Re: Korean War & Vietnam War

[Robert <wanaki@infi.net>]

Let me try one more time. My position was, and remains, that the NK army
was better armed, with heavier maneuver ellements, and that the  South Koreans
were a lightly armed constabulary, poorly equipt to repell an invasion. When
the Imugin came south the ROK's had nothing capable of stopping armor, only
trainers for aircraft, and little arty. other than mortars. The US was leary
of Rhee, because he expressed his desire to unify the country by force if
necessary, and thought it prudent to limit the arms available to his ROK's.

AMPSOne@aol.com wrote:
> Robert,
>  
>  Sorry to disillusion you but as Ed noted the Koreans only got third-rate
> weapons from the USSR. China got second-line weapons. To wit: 
>  
>  1950 Soviet Armaments
>  
>  First line tanks: IS-3, IS-4, T-54-1 and T-54-2
>  Second line tanks: IS-2, T-34-85
>  Third line tanks: T-34-85
>  
>  First line artillery: 152mm ML-20, 122mm A-19
>  Second line artillery: 122mm M-30, 85mm D-44
>  Third line artillery: 76mm ZIS-3, 76mm M1927/32 
>  
>  First line antitank guns: 100mm BS-3, 85mm D-48
>  Second line antitank guns: 57mm ZIS-2
>  Third line antitank guns: 45mm M1942, 14.5mm PTRS/PRTD
>  
>  First line small arms: AK-47
>  Second line small arms: Tokarev self-loading rifle
>  Third line small arms: Moisin-Nagant, PPS, PPSh
>  
>  First line machine guns: 12.7mm DShKM, 7.62mm SG43/SGM, 7.62mm RPD
>  Second line machine guns: 12.7mm DShK. 7.62mm RP-46
>  Third line machine guns: 7.62mm Maxim, 7.62mm DP
>  
>  Mortars: 240mm M-240, 160mm M-160, 120mm M1938/43, 107mm, 82mm
>  
>  Aircraft:
>  
>  First line aircraft: MiG-15/15bis, La-11, Il-28, Tu-4
>  Second line aircraft: MiG-9, La-9, Tu-2
>  Third line aircraft: Yak-9D, Il-10 
>  
>  Note: China was given MiG-15/15bis aircraft in 1951 to bring them up to
> speed in combat with USAF jet fighters, as Mao realized the MiG-9 was a non-starter
> against the F-86. The KPAFAC got theirs in 1952 but Kim did not want them
> used in combat and as of this date there is no evidence that Korean pilots
> flew their own MiGs in combat (some flew with Chinese units). 
>  
>  Most of the stuff given to North Korea was either below 120mm caliber or
> third-tier leftovers from the GPW. The only reason it "seems" impressive
> was due to the comparison with the weapons that we gave to the ROKA which
> were barely enough for a weak constabulary guard. 
>  
>  Cookie Sewell
>  AMPS 
>  
>  
>