What weapons used in World War 2 were used in the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

Although the A-1 Skyraider, a propeller driven USN dive bomber was designed in WW2, it arrived to late to see any action in WW2; but was used extensively in the Korean and Vietnam Wars (see film: Rescue Dawn; showing the A-1 Skyraider). WWII US Army M24 Chaffee light tanks were used by the ARVN (Army Republic South Vietnam Army) prior to receiving the newer M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks. The WW2 Browning .50 and .30 caliber machine guns were used. Early in the war small arms such as: M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and Thompson 45 caliber submachine guns were used, primarily by ARVN's and US Military advisers.

The US Navy battleship USS New Jersey was a WW2 battleship, and all guns; and the only US battleship to serve on the gun line in Vietnam.

Probably, the only weapon that was consistently used by US forces, that was a WW2 weapon; was the Army .45 pistol. And that pistol was actually a World War One weapon, adapted by the US Army in 1911.

Answer 2

1. The propeller driven A-1 Skyhawk (see film: Rescue Dawn) was originally designed and built during WW2, but arrived too late to see action in WW2. The A-1 was originally a US Navy Dive Bomber. 2. M-1 Garand rifles, M-1 carbines, Thompson sub-machineguns, .45 pistols, Browning 30 caliber machine guns, Browning .50 caliber machine guns, bazookas, and various calibers of recoilless rifles were used in the beginning of the war; primarily by South Viet forces and US advisers. However, the .50 and .45's remained as standard issue for US forces. For US forces, the M1 rifle, M1 carbine, were replaced by the M-16 Assault Rifle; the Thompsons were replaced by the M3 (.45 caliber) submachine gun (grease gun), and the Browning .30 caliber mg was replaced by the 7.62mm NATO M-60 machine gun. 3. The M-42 Duster, itself, was not a WW2 weapon, but the twin 40mm US Navy Pom Pom guns on it were WW2 veterans. Those twin guns are the weapons you see on old WW2 footage, when US Navy warships are shooting down Kamikazes...and the sky is full of flak (dark clouds from explosions). The twin barrels move back and forth as they fire; they are fired by a foot pedal, as men load the 40mm rounds by a charging clip. The 40mm's are mounted on a modified M41 Walker Bulldog light tank; together called the M-42 "Duster." A Anti-Aircraft Artillery weapon formerly assigned to ADA (Air Defense Artillery units). 4. The original "Puff the Magic Dragon" gunship was a WW2 C-47 cargo plane. Which was replaced by the C-119 Flying Boxcar, which in turn was replaced by the current AC-130 Spectre USAF gunship. 19 "Puff the Dragons" were lost in the war, while 6 Spectre's were destroyed in Vietnam. 5. The US Navy's Brown Water Navy (Riverine Forces); besides the new Swift Boats, PBR's, and Alpha Boats, used the MONITOR; an all steel "River Battleship" mounting a single barrel 40mm cannon or 105mm howitzer in the forward turret. The Vietnam MONITOR was a converted WW2 US Navy LCM (Landing Craft Medium). 6. The US Army/Marine M-1 steel helmet was the same helmet from the Korean War and WW2; with the added exception that approximately 1 million more M-1 steel helmets were produced during the mid-1960's (from recycled automobiles-as was shown on the television news at the time). 7. The US Navy Battleship, USS New Jersey (16" guns); heavy cruisers (8" guns); light cruisers (6" guns); and Gearing class destroyers (5" guns); were WW2 warships, firing on the gun line at both North and South Vietnamese Coastlines.