break down into three portable components. Many of the Communists have become such expert mortarmen that the crews can get off 25 rounds a minute.

The Communists also have a new abundance of the weapon that does the most to change the war's balance on a strictly man-to-man basis. It is the AK-47, another Soviet refinement of German weaponry. The AK-47 is so rugged, dependable, and fast-firing that it, in effect, practically turns an ordinary rifleman into a machine gunner. Some firearm experts consider it superior to the U.S. M16, which fires a smaller bullet and has an unfortunate tendency to jam. Though the AK-47 is heavier and heats up faster than the M16, U.S. combat troopers sometimes pay it the ultimate compliment by picking it up and using it themselves when they find one on a battlefield.

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