Praying mantis gun, made by sapper workshop of Dinh Thuy commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province for use in the Dong Khoi campaign, 1960.
Praying mantis gun, made by sapper workshop of Dinh Thuy commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province for use in the Dong Khoi campaign, 1960.
The gun has a structure and shape similar to that of the praying mantis. The barrel is a converted metal water pipe; its shells contained gunpowder mixed with stone, iron or glass fragments. This bazooka-like gun had a range of only 150m with limited accuracy. However, its famous name and awesome loudness when fired made it a powerful asset in many battles.