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List of weapons of the Portuguese Colonial War

The Portuguese Colonial War (), also referred to as the Portuguese Overseas War or Overseas War () for short, was a military conflict staged during the Decolonisation of Africa that pitted the guerrilla forces of the African nationalist Liberation movements of the Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique overseas provinces, which were part of the Portuguese Empire, against the colonial armed and security forces loyal to the authoritarian Estado Novo regime of Portugal, between 1961 and 1975. Main combatants comprised:

An eclectic variety of weapons was used by all sides in the Portuguese Colonial War. The Portuguese Military and Security Forces serving in the African territories were equipped with Western-made weapon systems from both World War I and World War II, mainly Portuguese, Austro-Hungarian, Danish, German, Italian, French, Canadian and British in origin, but also included more modern Portuguese, Spanish, French, British, Belgian, Dutch, West German, American and South African military hardware. During the early phase of the war, the African Liberation Movements likewise were largely equipped with WWII-vintage Western arms and munitions, though as the war went on, Soviet, Eastern Bloc and Chinese weaponry began to play a major role, particularly after 1970.

Portuguese Military and Security Forces equipment

Revolvers

Received from the Portuguese Army or privately purchased, used by colonial public servants and officials as personal side-arms for self-defence.

Pistols

Submachine guns

Bolt-action rifles

Semi-automatic rifles

  • SKS: Captured from PAIGC guerrillas and re-issued to colonial troops in Guinea-Bissau.

Assault rifles

Battle rifles

Sniper rifles

Light machine guns

General-purpose machine guns

Medium and Heavy machine guns

Grenade systems

Land mine systems

Bombs and explosives

Rocket systems

Anti-tank rockets and Grenade launchers

Recoilless rifles

Mortars

Howitzers

Anti-aircraft guns and Autocannons

Armoured vehicles

Escort, transport and recovery vehicles

Helicopters

Aircraft

Naval and River craft

African Liberation Movements equipment

Pistols

Submachine guns

Bolt-action rifles

Semi-automatic rifles

Assault rifles

Battle rifles

Sniper rifles

  • M/52 (Hungarian copy of the Soviet Mosin–Nagant Model 1891/30 sniper rifle)

Shotguns

  • Canhangulo (home-made shotgun): employed early in the War in both Angola and Mozambique.

Light machine guns

General-purpose machine guns

Medium and Heavy machine guns

Grenade systems

Land mine systems

Bombs and explosives

Rocket and missile systems

Anti-tank rockets and Grenade launchers

Recoilless rifles

Mortars

Howitzers

Anti-tank guns

Anti-aircraft guns and Autocannons

Armoured vehicles

Transport vehicles

Aircraft

Naval and River craft

Notes

See also

References

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  • Gordon L. Rottman, The AK-47 Kalashnikov-series assault rifles, Weapon series 8, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2011.
  • Gordon L. Rottman, The Bazooka, Weapon series 18, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2012.
  • Gordon L. Rottman, The hand grenade, Weapon series 38, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2015.
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  • Leroy Thompson, The G3 Battle Rifle, Weapon series 68, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2019.
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  • Mario Canongia Lopes, "Portugal's Ginas", Air Enthusiast, No. 36, May–August 1988, pp. 61–72.
  • Mario Canongia Lopes, High Winged Workhorses: Broussards and Dorniers in Portuguese Service, Air Enthusiast, No. 75, May–June 1998.
  • Major Sam Pikula, The ArmaLite AR-10 Rifle: The Saga of the First Modern Combat Rifle, Regnum Fund Press 1998.
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  • Matthew M. Hurley and José Augusto Matos, Sanctuary lost: Portugal's air war for Guinea, 1961–1974 – volume 1: outbreak and escalation (1961–1966), Africa@War Volume 59, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2022.
  • Matthew Moss, The Sterling Submachine Gun, Weapon series 65, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2018.
  • Neil Grant, The Luger, Weapon series 64, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2018.
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External links