ChiCom High Explosive
| Factions | High Explosive Grenades | Icon | Classes | Ammo | Explosion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Radius | |||||
 VC |
 ChiCom High Explosive |
 |
 Assault Medic Gunner Sniper |
1 / 2 | 225 | 250 |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Modes | Throwing Range | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 67 | Grenade | 3 Sec + 5 Sec | 25 meters? | 1 kg (2.2 lbs) |
| Full name | Ammo Type | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 67 ChiCom HE Grenade | High Explosive Grenades | China | post 45 | China | 8 in (203.2 mm) | weapon_csg2 |
ChiCom Frag Grenade refers to the Chinese Type 67 stick-style fragmentation hand grenade (often called a “Chicom” grenade), widely encountered in Vietnam. It is a defensive-pattern grenade with a hollow wooden handle that houses a pull-friction delay fuze, and a fragmentation body in the head. It is best known for heavy use by North Vietnamese and Việt Cộng forces and for a reputation—reported by U.S. accounts—of inconsistent quality and a higher-than-desired dud rate.
HISTORY
China’s stick-grenade designs drew inspiration from earlier European patterns, and by the Vietnam War era Chinese “stick-type” fragmentation grenades were being supplied in large numbers through Communist aid networks. U.S. wartime reporting and post-capture documentation frequently reference Chinese Communist stick grenades among the most common enemy hand grenades recovered in South Vietnam, and U.S. Marine accounts describe them as having less blast and fragmentation effect than contemporary U.S. fragmentation grenades.
Functionally, these grenades use a pull cord and friction-ignited delay fuze concealed under an end cap at the base of the handle; pulling the cord initiates a short delay before detonation. U.S. Army technical guidance from the period notes that stick-type defensive grenades could vary in construction and filler, and warns that some examples may contain explosives that become more sensitive with age, reinforcing why wartime EOD/recognition manuals emphasized careful handling and identification.
Sources
- https://archive.org/download/TC5_31_1967/TC5_31_1967.pdf TC 5-31: Viet Cong Booby Traps, Mines and Mine Warfare Techniques (1967) | U.S. Army (PDF)
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/EODS-65-3_Viet_Cong%27s_Explosive_Ordnance_Used_in_South_Vietnam_-_1965.pdf Viet Cong’s Explosive Ordnance Used in South Vietnam (1965) | EODS-65-3 (PDF)
- https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Small%20Unit%20Action%20In%20Vietnam%20Summer%201966.pdf Small Unit Action in Vietnam (Summer 1966) | U.S. Marine Corps (PDF)
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C244530 Selection of grenades used by US/VC/NVA incl. Chinese Communist stick grenade (1967) | Australian War Memorial
- https://cat-uxo.com/explosive-hazards/grenades/type-67-hand-grenade Type 67 Hand Grenade (Chicom) | CAT-UXO
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Chinese Type 67 (“Chicom”) stick fragmentation grenade. -
Stick-grenade pouch used for carrying Chinese Communist grenades. -
Type 67 stick grenade (pull-cord fuze in handle).
