|
AAC 1 |
Amiot AAC 1
Toucan, Junker 52
transport aircraft built in France |
ACM |
Antenne
Chirurgicale Mobile -
Mobile Surgical Unit |
ACP |
Antenne
Chirurgicale Parachutiste
- Parachute Surgical Unit |
AFAT |
Auxiliaire
Féminine de
l'Armée de Terre - Army Auxiliary Female Personnel |
ALOA |
Aviation
Légère
d'Observation Artillerie - Light Artillery Observation Aviation |
ANV |
Armée
Nationale du Vietnam
- Vietnam National Army, army of Emperor Bao Dai's nominally
independent
state |
ARK |
Armée Royale Khmère -
Khmer Royal Army |
Bac Bô |
Northern
Vietnam, Tonkin |
BAPN |
Base
Aéroportée
Nord - Northern Airborne Base |
BAPS |
Base
Aéroportée
Sud - Southern Airborne Base |
BAWOAN |
Bataillon
Parachutiste Vietnamien
- Vietnamese Parachute Battalion (phonetic transcription, see also BPVN) |
BCCP |
Bataillon
Colonial de Commandos
Parachutistes - Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion |
BCCP |
Bataillon
Colonial de Chasseurs
Parachutistes - Colonial Parachute Battalion |
BCL |
Bataillon de
Chasseurs Laotiens
- Laotian Chasseurs Battalion |
BDP |
Bataillon de
Dragons Portés
- Motorised Dragoon Battalion |
BEP |
Bataillon
Etranger de Parachutistes
- Foreign Legion Parachute Battalion |
BG |
Bataillon du
Génie - Engineer
Battalion |
BI |
Bataillon
d'Infanterie - Infantry
Battalion |
BM |
Bataillon de
Marche - March Battalion
(provisional unit made up of companies from various battalions) |
BMC |
Bordel Mobile de Campagne - Mobile
Campaign Bordello,
as its name implies, a bordello run under the control of the Army's
Medical
Corps. Obviously, this institution wasn't advertised to visiting US
Congressmen... |
BMEO |
Brigade
Marine d'Extrême-Orient
- Far East Marines Brigade |
BMI |
Bataillon de
Marche Indochinois
- Indochinese March Battalion |
BMTS |
Bataillon de
Marche de Tirailleurs
Sénégalais - African Infantry March Battalion |
BPC |
Bataillon de
Parachutistes Coloniaux
- Colonial Parachute Battalion |
BPCP |
Bataillon
Parachutiste de Chasseurs
à Pied - Chasseurs à Pieds Parachute Battalion |
BPL |
Bataillon de
Parachutistes Laotiens
- Laotian Parachute Battalion |
BPVN |
Bataillon
Parachutiste Vietnamien
- Vietnamese Parachute Battalion (see also BAWOAN) |
BT |
Bataillon
Thaï - Tai Battalion |
BTA |
Bataillon de
Tirailleurs Algériens
- Algerian Infantry Battalion |
BVN |
Bataillon
Vietnamien - Vietnamese
Battalion |
CC |
Capitaine de
Corvette - RN Lieutenant
Commander |
CCA |
Compagnie de
Commandement et d'Appui
- Command and Support Company |
CCB |
Compagnie de
Commandement de Base
- Base Command Company |
CCL |
Compagnie de
Commandos Laotiens
- Laotian Commando Company |
CCPL |
Compagnie de Commandos Parachutistes
Laotiens - Laotian
Para Commando Company |
CCR |
Compagnie de
Commandement Régimentaire
- Regimental Command Company |
CCS |
Compagnie de
Commandement et des
Services - Command and Services Company |
CEFEO |
Corps
Expéditionnaire Français
d'Extrême-Orient - French Far East Expeditionary Corps |
CEML |
Compagnie
Etrangère de
Mortiers Lourds - Foreign Legion Heavy Mortar Company |
CEPML |
Compagnie
Etrangére Parachutiste
de Mortiers Lourds - Foreign Legion Parachute Heavy Mortar Company |
CF |
Capitaine de
Frégate -
RN Commander |
Chi doi |
Viet Minh
unit of 200 to 1500
men |
Chien-Khu |
Viet Minh
fortified base area |
Chu Luc |
Viet Minh
Main Force, i.e. Regular
Forces |
CI |
Central
Interception - Radio Intercept
Centre |
CIP |
Compagnie
Indochinoise Parachutiste
- Indochinese Parachute Company |
CIPLE |
Compagnie
Indochinoise Parachutiste
de Légion Etrangère - Foreign Legion Indochinese
Parachute
Company |
CL |
Commando
Léger - Light
Commando |
CLA |
Compagnie
Légère
d'Accompagnement - Light Support Company, native light infantry unit
attached
to a Dinassaut, typically 80 natives with 4 European officers/NCOs |
CLI |
Corps
Léger d'Intervention
- Light Intervention Corps |
CLSM |
Compagnie
Légère
de Supplétifs Militaires - Military Auxiliaries Light Company |
CR |
Centre de
Résistance -
Defensive position, itself made up of several strongpoints (points
d'appui) |
Crabe |
M29 Weasel
amphibious light cargo
carrier |
CRD |
Compagnie de
Réparation
Divisionnaire - Divisional Repairs Company |
CRMA |
Centre de
Réception du
Matériel Américain - US Equipment Reception Centre |
CSM |
Compagnie de
Supplétifs
Militaires - Military Auxiliaries Company |
Cu'u
Quôc |
National
salvation |
CV |
Capitaine de
Vaisseau - RN Captain |
Dai doi |
Viet Minh
company |
DBLE |
Demi-Brigade
de Légion
Étrangère - Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (regimental
grouping
of independent battalions or battalions from different parent units) |
DBMP |
Demi-Brigade
de Marche Parachutiste
- Parachute Half-Brigade (regimental grouping of independent battalions
or battalions from different parent units) |
DBP |
Dien Bien Phu |
DBSAS |
Demi-Brigade
SAS - SAS Half-Brigade
(regimental grouping of independent battalions or battalions from
different
parent units) |
DCA |
Défense
contre avions -
Anti-aircraft |
DCEO |
Division
Coloniale d'Extrême-Orient
- Far East Colonial Division |
DD |
Dai Doan -
Viet Minh division |
DGD |
Direction
Générale
de Documentation - Documentation Directorate |
DGER |
Direction
Générale
des Etudes et Recherches - Research and Studies Directorate |
DIC |
Division
d'Infanterie Coloniale
- Colonial Infantry Division |
Dinassaut |
Division
Navale d'Assaut - Naval
Assault Division (see also DNA) |
DIRMA |
Direction du
Matériel -
Ordnance Directorate |
DKZ |
Dai-bac
Khong Ziat (recoilless
rifle) |
DLO |
Détachement
de Liaison
et d'Observation - Liaison and Observation Detachment, artillery
forward
observers |
DNA |
Division
Navale d'Assaut - Naval
Assault Division (see also Dinassaut) |
DNEO |
Division
Navale d'Extrême
Orient - Far East Naval Division |
DRV |
Democratic
Republic of Vietnam |
Du Kich |
Viet Minh
local guerilla |
DUKW |
US
amphibious truck |
DY |
Code letters
used in French intelligence
documents references to indicate that part of the information was
derived from radio intercepts |
DZ |
Drop Zone |
EA |
Engin
d'Assaut - Assault Craft,
French steel copy of the LCVP |
ECS |
Escadron de
Commandement et des
Services - Command and Services Squadron (cavalry units) |
EM |
Etat-Major -
General Staff |
EMIFT |
Etat-Major
Interarmes et des Forces
Terrestres - Joint Services and Land Forces General Staff |
ER |
Escadron de
Reconnaissance - Reconnaissance
Squadron (cavalry recce company) |
EROM |
Escadron de
Reconnaissance d'Outre-Mer
- Overseas Reconnaissance Squadron (cavalry recce company) |
ERP |
Escadrille
Régionale de
Protection - Regional Fighter Flight |
ERVN |
Escadron de
Reconnaissance Vietnamien
- Vietnamese Reconnaissance Squadron (cavalry recce company) |
FACD |
Forces
Armées Caodaïstes
- Cao Dai Armed Forces (militia of the Cao Dai sect based in
Cochinchina) |
FAIN |
Forces
Amphibies d'Indochine du
Nord - Northern Indochina Amphibious Forces |
FAIS |
Forces
Amphibies d'Indochine du
Sud - Southern Indochina Amphibious Forces |
FAMIC |
Forces
Amphibies de la Marine
en Indochine - Navy Amphibious Forces in Indochina |
FFFM |
Flottille
Fluviale de Fusiliers-Marins
- Marines Riverine Flotilla |
FFVS |
Forces
Françaises du Vietnam
Sud - Southern Vietnam French Forces |
FM |
Fusil
mitrailleur - Light Machine
Gun |
FMEO |
Forces
Maritimes d'Extrême
Orient - Far East Naval Forces |
FOM |
Forces
d'Outre-Mer - Overseas
Forces |
FTCV |
Forces
Terrestres du Centre Vietnam
- Central Vietnam Land Forces |
FTEO |
Forces
Terrestres d'Extrême
Orient - Far East Land Forces |
FTNV |
Forces
Terrestres du Nord Vietnam
- Northern Vietnam Land Forces |
GAC/AOF |
Groupe
d'Artillerie Coloniale
d'AOF - West African Artillery Battalion |
GAOA |
Groupe
Aérien d'Observation
d'Artillerie - Artillery Aerial Observation Squadron |
GAP |
Groupement
Aéroporté
- Airborne Group |
GATAC |
Groupement
Aérien Tactique
- Tactical Air Command |
GAVN |
Groupe
d'Artillerie Vietnamien
- Vietnamese Artillery Battalion |
GB |
Groupe de
Bombardement - Bomber
Squadron (air force) |
GC |
Groupe de
Chasse - Fighter Squadron
(air force) |
GCCP |
Groupement
Colonial de Commandos
Parachutistes - Colonial Parachute Commando Group |
GCMA |
Groupement
de Commandos Mixtes
Aéroportés - Mixed Airborne Commandos Group, cover unit
for
SDECE paramilitary operations behind Viet Minh lines |
GCP |
Groupement
de Commandos Parachutistes
- Parachute Commando Group |
GLAP |
Groupement
Léger Aéroporté
- Light Airborne Group |
GM |
Groupe
Mobile - Mobile Group,
all-arms task force similar to WW2 combat commands |
GMEO |
Groupement
de Marche d'Extrême
Orient - Far East March Group |
GMI |
Groupement
Mixte d'Intervention
- Mixed Intervention Group, successor of the GCMA after the 1953
shakedown |
GMMTA |
Groupement
des Moyens Militaires
de Transport Aérien - Military Transport Group |
GMNA |
Groupe
Mobile Nord-Africain -
North African Mobile Group |
GOMRN |
Groupement
Opérationnel
de La Moyenne Rivière Noire - Black River Operational Group |
GONO |
Groupement
Opérationnel
du Nord-Ouest - North-West Operational Group |
GRC |
Garde
Républicaine de Cochinchine
- Cochinchina Repunlican Gard, successors of the pre-WW2 Garde
Indigène,
later renamed GVNS |
GT |
Groupe de
Transport - Transport
Squadron (air force) |
GTM |
Groupement
de Tabors Marocains
- Moroccan Tabor Group |
GVNS |
Garde du
Vietnam Sud - Southern
Vietnam Guard |
Ju 52 |
Junker 52
transport aircraft built
in France as Amiot AAC 1 Toucan |
Lao Dong |
Vietnamese
Workers Party (Communist
Party) |
LCA |
Landing
Craft, Assault (small,
British craft) |
LCI |
Landing
Craft, Infantry (large
US craft used as command vessel by the Dinassauts) |
LCM |
Landing
Craft, Mechanised (British
or US craft - probably the most common landing craft in service. Either
British
LCM
Mk3 or the longer US LCM Mk6) |
LCT |
Landing
Craft, Tank (large landing
craft always in short supply in Indochina!) |
LCVP |
Landing
Craft, Vehicle Personnel
(US small craft) |
Lien Khu
(L.K.) |
Lien Khu
(Viet Minh Interzone) |
Liên
Viêt |
National
front |
LK |
Lien Khu
(Viet Minh Interzone) |
LSIL |
Landing Ship
Infantry (Large) |
LSIL |
Landing
Ship, Infantry (Large)
- large US craft used as command vessel by the Dinassauts |
LSSL |
Landing
Ship, Support (Large)
- US craft used for command and fire support duties |
LV |
Lieutenant
de Vaisseau - roughly
a senior Lieutenant in British terms |
LVT |
Landing
Vehicle, Tracked - US
amphibious vehicles also known as amtracks or Buffaloes) |
LVT(A) |
Landing
Vehicle, Tracked (Armoured)
- armoured version of LVT with an M-8 HMC turret - 75mm howitzer armed |
Nam Bô |
Southern
Vietnam, Cochinchina |
Nam Ky |
Southern
Vietnam, Cochinchina |
OAP |
Opération
Aéroportée
- Airborne Operation |
OSS |
Office of
Strategic Service |
PA |
Point
d'appui - strongpoint |
PATLAC |
Patrouille
des Lacs - Lakes Patrol |
PAVN |
People's
Army of Vietnam |
PC |
Poste de
Commandement - Command
Post |
PCI |
Parti
Communiste Indochinois -
Indochinese Communist Party |
PFAT |
Personnel
Féminin de l'Armée
de Terre - Army Female Personnel |
PIM |
Prisonniers
et Internés
Militaires - POWs and Interned Military Personnel, often assigned to
French combat units to serve as porters |
PM |
Pistolet
mitrailleur - Machine
Pistol |
RAA |
Régiment
d'Artillerie d'Afrique
- Artillery Regiment of Africa |
RAC |
Régiment
d'Artillerie Coloniale
- Colonial Artillery Regiment |
RACM |
Régiment
d'Artillerie Coloniale
du Maroc - Moroccan Colonial Artillery Regiment |
RAP |
Régiment
d'Artillerie Parachutiste
- Parachute Artillery Regiment |
RBFM |
Régiment
Blindé
de Fusiliers-Marins - Marines Armoured Regiment |
RC |
Route
Coloniale - Colonial Road |
RCC |
Régiment
de Chasseurs à
Cheval - Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment (armoured cavalry) |
RCP |
Régiment
de Chasseurs Parachutistes
- Parachute Chasseurs Regiment |
REC |
Régiment
Étranger
de Cavalerie - Foreign Legion Cavalry Regiment (i.e. armoured) |
REI |
Régiment
Etranger d'Infanterie
- Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment |
RF |
Route
Fédérale -
Federal Road |
RFM |
Régiment
de Fusiliers-Marins
- Marines Regiment |
RIC |
Régiment
d'Infanterie Coloniale
- Colonial Infantry Regiment (French personnel) |
RICM |
Régiment
d'Infanterie Coloniale
du Maroc - Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco (armoured unit,
despite
its title) |
RMIC |
Régiment
de Marche d'Infanterie
Coloniale - Colonial Infantry March Regiment |
RMSEO |
Régiment
de Marche de Spahis
d'Extrême-Orient - Far-East Spahi March Regiment (spahis are
North
African cavalrymen) |
RP |
Route
Provinciale - Provincial
Road |
RSA |
Régiment
de Spahis Algériens
- Algerian Spahi March Regiment (spahis are North African cavalrymen) |
RSM |
Régiment
de Spahis Marocains
- Moroccan Spahi March Regiment (spahis are North African cavalrymen) |
RTA |
Régiment
de Tirailleurs
Algériens - Algerian Infantry Regiment |
RTM |
Régiment
de Tirailleurs
Marocains - Moroccan Infantry Regiment |
RTT |
Régiment
de Tirailleurs
Tunisiens - Tunisian Infantry Regiment |
SAS |
Special Air
Service |
SDECE |
Service de
Documentation Extérieure
et de Contre-Espionnage, French intelligence service |
SGB |
Sous-Groupement
Blindé
- Armoured Task Force |
SKZ |
Sung Khong
Ziat (rocket launcher
or bazooka) |
SM |
Surveillance
Maritime - Maritime
Surveillance, coastal naval patrols |
SOE |
Special
Operations Executive |
SRO |
Service de
Renseignements Opérationnels
- Operational Intelligence Service, Army field intelligence |
STCAN/FOM |
Services
Techniques des Constructions
et Armes Navales / France d'Outre-Mer - 8 or 11m armoured patrol boats
built by the French for service in Indochina |
Tabor |
Moroccan
battalion-size unit recruited
in mountain areas |
TAM |
Transport
Aérien Militaire
- Military Air Transport |
TAP |
Troupes
Aéroportées
- Airborne Forces |
TAPI |
Troupes
Aéroportées
Indochine - Indochina Airborne Forces |
TAPN |
Troupes
Aéroportées
Indochine du Nord - Northern Indochina Airborne Forces |
TAPS |
Troupes
Aéroportées
Indochine du Sud - Southern Indochina Airborne Forces |
td |
tieu doan
(Viet Minh or ANV battalion) |
TD |
Trung Doan
(Viet Minh regiment) |
TDKQ |
Tieu Doan
Kinh Quan (Vietnamese
Light Infantry Battalion), ANV regional battalion, dubbed Commando
Battalions
as a morale booster but common opinion described them as "neither
commandoes,
nor battalions" |
TDND |
Tieu Doan Nhay Du - Vietnamese
Parachute Battalion
(see also BAWOAN and BPVN) |
TFEO |
Troupes
Françaises d'Extrême
Orient - Far East French Forces |
TFIN |
Troupes
Françaises d'Indochine
du Nord - Northern Indochina French Forces |
TFIS |
Troupes
Françaises d'Indochine
du Sud - Southern Indochina French Forces |
Tong Bo |
Central
Committee |
Toucan |
Amiot AAC 1
Toucan, Junker 52
transport aircraft built in France |
Trung
Bô |
Central
Vietnam, Annam |
Tu Vê |
Viet Minh
local militia |
UBKC/HC |
Uy Ban Khang
Chinhi Hanh Chinh
(Resistance and Administration Committee) |
UMDC |
Unités
Mobiles de Défense
de la Chrétienté - Christian Derfence Mobile Units,
Catholic
militias raised in Bentre province |
VBD |
Vé
Binh Doan - ANV National
Guard |
Vinogel |
Dehydrated gellified wine, the only
opinion about its
taste that I have found is that of a Viet Minh veteran of Dien Bien Phu
who said that it tasted all right with a lot of sugar... |
VM |
Viet Minh,
abbreviated form of
"Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi" (Revolutionary League for the
Independence
of Vietnam), although the League was in fact disbanded in 1951 Viet
Minh
was used throughout the conflict to describe Vietnamese communists |
VNQDD |
Vietnam
Quôc Dân Dang
- Nationalist Party of Vietnam |
ZANO |
Zone
Autonome du Nord-Ouest -
North-West Independent Zone |
ZOT |
Zone
Opérationnelle du
Tonkin. - Tonkin Operational Zone |
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