Vietnam
THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ARMED FORCES
ON THE EVE OF THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL, DECEMBER 1972 Division: 1st Infantry Division Location: Hue Corps: I Infantry Regiments: 1st, 3rd, 51st, 54th Division: 2nd Infantry Division Location: Quang Ngai Corps: I Infantry Regiments: 4th, 5th, 6th Division: 3rd Infantry Division Location: Quang Tri Corps: I Infantry Regiments: 2nd, 56th, 57th (Activated 1 October 1971) Division: 5th Infantry Division Location: Lai Khe Corps: III Infantry Regiments: 7th, 8th, 9th Division: 7th Infantry Division Location: Dong Tam Corps: IV Infantry Regiments: 10th, 11th, 12th Division: 9th Infantry Division Location: Rach Gila Corps: IV Infantry Regiments: 14th 15th, 16th Division: 18th Infantry Division Location: Xuan Loc Corps: III Infantry Regiments: 4 3rd, 48th, 52nd Division: 21st Infantry Division Location: Bac Lieu Corps: IV Infantry Regiments: 31st, 32rd, 33rd Division: 22nd Infantry Division Location: Bai Gi Corps: II Infantry Regiments: 40th, 42nd, 47th Division: 23rd Infantry Division Location: Ban Me Thuot Corps: II Infantry Regiments: 41st, 44th, 45th, 53rd Division: 25th Infantry Division Location: Duc Hoa Corps: III Infantry Regiments: 46th, 49th, 50th Airborne Brigades
Division: Parachutist Division Location: Saigon Corps: General reserve Infantry Regiments: 46th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd + 7th Ranger Group Marine Brigades Division: Marine Division Location: Saigon Corps: General reserve Infantry Regiments: 147th, 258th, 369th Corps/Command: I Corps
Location: Da Nang Subordinate Elements: 1st Ranger Group, 1st Armor Brigade |
Corps/Command: II Corps
Location: Pleiku Subordinate Elements: 2nd Ranger Group, 2nd Armor Brigade Corps/Command: III Corps Location: Bien Hoa Subordinate Elements: 81st Ranger Group (battalion), 3rd Armor Brigade Corps/Command: IV Corps Location: Can Tho Subordinate Elements: -- Corps/Command: 44th Special Tactical Zone Location: Chi Long Subordinate Elements: 4th Ranger Group, 4th Armor Brigade, 41st & 42nd Ranger Border Defense Group Corps/Command: 3rd Ranger Command Location: Bien Hoa Subordinate Elements: 3rd Ranger Group, 5th Ranger Group, 6th Ranger Group REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ARMED FORCES BATTALIONS, DECEMBER 1972
Type: Armored Cavalry Squadrons Total: 18 Battalion Type: 11 Divisional + seven separate Type: Infantry Battalions Total: 124 Battalion Type: 115 regimental + nine airborne Type: Marine Battalions Total: 9 Battalion Type: nine marine regimental Type: Ranger Battalions Total: 55 Battalion Type: 22 ranger + 23 ranger border defense Type: Artillery Battalions (105mm) Total: 44 Battalion Type: 33 divisional + eight separate + three airborne (In addition there were 176 howitzer platoons (105mm) of two guns each) Type: Artillery Battalions (155mm) Total: 15 Battalion Type: 11 divisional + four separate Type: Artillery Battalions (175mm) Total: 5 Battalion Type: five separate Type: Artillery Battalions - Air Defense Total: 4 Battalion Type: four 40mm & 50 cal. machinegun Type: Engineer Battalions Total: 40 Battalion Type: 23 combat + 17 construction Type: Signal Battalions Total: 16 Battalion Type: 13 combat + three support Type: Military Police Battalions Total: 12 Battalion Type: 12 military police Combat Strengths Regular: 108,675 Reginal/Popular Forces: 376,946 Border Rangers: 14,365 Total reported combat strength: 499,986 |
NORTH VIETNAMESE ORDER OF BATTAL (IN SOUTH VIETNAM ONLY) ON THE EVE OF THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL, DECEMBER 1972 *
Major Command: 1st Infantry Division** Location: Western Mil Region 4 Units: 44th Sapper, 52nd, 101-D **Division headquartered in Cambodia with regiments in South Vietnam Major Command: 2nd Infantry Division Location: West Quang Ngai Province Units: 1st, 52nd***, 141st ***Redesignated NVA from Viet Cong during December 1972 Major Command: 3rd Infantry Division Location: An Lo Valley Units: 2nd, 12th, 21st Major Command: 5th Infantry Division (VC) Location: Kien Tuong Province Units: E-6. 174th, 275th Major Command: 6th Infantry Division Location: Dinh Tuong Province Units: 24th, 207th, 320th Major Command: 7th Infantry Division Location: Chon Thanh Units: 141st, 165th, 209th, 205th (attached) Major Command: 9th Infantry Division*** Location: An Loc Units: 95-C, 271st, 272nd ***Redesignated NVA from Viet Cong during December 1972 Major Command: 10th Infantry Division Location: Western Kontum Province Units: 28th, 66th, 95-B Major Command: 304th Infantry Division Location: Quang Tri Province Units: 9th, 24-B, 66th Major Command: 308th Infantry Division Location: withdrawing to North Vietnam Units: 36th, 88th, 102nd Major Command: 312th Infantry Division Location: Quang Tri Province Units: 141st, 165th, 209th Major Command: 320th Infantry Division Location: Duc Co Units: 48th, 64th, 54th Arty Major Command: 320th-B Infantry Division Location: Quang Tri Province Units: 48th-B, 64th-B, 312th |
Major Command: 324th-B Infantry Division
Location: Hue Units: 29th, 803rd, 812th Major Command: 325th Infantry Division Location: Quang Tri Province Units: 18th, 95th, 101st Major Command: 711th Infantry Division Location: Hiep Duc Units: 31st, 38th, 270th Major Command: B-3 Front Location: Central Highlands Units: 24-B, 40th Arty, 400th Sapper Major Command: B-5 Front Location: Quang Tri Province Units: 27-B. 31st, 126th Naval Sapper Group, DMZ Sapper Group, 207-B, 202nd Armor, 45th Arty, 58th Arty, 68th Arty, 84th Arty, 166th Arty Major Command: Military Region 2 Location: Delta Region Units: DT-1, 88th Major Command: Military Region 3 Location: Delta Region Units: DT-1 (VC), D-2, D-3 (VC), 18-B, 95th Sapper Major Command: Military Region 7 Location: Military Region 3 Units: 29th Sapper, 33rd, 201st, 205th, 274th** **Division headquartered in Cambodia with regiments in South Vietnam Major Command: Military Region Tri-Thien Location: Thua Thien Units: 5th, 6th, 675-Arty Major Command: Independent Location: Quang Nam/Quang Tri Province Units: 5th Sapper, 45th Sapper, 572nd Tank/Artillery Major Command: Independent Location: Boi Loi Woods Units: 101st Major Command: Independent Location: Go Dau Units: 271st Combat Strengths NVA Regulars: 89,634 NVA fillers in VC units: 20,000 Border Rangers: 30,332 Total reported combat strength: 140,166 |
* Infantry unless otherwise described. All are NVA unless signified by (VC) as Viet Cong. Duplications of numerical unit designations resulted from the NVA tendency to regenerate units which had suffered heavy losses in combat, such as the famous 95th Infantry- the first NVA regiment to enter South Vietnam in December 1964. These have been italicized.