Did NVA/VC use camouflage uniform?

[sepia]

Did NVA/VC use camouflage uniform?
I don't know about it? Please tell me, if you know.

[khaz]

I too have wondered about this for many minutes myself.

[SniperLane]

one word for you bubble heads, well actually an acronym,

BDP.

[WTIO]

I'm sure they would have used anything they could have got their hands on, given the fact they were operating often as irregular troops at the end of a long supply line. Whyever not?

[Catch22]

They did. It could be eastern european made - use google, you'll find some examples

[JUNKHO]

From late 67 to early 71, I did not see NVA/VC wearing camouflage uniforms. That is not to say they did not practice camouflage and there are pictures of them using (what I describe as a camouflaged poncho liner) as a camouflge cape. But I did not see actual camouflage uniform material. This was just in my little corner of the world, mostly NVA or VC main force, on 5 or 6 occasions of both dead and alive, fairly close and at distance. And about the same amount of occasions, mostly at distance out side VN, except for 1 instance of up close and dead infiltrators.

[SoSo]

The Viet Cong usually wore black, but I believe snipers may have been issued special uniorms of mottled camouflage. The PAVN regulars wore khaki uniforms, and later a shade of olive drab.

http://wingman.dier.us/articles/uniforms.htm

You could also look for the Osprey Publications books, "North Vietnames Army 1958-1975 (Warrior)" and "Viet Cong Fighter (Warrior)", all the Osprey books are nicely illustrated with photos and color plates. Amazon.com has used copies of these books for around ten dollars. For some reason they won't ship to Thailand, but maybe you could circumvent this by having them shipped to a friend in another country, and then have your friend ship them to you.

[Sheikh Al Stranghi]

They used camouflage capes made from US/french camo parachutes. They'd wear them on their back. If US planes came over they would lie down, and they would be camouflaged that way.

[WTIO]

I was wondering if they had any French camouflage captured from stocks there. Also the US was more heavily involved than you might think with the French re-occupation and before that with the OSS during WWII. I wouldn't rule out Japanese, from the occupation in WWII, or British, who had a brief 'constabulary' role there holding onto the place until the French could get back in post-WWII.

However, most of the kit from most of the nation's there wouldn't be camouflage. I think the idea of VC in USMC beach camouflage trews, Denison smock and French lizard pattern boonie didn't really happen...

[ferguson]

We ran into a group of NVA recon guys wearing Tigers.

They were taking a break and jumped up and beat it inti the brush.

Same deal as our guys wearing their stuff to cause a bit of confusion and hesitation in just such an encounter.

We were wearing them as well as Mike Force guys also working our AO at the time.

The giveaway was the AKs they snatched up before taking off.

[soetopo1]

Aside from the ad hoc camouflage mentioned above (camouflage capes, etc.) PAVN first began to issue camouflage uniforms in limited numbers as of early 1970. The first photographic evidence dates from March 1970, when Dac Cong commandos wearing camouflage attacked Long Tieng/Sam Thong in northern Laos. The spotted camouflage material was made in China, but tailored in Vietnam. There are further photographs of Dac Cong wearing spotted camouflage (shirts, pants, matching soft caps) in Cambodia and South Vietnam from 1973 onward. This camoufage pattern, in two color variants, was still being used through the eighties.

[sepia]

pic?please. :(

[sepia]

I search in Google I can find to NVA helmet with camo (pic from vhpamuseum) but I can't find NVA/VC camo uniform.:(
Pith helmet fitted with camo cover that was fashioned from a captured US parachute. Note tied string net cover and Pin-on NVA badge http://www.***************/badguys/images/mvc005f1.jpg .(real item?I don't sure)
Uniquely camouflaged viet Comg helmet. Note use of US Parachute utilized to make cover and camo strips - also braided chinstrap made of shroud line
http://www.***************/badguys/images/camohat.jpg .(real item?I don't sure)

*Sorry,I put wrong link before I'm edit post.*:oops:

[floupe]

Aside from the ad hoc camouflage mentioned above (camouflage capes, etc.) PAVN first began to issue camouflage uniforms in limited numbers as of early 1970. The first photographic evidence dates from March 1970, when Dac Cong commandos wearing camouflage attacked Long Tieng/Sam Thong in northern Laos. The spotted camouflage material was made in China, but tailored in Vietnam. There are further photographs of Dac Cong wearing spotted camouflage (shirts, pants, matching soft caps) in Cambodia and South Vietnam from 1973 onward. This camoufage pattern, in two color variants, was still being used through the eighties.

Example of camouflage pattern soetopo1 is talking about - this particular one is Chinese tailored and sourced in Lhasa, Tibet in late '85. Have since obtained a VN tailored example made from *exactly* the same material.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n284/filupe/Forum%20-%20Red%20Alliance/Chicomcam01.jpg