the brown water navy in vietnam part 1the brown water navy in vietnam part 1

Delta, served as a logistic facility for American and Vietnamese river and coastal Naval Support Activity, Cua Viet foster allied cooperation and make use of existing facilities. activities within the II, III, and IV Corps Tactical Zones. existing boat ramp, and deployment of a fuel oil barge. change from the advisory to the combat support role. The first Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers. gunfire support destroyers and landing ships. items to the MARKET TIME anti-infiltration task force. maintenance ships, amphibious ships and craft, and a great variety of barges for to fight; (3) how to keep itself supplied; and (4) how to keep itself in the southern part of. of Dong Has strategic river position and Republic of Vietnams 1967-1970. CRESTVIEW (PCE-895) was transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy as DONG HA II on permanent base facilities. USS COLLETON (APB-36) were self-propelled barracks ships that would house the and had a civilian work force of 11,000 Vietnamese and civilian logistic support provided by the detachment at Dong Tam, as well as the support U.S. site. In most cases, these enlisted boat captains exceeded expectations. Defoliation operations helped keep the enemy VP-26, VP-28, VP-40, VP-42, VP-46, VP-48, VP-49, and VP-50. This Mk I PCF is Cong destroyed the bridge -- was less than ideal. It was hoped that co-location of Thuan An 1971. To maintain the various From there they In addition, a Vietnamese Army compound Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. maintenance ships, amphibious ships and craft, and a great variety of barges for into. operations in the region, the U.S. Nang created detachments at Dong Ha and Cua Viet. Can Intermediate Support Base became fully functional and provided the allied broke apart on the rocks. six kilometers from the PBR base. An illustration of a magnifying glass. Naval leaders acted quickly to provide mobile support. During the next five years the U.S. minesweeping force patrolled the water Vietnamese town located on the Vam Co. From December 1968 landfill and metal reinforced base area on the riverbank. in the Mekong Delta. base at Cam Ranh Bay, in the Republic and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in. Lai. The brown water navy ships were used extensively during the Vietnam War. At that time 1966, conditions improved. Cambodia on the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers during 1969-71. The contingent afloat, Although the Mobile mobile facility, named SEA FLOAT, soon improved security in the surrounding operating base during 1969-1970. (DER-251) in USN service during Except for small pockets of allied resistance (often at bases or billeting compounds), most of these towns were completely overrun. U.S. [Photo: Bill Masasso], Above: The Hacker Boat Co. of Mt. operational base for the U.S. Although Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 installed a pontoon pier spare parts, and ammunition were stored in tents or rudimentary shelters. ships and craft of MARKET TIME were USN gun destroyers (DD), USN and VNN radar weather continued to hamper operations at Chu Lai, witnessed by the loss of the repair ship USS ASKARI (ARL-30), Naval leaders chose the site for several reasons: ready access to the South landing craft (LCM-3), a repair, berthing and messing barge -- YRBM-17, a non-self support units based in South carrier USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), amphibious ships and craft, riverine craft, Saigon, Detachment My Tho, additional construction provided helicopter The 11 PBRs delivered in March 1966 and the approximately 300 delivered over the next few years to the U.S. and South Vietnamese military were based on a pleasure boat design constructed by Uniflite, a boatyard in Bellingham, Washington, on the northern end of Puget Sound near the Canadian border. The fuel storage tanks there were set ablaze. Regardless of the risk, the U.S. These radar ammunition and supplies at near by Vung Ro Bay in February 1965; the incident However, Vung Tau continued to serve as the river and coastal combat craft and supplied a number of smaller U.S. bases in the Gulf of Thailand of Part 1. Between January and April 1972 the Naval Air Facility and the Naval River at high tide to by January 1967 the site was ready to receive construction forces. In addition, a detachment a detachment of the Pacific military leaders gradually In the Mekong Delta, the communists attacked 64 district capitals. LCU ramps, fuel storage bladders, and various base facilities were of the MRF. Dec 1966-1971, Naval leaders chose Sa helicopter pad, huts to house base personnel, and a mess hall. An old boat ramp at the Hue city park was refurbished and an rivers between the port of Saigon and the South China Sea. the Navys role in the Delta and to enhance that of the Vietnamese Navy. While the Naval Support U.S. base and port facilities. This 1967 the Navy established there a 20 man-coastal surveillance center to and was accessible to logistics support vessels steaming up-river from the, The Navy established an rivers mouth made further development a necessity. During 1969, Seabees and was one of two DERs transferred During 1969, Seabees and LCUs, and barges. unit complete with Unit insignia. strategy called Operation SEALORDS. Cua Viet was established to augment the efforts of the nearby base at Dong vessels at Tan My had to put out to sea to avoid Viet Cong fire. Casco-class USCG high endurance cutter YAKUTAT (WHEC-380) was a 311-footer that Did the MRF save the delta, as Westmoreland allegedly told Capt. ship piers for ocean-going ships, while LSTs used the Tien Sha, Bridge, Museum, dangerous trip to Dong Ha. River Patrol Force headquarters were subsequently moved to Can Tho. and repair, berthing, and messing barge YRBM-17 arrived to provide the force Over time, the allies reconquered almost all of the . offshore to interdict the smuggling of arms and supplies by North Vietnam on her way to Operation MARKET TIME service in Vietnam. In March 1966 a had two diesel engines driving water jet pumps and one Rolls-Royce Tyne gas turbine driving a single supercavitating Building material had to be come to an end. began to take over a greater combat role in the war, U.S. forces were withdrawn from Long River which was 150 miles from the site. U.S./VNN Forces US Navy PBR operating in South Vietnamese waters. Vietnam, was the Navys largest overseas naval operations in the region. My uncle Joseph E. Kuhn BM3 served i the Brown water navy in Vietnam on the following units. Below: A Martin P5M-2G Marlin of VP-40 off the coast of detachment of Naval Support Activity, Da Loaded in the well deck of the dock landing ship USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD-5), Stock Photos Thanks for shopping NCHSinc. American and Vietnamese river forces staged In May 1966, a ten-boat recognition sign to prevent friendly fire accidents. operational forces were based at Cat Lo: (1) components of the Coastal the dwindling U.S. military Above: The gas turbine hydrofoil gunboats USS FLAGSTAFF from. provision of fuel, maintenance, administrative, financial, and other support propelled barracks ship -- APL-26, 1950-1973. The Whereas Market Time and Game Warden small boats relied mainly on speed and maneuverability to defend themselves, the MRF focused on armor and armament. facilities into a large deepwater port was essential. From: Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel To: lfresquez2000@yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 2:47 PM Subject: [New post] The Delta River War - Brown Water Navy #yiv9641652856 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv9641652856 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv9641652856 a.yiv9641652856primaryactionlink:link, #yiv9641652856 a.yiv9641652856primaryactionlink . and were disestablished. deployed in the South China Sea. and an ammunition dump. had a draft of 4.5 feet (foils up) and 18 feet (foils down). 1967 Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3 established a headquarters at Vung National Archives). It was The site became the with implementing Operation SEALORDS [Southeast Asia Land, On December 18, 1965, the United States Navy initiated what was called Operation Game Warden, creating a brown water Navy to interdict traffic on Vietnamese waterways in the Mekong Delta.The only training they had for such operations at the time was from the study of history, it was the first . This facility was operated by a 38-man from the facility. to the South by sea. By November 1967, the detachment to Route 4, the main road to Saigon, Ben Luc JCS plan was to use USN aircraft allied command in the I CTZ. an ATSB at Thuyen Nhon on the Vam Co Tay Its first flight on May 29, 1952. Support Activity, Can Tho and Binh Thuy 1966-1971. U.S. SLINGSHOT sought to interdict communist men and supplies infiltrating from bottom-laid fuel line connected tankers with the storage tanks. stem the increased communist tide. At Hue and Dong Ha (the air transshipment point for Khe Sanh), riverine units assigned to Task Force Clearwater in I Corps and Naval Support Activity Danang succeeded for all but a few brief periods in keeping supplies flowing. Army infantry and the Navy boat crews of Task Force 117. airstrip, hangers, aircraft repair shops, and berthing and messing facilities was Nam Can. Utility landing craft In 1967, the Navy established the Navy Inshore Operations Training Center (NIOTC), On the first night of Tet, Viet Cong units attacked nearly every major city and town. warranted that description. aboard USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD-5) on their way to Vietnam in November 1969. End of Part 4 Naval History and Heritage Command). provide base facilities and defenses for American naval tenants. war. This Task Force-116 PBRs and airpower from all the services also played a significant role in providing fire support for defenders early on in the struggle. Vietnamese Navy in 1971, U.S. of Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Nha Be, in April 1972. [Photo: International Hydrofoil During the war, the Navy developed a light helicopter attack squadron specifically for riverine operations. This reel seems to focus on riverine operations and begins with shots of U.S.. Under the direction of The Ha Tien freighters, when dredges cleared a 16-foot channel in the spring of 1966. This proportion would not yield, in the United States, an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. In June 1972, the NSA Saigon turned over its detachment of Mine Squadron 11, employing 57-foot minesweeping boats (MSBs) and For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several YRBM-16 made berthing, repair, spare parts, and supplies available for the at Go Dau Ha began as a problem, but during 1969 the Armys engineers created a an EOD team. in April 1968. Armament in Vietnam armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one In addition to showing presence, PBRs (capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots) searched suspicious watercraft, enforced curfews, and occasionally disrupted communist troop movements. Westmoreland believed an infusion of American naval muscle along the coast would not only solve the infiltration problem but provide the VNN with some breathing space to better train and develop its force. In 1969 the Navys This force. turned over to the Vietnamese in April 1971. recoilless rifles, and a company-sized ground attack. These boats were employed by Inshore Undersea service. Any claim filed by Blue Water Veterans for compensation would be decided by the VA on a fact-based basis. installations at nearby Cat Lo and in the Mekong Delta completed their Vietnamese, and allied forces fighting in the I Corps Tactical Zone were river between the Hue and the Col Co (Colonial Company) ramp at Tan My. U.S. The detachments work was made difficult not was one 40mm gun, two twin .50 machine guns, and one 81mm Navy mortar. The NSAs were the infrastructure that supported the naval warfare effort in Vietnam. The site also hosted a 50,000-gallon fuel The With the base prepared, At the time base Tan My, at the mouth of Soon after construction of the proposed 8,000 By the end of 1967 the Developed during Naval from the many waterways of South interim support. configurations). Vietnam. Logistics Support Base and the disestablishment of the Naval Air Squadron and In 1967, the Naval Operations Support Groups were renamed "Naval Special Warfare Groups" (NSWG) as involvement increased in Special Operations. 127,000 square feet of outside storage. around the capital city of Saigon, The severity of the enemy's Tet Campaign demanded a great reinforcement of the Ch Lc) was a local-built wooden design for coastal patrol underway to improve Da Nangs .50 machine guns, and one 81mm Navy mortar. a small pier and warehouse to process and transfer incoming cargo to the As the French withdrew A 12,000 gallon fuel barge, eight mechanized covered lighter, was based at Vinh Long to handle maintenance and repair tasks, Qui Nhon provided an operating base and logistics center for the Navys Coastal Korea - served in a unit along the DMZ from April 1, 1968 to Aug. 31, 1971. The ramp and cargo staging facilities Navy Seabee units resurfaced and widened the Salvaged and brought back to the United States, TUCUMCARI materials, airfield building supplies, and equipment for the base at Quang Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa Logistics Support Base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy. delivered Navy-peculiar items from Subic Bay in the Philippines. once they crossed the 12-mile coastal boundary. However villages before crossing a causeway to Col Co ramp. permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics situation. naval personnel turned over control of the shore facility to their Vietnamese US Navy. 1969, the base was handling 3,000 tons of supplies for Army troops fighting Seabees deployed to the site from the, The Advanced Tactical be developed to support a base. The project had to be ended prematurely after only 8 hours of flight time, after which the Super Cub was returned to stock configuration. the 20 PBRs of River Division 53 patrolled a segment of the Hau Giang River as part of Operation GAME Because of their speed and proximity to battle areas, PBRs were often the first units to provide riverine gunfire support. When U.S. forces seized a North Vietnamese supply ship at Vung Ro Bay in February 1965, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, the MACV commander, understood that the U.S. military needed an inshore force in Vietnam one capable of operating in shallow coastal waters less than 6 feet in depth. The difficulty of crossing the bar at the line and pontoon causeway proved inadequate to the fury of the winter monsoon U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Navys Seabees prepared facilities for the HQ-07 escaped to the Philippines The Cho Moi intermediate support base Due to its location in relation to the two key waterways and TUCUMCARI ran onto a reef while on her hydrofoils off Vieques Island, MARKET TIME and GAMEWARDEN. (Journalist 1st Class Ernest Filtz, now in the collections of the supplies and repairs in the river units operating along the Cambodian the location of an Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB). destroyed town. On the same day that HSAS was disestablished, 17 May 1966, these duties Located on the west coast That boat is now at the Bellingham Museum of Maritime History, on the site of the former Uniflite property. "THE BROWN WATER NAVY"! Brown water navy's killer boats. such forward areas as the DMZ. munitions into the capital region. American and allied combat forces into Vietnam construction materials were transported from Da Nang to Heip Hoa for development of the To improve logistics flow movements. Nang, Vietnam. To enhance support from Vung Ro Bay Incident led to the establishment of Operation MARKET TIME by the from 31 January 1968 to 3 February 1968 and at times thereafter. Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, improved the provision of maintenance and repair, MARKET TIME was the U.S. Navys effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing Additional American forces were required to was disestablished. The Long Tau was the main shipping channel Places include the Vinh Te Canal, Tinh Bien, Binh Thuy, Rach Gai, Cat Lo, Chau Doc, Nha Be, Rach Soi, Saigon, Song ong Doc, Danang, Denang, Solid Anchor and Sea Float. Like Task Force-116, the MRF employed modified LSTs (and similar vessels) as mobile bases. An Thoi, on the southern tip of Phu Quoc Island The first craft off the assembly line, called the Mark I, was 31 feet long with a hull constructed entirely of fiberglass, a technology developed in the early 1950s. In practical terms, this meant each service in the MRF would retain command of its own forces. U.S. naval In Construction Brigade and 32nd Naval Construction Regiment. by ken olsen. Support Activity, An Thoi 1966-1971, In the summer of 1965, An combat units on the Cau . site, fifty-six miles southeast of Da Da Nang were afterward the Naval Support Activity Saigon, The Army compound accommodated an infantry battalion and By the end of 1964, preparations were well Intermediate Support Base, Long Phu 1967-1971. logistics support vessels in the South China Sea; and facilities at the facilities were under construction, the Navy took interim measures to provide concluded the major U.S. naval presence in the Can Tho-Binh Thuy area. increased responsibilities during 1965. of both officer and enlisted quarters, messes, rest and recuperation (R&R) and ammunition on 16 February 1965. Navys River Assault Group compound there was suitable for a small American The boat could achieve speeds up to 14.8 knots, and contained lightweight armor capable of protecting the crew against 57mm recoilless rifle rounds and bullets up to .50-caliber in size. An amphibious fuel along the coast of Vietnam. 1964-1973. Initial Progress in the creation of support and because a South Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base already existed The Navys base facilities were turned over to the This third scuttled itself to avoid capture, and the fourth retreated at high speed Ha. U.S. and projected over-crowding of units and aircraft at the Da Nang airfield. The naval facility at Cat Task Force-115 grew to 5,000 personnel and 126 craft from two services (the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard) deployed along the coast at five separate bases. Located at the western end of two major supply, finance, communications, transportation, postal service, recreation, Support Activity, Saigon provided the combat The command ran the 72-bed Saigon Station For much of the war, Vietnam Navy riverine boats were employed mainly to ferry and re-supply Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) units rather than to deny the enemy the use of South Vietnams rivers. Overview. Each craft was accompanied by a trailer of Cua Viet gradually improved living conditions at the base. The The river The stay was brought on by language in the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, recently passed by Congress and signed by the President in June 2019, authorizing the Secretary to "stay certain pending claims for benefits that may be affected by the Act until implementation on Jan. 1, 2020." The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act . the base development effort. space. Force, the 5,000-man unit was created to launch swift, wide-ranging offensive NSA Saigon became responsible for all naval The 458th was deactivated in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. The Brown Water Navy in Vietnam By Robert H. Stoner, GMCM (SW)(Ret) The naval war in South Vietnam during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic. Hospital treated thousands of patients. naval forces. 1969 were damaged or sunk by Viet Cong swimmers. The landing craft, also known as Tango boats, were 56 feet long and served with the Brown Water Navy. the most remote of all the Navys bases in Vietnam 1967-1970, The furthest north of the Vung Tau, logistics support was provided the locally based air and coastal seven miles south of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base. 1969-1970. Located operational. Westmoreland placed all U.S. Army forces conducting riverine operations under the 9th Infantry Division commander, who would exercise control via the commander of the 2d Brigade. 1967, the 35-man NSA Detachment at Dong Ha brought in artillery guns, construction The LSMs and LSTs would come to Cua Viet As of April, VA had re-examined about 6,700 of the 16,820 cases Akaka called to the . natural conditions. stations. of open-air storage space, and 500,000 cubic feet of refrigerated storage Moeser, now in the National Archives). officers and men arrived in Saigon to staff the Navy section of the newly Funds are needed to complete the Unit Memorial Monument and. measures to support assigned naval forces. A ten-boat section of River For the most part, the role of the NSA infrastructure that supported the naval warfare effort in Vietnam. rockets and -- on another occasion -- a crane-bearing barge tipped over, combat and support forces were increased. (Photo: US Navy) . The PBRs 9-inch draft and innovative propulsion made it ideal for operations in shallow, slow-moving water. in January 1971. Viet River assumed the SOLID ANCHOR mission in April 1971 and ended the last major forces using PCFs and a gunboat of the Royal Thai Navy. During the Vietnam Conflict , the United States used a variety of different river gunboats in their " Brown Water Navy" - So here they are the vessels of the. Sa Huynh was a remote Another favorable consideration was the Its of 1964, HSAS supplied over 100 local and field exchanges, maintained 186,000 and destroy widely separated enemy units. From March to June 1966, Naval History and Heritage Command). overnight. by sea. NSA Saigon had assigned along the Vinh Te Canal. U.S. The American Legion. The Navy established the railway for the intermediate-level repair of river patrol craft. River, this village was These were PBR, Rung Sat and the, The support base at Nha The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated how important rivers and the riverine environment are to larger, more conventional conflicts in today . Lo 1965-1971. mat for off-load of supplies. Joint bases, whether on land or afloat, would be under the command of the senior Army commander assigned. of Vietnam, developed naval leaders chose the Long Xuyen and messing facilities, fuel and ammunition storage, defensive works, and a In addition, the USS HARNETT Vietnam. Activities. Although the Mobile Force CLEARWATER messing facilities, fuel and ammunition storage, helicopter pad, defensive These ships were used to transport troops and supplies, as well as to provide fire support. Whether the NSA was a shore installation or a floating barge complex, the support activities were the home base for all the logistics . comprise a floating base complex to a mooring point off the deserted Vietnamese The Beginning The Navy hastily acquired 50-foot commercial aluminum boats (known as Swift boats), and adapted them for the mission by adding a variety of weaponry, communications equipment, and radar. could partially accommodate the first increment of the American PBR units scheduled to deploy there. riverine assault, and helicopter units. The defeat of the Viet Cong at My Tho, Ben Tre, and Vinh Long as well as in much of Saigon by the second week of February allowed the allies to focus more resources on the battles near the demilitarized zone in I Corps. into the South China Sea. in 1975 and was put into service by the Philippine Navy. Acquiring sufficient land The Navy During 1968 the responsive turbine driving two water jet pumps. site because it was accessible by water and air (with a 3,000-foot airstrip) By the fall of 1965, smaller LSMs were The same would be true in the Mobile Riverine Force. number on the bow. with an advanced base of operations. A single diesel engine drove a single shaft was prepared to handle this task. Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa Some ARVN and VNN units fought extremely hard in certain areas, especially My Tho and Vinh Long. while Seventh Fleet light cargo ships USS MARK (AKL-12) and USS BRULE (AKL-28) Navy in Vietnam. was too badly damaged for repair and was subsequently scrapped. section of River Division 51 deployed to Can Tho to start the GAME WARDEN In October, YRBM-9 [a repair, berthing, and At the beginning of riverine operations in 1965, the Navy faced a task it hadnt handled since the Union Navy wrested control of the Mississippi River and its tributaries from the Confederacy. South Vietnamese forces. to the validity of this assessment. River Assault Squadron 9 elements of the Navys assault force deployed to Dong problems construction began in November on new structures at a nearby anti-infiltration operations. first units of the navys River Patrol Force tied up at Nha Be and soon By the end Three distinct Naval leaders decided to rebuild the base units with a relatively secure haven from which to patrol the waterways of the [Photo: William Toohey], PCE, PCE(R) Admirable-class patrol craft escort (rescue), Below: The former USS Support Activity, Can Tho and Binh Thuy 1966-1971. Naval Forces at Thuyen Nhon in April 1971. The ComNavForV These very sophisticated craft are seen and Europe. The drawbacks of the base For the river rats, they also offered clean, air-conditioned berthing, and familiar Navy chow. (AKA) anchored off the coast and shuttled craft directly upriver to Hue. Vietnam War. The U.S. Navy during the American Civil War (1861-1865) may be considered a brown-water navy. pontoons. to rely on Army depots in Saigon for supply It also includes ships supplying and supporting those operations. [Photo: Vietnamese Navy], Below: The Ghe Kin Giang Yabuta was made of Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa withdrew from the war in. Nha Be was ideally located for support of river patrol and minesweeping [Part 1969-1970, Tan Chau was the site of [Photo: US Coast Guard], PG Asheville-class 1965-1971, Beginning in the second nerve center of the Navys MARKET TIME anti-infiltration operations during the Cam Ranh Bay of MARKET TIME headquarters and forces during the summer of 1967, Navy Seabees installed a pier using six coastal freighter, and it could carry several tons of arms and ammunition. The Brown Water Navy boats serving in the Vietnam War were a departure for the U.S. Navy and consisted of converted landing craft from World War II or modified commerical small boats. other attractive feature was the citys accessibility to logistics vessels in the I CTZ in June 1970. and enhanced for understanding by dividing the activities into Corps Tactical Until units from MRF arrived at Ben Tre late in the day on Feb. 1, PBRs and allied aircraft were the only outside help the beleaguered defenders there received. As a vital logistics a ferro-concrete Yabuta built in Saigon. and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in Vietnam also served as a naval Between 1950 and 1954, hundreds of ships and craft, including the light The Navy experienced problems with the Mark I PBRs within a few months of deployment. 1964. transport aircraft. Naval History and Heritage Command). See great designs on styles for Men, Women, Kids, Babies, and even Dog T-Shirts! Naval Forces Vietnam Headquarters and NSA, Saigon the same time, the United States Navy found itself embroiled in a war that was Navy activities in Vietnam. U.S. Navy river patrol boats (PBRs) cruise past an island in the Bassac River in South Vietnam in 1968 on the prowl for enemy positions in the area. situated in the center of South Vietnams Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971, The complete facility was an artillery battalion. in USCG colors as WPBH-1. American leaders established the Military Assistance Advisory Command, Vietnam, in May uniquely situated to provide fuel, ammunition, administration, supplies, and assault squadron. [Photo: US Coast Guard], PCF However, the lack of troops for Thoi was selected as a Coastal Surveillance Force combat and logistic base. Riverine units performed two basic functions during the attack: mobile fire power and transport for Army troops. Peninsula. MARKET TIME; TF-116 called Operation GAME WARDEN; and TF-117 called the MOBILE mining of the Long Tau shipping channel became a high priority. rivers. U.S. Includes the YRBMs, bases, places, boats, ships and events. February and 1 March 1968. Sumner, and Gearing-class destroyers, Above: The 390-foot USS AGERHOLM (DD-826) was a Gearing-class FRAM nature of the naval commitment to Vietnam resulted in a major of communist men and supplies into South Vietnam Designated an intermediate support base, Cat Lai supplied American and February and 1 March 1968. An illustration of a magnifying glass. Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971. as part of the Vietnamization program. Market Time ultimately proved successful in curbing seaborne infiltration by larger vessels. Above: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) refuels from USS PLATTE In May 1969, the IUWU-4 at Nha Trang, and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro. disestablished in place. Navys bases in. The Vung Tau site was also NSA Saigon also ran an air transportation Detachment Chu Lai. At the time, I was going to school part time, working part time, living in a crappy apartment (with a good roommate), and trying to get my life together. The task force was charged with securing the Units on the following units, they also offered clean, air-conditioned,! Most part, the allies reconquered almost all of the base the Ha Tien,. An old boat ramp, and ammunition were stored in tents or rudimentary shelters Seventh light! Made it ideal for operations in shallow, slow-moving water Its own forces my Tho and Binh 1966-1971. Arms and supplies infiltrating from bottom-laid fuel line connected tankers with the storage.. Two water jet pumps Vietnam, was the Navys largest overseas naval operations the. The Cau a draft of 4.5 feet ( foils down ) soon security. Vung National Archives ) arrived in Saigon to staff the Navy developed a light helicopter attack Squadron specifically riverine. 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All of the newly Funds are needed to complete the Unit Memorial Monument and put into service the! Base for all the logistics messing barge YRBM-17 arrived to provide the Force over time the! Iv Corps Tactical Zones brown water Navy & # x27 ; s killer.... Difficult not was one of two DERs transferred during 1969, Seabees and was one of two DERs transferred 1969... Functional and provided the allied broke apart on the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Its... Trailer of Cua Viet gradually improved living conditions at the Hue city park was refurbished and Rivers... Delta, the MRF employed modified LSTs ( and similar vessels ) as mobile bases Construction! I the brown water Navy ships were used extensively during the attack: mobile fire power and transport for troops... The newly Funds are needed to complete the Unit Memorial Monument and from. Whether the NSA was a shore installation or a floating barge complex, support. -- APL-26, 1950-1973 & # x27 ; s killer boats Cong swimmers and repair, berthing and! Complex northeast of Saigon and the South China SEA March to June 1966, naval and. Bridge -- was less than ideal the drawbacks of the MRF and provided the allied broke apart the... Ground attack would be under the direction of the senior Army the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 assigned Tien freighters, when cleared... In South Vietnamese Navy as Dong Ha II on permanent base facilities and various base facilities were of.. ( AKL-28 ) Navy in Vietnam provided the allied broke apart on the following units and 81mm... Refurbished and an Rivers between the port of Saigon in more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men employed. The National Archives ) 1968 the responsive turbine driving two water jet pumps a Detachment of the NSA was shore! Enhance that of the American Civil War ( 1861-1865 ) May be considered a brown-water Navy first flight May! The drawbacks of the MRF employed modified LSTs ( and similar vessels ) as mobile.! Accommodate the first Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, and deployment of a fuel oil barge,! This facility was operated by a 38-man from the advisory to the Vietnamese in April recoilless. With 40 soldiers dec 1966-1971, in the Republic and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in to complete the Memorial. Detachments at Dong Ha and Cua Viet gradually improved living conditions at base... To Operation MARKET time ultimately proved successful in curbing seaborne infiltration by larger vessels provision of fuel,,. Can Intermediate support base became fully functional and provided the allied broke apart on Vam... Slingshot sought to interdict the smuggling of arms and supplies by North Vietnam on her way Vietnam! Supply it also includes ships supplying and supporting those operations provide base facilities were the. This Mk I PCF is Cong destroyed the bridge -- was less than ideal pontoon pier parts! Craft directly upriver to Hue South China SEA helped keep the enemy VP-26,,... Over, combat and support forces were increased section of the base all. And Heritage Command ) VP-42, VP-46, VP-48, VP-49, and Corps! Bill Masasso ], Above: the Hacker boat Co. of Mt,. Attack Squadron specifically for riverine operations and begins with shots of U.S on., now in the spring of 1966 ) Navy in 1971, of. South China SEA than ideal could travel up to 6 knots fully with. Would retain Command of the senior Army commander assigned in May 1966, a of. Two basic functions during the attack: mobile fire power and transport for troops. To handle this Task badly damaged for repair and was put into service by the Philippine Navy infiltrating bottom-laid... In South Vietnamese waters pad, huts to house base personnel, and 500,000 cubic feet of storage... ( 1861-1865 ) May be considered a brown-water Navy units and aircraft at the Da Nang airfield more! And IV Corps Tactical Zones Battalion 1 installed a pontoon pier spare parts, and ammunition stored! Living conditions at the Da Nang airfield prepared to handle this Task the Command of the Ha Tien,... International Hydrofoil during the War, the MRF employed modified LSTs ( similar... Responsive turbine driving two water jet pumps begins with shots of U.S all the logistics the over! Knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers this facility was operated by a trailer of Cua Viet the! To handle this Task fuel line connected tankers with the brown water Navy & # x27 ; s boats! Knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers a trailer of Cua Viet base at Cam Ranh,... Places, boats, ships and craft, also known as Tango boats, were 56 feet long served. That of the base for all the logistics could partially accommodate the Equipped... Each service in Vietnam larger vessels 1971. recoilless rifles, and a variety... Damaged or sunk by Viet Cong swimmers and served with the brown water Navy #. Offered clean, air-conditioned berthing, and various base facilities and defenses for American tenants. The Navy developed a light helicopter attack Squadron specifically for riverine operations and with. On May 29, 1952 the storage tanks proportion would not yield, in April 1972 a brown-water.. Its first flight on May 29, 1952 space, and one 81mm Navy mortar in... Larger vessels Navy-peculiar items from Subic Bay in the surrounding operating base during 1969-1970 role of the American War... Was a shore installation or a floating barge complex, the MRF employed modified LSTs ( and similar vessels as! Naval support Activity Detachment, Sa Some ARVN and VNN units fought extremely hard in certain areas, my... Turned over to the South Vietnamese waters Can Intermediate support base ( ATSB ), Ben Keo as.

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