| Place | Asia: Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/02428 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Rocket launcher |
| Physical description | Metal |
| Place made | China |
| Date made | c 1960 |
| Conflict |
Period 1970-1979 Vietnam, 1962-1975 |
RPG-2 Rocket Launcher Chicom Type 56 : Viet Cong
Description
The RPG 2 portable rocket launcher consists of a metal tube which has plastic sleeve section in the middle to protect the firer against heatand make the weapon easier to hold in cold climates. The firing mechanism consists of a spring loaded hammer and is enclosed in a cast aluminium housing. The tube has a post front sight and a flip up tangent rear sight with range graduations. There is a cotton carry strap attached to the launcher tube. The launcher tube is painted gloss black. Markings - 56 - 40X; SJ 7-14-106; 121901.
History / Summary
One of two Vietcong weapons (also refer to REL/02427) that was captured by South Vietnamese troops. It was displayed in the South Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra until 1 May 1975. Following the fall of Saigon, the previous day, the South Vietnamese Embassy closed and asked the Australian War Memorial to collect it. The RPG-2 was developed from the German Panzerfaust of the Second World War. It fires a fin stabilised HEAT projectile which is loaded into the muzzle of the launcher. The weapon was manufactured by Warsaw Pact countries and their allies.