ARVN Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1957-75

South Vietnamese M113 armored personnel carrier

The Vietnamese Armor Corps traces its lineage to the First Indochina War (1945–1954), when a Vietnamese reconnaissance company was formed in 1950. The unit received French M.1939 Panhard armoured cars, it had French officers and Vietnamese men. By October 1955, following the division of Vietnam, the South Vietnamese army had four armored regiments using World War Two vehicles and equipment handed down by the French army. When US advisers appeared in Vietnam in 1956, the existing South Vietnamese armored regiments were reorganized as armored cavalry regiments. Improved equipment was introduced in April 1962, when two mechanized rifle companies were equipped with American M113 armoured personnel carriers. Based on their successful combat experience, these two companies became the 4th and 5th Mechanized Rifle Squadrons of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ARVN). As more M113 APCs and M114 reconnaissance vehicles became available in late 1962, all four ARVN armored cavalry regiments were reorganized.

South Vietnamese Armored Regiment, 1955

Headquarters Company
Reconnaissance Company
- M8 Armored Cars
- M3 Half-Tracks
- M3 Scout Cars
- M8 Howitzers (towed)
Reconnaissance Company (same as above)
Reconnaissance Company (same as above)

ARVN Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1957

Regimental Headquarters
Reconnaissance Squadron
- M8 Armored Cars
- M3 Half-Tracks
- M3 Scout Cars
Reconnaissance Squadron (same as above)
Tank Squadron
- M24 Chaffee Light Tanks

ARVN Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1962

Regimental Headquarters
Tank Squadron
- M24 Chaffee Light Tanks, gradually replaced by
  M41.A3 Light Tanks starting January 1965
Reconnaissance Squadron (disbanded in 1965)
- M8 Armored Cars
Reconnaissance Squadron
- M114 Reconnaissance Vehicles, replaced by
  M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers after 1964
Mechanized Rifle Squadron
Mechanized Rifle Squadron (same as above)

ARVN Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1967

Regimental Headquarters
- M577 Command Post Carrier
- M577 Command Post Carrier
- M113 APC
- M113 APC
- M113 APC
- M113 APC
Armored Car Troop
- V-100 Armoured Car
- V-100 Armoured Car
- V-100 Armoured Car
- V-100 Armoured Car
- V-100 Armoured Car
- V-100 Armoured Car
Support Troop
- M132 Flamethrower
- M132 Flamethrower
- M132 Flamethrower
Flame Troop
- M106 Mortar Carrier (4.2 Inch Mortar)
- M106 Mortar Carrier (4.2 Inch Mortar)
- M106 Mortar Carrier (4.2 Inch Mortar)
- M106 Mortar Carrier (4.2 Inch Mortar)
Tank Squadron
- M41.A3 Light Tanks
Reconnaissance Squadron
- M113 Armored Personnel Carriers
Mechanized Rifle Squadron
Mechanized Rifle Squadron (same as above)

Based on early combat experience of the ARVN Mechanized Rifle Companies it became evident that the American doctrine of mounted and dismounted mechanized infantry combat failed in Vietnam, because attacks tended to bog down when the infantry dismounted. As a result, ARVN mechanized infantry squadrons adopted armored tactics and fought mounted. In 1967, ARVN cavalry troops adopted the organisation of tank troops with five armored fighting vehicles each.

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