Hello Pyros,
I can't send you this in your mail box : "550 5.7.1 Your message was considered to be spam by the FORTHnet
Antispamming Policy and was not delivered to the recipient."
So, I put here what you ask. I'm happy to help the team !
Best regards,
Laurent Touchard
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General situation for 32nd and 33rd Regiments
By October 1965, for the Ia Drang battle, 32nd and 33rd Regiment were assembled with the 66th Regiment under the control of the "Field Front" as the NVA Division Headquarters was known at this time (it was the actual 325th Division).
Each regiment had their normal support attachments : artillery (with HMG, AAMG, recoilless rifles, mortars), medical, engineer, transportation and signal companies.
It seems that each battalion had 3 rifle companies and 1 support coy since August 1964.
In August 1964, the 5th Coy of the 2nd Battalion, 33rd Regiment had the following weapons : 4 "Chicom" MMG (SG43 or SGM chinese variants), 3 x 75 mm RR, 3 x 82 mm mortars, 15 AK47, 9 CKC rifles (SKS), 2 pistols and 200 sticks grenades.
Before this date, the 2nd Battalion had 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies (90/100 men per coy), 1 MMG platoon, 1 RR platoon and 1 mortar platoon. After August 1964, support weapons were assembled in a support coy and a signal coy (probably 4th Coy, with 85 men) was added.
In the support coy of the 3rd Battalion, 33rd Regiment, the RR platoon had 3 x 57 mm RR.
Note that LMG were mostly RP-46 and NOT RPD, and B-40 rocket launchers (RPG-2), NOT B-41 (RPG-7).
The reconnaissance platoon of the 334th Battalion, 32nd Regiment had 4 sergeants and 14 men who came from differents other units of the 308th Division (and not the 325th). It was organized around two squads.
About the morale, it was not so hight as we can see in movies. With the interrogation of a captured North Vietnamese soldier, it was stated that : "During the first days of the training course, trainees were very interested in training and made much progress but when they realized that they would have to infiltrate SVN, some were anxious. Therfore the political cadre propagandized that three fourths of the territory in SVN had already been liberated by the National Front for liberation of SVN. Almost all trainees thought that they would go and occupy the liberated area"
It's also interesting (and not well known) that there had sefl mutilations and suicides in the NVA, not only in the US Army...
For the supply, each weapon (before ressuply) had :
Submachineguns : 150 rounds
Rifle : 100 rounds
Machinegun : 3.000 rounds
57 mm recoilless rifles (and perhaps 75 mm) : 10 rounds
82 mm mortars : 10/12 rounds
32nd PAVN Regiment ("X.320" was its covert designation)
Activation : Activated in the Spring of 1964, and seems to be created specifically for infiltrations in South Vietnam. Officers, NCOs and soldiers were drawn from others PAVN units, reinforced by draftees.
Training : Draftees were trained at Son Tay and Xuan Mai (an infiltration training base).
Infiltration in South Vietnam : The regiment started its infiltration in South Vietnam in September-October 1964 to be operational in January 1965.
Strengh : 1.500 men
Structure : After the battle of Plei Mei it was reduced to 2 (or perhaps 3) 400-men battalions because of heavy casualties. During the infiltration and the battle of Plei Mei, its Headquarters was located in Cambodia.
The 32nd Regiment had :
334th Battalion (formed in April 1964 with 500 cadres and soldiers of Division 308 ; X.334)
635th Battalion (X.635)
966th Battalion (X.966)
Otherwise, I assume that the 32nd Regiment as the same organization than the 33rd Regiment.
33rd PAVN Regiment (also known as the "101st B Regiment" ; aka "101B" or "Song Thao Group)
General infos : formed in 1945-46 in Hue, named "Binh Tri Thien "("Own child"), the unit operated in Laos between 1950 and 1954. Thereafter, it was attached to the 325th Division. In 1961, the unit was again sent in Laos. By the fall of 1961, it returned in North Vietnam. The cadres were experienced soldiers, but the morale of the soldiers was between low and medium (not hight).
Activation : 1945-46
Training : Huong Khe ?
Infiltration in South Vietnam : December 1964, to be operational in February 1965. Before their departure in South Vietnam, each soldier of the 2nd Battalion received 5 packages of cigarettes, 2 kg of sugar, 1 kg can of meat, 1 individual medical box (with medicine for anti-malaria, anti-colic, anti-cough, anti-headache, tiger balm, water purifying pills and 2 individual bandages) and was permited to send 3 months salary to his family (after deducting expenses of ration and equipment). Perhaps named 520D during its infiltration.
Strengh : 2.000 men
Structure :
1 signals company
1 medical company (or platoon size)
1 chemical platoon
1 reconnaissance platoon
3 transportation companies (civilians)
1st Battalion (H.1)
2nd Battalion (H.2)
3rd Battalion (H.3)
1 x 12,7 AAMG company
1 x 75 mm Recoilless Rifles company
1 x 82 mm mortar company
Sources
Command After Action Report 1st Air Cavalry Division 4 December 1965
Intelligence Memorandum The status of PAVN infiltration to South Vietnam 11 January 1966
Intelligence Memorandum Buildup of Vietnamese Communist Forces continues after resumption of air attacks 21 February 1966
Interrogation of a member of the 334th Battalion, 32nd Regiment of the North Vietnam Army
Interrogation of NguyenVan Luy, Private 1st Class of 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Combat Support Company of 3rd Battalion, 101st Regiment
Interrogation of Nguyen Duc Xe a Private First Class of the 5th Company, 2nd Battalion, 101st Regiment of the 325th Division of the North Vietnamese Army (June 1965)
List of mail adress of units subordinate to X.320, dated 12 February 65 (captured translated document)
North Vietnamese Army infiltration into South Vietnam beginning in 1964 11 July 1967
Rooster of the Reconnaissance Platoon of 334th Bn March 1966
The Ia Drang Valley Campaign : The Army's First Battle in Vietnam by Clinton . Williams, LTC, US Army Naval War College 16 June 1989
Viet-Nam documents and research notes North Vietnam's role in the South June 1968
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