Air operations
115-638: The Royal Lao Army ( Lao : ກອງທັບລາດຊະອານາຈັກລາວ ; French : Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA , was the land component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos and the Laotian Civil War between 1960 and 1975. The ARL traced back its origins to World War II , when
230-650: A trident , symbolizing the Hindu God Vishnu , superimposed on a spinning Buddhist "Wheel of Law" ( Chakra ) whose design recalled a circular saw . There were however exceptions to this rule, such as the Laotian airborne battalions who retained the silver closed "winged armed dextrochere", consisting of a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards, previously adopted by the French Army Metropolitan Paratroopers in 1946, simply replacing
345-556: A French-style red kepi with a straight lacquered black leather peak and gold braid chinstrap to wear with their ceremonial full dress uniform. The most common headgear for the ANL personnel during the 1950s was the French M1946 "Gourka" tropical beret ( Bérét de toile kaki clair Mle 1946 ), made of light khaki cotton cloth, but later the RLA standardized on a beret pattern whose design was based on
460-521: A ceremonial dress uniform of French pattern, comprising a red kepi , white eight-buttoned cotton tunic with a standing collar and red fringed epaulettes , plus red cotton trousers with a line of gold braid down the outer side-seams. The standard ANL field dress during the Indochina War was the French all-arms M1947 drab green fatigues ( Treillis de combat Mle 1947 ), whilst airborne battalions received in
575-462: A conventional battle against the Japanese Army , but under one of two scenarios: either as part of a reconquest of Indochina or, to placate American desires, as part of a follow-on wave of assault troops in the upcoming invasion of Japan’s home islands. The early fall of Japan obviated the need to invade Japan, but it also meant that American logistical and transportation support was lost. This corps
690-401: A group of dissident Lao pilots and seized control of Wattay Airbase . Although Thao Ma's coup attempt was crushed by loyalist troops of the RLA under the command of Major general Kouprasith Abhay , it proved to be the last gasp of the rightists. It also spelled the premature end to the RLA's 1st and 2nd Strike Divisions, which were regarded as ineffective: the headquarters for both divisions and
805-480: A guerilla army using guerrilla warfare , then in the 1950s support—using conventional warfare. The First Indochina War officially lasted from November 20, 1946 until July 20, 1954 and was settled by the Geneva Agreements . After withdrawal of the last CEFEO troops from the independent Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia in 1956, the corps was disbanded by General Pierre Jacquot . Among the French ground forces in
920-520: A mere fourteen battalions. To compensate the severe manpower shortages and provide Vang Pao with a regional manoeuvre force, four battalions out of this total were regrouped into a new 2nd Infantry Brigade ( 2de Brigade de Infanterie ) headquartered at Long Tieng and placed under the command of Colonel Moua Sue . Similar drastic troop cuts took place in the Third Military Region (MR 3) , where three consolidated battalions were grouped into
1035-535: A new 3rd Infantry Brigade ( 3éme Brigade de Infanterie ) headquartered at Nong Saphong led by Colonel Praseurth Mounsourysak , a former commander of the 31st Volunteer Battalion or BV 31 ( Bataillon de Voluntaires 31 ) from Dong Hene . This brigade kept one battalion at the Moung Phalane front, with the other two battalions being deployed on the Thakhek sector. Elements of the three understrength brigades of
1150-637: A new distinctively Laotian-designed system of military ranks, which became in September 1961 the standard rank chart for all branches of service of the newly created Royal Lao Armed Forces . Under the new regulations, officers were entitled to wear on their service or dress uniforms stiffened red shoulder boards ( pattes d'épaule ) edged with gold braid and a gold wreathed trident at the inner end. Junior officers ( Officiers subalternes ) added an appropriate number of five-pointed gold stars to their boards whilst field grade officers ( Officiers supérieures ) had
1265-474: A paramilitary Gendarmerie with a paper strength of 1,200 men, which was to be exclusively composed by Laotian nationals. Although the new GNL was technically subordinated to the Laotian ministery of the interior and placed in 1947 under the nominal command of the King, it remained firmly under French control. However, faced with the potential threat posed by the growing Viet Minh insurgency in neighbouring Vietnam ,
SECTION 10
#17328378975821380-492: A service dress or for walking-out with a khaki tie. A French-style, colonial-era white summer cotton dress uniform was initially worn by ANL officers for formal occasions, replaced in 1954 by an almost identical light khaki cotton version first adopted by senior officers serving in the ANL General Staff, and continued to be worn by their FAR successors until 1975. The new khaki dress consisted of an eight-buttoned tunic with
1495-538: A significant language in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language . Spoken by over 3 million people in Laos and 3.7 million in all countries, it serves as a vital link in the cultural and social fabric of these areas. It is written in the Lao script , an abugida that evolved from ancient Tai scripts. Lao is a tonal language , where
1610-672: A single artillery regiment consisting of four artillery battalions. In late August 1971, with the Vietnamisation process in full swing in South Vietnam , a similar effort was attempted towards making the RLA a more effective, self-sufficient force. Following a U.S. Army system of organization, the regular infantry battalions were consolidated into two light infantry divisions, formally created on March 23, 1972, and locally designated as "Strike Divisions" ( Divisions d'infanterie d'Intervention ). Both divisions would be directly subordinated to
1725-453: A single lotus leaf rosette, plus an appropriate number of five-pointed gold stars. Field Marshals and General officers ( Marechaux et Officiers Géneraux ) had a gold leaf design around the lower half of their shoulder boards plus two or more five-pointed silver stars. Senior and junior NCOs ( Sous-officiers ) – including Private 1st class – wore cloth chevrons on both upper sleeves; enlisted men ( Hommes de troupe ) wore no insignia. In
1840-449: A standing collar, provided with two breast pockets and two side pockets, all unpleated and closed by clip-cornered straight flaps, worn with matching khaki slacks. The tunic's front fly and pocket flaps were secured by gilt metal buttons bearing the FAR wreathed "Vishnu" trident. RLA Officers continued to wear the standard ANL summer service dress uniform in khaki cotton, which was patterned after
1955-866: A tactical expedient inherited from the French who had employed it previously during the First Indochina War . Being essentially a regimental-sized combat task-force, a typical Laotian GM consisted of two or three battalions' assembled for specific operations. Originally raised on a temporary basis, the Mobile Groups were re-structured in April 1961 as permanent units, and by July 1962 the Laotian Army fielded nine such Groups, eight composed of regular units – GMs 12, 13, 14, 15 (Airborne), 16, 17, and 18 – and one of irregular guerrilla forces – GM B –, with two or more being allocated per each Military Region (MR). By late 1966
2070-438: Is not only the official language but also a lingua franca , bridging the linguistic diversity of a population that speaks many other languages. Its cultural significance is reflected in Laotian literature, media, and traditional arts. The Vientiane dialect has emerged as the de facto standard, though no official standard has been established. Internationally, Lao is spoken among diaspora communities , especially in countries like
2185-535: Is now southeastern China, specifically what is now Guangxi and northern Vietnam where the diversity of various Tai languages suggests an Urheimat . The Southwestern Tai languages began to diverge from the Northern and Central branches of the Tai languages, covered mainly by various Zhuang languages , sometime around 112 CE, but likely completed by the sixth century . Due to the influx of Han Chinese soldiers and settlers,
2300-697: The Annam (Middle Vietnam) and Cochinchina (South Vietnam), all states being protectorates excluding the latter which was a colony with Saigon as its capital. In 1946, they would become associated states within the French Union and by 1949 Tonkin, Annam and the Republic of Cochin China would merge as the State of Vietnam . The communist Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh overwhelmed its rival nationalist movements and organized itself as
2415-549: The Brandt mle 27/31 81 mm to the M19 60 mm , M29 81 mm , M2 4.2-inch (107 mm) , M30 4.2 inch (106.7mm) models. They also received M18A1 57 mm , M20 75 mm , M67 90 mm and M40A1 106 mm recoilless rifles . In addition, individual portable rocket weapons were issued, in the form of the shoulder-fired M20A1 3.5 inch Super Bazooka , M79 "Blooper" , XM-148 and M203 single-shot grenade launchers, and
SECTION 20
#17328378975822530-653: The CAR-15 carbine, the M16A1 assault rifle and M60 machine gun arrived in Laos, and were initially only given to the Laotian Royal Guard and airborne units; standardisation to the CAR-15, the M16 and M60 in the RLA and the irregular SGUs was completed by 1971. ANL and RLA infantry, airborne, and commando formations were equipped with a variety of crew-served weapons. Mortars ranged from
2645-544: The First Indochina War , and even after the United States took the role as the main foreign sponsor for the Royal Laotian Armed Forces at the beginning of the 1960s, French military influence was still perceptible in their uniforms and insignia. Upon its formation at the early 1950s, ANL units were initially outfitted as were French CEFEO troops of the period – the basic Laotian Army working dress for all-ranks
2760-550: The French Army M1946/56 khaki dress uniform ( French : Vareuse d'officier Mle 1946/56 et Pantalon droit Mle 1946/56 ). The open-collar jacket had two pleated breast pockets closed by pointed flaps and two unpleated at the side closed by straight ones whilst the sleeves had false turnbacks; the front fly and pocket flaps were secured by gilt buttons. It was worn with a Khaki shirt and black tie on service dress. The Laotian Royal Guard ( Garde Royale du Laos ) were given
2875-573: The French Foreign Legion , which consisted mainly of volunteers from Europe and the rest of the world. Metropolitan conscripts did not serve in the CEFEO unless they volunteered to do so. Less than half of the total personnel of the Corps were French professional soldiers, mostly serving with paratrooper, artillery and other specialist units. "The French Far East Expeditionary Corps was designed to fight
2990-654: The Japanese Southern Expeditionary Army Group during the March coup . After the 1944 Liberation of France and the fall of Nazi Germany in Europe the following year, the French authorities wanted to "free" the last Axis powers occupied territories in Southeast Asia , these included the newly established Empire of Vietnam , which was a Japanese colony. On June 7, 1945, Leclerc was nominated commander of
3105-762: The Japanese Imperial Army forcibly seized control of French Indochina from France , including Laos . The battalion then retreated into the mountains, where they linked with the Laotian irregular guerrilla fighters ( French : Maquis ) operating there. These guerrillas were supplied, trained, and led by teams of Free French agents who had been trained in special jungle warfare by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in India and were subsequently parachuted into Indochina in December 1944 with
3220-531: The M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle in late 1959, followed by the M1/M2 Carbine the following year. The M3A1 Grease Gun was also received, along with Smith & Wesson Model 39 pistols, and M1917 and Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers. The ANL (renamed RLA in 1961) was equally provided with Browning M1919A4 .30 Cal Medium machine guns and Browning M2HB .50 Cal Heavy machine guns . Limited quantities of
3335-748: The Nam Bac débâcle , the demoralized Royal Lao Army reverted to its earlier static defense role of the main population centres along the Mekong River , relinquishing all offensive operations to the Paratrooper battalions, Commando units, the irregular ethnic SGUs, the Project "Unity" Thai volunteer battalions and the Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF). This move however, placed an additional heavy burden on these already overstretched elite formations that actually did most of
3450-558: The Operation About Face to recapture the Plain of Jars, the irregular Hmong SGU guerrilla forces managed to capture from the NVA some twenty-five PT-76B tanks and immediately pressed them into service, being subsequently engaged in the 1970 wet season offensive in the Plain of Jars, but once again maintenance problems soon rendered the vehicles inoperable. The FAR General Staff then requested
3565-551: The Southwestern branch of Tai languages. Lao (including Isan) and Thai, although they occupy separate groups, are mutually intelligible and were pushed closer through contact and Khmer influence, but all Southwestern Tai languages are mutually intelligible to some degree. The Tai languages also include the languages of the Zhuang , which are split into the Northern and Central branches of
Royal Lao Army - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-602: The Sterling submachine gun and L1A1 SLR Assault rifle were acquired from the British for evaluation, but they were never adopted as standard weapons by the RLA. The Carl Gustaf m/45 (a.k.a "Swedish K") submachine gun was provided in small numbers by the Americans, eventually finding its way into the irregular SGU units. An undisclosed number of Winchester Model 1200 pump-action shotguns were also provided. In 1969 secret deliveries of
3795-648: The United States , who provided since the late 1940s and mid-1950s respectively everything that the RLA used, from uniforms and boots to rifles, artillery and vehicles. During the First Indochina War the Laotian National Army (ANL) weaponry was a hodgepodge, with most of its poorly trained units equipped in a haphazard way with an array of French, American, Australian, British and German weapon systems, mostly of WWII-vintage. ANL Infantry battalions were issued with MAS-36 , M1903 Springfield , and Lee–Enfield bolt-action rifles (airborne units received in addition
3910-425: The fibreglass U.S. Combat Vehicle Crew (CVC) T-56-6 helmet (dubbed the "bone dome"), though neither models offered any satisfactory protection against shrapnel or small arms rounds. White low laced leather shoes were prescribed to wear the earlier ANL white cotton full dress, whilst brown ones were worn with the khaki service/work uniform for all-ranks and, after 1954 the latter were required for RLA officers wearing
4025-547: The "Chino"-style M1949 ( Chemisette kaki clair Mle 1949 ) could be worn as an alternative in hot weather. Both shirt models' were worn with the matching M1945 pants, which featured two pleats at the front hips; the M1946 khaki shorts ( Culotte courte kaki clair Mle 1946 ) were also worn in lieu. The "Chino" working uniform was initially furnished by France and later by the U.S. aid programs(together with locally produced copies), continued to be worn by RLA officers and enlisted men as
4140-410: The "Duck hunter", "Leopard", "Tigerstripe" and "Highland" patterns were also used in the field, particularly by elite units within the RLA and by the irregular SGU formations. According to the 1959 regulations, General Service and corps' berets were worn with the standard RLA beret badge placed above the right eye. Issued in gilt metal for officers and in silver metal for the rank-and-file, it consisted of
4255-449: The 1960s and early 1970s by modern U.S. Willys M38 MC ¼-ton (4x4) jeeps , Willys M38A1 MD ¼-ton (4x4) jeeps , M151A1 ¼-ton (4x4) utility trucks , Jeepster Commando (4x4) hardtop Sport utility vehicles (SUV), Dodge M37 ¾-ton (4x4) 1953 utility trucks , M35A2 2½-ton (6x6) cargo trucks and M809 5-ton (6x6) cargo trucks . The Royal Lao Army owed its origin and traditions to the Laotian colonial ANL and CEFEO troops on French service of
4370-470: The 1960s, the RLA technical branch services were re-organized and expanded to corps' strength, in order to include Finance ( Finances ), Military logistics ( Service de Matériel ), Ordnance ( Munitions ), Military Fuel /Petrol, Oil and Lubricants – POL ( Service de Essence ), Military justice ( Justice Militaire ), Psychological warfare ( Guerre Psychologique ) and Military intelligence ( Renseignement Militaire ), all placed under
4485-557: The 1st BCL, integrated into the newly founded French Union Army . Meanwhile, confronted in early May 1945 with the Allied Powers ' victory over Nazi Germany and sensing their own imminent defeat, the Japanese military authorities in Laos began stirring up local anti-French nationalistic sentiments. On 12 October of that year, a group of Laotian nationalists led by Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa deposed King Sisavang Vong , proclaimed
4600-478: The 28th Bomber Flotilla, and F4U Corsairs that went to 14th Carrier Fighter Flotilla (on Belleau Wood on May 1, 1954). At the beginning of April 1954, Lt. General Earle E. ("Pat") Partridge, Commander of the U. S. Far East Air Force (FEAF), had arrived in Saigon and begun talks with his French counterpart, Gen. Lauzin, as well as with Gen. Navarre. He had brought with him Brigadier General Joseph D. Caldara, then
4715-747: The ANL, the Laotian Navy, and the Laotian Aviation were gathered into the newly created Laotian Armed Forces ( Forces Armées Laotiènnes – FAL), renamed Royal Lao Armed Forces ( Forces Armées du Royaume – FAR) in September 1961 . The chain of command of the Royal Lao Army was placed under the Ministry of Defense in Vientiane . The country was divided into five military regions , roughly corresponding to
Royal Lao Army - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-501: The B-17. The overall plan was simple enough; the two wings of B-29s from Okinawa and the one from Clark Air Base would rendezvous east of the Laotian capital of Vientiane , head for their target; and exit from Indochina via the Gulf of Tonkin. The French at the highest levels seemed to have no idea of the power of the 98 Superfortresses. This bombing mission was never approved as Winston Churchill
4945-706: The CEFEO. On June 22, Leclerc transferred command of the 2nd Armored Division ( 2ème D.B. ) -the famous unit which had liberated Paris in August 1944- to Colonel Dio. Leclerc received command of the Far East French Forces ( Forces Françaises en Extrême-Orient ) on August 15. In 1946, nationalist, then communist popular rebellion movement rose up against established colonial rule in the French Indochina federation then including Laos , Cambodia , Tonkin (North Vietnam),
5060-537: The FAR High Command in Phone Kheng and not to any single MR commander. Based at Luang Prabang, the 1st Strike Division ( 1ér Division d'infanterie d'Intervention ) commanded by Brigadier general Bounchanh Savathphayphane , was tasked with operations in northern Laos whilst the 2nd Strike Division ( 2éme Division d'infanterie d'Intervention ), commanded by Brig. Gen. Thao Ty and based at Seno near Savannakhet,
5175-878: The Far East was the 6th Engineers Regiment (6 RG). Among the aircraft supplied to the French in Indochina in 1950-51 were B-26 Marauders that went to Bomber Group 1/25 Tunisie , B-26 Invaders , P-63 Kingcobras , C-47 Dakotas that went to Transport Group 1/64, 2/64, 2/63 which had both C-47s and C-119 Packets (but these were only operated by US civilian pilots of Civil Air Transport ), former U.S. Navy F6F Hellcats that went to 11th Carrier Assault Flotilla (on Arromanches until April 30, 1954), SB-2C Helldivers that went to 3rd Carrier Assault Flotilla (on Arromanches until April 30, 1954), F8F-1B Bearcats that went to Groupe de Chasse (Fighter Group) 1/22 Saintonge and Group de Chasse 2/22 Languedoc , PB4Y2 Privateers that went to
5290-608: The French M1953/59 model ( Bérét Mle 1953/59 ); it was made of wool in either one or two pieces, attached to a black leather rim with two black tightening straps at the back. In the FAR, berets were still being worn pulled to the left in typical French fashion, with the color sequence for the ground forces as follows: General Service – scarlet red (the Kingdom of Laos ' national color); Paratroopers, Para-Commandos and Special Forces – maroon ; Armoured Cavalry – black ; Military Police – dark blue . Berets made of camouflage cloth in
5405-620: The French Union CEFEO and sailed from Incheon to Vietnam. They would be later involved in the battle of Mang Yang Pass of June and July 1954. The CEFEO was created in early 1945 as a replacement for the older Far East French Expeditionary Forces ( Forces Expéditionnaires Françaises d'Extrême-Orient , FEFEO). Its purpose was to support Saigon-based General Gabriel Sabattier , divisional commander of colonial "Indochina French Forces" ( Forces Françaises d'Indochine ) and Free French Forces resistance small groups C.L.I. then fighting with
5520-585: The French instituted on July 1, 1949, a separated Laotian National Army ( Armée Nationale Laotiènne – ANL) of the French Union to defend Laos. Its formation actually began earlier in 1947, with the creation of the Land Forces of Laos ( Forces Terrestres du Laos – FTL), a gathering of several indigenous irregular auxiliary units made of ex-Lao Issara ALDL guerrillas raised early by the French to reinforce their regular CEFEO units. The process of formation of
5635-694: The French reoccupation of Laos. That month, the Laotian battalions provided infantry support to French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO) armoured units fighting Lao Issara ALDL troops at the Battle of Thakhek in Khammouane Province . By the end of April, they had assisted the French in the recapture of Vientiane , followed in May by Luang Prabang which forced the Lao Issara leadership to flee to exile in Thailand . Upon
5750-402: The GMs 801 and 802 were not disbanded until the following year – and replaced by independent battalions. The regular units were supplemented by eighteen Regional Battalions ( Bataillons Regionales ), eighteen Volunteer Battalions ( Bataillons de Voluntaires ), and 247 irregular Commando Self-Defense village militia companies ( Auto Defense de Choc – ADC). However, in November 1965
5865-493: The Japanese, looted from French colonial depots, or sold by the Chinese Nationalist Army troops who occupied northern Laos under the terms of the 1945 Potsdam Conference . By early March 1946 , the French Union Army aligned some 4,000 Laotian troops organized into five light infantry battalions ( Bataillons de Chasseurs Laotiens ) – the 1er, 2e, 3e, 4e, 5e, and 6e BCLs – led by a cadre of French officers and senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs), which participated actively in
SECTION 50
#17328378975825980-443: The Lao Issara promptly established a police force, the Civil Guard and an armed defense force, the Army for the Liberation and Defense of Laos (ALDL), to exercise its authority with the support of Ho Chi Minh 's Viet Minh Hanoi -based government in the Tonkin and the Nationalist Chinese. The Lao Issara's ALDL was essentially a lightly armed and poorly-trained militia, provided with a mixed assortment of small-arms captured from
6095-552: The NVA and the Pathet Lao, as they outranged the U.S.-made pieces. Logistics were the responsibility of the transport corps, equipped with a variety of liaison and transportation vehicles handed down by the French or supplied by the Americans. The early ANL motor pool in the mid-1950s consisted in a mixed inventory of WWII-vintage U.S. Willys MB ¼-ton (4x4) jeeps , Dodge WC-51/52 ¾-ton (4x4) utility trucks , Chevrolet G506 1½-ton (4x4) cargo trucks , and GMC CCKW 2½-ton (6x6) cargo trucks . These obsolete vehicles were partly superseded in
6210-489: The OG-107 fatigues often featured modifications to the original design – shirts with shoulder straps, two "cigarrete pockets" closed by buttoned straight flaps on both upper sleeves, or a pen pocket added on the left sleeve above the elbow, an affection common to all Laotian, South Vietnamese and Cambodian military officers, and additional side "cargo" pockets on the trousers. Olive green U.S. M-1951 field jackets were sometimes worn by RLA and irregular SGU personnel. Camouflage
6325-505: The PEO brought in Operation White Star trainers, the instructors found that 19 out of 20 Laotian soldiers had fewer than three years of education. Laotian National Army strength in May 1959 peaked at 29,000 officers and enlisted men organized into twelve independent battalions – ten infantry ( Bataillons d'Infanterie ) and two airborne ( Bataillons de Parachutistes – BP) – plus one armored regiment and an artillery group ( 1ér Groupe d'Artillerie ). A Laotian regular infantry battalion
6440-447: The Pathet Lao or the NVA. The Neutralists received in December 1961 forty-five PT-76 Model 1951 amphibious light tanks and BTR-40 Armored Personnel Carriers from the Soviet Union , with the vehicles being subsequently taken into RLA service in 1963 and employed on offensive operations, only to be withdrawn from frontline service in November of the following year due to shortages of spare parts and ammunition. In August 1969, during
6555-400: The RLA and the Pathet Lao would each be allowed to station one infantry battalion and 1,000 police in Vientiane and two infantry companies and 500 police in the national capital. However, before either city was neutralised, Brigadier general Thao Ma , the former RLAF commander who had been living in exile in Thailand since 1966, staged on 20 August a coup d'état by crossing the Mekong with
6670-415: The Tai languages. The Tai languages form a major division within the Kra-Dai language family , distantly related to other languages of southern China, such as the Hlai and Be languages of Hainan and the Kra and Kam-Sui languages on the Chinese Mainland and in neighbouring regions of northern Vietnam. The ancestors of the Lao people were speakers of Southwestern Tai dialects that migrated from what
6785-513: The Tai migrants that followed the Mekong River . As the Southwestern Tai-speaking peoples diverged, following paths down waterways, their dialects began to diverge into the various languages today, such as the Lao-Phuthai languages that developed along the Mekong River and includes Lao and its Isan sub-variety and the Chiang Saen languages which includes the Central Thai dialect that is the basis of Standard Thai. Despite their close relationship, there were several phonological divergences that drifted
6900-538: The U.S. Marines utility cap). Camouflage versions of these headpieces also found their way into the RLA and the SGUs from the United States, Thailand and South Vietnam , to which were soon added Laotian-made copies. Steel helmets, in the form of the U.S. M-1 and French M1951 NATO ( Casque Mle 1951 OTAN ) models were standard issue in the ANL, with paratroopers receiving either the U.S. M-1C jump helmet and its respective French-modified versions ( Casque USM1 TAP type Métropole and Casque USM1 TAP type EO ) or
7015-450: The United States, France, and Australia, reflecting its global diasporic presence. The Lao language falls within the Lao-Phuthai group of languages, including its closest relatives, Phuthai (BGN/PCGN Phouthai , RTGS Phu Thai ) and Tai Yo . Together with Northwestern Tai—which includes Shan , Ahom and most Dai languages of China, the Chiang Saen languages—which include Standard Thai, Khorat Thai, and Tai Lanna —and Southern Tai form
SECTION 60
#17328378975827130-446: The Volunteer Battalions were disbanded and merged with the Regional Battalions, whilst the rural ADC militia companies were grouped with the irregular GM B to form the CIA -sponsored Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs). Renamed the Royal Lao Army in September 1961 , the new RLA remained essentially a light infantry force devoted primarily to static defense and internal security rather than national defense; most units were kept stationed near
7245-447: The aim of creating a local anti-Japanese resistance network. Under the command of their Free French cadres, the battalion's Laotian soldiers engaged in guerrilla actions alongside the irregular 'Maquisards' against the Japanese occupation forces in Laos until Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945. In November of that same year, the various Laotian guerrilla groups were consolidated into four regular light infantry battalions and, together with
7360-613: The airborne pattern of the French M1951 helmet ( Casque type TAP, modéle 1951 ). Later, the RLA standardized on the modernized U.S. M-1 model 1964 helmet, though the older American and French M1951 helmet patterns could still be encountered in the field among certain regular and irregular Laotian troops late as 1971. ANL armoured crews initially received the French M1951 and M1958/65 dark olive green leather crash helmets ( Sous-casque radio-char modéle 1951 , Sous-casque radio-char modéle 1958 and Sous-casque radio-char modéle 1965 ); after 1971, Laotian M-706 and M113 APC crewmen were issued
7475-416: The areas of the country's 13 provinces. To meet the threat represented by the Pathet Lao insurgency, the Royal Lao Army depended on a small French military training mission ( Mission Militaire Française près du Gouvernment Royale du Laos or MMFI-GRL), headed by a general officer, an exceptional arrangement permitted under the 1955 Geneva Accords , as well as covert assistance from the United States in
7590-436: The artillery corps fielded since 1963 twenty-five U.S.-supplied M101A1 105 mm towed field howitzers and ten M114A1 155 mm towed field howitzers received in 1969. The RLA suffered from a serious fire-support shortfall throughout the War, since its small artillery corps was incapable to counter effectively the threat posed by the Soviet 122 mm and 130 mm long-range towed howitzers employed from 1970 onwards by
7705-440: The black cap band for general officers), to wear with the khaki service dress and the white high-collared full dress uniforms, respectively. The peaked caps were worn with the standard gilt metal ANL cap device, a wreathed Airavata crest bearing the Laotian Royal Arms ( Erawan ) – a three-headed white elephant standing on a pedestal and surmounted by a pointed parasol – set on a black cloth teardrop-shaped background patch. Upon
7820-512: The calf-length French M1950 or M1950/53 TAP ( Bottes de saut modéle 1950 et 1950/53 ) black leather jump-boot models. Black leather combat boots were also provided by the Americans who issued both the early U.S. Army M-1962 "McNamara" model and the M-1967 model with "ripple" pattern rubbler sole; the highly prized U.S. Army Jungle boot was not issued to the RLA but saw limited use after 1971 amongst members of elite units (e.g. Paratroopers, Special Forces) or by irregular guerrilla troops fighting in
7935-449: The chief of the FEAF Bomber Command—the man who would fly and command the "Vulture" missions (bombing the area around Dien Bien Phu with 98 B-29 Superfortresses ). The Americans had arrived at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut Airport in a discreet B-17 , so as not to alert hostile eyes to the unfamiliar configuration of the B-29 Superfortress. From the beginning, the Americans were appalled at the total lack of French preparedness for anything like
8050-447: The command of Lieutenant colonel Khamphat Boua , previously the commander of the PS 18 camp. Of its three battalions, two took turns rotating to the Fifth Military Region (MR 5) to counter the Pathet Lao presence in the capital. These brigades were maintained until May 1975, when the Pathet Lao entered Vientiane and dissolved the FAR. Throughout its existence, the Royal Laotian Army received military assistance mainly from France and
8165-420: The control of a major saturation bombardment operation. French Col. Brohon later said that this project involved the use of "several A-bombs" in the Dien Bien Phu area. Caldara decided to judge the situation for himself. On April 4, 1954, in the dead of the night, he flew his B-17 with an American crew over the valley of Dien Bien Phu, repeated the mission later with a French C-47 Dakota; and then once more with
8280-601: The cost of equipping and training irregular and paramilitary forces by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). By the time the PEO changed into the Requirements Office in September 1962 , the PEO believed "...the Laotian army continued to distinguish itself primarily by its lassitude and incompetence." PEO also noted that CIA-trained Hmong guerrillas were the only troops fighting to preserve northeastern Laos. When
8395-434: The creation of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR) in September 1961, the Royal Lao Army (RLA) adopted a new service peaked cap with crown of "Germanic" shape – very similar to that worn by South Vietnamese ARVN officers – with the standard gilt metal FAR wreathed trident cap device, again set on a black background though some field officers still wore the old ANL badge on their caps up until the mid-1960s. Like its predecessor,
8510-517: The dagger by a Laotian trident after 1961. Laotian troops in the field could be encountered wearing a wide range of Khaki or OG jungle hats and patrol caps, ranging from French M1949 bush hats ( Chapeau de brousse Mle 1949 ) and U.S. M-1943 HBT "Walker caps" and M-1951 field caps (soon replaced by a locally-designed stiffened fatigue/field cap provided with a short peak and a false cloth chinstrap), to baseball caps , U.S. Boonie hats , and even South Vietnamese ARVN fatigue caps (similar in shape to
8625-548: The decreasing in pay and other privileges sharply dulled the cutting edge of what had been an effective fighting force, and left them incapable of halting the takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao . Later on 1 August that year, the ongoing negotiations between the Royal Lao Government and the Pathet Lao led to a tentative agreement for the neutralisation of the cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane. To accomplish this,
8740-540: The defunct 2nd Strike Division were consolidated into three new parachute battalions, the 711er, 712e, and 713e BPs, grouped into the RLA's new 7th Para Brigade ( 7éme Brigade de Parachutistes ) which began forming at Seno in the Third Military Region (MR 3) under the command of Colonel Bounthavy Phousangiem . The first two, 711er and 712e BP, were a merger of three existing RLA airborne battalions, whist 713e BP, commanded by Major Khao Insisiengmay , consisted of former CIA Commando troops . A fourth parachute battalion
8855-506: The delivery of modern M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks to the RLA armoured corps in order to provide better armor support to the Hmong SGU guerrillas, but the request was declined by Washington, who provided instead in 1970-71 some second-hand fifteen M-706 armoured cars and twenty tracked M113 armored personnel carriers . Initially equipped with ten ex-French US M116 75 mm pack howitzers and some M8 HMC 75 mm self-propelled howitzers ,
8970-509: The end of the Chinese occupation of Vietnam, the fall of Jiaozhi and turbulence associated with the decline and fall of the Tang dynasty led some of the Tai peoples speaking Southwestern Tai to flee into Southeast Asia, with the small-scale migration mainly taking place between the eighth and twelfth centuries. The Tais split and followed the major river courses, with the ancestral Lao originating in
9085-438: The expendable anti-tank, one-shot M72 LAW 66 mm . Captured infantry weapons of Soviet and Chinese origin, such as Tokarev TT-33 and Makarov pistols , PPSh-41 submachine guns , SKS semi-automatic rifles , AK-47 assault rifles , RPD light machine guns , SG-43/SGM Goryunov medium machine guns , DShKM heavy machine guns and RPG-2 and RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers were also employed by elite commando units and
9200-539: The field, officers wore them on the left shirt collar only if worn alongside collar rank insignia; enlisted ranks usually wore branch insignia on both collars instead: Like the South Vietnamese ARVN, the RLA was given to creating unit insignia for formations even down to the company level. Following the French example, ANL officers initially wore metal unit insignia suspended from pocket hangers over their right breast button; enlisted personnel wore cloth versions on
9315-403: The field, officers' shoulder boards were initially replaced by metal rank insignia pinned to simple rectangular red cloth tabs sewn over the right shirt or combat jacket pocket, but some senior officers kept the custom of wearing instead a single chest tab ( patte de poitrine ) buttoned or pinned to the shirt's front fly following French Army practice. By the late 1960s, an American-style system
9430-458: The fighting. By December 1968 , total Royal Lao Army strength stood at 45,000 troops on paper, but is estimated that the actual number was no less than 30,000-35,000, with its combat elements organized solely into fifty-eight independent light infantry battalions, one armoured regiment comprising three recce squadrons (1st Recce Squadron at Luang Prabang , 2nd Recce Squadron at Vientiane , and 4th Recce Squadron at Pakse ) and one tank squadron, and
9545-485: The first entirely Laotian military unit, the 1st Laotian Rifle Battalion ( French : 1ér Battaillon de Chasseurs Laotiens – BCL), was raised early in 1941 by the Vichy French colonial authorities. Intended to be used on internal security operations to bolster the local sections of the mainly Vietnamese Indochinese Guard ( French : Garde Indochinoise ), the 1st BCL did not see much action until after March 9, 1945, when
9660-475: The form of the Programs Evaluation Office (PEO). Military organization and tactical training reflected French traditions. Most of the equipment was of U.S. origin, however, because early in the First Indochina War , the Americans had been supplying the French with matériel ranging from guns to aircraft. Between 1962 and 1971, the U.S. provided Laos with direct military assistance, but not including
9775-562: The ground forces (excluding indigenous Vietnamese). Most of the professional airborne units (BPC) and the entire Chief of Staff were metropolitan French, as were some artillery and specialist units. From September 1945 to the cease-fire in July 1954, a total of 488,560 men and women served in Indochina: In early November 1953, the French U.N. volunteers returning from the ended Korean War joined
9890-457: The independance of Laos and announced the formation of a new government body, the Committee for Independent Laos ( Lao : ຄະນະ ກຳ ມາທິການເພື່ອປະເທດລາວອິດສະຫຼະ , romanized : Khana kam mathikan pheu pathedlav idsara ) or Khana Lao Issara and Lao Issara for short, which was based in Vientiane . Taking advantage of the temporary absence of French authority in the country's main cities,
10005-605: The irregular SGUs while on special operations in the enemy-held areas of north-eastern and south-eastern Laos. By the mid-1950s, the ANL armoured corps inventory consisted of fifteen M24 Chaffee light tanks whilst the reconnaissance armoured squadron was provided with twenty M8 Greyhound and M20 armoured utility cars . Mechanized infantry battalions were issued with M3 half-tracks and nineteen M3A1 Scout Cars . These obsolete armored vehicles were used mainly for convoy escort duty and static defense of local provincial capitals, being rarely engaged in more offensive operations against
10120-572: The jungle environment of southern Laos. Local copies of the Canadian Bata tropical boots and the South Vietnamese black canvas-and-rubber Indigenous Combat Boots were also worn in the south. Initially, ANL troops wore the same rank insignia as their French counterparts, whose sequence followed the French Army pattern defined by the 1956 regulations until 1959, when the Royal Lao Army adopted
10235-1076: The languages apart with time such as the following examples: *mlɯn 'slippery' → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ມື່ນ muen /mɯ̄ːn/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ลื่น luen /lɯ̂ːn/ {} {} ມື່ນ {} ลื่น {} {} muen {} luen *mlɯn → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /mɯ̄ːn/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /lɯ̂ːn/ 'slippery' {} {} {} {} *raːk 'to vomit' → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ຮາກ hak /hâːk/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ราก rak /râːk/ French Far East Expeditionary Corps The French Far East Expeditionary Corps ( French : Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême-Orient , CEFEO )
10350-445: The late 1940s surplus World War II -vintage U.S. Marines Pattern 44 'Frog Skin' reversible camouflage utilities and British M1942 windproof pattern brushstroke camouflage Denison Smocks . Such early camouflage fatigues were gradually phased out from the early 1950s in favour of French-designed Lizard ( Ténue Leopard ) camouflage M1947/51, M1947/52 and M1947/53-54 TAP jump-smocks and M1947/52 TTA vests with matching trousers. By
10465-412: The left shoulder. By the 1960s pocket hangers had been phased out in the RLA and all ranks wore shoulder unit insignia. Parachute wings were worn above the right shirt or jacket pocket, whilst foreign airborne qualification badges went over the left pocket. Lao language Lao (Lao: ພາສາລາວ , [pʰáː.sǎː láːw] ), sometimes referred to as Laotian , is the official language of Laos and
10580-838: The main population centers (including Vientiane and the provincial capitals) guarding vital facilities such as depots, airfields, and lines of communication. As with its ANL predecessor, the RLA was capable only of limited offensive and counter-insurgency operations, and consequently its conventional military value was very low. The earlier ANL support units, such as the Military police ( Prevôtée Militaire or Police Militaire – PM), Medical ( Serviçe de Santé ), Quartermaster ( Service de Intendance ), Engineer ( Génie ), Geographic services ( Service Géographique ), Signals ( Transmissions ), Transport ( Train ), and Maintenance ( Réparation du Matériel – RM) were also organized into independent battalions or companies. Later in
10695-459: The mid-1960s, RLA units in the field were using a wide variety of uniforms depending on availability from foreign aid sources, namely the U.S., Thailand , and South Vietnam . The old French M1947 fatigues soon gave way to the U.S. Army OG-107 jungle utilities, which was adopted as standard field dress by all the Laotian military regular and paramilitary irregular forces; M1967 Jungle Utility Uniforms also came into use in 1970-71. Local variants of
10810-440: The new FAR officers’ khaki dress uniform on formal occasions. ANL personnel on the field initially wore a mixture of American and French regulation footwear, including brown leather U.S. M-1943 Combat Service Boots , French M1917 brown leather hobnailed ankle boots ( Brodequins modéle 1917 ), French M1953 brown leather "Rangers" ( Rangers modéle 1953 ) and French canvas-and-rubber Pataugas tropical boots; paratroopers received
10925-410: The new Laotian army started on March 23, 1950, when its first regular units were raised, consisting of light infantry battalions officered by the French. By October 1951 , the ANL added two more battalions of infantry and begun training a Paratrooper battalion . The ANL ended the year with a strength of 5,091 officers and enlisted men, though it was plagued by lack of Laotian leadership, and its weaponry
11040-525: The new RLA service peaked cap also came in both khaki and white versions, with a gold cord chinstrap and plain black leather peak for intermediate rank officers whereas general officers' caps had gold embroidered flame decoration on both the black cap band and black leather peak and a gold braid chinstrap. French M1946 and M1957 light khaki sidecaps ( Bonnet de police de toile kaki clair Mle 1946 and Bonnet de police de toile kaki clair Mle 1957 ) were also worn by all-ranks. The Laotian Royal Guards received
11155-524: The number of mobile groups had increased to twelve, with the addition of the airborne GMs 21 and 802, and the mixed GM 801. In practice, the Military Region's commanders used the GMs as their private armies to further their own interests, rarely dispatching them outside the Mekong River valley. The Mobile Groups' structure was retained until August 1968 , when all GMs in the Laotian ground forces were abolished –
11270-586: The pitch or tone of a word can alter its meaning, and is analytic , forming sentences through the combination of individual words without inflection. These features, common in Kra-Dai languages , also bear similarities to Sino-Tibetan languages like Chinese or Austroasiatic languages like Vietnamese . Lao's mutual intelligibility with Thai and Isan , fellow Southwestern Tai languages, allows for effective intercommunication among their speakers, despite differences in script and regional variations. In Laos, Lao
11385-543: The responsibility of the Service Directorates subordinated to the Ministry of National Defense. A uniformed female auxiliary service, the Royal Laotian Women's Army Corps – RLWAC ( Corps Feminine de l'Armée Royale du Laos – CFARL), was established in the early 1960s, whose members served in the RLA on administrative, staff, communications, political warfare, medical and other non-combatant duties. Following
11500-453: The semi-automatic M1A1 paratrooper carbine ), along with Sten , Owen , M1A1 Thompson , MAS-38 and MAT-49 submachine guns ; FM 24/29 , Bren , M1918A2 BAR and Browning M1919A6 .30 Cal light machine guns were used as squad weapons. Officers and NCOs received MAS-35-S , Luger P08 , Walther P38 , or Colt.45 M1911A1 pistols. After 1955, the ANL began the process of standardisation on U.S. equipment. Airborne units took delivery of
11615-656: The six brigades were quietly dissolved, and their subordinate battalions were returned to the control of the MR commanders. By May 1974 a thinning of RLA ranks forced the FAR High Command to replace the two strike divisions disbanded the previous year by a series of smaller, understrength brigades. In the Second Military Region (MR 2) , the War had taken a heavy toll on Major general Vang Pao 's guerrilla army, whose strength declined from dozens of CIA-backed irregular and RLA battalions to
11730-553: The so-called 'Rubber' Tigerstripe variant) and South Vietnam ( Tadpole Sparse ) and finally, by Highland patterns ( ERDL 1948 Leaf pattern or "Woodland pattern"), the latter being either supplied by the same sources or locally produced. ANL officers received a service peaked cap copied after the French M1927 pattern ( Casquette d'officier Mle 1927 ) with a lacquered black leather peak in both light khaki and white summer versions (the latter with gold embroidered flame decoration on
11845-520: The successful conclusion of the campaign, the Laotian battalions continued with small counter-insurgency operations against remnant bands of Lao Issara ALDL insurgents over the next three years, assuming responsibility for internal security duties in the areas located along the Thai border. Later in May that year, the French established the Lao National Guard ( French : Garde Nationale Laotiènne – GNL),
11960-564: Was a colonial expeditionary force of the French Union Army that was initially formed in French Indochina in 1945 during the Pacific War . The CEFEO later fought and lost in the First Indochina War against the Viet Minh rebels. The CEFEO was largely made up of voluntarily-enlisted indigenous tirailleurs from the French Union colonial or protectorate territories, one exception being
12075-566: Was a hodge-podge. To alleviate this problem, the French began training Laotian officers and non-commissioned officers even as they continued to lead and train the new army. By the end of 1952, the ANL had been expanded to include a battalion of troops commanded by Laotian officers, as well as 17 other companies, which were subsequently integrated with the FTL and the BCLs on July 16, 1954, into the new Laotian army, whose strength rose to 25,000 men. In July 1959 ,
12190-615: Was adopted in which metal pin-on or embroidered cloth rank insignia – either in yellow-on-green full-colour or black-on-green subdued form – were worn on the right collar, though photographic evidence shows that officers on the field also had the habit of displaying their rank insignia on berets, baseball caps , bush hats and (more rarely) on steel helmets. RLA skill and trade badges also came in gilt metal and/or enamelled pin-on and cloth embroidered yellow or black-on-green subdued variants. On dress and service uniforms, they were worn on both collars by all-ranks if shoulder boards were worn, but in
12305-631: Was at first organized with two Colonial Far East Infantry Divisions composed of Senegalese soldiers, but upon more detailed consideration the [corps] was composed of the 3d and 9th Colonial Infantry Divisions with mostly European soldiers, the 2d Armored Division, the Far East Brigade composed of colonial troops in Madagascar, and the Far East Marine Brigade which had two infantry battalions, an armored battalion, and an artillery battalion and
12420-507: Was generally observed by both sides. As stipulated by the terms of this agreement, the old ethnic SGU guerrilla forces were scheduled for integration into the RLA. However, most guerrillas – in particular those from the Hmong hill tribes – felt unwelcome in the regular army, still dominated as it was by the Lowland Lao , who were highly prejudiced towards the country's ethnic minorities. In addition,
12535-607: Was intended as the amphibious assault element of the corps. Mostly organized and equipped along American lines, this was a powerful conventional force that could assault and fight Japanese divisions in the vicinity of Saigon, Hanoi, or the Japanese home islands." The CEFEO was largely made up of voluntarily-enlisted indigenous tirailleurs from the French Union 's colonial or protectorate territories in Northwest Africa Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar , and South-East Asia. An exception
12650-502: Was organized according to the French Army model into a battalion headquarters (HQ), three company HQs and three rifle companies. Long-standing major formations above battalion level, such as Regiments, Half-brigades ( Demi-brigades ), Brigades or even Divisions, were virtually nonexistent at the time. Instead, from November 1960 infantry and Paratrooper battalions began to be brought together to form loosely organized "mobile groups" ( Groupements mobiles – GMs) or "Mobiles" for short,
12765-587: Was oriented towards the south. On February 21, 1973, the long-awaited protocols to the Agreement on the Restoration of Peace and Reconciliation in Laos were signed in Vientiane, opening the way for the Royal Lao Government and the Pathet Lao leadership to iron out the final mechanics of a coalition government. The next day a ceasefire came to effect throughout Laos and with the exception of some minor skirmishes, it
12880-532: Was soon added when they absorbed SPECOM , a Special Forces ' unit also part of the 2nd Strike Division, which became the 714e BP headed by Major Oroth Insisiengmay . In the Fourth Military Region (MR 4) , the local ex-CIA troops were consolidated into three battalions and regrouped into a new 4th Infantry Brigade ( 4éme Brigade de Infanterie ) headquartered at the Route 13 - 23 intersection, placed under
12995-407: Was the French Foreign Legion which consisted mainly of European volunteers. In 1954, the CEFEO included 177,000 men, including 59,000 indigenous people. Colonial soldiers made up the bulk of the ground forces. Between 1947 and 1954, 122,900 North Africans and 60,340 Black Africans landed in Indochina, or 183,240 Africans in total. On February 1, 1954, they represented 43.5% of the 127,785 men of
13110-571: Was the French Army's M1945 tropical light khaki cotton shirt and pants ( Tenue de toile kaki clair Mle 1945 ). Modelled after the World War II U.S. Army tropical "Chino" working dress, it consisted of a shirt with a six-buttoned front, two patch breast pockets closed by clip-cornered straight flaps and shoulder straps; the short-sleeved M1946 shirt ( Chemisette kaki clair Mle 1946 ), which had two pleated breast pockets closed by pointed flaps, or
13225-535: Was very popular among the Laotian military. Airborne formations continued to wear Lizard camouflage fatigues up until 1975, and new camouflage patterns were adopted by the RLA and the irregular SGUs throughout the 1960s-1970s. First was the Duck hunter pattern , followed by the similar South Vietnamese "Leopard" pattern ( Vietnamese : Beo Gam ) and Tigerstripe patterns from the United States, Thailand ( Thai Tadpole and
#581418