The
Brown Water Navy in Vietnam
by
Robert H. Stoner, GMCM
(SW)(Ret)
Part 2
[Part
1 covered Operation MARKET TIME. In Part
2 we will look at Operation GAME WARDEN.
This is operation took the war from the coastal regions, up the river
deltas, up the rivers and into the canals of South Vietnam.]
The
naval war in South Vietnam
during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic.
For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several
fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how
to fight; (3) how to keep itself supplied; and (4) how to keep itself
operational.
At
the same time, the United States Navy found itself embroiled in a war that was
fought at first, off the coastal waters of South Vietnam, and then in the river
deltas, smaller waterways and canals of the country. To combat North Vietnamese infiltration of
men and supplies by sea, three Task Forces were formed: TF-115 called Operation
MARKET TIME; TF-116 called Operation GAME WARDEN; and TF-117 called the MOBILE
RIVERINE FORCE (a joint amphibious Army-Navy riverine operation).
Operation GAME WARDEN
Task Force 116 was established on December 18, 1965 and given
the name Operation GAME WARDEN. During
the Vietnam War, there were over 50 LSTs serving in direct support of the
Navy’s Brown Water forces. The LSTs in Vietnam earned
360 battle stars, 19 Presidential Unit Citations (PUC), 45 Navy Unit Citations
(NUC), and 39 Meritorious Unit Citations (MUC).
By mid-1968 and just prior to the Tet Offensive, the
compliment of PBRs was increased to 250.
Patrol areas were expanded into I Corps and even into Cambodia under Operation SEALORDS (South East
Asia Land,
Ocean, River, and Delta Strategy) in the fall of 1968.
The
original Game Warden TF-116 consisted of the following units:
Support
Ships (1966)
· USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2)
· USS COMSTOCK (LSD-19)
· USS TORTUGA (LSD-26)
· USS FLOYD COUNTY (LST-762)
Support Ships 1967-1968
◊ 4 specially modified Landing
Ship Tank (LST)
· USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786)
· USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821)
· USS HUNTERDON COUNTY (LST-821)
· USS JENNINGS COUNTY (LST-846)
· 20 Landing Craft (LCVP)
· 8 UH-1B Huey Helicopters
· 120 specially designed River
Patrol Boats (PBRs)
◊ River Patrol Force (PBR)
· River Division 51 Can Tho / Binh Thuy
· River Division 52 Sa Dec (later Vinh Long)
· River Division 53 My Tho
· River Division 54 Nha Be
· River Division 55 DaNang
Four LSTs were specially configured as mobile
PBR bases. The original Operation
Game Warden LSTs were: USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786), USS HARNETT COUNTY
(LST-821), USS HUNTERDON COUNTY (LST-838) and USS JENNINGS COUNTY (LST-846). Specialized LST modifications included:
· A
day and night landing area for UH-1 helicopters.
·
Refuel and rearm facilities for the gunships were provided.
·
Four boat booms for mooring up to 16 PBRs alongside the ship.
· A
cargo boom to lift PBRs out of the water repairs aboard ship.
·
Repair shops to do engine, pump, hull, and repairs on PBRs.
·
Fresh water distillation was improved for the increased manning.
·
Upgraded radio, navigation, and electronic equipment installed.
The LSTs provided important supply and maintenance facilities for
the PBRs (and other small boats). Many
of these services were unavailable at shore bases. After the modifications, the
LSTs had so much new equipment stuffed into their hulls that living conditions
for crews were seriously overcrowded.
Below: The LSTs that
supported Operation GAME WARDEN saw lots of service – some spanning three wars
– World War 2, Korea, and Vietnam. USS JENNINGS
COUNTY (LST-846) was typical of those unsung warriors that accomplished great
things. Like the sailors that man them,
ships earn and wear awards and decorations.
Jennings
Country earned a lot of them over her long service. Here is her awards and decorations in order
of precedence (top to bottom, left to right): Combat Action Ribbon,
Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Citation, China Service Medal, American
Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, Navy
Occupation Medal (Asia Service), National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service
Medal (2 awards), Vietnam Service Medal (9 awards), Vietnamese Cross of
Gallantry Citation (w/palm), Vietnamese Civil Actions Citation (w/palm), United
Nations Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Korean War Service Medal.
Areas of operation for the four GAME WARDEN floating bases were
the Bassac, Co Chien, and Ham
Luong Rivers. A rotation plan was set up where three GAME
WARDEN units were always on station while the fourth was out of Vietnam for
R&R (rest and recuperation) and repairs. In most cases, repairs were in the
Philippines
and lasted for one to two months at a time.
The flat-bottomed LSTs could navigate upstream all the way to the
Cambodian border using the rivers of the Mekong Delta from multiple entrances
from the South China Sea. Although the LSTs made it possible to project
a mobile support base for PBR
boats and helicopters deep inland, putting such large slow moving ships like
these on narrow waterways surrounded by dense jungle presented risks.
On September 12, 1968, USS HUNTERDON COUNTY
was ambushed near Ben Tre. She was hit by rocket and recoilless rifle fire from
shore and suffered extensive structural damage. Two crewmen were killed and
another twenty-five were wounded.
The PBRs (Patrol
Boat, River) became known as the mainstay of river patrol operations. But, when
the Navy decided to commit itself to river patrol operations in Vietnam, it did
not have a readily available small fast patrol craft, nor did it have time to
design one of its own. The Navy decided to find a commercially available hull
and modify it for combat. They needed a small, light boat with high speed,
shallow draft, water jet propulsion system, and heavy firepower. A contract for
120 PBRs (called Mark I) was awarded to United Boat Builders (Uniflite) of Bellingham, Washington
at a cost of $75,000 each.
The Mk I PBR had a 31-foot long fiberglass hull. It could do 28 knots and was powered by two
GM 6V53 220 hp diesel truck engines that gave 2,800 rpm direct drive to the
Jacuzzi water jet propulsion pumps. Each
boat carried a Raytheon 1900 radar unit for night operations. Armament consisted of twin .50 machine guns
in a gun tub on the bow, a single .50 machine gun was aft, two M60 7.62 NATO
caliber machine guns (or one M60 and one Mk 18 40mm grenade launcher) were on
armored shields amidships, plus the personal weapons of the crew. Later, some PBR
crews “augmented” firepower with such weapons as 57mm and 90mm recoilless
rifles, M72 light anti-tank weapon (LAW) rocket launchers, flamethrowers, 7.62
NATO Mini-guns, 60mm mortars, or 20mm cannon.
The crew of a PBR was four men -- A first class or chief petty
officer, a gunner's mate, an engineman, and a seaman. Each man was
cross-trained to do the other man’s job if he was wounded or killed. PBRs
operated in pairs and patrolled the various rivers and canals day and
night. The PBRs searched sampans and
junks for weapons and supplies. The Viet Cong were very good at concealing such
material in even the smallest of boats. Only by thoroughly checking every boat
could the flow of weapons and supplies be stopped.
The PBR crews (along with the rest of the GAME WARDEN
fleet carried out this mission so effectively that movement of supplies to the
Viet Cong by these waterways was severely curtailed.
Other GAME WARDEN Units
Task Force 116
was more than just LSTs and PBRs. Task
Force 116 also included Naval Special Operations Groups including: Mobile
Support Team ONE, Mobile Support
Team TWO, Beach Jumper Unit ONE,
Assault Craft Unit ONE, Harbor
Clearance Unit ONE, SEAL Team ONE and TWO, Underwater Demolition Team 12 and 13,
Explosive Ordnance Disposal detachments.
Also included were Strike Assault Boat Squadron 20 (StabRon 20); a
Patrol Aircushion Vehicle Squadron (PACV); and Naval Support Activities (to man
the forward bases ashore and afloat).
Taken together, these units fielded some very interesting and diverse
craft. Ships and boats and other
vehicles engaged in Operation GAME WARDEN were:
Landing Ship Tank (LST), Landing Craft Vehicle-Personnel (LCVP –
1966-1971), Patrol Boat River (PBR),
STrike Assault Boat (STAB – 1970), SEAL Team (aka Tactical) Assault Boat (STAB
– 1967 to 1968), Heavy SEAL Support Craft (HSSC – 1966-1971), Medium SEAL
Support Craft (MSSC – 1969-1971), Light SEAL Support Craft – 1968-1971),
Landing Craft Personnel, Large Mk 4 (1967-1969), Boston Whaler (13-foot –
1966-1971), Kenner Ski Barge (17-foot – 1968-1971), Inflatable Boat Small (IBS
– 1966-1971), Landing Craft Mechanized Mk 3, Mk 6, and Mk 8 (1966-1971), Patrol
Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV – 1966-1968), Landing Craft Utility (LCU –
1966-1971), and Swamp or Air Boats (1967-1971).
LST
– LST-542-class tank landing craft
Above: The 328-foot USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786) was a LST-542
class World War 2 built ship. In this
photo the ship is shown with her brood of PBRs, boat booms, and the boat lift
crane. [Photo: Gerald Busic]
Below: USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821) was also home to
the Navy Seawolf UH-1B gunships of Light Helicopter Attack Squadron 3 (HAL-3). Two
alert birds are spotted on her foredeck ready to launch. [Photo: Seawolf.org]
Above: An Army CH-47A “Chinook” heavy-lift helicopter in the
process of hooking up a damaged UH-1B Seawolf helicopter for transportation to
NAS Binh Thuy for repairs. The photo was
taken aboard USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821).
[Photo: Seawolf.org]
Below: USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821) shows off her
boats and helicopter facilities in this photo.
The helicopter in the center is an UH-34 Sea Horse admin helicopter, a
UH-1B gunship is to the right. Judging
by the mud and sand stirred up, the waters must be quite shallow in this
anchorage. [Photo: Ed Pietzuch]
LCVP
– Landing Craft Vehicle-Personnel (LST ship’s boat)
Below: The LCVP was a World War 2 design by Higgins
Industries in New Orleans, LA.
It was a 36-foot boat designed to move troops, cargo, or small vehicles
like Jeeps from ship to shore. An LCVP
was crewed by three men: coxswain, boat engineer and a seaman. When the machine gun mounts were fitted, the
latter two manned the guns. Later LCVP
models were made of fiberglass instead of wood.
A ¼-inch steel armored plate was fitted on both sides of the hull to
offer some protection to the occupants.
The boat had a diesel engine and a single prop. The prop, shaft, and rudder were protected by
a skeg when the boat was driven onto the beach.
LSTs carried two or four LCVPs on davits. [Drawing: US Navy]
Above: An LCVP from USS DRAKE (APA-159),
heavily loaded with troops, heads to the beach in World War 2. [Photo: US Navy]
PBR – Patrol
Boat River,
Mark I
Above: One of the 120 Mk I PBRs deployed to Vietnam in
1966. The PBR
was a commercial design adapted for patrol work. Left, Mk I PBR
number 138 heads out on patrol. Right,
two Mk I PBRs demonstrate how the boats patrolled in pairs: one boat would
assume the lead and the other boat would cover it. If either boat were attacked, the other boat
would engage the attackers to catch them in crossfire. One hundred sixty-one PBRs were delivered in
1966. [Photos: Lee Wahler]
Below: A good profile shot of the Mk I PBR. [Photo:
Lee Wahler]
Above: This Mk I PBR
is being brought aboard USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786) for maintenance. The running lights, radome, and pilothouse
cover have been removed or relocated for the lift. [Photo: Gerald Busic]
PBR – Patrol Boat
River, Mark II/III
Above: The Mk II PBR
was brought into service in 1967. The Mk
II was a redesign of the Mk I to incorporate lessons learned in Vietnam. The Mk II introduced a redesigned forward
twin gun mount, in increased size pilothouse with additional armor for the
coxswain, and the hull was strengthened – especially where the main deck and
hull join. Left, a Mk II plows at low
speed on patrol. Right, like other PBRs,
the Mk II was very maneuverable and could turn within its own length. In this photo, a Mk II does a crash turn to
starboard. [Photos: Lee Wahler]
Above: A Mk III PBR. Eighty-seven Mk II PBRs were brought into
service in 1967-1968. The Mk III was
externally indistinguishable from the Mk II.
The Mk III was the most numerous variation of the PBR: 145 were delivered in 1968-1969; 37 were
delivered in 1969-1970; 23 in 1970-1971, 30 in 1971-1972; 10 in 1972-1973; 37
in 1973-1974; and 7 in 1976-1978 (289 total).
The last 5 operational Mk III PBRs belong to Special Boat Team 22 in Stennis, MS. One of the SBT-22 boats is shown here
completing a sharp starboard turn.
[Photo: US Navy]
STAB – STrike Assault Boat
Above: The STAB was
the brainchild of ComNavForV, VADM Elmo R. Zumwalt. The boat was designed around the 24-foot
Light SEAL Support Craft (LSSC) built by Grafton Boatworks, Grafton, IL. The STAB boat was lengthened from 24 feet to
26 feet and the propulsion changed from two 427 Ford gasoline engines and
Jacuzzi water jet pumps to two 427 Chevy gasoline engines and MerCruiser stern
drives. [Photo: Tom Lefavour]
Above: The STAB was
the fastest boat deployed to Vietnam
– 20 were deployed there during the year 1970 with StabRon 20. [Photo: Dan Kurant]
Below: Three boats of
StabRon 20 returning from an operation.
Note the heavy armament used on the STABs – M60 machine guns and 40mm
grenade launchers. The LSSC used by
MST-2 units were more lightly armed because they could rely on the SEAL squad’s
firepower if they were ambushed. The
STABs relied on more firepower with less manpower. [Photo: Dan Kurant]
Naval Special
Operations Craft (MST-1, MST-2)
Mobile Support Team ONE predated Operation GAME WARDEN. MST-1 was established in early 1964 to
conduct covert missions against North
Vietnam by VNN-crewed boats whose crews were
trained and the boats maintained by USN personnel. These boats were drawn from Boat Support Unit
ONE, Coronado, CA
and were called PTF (Patrol Torpedo, Fast).
The PTF was actually a misnomer, because this multi-purpose boat was
designed function as either: (1) a patrol torpedo – PT – boat; (2) a motor
gunboat; or (3) a fast minelayer. The
USN used the PTF as a motor gunboat throughout its service (1962 to 1979). MST-1 operated from Da Nang, Vietnam.
Operational control of the
PTFs in Vietnam was through
the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observation
Group (MACV - SOG). SOG was a joint
unconventional warfare command that integrated many different units of the
American armed forces and intelligence community. MACV-SOG was established on 24 January
1964.
Under SOG auspices, the
American sailors of MST-1 trained the VNN in PTF operation and maintained the
PTFs under their care. The VNN crews
took the PTFs into North Vietnamese waters to raise all kinds of particular
hell. Over 1,000 of these OP 34A raids
were conducted by the VNN from March-April 1964 until January 1972. In January 1972, all PTFs were transferred
back to the custody of the USN and brought back to the United States.
There were a total of 26 PTF
boats that could be divided into four general groups: (1) the Legacy Group –
PTF 1 (ex-PT 810) and PTF 2 (ex-PT 811); (2) the Nasty Group – Norwegian boats
PTF 3 through PTF 16; the Trumpy Group – U.S. built boats PTF 17 through PTF
22; and the Osprey Group – U.S. built boats PTF 23 through PTF 24.
Of the four groups, the PTF
1 and PTF 2 were Korean War-era prototype PT boats that had been refurbished
for Vietnam
service. The boats were aluminum
construction, the engines burned 115/145 octane aviation gasoline, and parts
were difficult to find for them. These
boats were discarded as soon as possible and replaced by the modern Norwegian
Nasty-class boats.
There were 14 Nasty-class
boats purchased from Norway
by the USN; PTF 3 through PTF 8 were taken directly from Norwegian Navy stocks
and PTF 9 though PTF 16 purchased from the Norwegian builders. These boats were delivered from 1962 through
1966. All Nasty-class boats were 80 feet
by 24 feet, of wooden construction and weighted 75 tons.
There were 6 Trumpy-class
boats purchased from Trumpy and Sons, Annapolis,
Maryland for the USN and
delivered in 1968 and 1969. The Trumpy
boats were very similar to the Nasty-class boats, but were differences in
internal arrangement, in engineering, and in the electronics carried. Construction, dimensions, and weights were
the same as the Nasty-class boats.
There were 4 Osprey-class
boats purchased from Stewart Seacraft in Berwick,
Louisiana for the USN and
delivered in 1968. The Osprey-class was
aluminum construction, 95 feet by 24 feet, and about 125 tons.
PTF – PTF 1, PTF 2,
Nasty-class, Trumpy-class, Osprey-class (patrol torpedo, fast)
Below: The 89-foot PTF 1 (ex-PT 810) built
by Bath Iron
Works for the USN in 1951. The boat was
aluminum, weighed 95 tons, and had four Packard marine engines burning 115/145
octane aviation gasoline. This boat
became PTF 1 in 1962 and was one of the first four craft sent to MST-1 at Da Nang, RVN in early
1964. All USN PTFs were on-loan to the VNN and no PTFs were transferred to the
VNN. [Photo: Jim Gray]
Below: The 95-foot PTF 2 (ex-PT 811), built by John
Trumpy and Sons for the USN in 1951. The
boat was aluminum, weighed 95 tons and had four Packard marine engines burning
115/145 octane aviation gasoline. This
boat became PTF 2 in 1962 and was one of the first four craft sent to MST-1 at Da Nang, RVN in early
1964. [Photo: US Naval Institute]
Above: PTF 3 was a
Nasty-class motor gunboat. She is shown
at top speed in Manila Bay during February
1964. This boat was one of four that
began operations from Da Nang,
Vietnam in
March-April 1964. All PTFs were shipped
through the Philippines
prior to deployment to Vietnam. The MST-1 repair shops at Subic
Bay, made changes to the boats to prepare them for war. One of the changes was to remove the forward
40mm Bofors gun and replace it with the Navy Mk 2 Mod 0 81mm mortar. The mortar was used for indirect fire and for
illumination of North Vietnamese targets.
[Photo: Mark Tondel]
Below: PTF 7 is seen
next to USS SAINT PAUL (CA-73) at Subic Bay
Naval Base. The sleek lines of the PTF
are well shown in this photo. The Mk 2
Mod 0 81mm mortar is installed forward of the bridge under the gray cover. [Photo: Robert T. Webb]
Above: PTF 21 is seen at top speed off Hawaii about 1972. One of six Trumpy-class boats, she differed
in minor details from the Nasty-class.
Note the difference between the Decca and Litton radar
antennas and ammunition box arrangement.
[Photo: Chip Marshall]
Below: PTF 23 was the
lead boat of the Osprey-class. Of
aluminum construction, the Ospreys were 15 feet longer than the Nasty and
Trumpy boats. As can be seen from the
photos, the superstructure of the Osprey was quite different from the earlier
PTFs. The Ospreys were designed to take
gas turbine engines, but they were never installed. The Ospreys used the same Napier Deltic
T18-37K turbo-supercharged diesels of the Nasty and Trumpy boats. [Photos: Warboats.org]
Mobile Support Team TWO was
established in 1967 to provide boat support for Navy SEAL Teams and UDT
Detachments assigned to the Republic
of Vietnam. Early SEAL operations (begun in 1966) had
relied on SEALs operating their own makeshift craft. It soon became obvious that the SEALs and
UDTs were needed fulltime for their tasks and the boat support needed to be
spun-off to a dedicated unit. Boat
Support Unit ONE created Mobile
Support Team TWO that had its headquarters at Binh Thuy. Binh Thuy was on the Bassac
River, a couple of miles from the
large city of Can Tho. The MST-2 OIC (officer-in-charge) shared his
office with the SEAL/UDT OIC. Together,
they were responsible for all the boat and special operations in Vietnam from Saigon
south to the tip of the Ca Mau Peninsula.
Special operations craft in Vietnam went
through continuous development and improvement through the years 1966 through
1971. Roughly speaking, we can trace
this as:
1966 – ST-1 personnel are
using at least one LCPL fitted with armament and a modified LCM-6 (Heavy SEAL
Support Craft 1) as well as Boston Whalers and the ubiquitous IBS (inflatable
boat, small).
1967 -- ST-1 modified HSSC 1
is heavy damaged (on two occasions) by direct mortar hits; MST-2 brings two
purpose-built HSSCs (HSSC 2 and HSSC 3) to Vietnam along with four modified
LCPLs. ST-2 brings two STAB (SEAL
Tactical Assault Boats) to Vietnam. MST-2 also uses Boston Whalers and the IBS on
some operations.
1968 -- STAB boats and
Boston Whalers are retired from tactical operations in favor of the new Light
SEAL Support Craft (LSSC); HSSCs and LCPLs continue in use. Some use of Kenner Ski Barges and Boston
Whalers are used for non-tactical operations.
1969 -- LCPLs are phased-out
in favor of the Medium SEAL Support Craft (MSSC). HSSCs and LSSCs continue in use.
1970-1971 -- All SEAL/UDT
support is done with LSSCs, MSSCs, and HSSCs.
There is some use of Boston Whalers and Kenner Ski Barges, but not for
tactical ops. One HSSC is lost in a
storm in the Gulf
of Thailand, January
1971. All MST-2, SEAL, and UDT units
stand down in November 1971.
1966 – LCPL, HSSC, Boston
Whalers, IBS
Above and below: SEAL Team ONE
at Nha Be was forced by circumstances to scrounge boats and modify them for use
in Vietnam. Here ST-1 members are in the process of
converting an LCM-6 that became known as the “Mighty Mo” due to its armor and
heavy armament of 7.62 NATO, .50 machine guns, a 60mm mortar, a 57mm recoilless
rifle and a Mk 18 40mm grenade launcher.
[Photo: Frank Anderson]
Above: A Mk 4 LCPL as hastily modified by members of
ST-1. Some guns lack armored shields to
protect the gunners and the crew is much too exposed. Whether it was used on operations is not
known. [Photo: Chuck LeMoyne]
Below: The ubiquitous IBS was an inflatable boat that
traced back to the days of the Navy Combat Demolition Units and Underwater
Demolition Teams of WW2 and Korea. This
IBS belonged to MST-2 detachment Alpha at My Tho. [Photo: Jim Born]
1967 – LCPL, HSSC, STAB, and Boston Whaler
Above: A rare shot of a Mk 4 LCPL conversion by BSU-1 as
part of Project ZULU. The LCPL has been
fitted with heavy machine guns, gun shields and additional armor. Four LCPLs would be converted and were
heavily utilized by MST-2 from 1967 through 1969 when they were replaced by the
new MSSC. The problem that plagued both
the Project ZULU conversions of the LCM-6 and LCPL Mk 4s were their lack of
speed. This was not solved until the
advent of the LSSC and MSSC. [Photo: Tom
Hawkins]
Below: Loaded with SEALs and MST-2 personnel, this LCPL
is on its way to an insertion somewhere near Can Tho, Vietnam. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Above: The MST-2 LCPL noses into the beach to insert its
SEALs. Whether this is a practice
insertion or actual mission is unknown.
Most missions like this were conducted at night. (Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: A bow-on shot of the LCPL nosing into the beach
for an insertion. The presence of the
photographer on the shore and the background suggest this is a practice
insertion for the camera. [Photo: Tom
Hawkins]
Above and below: The LCM-6 conversion by ST-1 was called
the “Mighty Mo” due to its heavy armament. This was the first of the Heavy SEAL Support
Craft (HSSC). Two MST-2 purpose-built
HSSCs replaced the ”Mighty Mo” in mid 1967. [Photos: Jerry Clark (upper); Erasmo Riojas
(lower)]
Above: Three photos of the SEAL Tactical Assault Boat at
Little Creek, VA. Two of these boats
were brought to Vietnam
by ST-2 in 1967. [Photos: Tom Hawkins]
Above and below: The third STAB of ST-2 under going air
transport trials by a CH-46 “Sea Knight” helicopter at Little Creek, VA. On one trial, the straps holding the boat
failed and it was sent crashing into a parking lot on base where it demolished
a car. This boat was used for weapons
immunity trials before being scrapped.
[Photos: Tom Hawkins]
Above: Members of
ST-2 and MST at Nha Be attend a pre-operation briefing before setting out in
their STABs. [Photo: LIFE Magazine via Jim Gray]
Below: A shot of STAB 1 underway. Note how low the transom sits relative to the
water. This feature caused the capsizing
of the STABs on several occasions and several SEALs and LDNNs (Vietnamese
SEALs) were hurt. [Photo: Jim Gray]
Above: The two
STABs of MST on their way back from an operation. This was not a time to relax as shown by the
SEAL scanning the riverbank and ready to return any enemy fire. [Photo: LIFE
Magazine via Jim Gray]
Below: Mission
completed, one of the STABs is pulling up to the pier at Nha Be. The fellow at the far left is a Vietnamese
LDNN while some of the SEAL operators are still wearing their inflatable life
jackets. [Photo: LIFE
Magazine via Jim Gray]
Above: A well-worn
STAB comes up to the LCPL with detainees aboard. The detainees would be questioned and their
identity papers checked. If they were
OK, they’d be released. If not, they’d
be taken back for more questioning.
[Photo: Gary Smity]
Below: The same LCPL with its two detainees
aboard. There were no good roads in the
Delta and so everyone, friend and foe, took sampans. These detainees may be innocent villagers or
fishermen or VC. Time will tell. [Photo: Gary Smity]
Above: A
factory-fresh 13-foot Boston Whaler at the BSU-1
piers at Coronado, CA.
The Whaler was a very robust boat, but got very cramped when you put MST
and SEALs aboard it. [Photo: Tom
Hawkins]
Below: An MST-2 crew checking the papers of a Vietnamese
sampan’s occupants. These people could
be innocent civilians or VC trying to smuggle arms and supplies. [Photo: Bill Moreo]
.
Above: MST modified their Whalers to move the coxswain to
the center of the boat and added armor plate to protect him. A similar plate was added to the bow to
afford some protection for the gunner.
MST crews put the same engines as the STABs on their boats to give them
greater speed. [Photo: Bill Moreo]
Below: It did not take long to use up what space there
was in the Whaler. Here two Nha Be
Whalers move out on an operation with some “visitors.” Both boats have been modified to place the
coxswain in the center of the craft behind some armor plate and put the radio
next to him. [Photo: Randy Miller]
Above: An overhead view of the MST-modified Whaler
showing the added armor plate for both the coxswain and gunner. Note the radio location to the coxswain’s
left. [Photo: Randy Miller]
Below: Sometimes operations with the Whalers required a
tow from the LCPL. In this photo, both
Nha Be MST-run Whalers are towed by the LCPL.
If SEALs were along for the operation, they would be aboard the LCPL due
to safety and room considerations. There
wasn’t a lot of protection on a Whaler if you were ambushed and the best tactic
was to run away as fast as you could go.
[Photo: Bill Moreo]
1968
– HSSC evolution, Kenner Ski Barge, and LSSC
Above: HSSC evolution (Can Tho boat). As received as part of Project ZULU in 1967,
this HSSC had no armor for the engine room and a soft top. The Can Tho boat can be recognized by the
diamond-shaped ballistic plates to protect the well deck gunners from incoming
shots. Two MST-2 LCPLs are outboard of
the HSSC. [Photo: Jim Gray]
Below: The same boat after the fitting of armor around
the engine room. A solid deck replaced
the well deck soft top. This deck was
capable of supporting a UH-1 helicopter.
[Photo: Jim Gray]
Above: The Can Tho HSSC with its first major armament
upgrade – an M40A1 106mm recoilless rifle.
[Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: Loading a 106mm round into the recoilless
rifle. The .50 spotting gun was used to
put the 106mm round on target. The gunner,
wearing sound powered phones, sits on the tripod leg. [Photo: Bill Moreo]
Below: The next major armament upgrade to the Can Tho
boat – a GAU-2B/A (M134) 7.62 NATO Mini-gun (rotary barrel machine gun). Note the gun smoke from the Mini-gun that partially
obscures the recoilless rifle barrel.
[Photo: Bill Moreo]
Above: The Can Tho HSSC prior to its last major upgrade
in 1969. This last upgrade replaced the
Mk 2 Mod 0 81mm mortar (gray object in side lowered bow ramp) with the Mod
1. The Mk 2 Mod 1 was an over and under
rig with a .50 machine gun above the 81mm barrel. At the same time, bar armor was installed
from the armor bulge around the engine room to the bow ramp. Bar armor had proved very effective on
similar LCM conversions used by the Mobile
Riverine Force (TF-117). [Photo: Don
Crawford]
Below: Typical bar armor arrangement on command and
control boat CCB-18 (now a memorial at Coronado,
CA) as seen from the stern
starboard side. The space between the
hull and bar armor was filled with Styrofoam blocks to absorb shrapnel from
projectile explosions. The bar armor was
very effective against rockets, but less so against recoilless rifle fire. [Photo: Lee Wahler]
Above: The evolution of the Nha Be HSSC was similar to
the Can Tho boat. However, the Nha Be
boat was different in appearance. Note
the square armor around the pilot house, different armor plating around the
engine room spaces and overhead cover for the well deck. The boat is seen here at low tide in mid 1967
and before armament upgrades were made.
[Photo: Randy Miller]
Below: The first armament upgrade to the Nha Be HSSC
was the addition of an M40A1 106mm recoilless rifle and sand bags over the
solid helicopter landing pad. Left, the
HSSC beached in the RSSZ. Right, a
close-up of the recoilless rifle and the sand bag “armor” on the well deck
overhead cover.
Below: Close-up of the conning station on the Nha Be
HSSC. Note the long box at the back of
the sunroof. This box carried all the
boat’s radio equipment. Various
antennas, including the radome for the radar and running lights, attached to
the sunroof. Armor for the conning
station was arranged in the form of a box on the Nha Be boat; the Can Tho
boat’s armor was roughly octagonal in shape.
[Photo: Randy Miller]
Above: The next armament upgrade to the Nha Be HSSC was
the addition of a large gun tub for twin .50 machine guns. Unlike the Mini-gun tub for the Can Tho boat,
the tub on the Nha Be boat was not attached to the edge of the helicopter deck. The helicopter deck has been reinforced to
land a UH-1 helicopter and the sand bags have been removed. [Photo: Ron Allen]
Above: A portside view of the Nha Be HSSC. Note the gap between the edge of the top deck
with the M40A1 recoilless rifle and the twin .50 gun tub. [Photo: Ron Allen]
Below: Another look at the arrangement of the Nha Be
HSSC. It is not known whether this boat
received the bar armor upgrade of the Can Tho boat. [Photo: Ron Allen]
Above: Detail shots of the twin .50 gun tub, shields, and
ammunition supply for the guns. Left,
the .50 machine guns were set side-by-side and had extended oversize ammunition
boxes. The extent of the boxes can be
seen behind both crewmen. Right, the
twin guns and their oversize ammunition boxes from the gunner’s position. [Photos: Ron Allen]
Below: In addition to the Boston
Whaler, the Kenner
Ski Barge was larger and wider. Often
called a “Boston Whaler”, the Kenner was 17 feet long and mounted two
outboard engines. The Kenner had a pedestal mount for an M60
machine gun, a distinctive side railing on both sides, and the coxswain sat at
his station in the rear by the twin outboards.
Shown here is one of the Kenner
boats belonging to MST-2. [Photo: Dave
Porter]
Below: An MST-2 LCPL alongside an Ammi pontoon. Each of the four Mk 4 LCPLs used by MST were
slightly different. This LCPL has a
single .50 machine gun forward. The
sunroof of this LCPL is being repainted – the yellow color is the primer coat
that was applied just before the final green paint coat and aircraft
recognition marking. An LSSC is nested
outboard of the LCPL. [Photo: Rick
Erwin]
Above: The MST-2 detachment at Vinh Long had an LCPL that
had twin .50 machine guns behind a custom armored gun shield. The center plate was designed to stop
straight-on shots from hitting the gunner.
[Photo: Bill Strawbridge]
Below: The MST-2 detachment at Nam Can used a 7.62 NATO Mini-gun
in the bow position and had a Navy Mk 4 60mm mortar next to it. [Photo: John Engstrom]
Above: A brand new LSSC on the Mississippi River near
Grafton Boatworks, Grafton,
IL in 1968. Grafton delivered 16 LSSCs to the USN during
1968 and early 1969. The LSSC replaced
the worn-out STABs and Boston Whalers (and Kenner Ski Barges) for
SEAL and UDT operations. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: When a load of SEALs went aboard the LSSC, it got
rather crowded as shown here. This LSSC
is on a training exercise in 1968. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Above: A new LSSC drops off its SEAL squad during training
operations in 1968. The LSSC saw much
hard fighting during 1968 to 1971. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: Its SEALs inserted, the same LSSC retracts from
the shore. The LSSC would then move to a
pre-arranged pickup point and act as a radio relay link while the SEALs were in
the field. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Above: The LSSC
typically carried a .50 machine gun and two or more M60 or M60D (shown here)
machine guns. The excellent condition of
this boat indicates this picture was taken in early to mid 1969. By 1970, operations dictated the removal of
the Raytheon 1900 radar and its cumbersome radome. The radar was not very useful on the small
rivers and canals where the LSSC operated and the radome was seen as a B-40
rocket shrapnel hazard. [Photo: Jim
Gray]
Below: An LSSC operating with the LCPL just
ahead. A Vietnamese LDNN (SEAL) is
standing on the bow, while a SEAL with an M60 machine gun is standing just
behind him and to the left. SEALs would
do insertions and extractions over the bow of the LSSC. Many MST detachments removed the forward
firing M60s as an aid to the SEALs’ movement on and off the boat. The forward guns were relocated amidships
with the .50 covering the after part of the boat. [Photo: Jim Gray]
Above: The Navy was fascinated by the idea of flying the
LSSC from one location to an other behind enemy lines. This was the origin of the STAB (STrike
Assault Boat) concept that created StabRon 20 (1970). However, the LSSC fared no better at airlift
than the STAB of ST-2 had at Little Creek, VA in 1967. On the third LSSC lift, the slings supporting
the boat failed and the boat fell into a rice paddy from about 3,000 feet. The boat engines kept right on going at
impact with the ground. Tactical
aircraft bombed the remains. [Photo: Jim
Gray]
1969-1971
– MSSC and LSSC Evolution
Above: The replacement for the venerable LCPL was the
Medium SEAL Support Craft (MSSC). This
36-foot aluminum boat was built by Atlantic Research Corporation in Costa Mesa, CA. Ten of these boats were delivered in 1969 for
use by MST detachments in Vietnam. The MSSC carried 300 gallons of gasoline in
four bladders low in the hull.
Propulsion was by two 427 Chevy gasoline engines and two MerCruiser
stern drives. The MSSC became the
workhorse for SEAL/UDT boat support units until November 1971 when all NSWG
units were withdrawn from Vietnam. Here, an MSSC is fitting out at the builder’s
pier in Costa Mesa.
[Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: The 36-foot MSSC was designed for transport on a
special trailer pulled by a heavy truck.
In this photo, a new MSSC is lowered aboard its trailer. The most vulnerable part of the MSSC is
prominently shown in this photo -- the boarding steps. These steps were always getting crunched when
the boat put into the beach to unload or load SEALs. Another weak point was the piano hinge for
the forward-folding windshield. The
welds tended to break and repair was difficult.
The crew compartment was well protected by an inner and outer hull,
Styrofoam insulation to absorb rocket shrapnel (and to act as flotation and
sound deadening), a ceramic-backed steel-alloy armor plate, and thick Kevlar®
flak curtains. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Below: An MSSC tied up at the Nha Be piers in late 1969
or early 1970. The boats in the back are
MSBs (Mine Sweeping Boats) whose job it was to keep the Long Tau shipping
channel to Saigon open and free of mines. The boats were made of wood and carried
minimal firepower. Many people in Vietnam thought
the guys that manned these boats were some of the bravest men they’d ever
seen. The MSB
was not fast enough to run from a fight and had neither the armament nor armor
to stay and duke it out with the bad guys. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Above: Looking forward, the interior of the MSSC shows functional
design. It is roomy for the SEALs and
their gear (as well as the MST crew).
The SEALs have rapid movement in and out over the bow, yet there is
space for the gunners as well as good weapons locations for them. The center location allows the OIC to run the
radios and navigate while the coxswain drives.
The thick flak blankets that cover the interior armor are very prominent
in this view. [Photo: Tom Hawkins]
Above: Interior of the MSSC looking aft shows a typical
assortment of gear. The .50 caliber
machine guns were installed amidships on all boats and a 7.62 NATO Mini-gun
replaced the after mounted .50 machine gun from July and August 1970
onwards. C-ration cases and fresh water
coolers are for extended operations. The
3,500-round magazine for the Mini-gun is directly below the bend in the belt
feed chute leading to the gun. The spent
case and link collection bag is directly below the gun. [Photo: Gary Hunt]
Below: A rear port quarter view of the MSSC as it pulls
out on a SEAL operation. [Photo: Gary
Hunt]
Above: The MSSC
was a fast boat with a top speed of over 30 knots. Notice that the boarding steps are gone from
this boat. The field expedient for the
missing and broken steps was to hang a cargo net over the bow as shown here. This MSSC was based at Long Phu (Dung Island). [Photo: Bill Bremer]
Below: This Nam Can based LSSC is high and dry
on the beach after the tide has gone out.
The photo shows the water jet nozzles and cables that operate the
reverse gates to good effect. [Photo:
John Engstrom]
Above: By 1970,
the LSSCs had removed their radar and radomes for increased interior room and
protection from rocket shrapnel if the radome was hit. From the expression of the SEAL radioman on
the bow, there’s some kind of communications glitch. Note that the SEALs are wearing Levi’s. The reason was the new camouflage pattern
jackets and trousers had a problem. The
trousers’ crotch would rip-out; the Levi’s were far more durable. Some SEALs also wore extra large panty hose
underneath their Levi’s because any leaches they picked up would not stick to
them. [Photo: Gary Hunt]
Below: Close-up of the Nam Can LSSC about September
1970. The post for the radar’s radome
makes a convenient rack for the coxswain’s flak vest (big “lump” behind his
head). [Photo: Bob Stoner]
Above: In January
1971, the LSSC at Nam
Can took two B-40 rockets that killed the SEAL advisor and his LDNN interpreter
and wounded many of the other MST and SEALs aboard. The reverse gate cables were severed by the
rocket hits, but SEAL Don Crawford who took over the coxswain’s seat didn’t
need reverse (fortunately). He was able
to bring the boat back. The MST OIC and
two other MST members required medical evacuation for their wounds. Don Crawford took this photo on the morning
after the ambush of the night before.
The two hits show up as large dents, one shows a perforation of the
hull, and there are numerous shrapnel gouges.
The LSSC looks the worse for wear after the ambush. [Photo: Don Crawford]
Other Craft – PACVs, LCMs, LCUs, and Air Boats
The Navy purchased its PACV (Patrol Air
Cushion Vehicles) from the British Hovercraft Company as the Type BHC
SR.N5. Seven hovercraft were converted
by Bell Aero Systems to the SK-5 Model 7232 after re-equipping them with GE
LM-100 gas turbine engines.
The Navy brought three PACV to Cat Lo as PACV
Division 107, TF-116 (May 1966 to January 1967). Returned to Bell
for overhaul, modification, and repair, they returned to Vietnam in
1968. This time they were assigned to
Coastal Division 17 at Da Nang
and Tan My until they returned stateside after the end of the Tet Offensive in
September 1968.
Above: A Navy PACV comes ashore from USS GUNSTON HALL
(LSD-5) in May 1967. PACVs also operated
from USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) during their first deployment to Vietnam. [Photo: US Naval Historical Center]
Below: PACV No. 2 is shown at Moc Hoa in 1967. Notice the lack of outside decking for the
crew or passengers. The decking was
added before the PACVs second deployment in 1968. The forward access door is open. Although the PACV was fast and could cross
all manner of terrain and water it was NOISY.
No way could you sneak up on anyone.
PACVs carried twin .50s above the pilothouse and M60 machine guns on
either side (one is poking out of the second window aft of the standing
crewman). [Photo: US Navy]
Above: PACV 3 at top speed over marshy ground somewhere
near Da Nang or
Tan My. Note the added deck on top of
the hull that identifies a second tour modification. [Photo: US Navy]
Below: PACV 3 just after skirt inflation and before
moving out. The heavy reinforcement for
the post-modification external deck is very clearly shown. PACV units used revetments made of M8A1 steel
mats to create a work and servicing area. An M8A1 mat was an interlocking,
welded steel panel, 1.75 inches thick by 12 feet by 2 feet, weighing 144
pounds. A very durable servicing and
work area could be put down in a very short period of time. PACV 3 is resting on M8A1 matting in this
photo. [Photo: US Navy]
Above: A PACV demonstrates its amphibious capabilities at
Da Nang during the second deployment to Vietnam in
1968. [Photo: Lee Wahler]
Below: The sole surviving PACV 4 (left) at the Bellingham International
Maritime Museum,
Bellingham, WA.
When the PACVs retuned to the United States, some were
transferred to the USCG. This may be one
of those, based on the plexiglass bubble replacing the twin .50 machine gun
mounting. The patch of PACV Div 107
(right). [Photos: BIMM, Lee Wahler]
The Army’s 9th Infantry Division used three
modified SK-5 ACVs based on a trials basis from 1968 to 1970. Army ACVs differed in physical arrangement
from Navy PACVs.
The
Army’s three improved SK-5 ACVs operated from its base at Dong Tam on the Mekong River. These craft arrived between January and May
1968 and operated from Dong Tam as the Air Cushion Unit (Provisional) until
July 1969. When the 1st and 2nd
Brigades of the 9th Division rotated to the United States,
the three ACVs were reassigned as the 39th ACV
Platoon, 3rd Brigade in July 1969 until withdrawn from service in
September 1970.
Above: One of the Army’s ACVs roaring down the My Tho
River near Dong Tam at full speed. Army
ACVs had a modified hull that incorporated a large deck for carrying troops, a
larger cockpit than the Navy PACV, and two side-by-side .50 machine tubs. Performance was much the same as the Navy
PACV. [Photo: Lee Wahler]
The
Army ACVs had improvements over their Navy counterparts, although overall sizes
remained about the same at 39 feet long, 24 feet wide, 16 feet high, and a
range of 165 nautical miles. Army ACVs
had more powerful engines than the Navy PACVs, a wider cockpit, two gun
positions instead of one, and a flat deck on top of the lift skirt for
troops. Although Army evaluation of the ACV was of much longer duration than the Navy’s,
the vehicle was far too expensive to buy and maintain to justify expansion of
its fleet.
A
cushion of high-volume, low-pressure compressed air generated by a centrifugal
lift fan supported both the Army ACV
and Navy PACV. The lift fan created air
pressure, contained by the side skirts, to lift the ACV
off the ground. The ACV was almost frictionless in operation and could
travel over land, swamps, or water at a speed of 75 knots. An ACV
could clear rice paddy dikes and solid obstacles up to 3 feet high and
negotiate a slope 6 feet high. The ACV could also force its way through tall grasses,
fell small trees and brush, and navigate ditches and canals.
The same engine that powered the ACV
lift fan also drove a 9-foot, three-bladed propeller. Twin rudders enabled the ACV to steer in much the same manner as an
airboat. To maintain the air cushion,
the ACV used canvas and rubber
skirts to contain the compressed air.
Disposition
of ACVs:
· Number 901 was written off in January 1970
when and ARVN soldier with full equipment was sucked through the lift fan. Number 901 was used as a source of spare
parts for Numbers 902 and 903.
Above: ACV
901 in the salvage yard at Dong Tam. It
was written-off in January 1970 and became a source of spares for 902 and
903. [Photo: US Army]
· Number 902 survived until September 1970,
when the unit was disbanded.
Above: ACV
902 on alert status at Dong Tam. It was
the only one of the three ACVs to mount an M5 40mm grenade launcher on the left
front of the hull. The wide troop deck
of the ACV is well shown in this
shot. When the 39th ACV Platoon stood down, 902 was taken to Ben Luc
and probably scrapped there. [Photo: US
Army]
· Number 903 was destroyed in combat in August
1970 and the unit commander killed. His
successor commanded Number 902 for two months until the unit disbanded.
Above: ACV
903 up on jacks while her canvas and rubber skirt is replaced. The 903 was destroyed in action. [Photo: US Army]
Below: ACV
902 awaits her fate at the Ben Luc salvage yard sometime after the 39th
ACV platoon stand down in
September 1970. [Photo: Ralph
Christopher]
Perhaps
no other amphibious craft had more modifications done to it during the Vietnam
War than the humble Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) Mark 6. The Mk 6 was a 56-foot long landing craft
that had been designed to land M4 Sherman tanks in World War 2. The Mk 6 was identical to the Mk 3, its 50-foot
long predecessor. Unless both boats were
seen side-by-side, they were very difficult to tell apart. The Mk 6 was 14 feet wide and weighed 65 tons
(loaded). It had two GM 6-71 diesel
engines driving two props for a top speed of 10 knots. Useful load was 34 tons of cargo or 80
troops.
The
LCM Mk 6 was used as the basis of many specialized conversions for the riverine
warfare environment. The HSSC versions
done by SEAL Team ONE and Boat
Support Unit ONE are only two
examples. Many more conversions were
done and most of those boats were attached to TF-117, the Mobile Riverine
Force. The MRF is described in Part 3 of
this series.
Above:
A drawing showing the arrangement of the LCM Mk 6.
Below:
A scale drawing of the LCM Mk 8.
[Drawings: US Navy]
The
LCM Mk 8 was a much longer and heavier craft of post-Korean War design. The Mk 8 was designed to transport the M48 or
M60 tank that was much larger and 40 percent heavier than the WW2 Sherman tank. The Mk 8 had two 12V-71 diesels driving two
props, was 74 feet long and 21 feet wide, weighed 105 tons (loaded), and
carried 52 tons of cargo or 200 troops.
The Mk 8 was widely used by both the Navy and the Army in Vietnam to
carry all manner of cargo. The Army’s
Transportation Corps ran Army LCMs.
Below: A Navy drawing of the LCM Mk 3 showing the
features of the boat; the Mk 6 is identical except it is 6 feet longer. The LCM-6 or “Mike 6” is still used by the
Navy although its primary role of beach assault has been superseded by much
larger and faster craft. [Drawing: US
Navy]
Below: A factory fresh LCM-6. Note the lack of identifying unit numbers and
codes that will be added when it is assigned to a ship or unit. [Photo: US Navy]
Above: An LCM-8 coming ashore through the
surf with a load of vehicles. The “CH”
and “KA 113-2” identify this as the number 2 LCM-8 from the USS CHARLESTON
(LKA-113). [Photo: US Navy]
Below: An Army LCM-8 in Vietnam. Army crews lived aboard their craft and so
they enlarged the conning stations into bunkrooms using 2x4s and corrugated
sheet metal and tarpaper for the standard crew of 4 or 5 men. In this shot, a UH-1D medical evacuation
helicopter is taking off a casualty.
Armament was two .50 machineguns.
[Photo: Lee Wahler]
Originally
called the Landing Craft Tank (LCT) the vessels of the 1466-class were
reclassified as LCUs (Landing Craft Utility).
The LCT/LCU had triple the cargo capacity of the LCM-8. The “U-boats” did a lot of supply hauling in Vietnam and
their work went largely unnoticed. The
modified LCT-5/LCU-1466 class was 119 feet long, had a beam of 34 feet, and
drew 6 feet of water. Its speed was 10
knots and it carried a crew of 14. Cargo
capacity was 150 tons and it weighted 360 tons (loaded). Armament consisted of three twin 20mm guns or
twin .50 machine guns. Propulsion was by
three diesels turning three propellers.
Range was roughly 700 nautical miles at 7 knots. The USN transferred sixteen LCUs to the VNN
by January 1971.
Above: LCU-1475 at Da Nang
loading a cargo of ammunition bound for Hue
in 1969. LCU-1475 is a Mk 5 LCT design
with one ramp. YFU-60 (ex-LCU-851) is
moored alongside. This is a Mk 6 LCT
design with an offset pilothouse and both a stern and a bow ramp for roll-on
and roll-off cargo. LCU-1475 was
transferred to the VNN as HQ-540 by January 1971. [Photo: Tom Lanagan]
Above: A good starboard side shot of LCU-1493 moving
cargo on the Perfume River in South Vietnam about 1969. Like her sister, LCU-1493 was transferred to
the VNN as HQ-543 by January 1971.
[Photo: Joe Criscione]
Below: One of the stranger craft was this swamp boat
or airboat. Army SOG advisors and
Chinese mercenaries ran these craft in the Plain of Reeds, a vast
Everglades-like swamp northwest of My Tho.
[Photo: Don Basallion]
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