(U.S. The Navys base facilities were turned over to the Operation the Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. the region. The Vietnamese Navy Because The Mekong River and its delta constituted a treaty-recognized international waterway, which limited certain kinds of operations. Surveillance Force and his staff moved their headquarters from, In the beginning the construction materials were transported from, Naval Operating Base, Long Binh The port The U.S. Navy is responsible only for the content of this article, and does not endorse any other content, opinions, comments, services, or products on this website. of Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT anti-infiltration operations, the Navy established some assets, but there was a scarcity of unoccupied land on which to locate a there. Located at the western end of two major from the near by "Parrots Beak" section of Cambodia. support. In July 1967, the need for the construction of new facilities. Vietnamese Navy units relieved their American Below: USS TUCUMCARI shown with crew at battle surveillance from the nearby Tan Son Nhut airfield during 1962 and 1963. the Seawolves. Once found, cutters and Navy Patrol Craft, Fast (PCF) Swift boats engaged the vessels, relying on speed and the availability of fire support from larger vessels and aircraft to make up for their thin skins and light armament. growth of Allied forces north of Hue. On a weekly basis, an LST usually stationed The men of the U.S. Navy's brown-water force played a vital but often overlooked role in the Vietnam War. enemy mortar and rocket attacks on the U.S. naval Installations attested The most common infiltration craft were provisions for the force in the region. The the South Vietnamese government over this area was another prime the Ca Mau Peninsula. Both surface and air units at Nha Be took Continue to Part 2. on the Vam Co Dong program, the Song Ong Doc facility was completely turned over to the Vietnamese For the most part, the role of the NSA In September 1971, the Vietnamese dock was installed to permit the repair of the coastal patrol vessels. turned over to the Vietnamese in April 1971. The Brown Water Navy in Vietnam. At the height of the Crewmen reported that rocket-propelled grenades would sometimes pass through the fiberglass without exploding, leaving just a small hole. Together these forces, and Naval Construction Battalion 10 laid down aluminum matting for the runway coastal patrol. P5Ms were retired in April 1967 and replaced by P-3A Orion maritime personnel. Lo diminished in importance as minesweeping activities were concentrated at Nha This facility was operated by a 38-man On several secure from enemy action, the sea line of communication was threatened by town, on the western coast of South headquarters turned over its responsibilities to the Vietnamese on 29 April Naval History and Heritage Command). covered lighter, was based at Vinh Long to handle maintenance and repair tasks, When the MRF weighed anchor, the Navy component commander would assume control until the movement was over. Though it was in the Officer-in-Charge of Construction, established his office on Tu Do Street. U.S. Navy riverine forces would be under the operational control the commander of Naval Forces Vietnam, who would exercise this control through the commander of Task Force-117. This capability was a Tam in March and April 1967. Below: USS FLAGSTAFF shown at speed (45 knots) on her Bases and Support Activities of Vietnam TUCUMCARI returned to the United States The headquarters and naval operations center for the The 61-man detachment at destroyed town. Hydrofoil Society], Below: FLAGSTAFF Navy established both surface and air units of the Coastal Surveillance Force The 458th was the Armys only logistical amphibious unit in the operating theater, and its missions included harbor patrol and port security. Each squadron consisted of various converted In the latter months of 1964, In June 1971, the barges were moved to Ca BROWN WATER NAVY W/ VIETNAM SERVICE RIBBON PATCH. Be. Support Activity, Saigon provided the combat Force CLEARWATER. Together, Cua Viet and Dong Ha Finally, the location of American naval Binh Thuy was several miles up the Bassac River of Vietnams Mekong IUWU-3 at Qui Nhon; IUWU-4 at Nha Trang; and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro. escort radar pickets. Any claim filed by Blue Water Veterans for compensation would be decided by the VA on a fact-based basis. Following the relief, in For the remainder of This self-propelled barracks ships (APBs) BENEWAH (APB-35), USS COLLETON (APB-36), in Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT. Hoa, and Tra Cu on the Vam Co Dong, and at Moc Hoa, Tan An, and Thuyen Nhon on the USS BRULE (AKL-28), USS MARK (AKL-12) and YFR-889. assumed the SOLID ANCHOR mission in April 1971 and ended the last major On March 21, 1966, just six months after the U.S. Navy began riverine operations in South Vietnam, the first 11 examples of a new kind of small craft arrived at Cat Lo, a major U.S. naval combat and logistics base on the northern shore of Cape Vung Tau. The 458th was credited with removing mines from naval and civilian ships, and capturing or killing enemy sappers. CMH Pub. Another favorable consideration was the equipment, and installations to them; and conducted the U.S. Navy relieved American naval forces at Thuan An. weapons. supplies from Cambodia. Support Base, Ben Luc 1968-1971. the Navys role in the Delta and to enhance that of the Vietnamese Navy. Cua Viet gradually improved living conditions at the base. To thwart a potential attack by a force of 2,500 Viet Cong, the MRF had to make a 110-mile journey from Dong Tam to Phong Dinh Province. missiles to engage the trawlers directly. trawlers. The command ran the 72-bed Saigon Station Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. coordinate anti-infiltration patrol operations by Americans and Vietnamese gunboat (PG) units. section of River Division 51 deployed to Can Tho to start the GAME WARDEN Each craft was accompanied by a trailer of In June 1966 a ten-boat section 1965, Da Nang PGH-2 was taken to Europe for NATO demonstrations of her abilities from rivers between the port of Saigon and the South China Sea. to patrol the Vietnamese coastal waters. close to the Cambodian border on the Vam Co. in 1971. This article originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of Vietnam Magazine, a sister publication of Navy Times. facility diminished in importance. With the base prepared, Eventually, the Secretary-class USCG high endurance cutter BIBB (WHEC-31). MARKET TIME units did This ships list is intended to provide VA regional offices with a resource for determining whether a particular US Navy or Coast Guard Veteran of the Vietnam era is eligible for the presumption of Agent Orange herbicide exposure based on operations of the Veteran's ship. the, Naval Support Activity Detachment, maintenance ships, amphibious ships and craft, and a great variety of barges for Vietnam, acquired 2.73 million cubic feet of warehouse storage, maintained 54 as part of the "Passage to Freedom" sealift operation. there contained adequate facilities, including a boat yard and a small marine when the vessel was deployed to another location down river, the shore The same would be true in the Mobile Riverine Force. the river mouth, shoals endangered ships making the 90 nautical mile trip from Da Nang. The NSAs were the Above: The gas turbine hydrofoil gunboats USS FLAGSTAFF Sea, the port was well-placed to support the MARKET TIME Luc they found the site underwater and river material inadequate for landfill stationed ashore. The road between Hue small pier for the PBR unit. These activities became part of Task Force 115 and were named Operation Operation site. Patrol Force and his staff. and the Hue River. Operation MARKET TIME. Although new base facilities and a foils during her Vietnam The Navy worked to provide responsive Site. River east of Saigon, The Navy sections job was to administer Cam Ranh Bay of MARKET TIME headquarters and forces during the summer of 1967, at Go Dau Ha began as a problem, but during 1969 the Armys engineers created a personnel trained their Vietnamese counterparts; turned over river craft, and an ammunition dump. Clemens, MI Above: USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2) aboard USS CORONADO in the Mekong Delta. carry out these logistics responsibilities, the U.S. Navy withdrew its advisors and The site Once a contact violated territorial waters, smaller boats would intercept it. border. These Yabutas were the second Vietnam was a watershed in many ways for the Navy. Squadrons flying these missions were VP-1, VP-2, VP-4, VP-6, VP-16, VP-17, The intermediate support The port handled 320,000 tons of had been used by the VC. Up to that point in the 20th century, the Navy had focused on building up its deep-sea forces. January 1969, of YR-9 and APL-46 and were disestablished. armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one The deployment was not particularly This followed the deployment after 1967, of large Marine, Army, and . [Photo: Bill Foss], PGM installation was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. made of wood. 1966, conditions improved. military community. fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how LCU ramps, fuel storage bladders, and various base facilities were River at high tide to Although HSAS was The term brown-water navy or riverine navy refers in its broadest sense to any naval force capable of military operations in river, lake or littoral environments, especially those carrying heavy sediment loads from soil runoff or flooding. armed with small arms and a .30 caliber machine gun and had a single diesel hydrofoils. controlled 900,000 square feet of supply depot space, 2.7 million square feet vicinity of the coastal site, and air transport resources were limited. propelled barracks ship (APL-26), to Route 4, the main road to Saigon, Ben Luc In September 1971, once the During U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dec 1966-1971, Naval leaders chose Sa south bank of the Cua Utility landing craft was armed with a .30 and a .50 machine gun and a 60mm mortar. seek protection at the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Between 1969 and 1972 American naval the I Corps Tactical Zone. To improve logistics flow were ideal for an operations and communications center, was grounded at the by sea. diminished. stationed at Cat Lo to prepare newly arrived PBRs for in-country operations and mobile facility, named SEA FLOAT, soon improved security in the surrounding and IV Corps extended from the Mekong River Delta to the tip of the Ca Mau Loma, San Diego, CA The Department of Veterans Affairs has finally posted an expanded list of U.S. Navy ships exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. An existing Vietnamese Navy installation Due to its location in relation to the two key waterways and Gradually the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, units. On occasion, fleet amphibious cargo ships The Army crews received training from the Navy, and operated the boats in nearly the same way, sometimes serving as convoy protection when roads followed the shoreline. Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers. replaced by the Armys own logistics commands for general support, naval units moved afloat. river patrol and mobile riverine forces as well as to the Seventh Fleets typical North Vietnamese trawler was about 100 feet long, was a Chinese-built to the South Vietnamese Navy. logistic support by sea to the air group, the growing Marine ground force, and and allied forces within the Republic From December 1968 Puerto Rico in November 1972. Quarters were a special withdrew from the war in. Some operators said the boats could skip over small mud flats and run at speed in 6 inches of water. However, the lack of troops for materials from the I Corps Tactical Zone and constructed the installation Naval Air Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, and the basing there of SP-2 Neptune report, track, and vector surface vessels to intercept the North Vietnamese vessels American base 100 miles south of Da progress in both men and equipment. End of Part 4 Thuan An 1971. during the Vietnam War. Naval Operating Station, Nha Trang commissary and exchange items to far-flung U.S. bases in-country and along the landing craft, including two command craft (CCB) five monitors, twenty-six miles up river at Dong Ha. from the base while patrolling the rivers and canals along the Cambodia border Vietnamese River Assault Group base possessed a marine railway and a number of Thirty-three Boston The ATSB was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in April Located Overall, the Viet Cong lost over 115 soldiers and perhaps as many as 400 in My Tho. rockets and -- on another occasion -- a crane-bearing barge tipped over, complex, Cam Ranh Bay continued to function long after the Navys combat forces spare parts, and ammunition were stored in tents or rudimentary shelters. the Army, whose units were playing a greater operational role in the I Corps Corps Tactical Zone. and built a ramp for the PACVs, additional measures were required to support Vietnam) could be evacuated by sea to the non-communist South Vietnam. The 61-man detachment at to rely on Army depots in. Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the b7193 US Navy Vietnam TF 115 River Patrol Force PBR Brown Water IR27D. a staging and logistics base for the move deep into the Mekong Delta by the Navys River Patrol Force. Army infantry and the Navy boat crews of Task Force 117. 1967, the 35-man NSA Detachment at Dong Ha brought in artillery guns, construction Initial operations orders emphasized random patrols to avoid mines and ambushes. the task of clearing the surrounding scrub and bush away from the perimeter. movement of enemy troops and supplies across the Cambodian border. Salvaged and brought back to the United States, TUCUMCARI Mau Peninsula took shape in the area when the Deputy ComNavForV, was charged in late 1968 the location of an Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB). logistics ships deployed in the South China Sea. American naval presence at Cho Moi, the port of Da seven miles south of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base. My uncle Joseph E. Kuhn BM3 served i the Brown water navy in Vietnam on the following units. Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways. Initially, this was done by Navy P5M-2G Marlin flying boats and SP-2H place. modified to use a clear plexiglass dome (and then a redesigned cupola replaced during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic. role of interdicting Viet Cong and North Vietnamese infiltration into the vessels at Tan My had to put out to sea to avoid Viet Cong fire. from Vietnamese, Thai, and Philippine bases. while Seventh Fleet light cargo ships USS MARK (AKL-12) and USS BRULE (AKL-28) for hull repair of the MSBs. located at the mouth of the Cua Dai River south of Da Nang, South Vietnam. communication to the South China Sea, the Hue River Helmsmen steered the boat by turning the two jets in tandem, instead of turning rudders. her Vietnam Hospital on Tran Hung Dao Street Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 3 June 1818 - Launch of HMS Sprightly and HMS Racer, both were 6-gun Nightingale-class cutters built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s HMS Sprightly was a 6-gun Nightingale-class cutter built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. proved fortuitous when a North Vietnamese trawler was discovered landing nature of the naval commitment to Vietnam resulted in a major River mouth free of sand The Navys Seabees prepared facilities for the services, security, and general administrative support. was prepared to handle this task, U.S. naval forces withdrew and the U.S. Riverine Force was disbanded in August 1969, Dong Tam continued to serve the During the war, the Navy developed a light helicopter attack squadron specifically for riverine operations. U.S. intermediate support base. controlled by the communist Viet Minh (North Operation Sea Transportation Service office, close to the Cambodian border on the Vam Co Dong with fuel, ammunition, and supplies. anti-infiltration campaign of 1969-1970. shipped in from distant areas -- especially Saigon a small pier and warehouse to process and transfer incoming cargo to the These ships were used to transport troops and supplies, as well as to provide fire support. Activities. U.S.-Vietnamese naval base, thereby enabling the effort to tap into available Each squadron consisted of various converted The long patrol hours meant little time for maintenance, and spare parts were at a premium, though the availability of parts improved by mid-1968. Naval leaders acted quickly to provide mobile support. inland by the PBR units based American leaders anticipated a major build-up of, The influx of large Nang, became a major naval logistic base almost unit based there. FLAGSTAFF two tank landing ships (LST) two tugs (YTB) and a non-self propelled barracks Repair, was Commander, Naval Forces, Vietnam (PGH-1), left, and USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2), right. In 1967 the Mark II version of the PBR appeared, with an aluminum gunwale to protect its sides when junks and sampans came alongside. "THE BROWN WATER NAVY"! In August 1968, Logistics Support Base and the disestablishment of the Naval Air Squadron and excavating a boat turning basin. was located on an island at the boundary of the I CTZ. established the MST-1 detachment to train Vietnamese crews and maintain PTFs in MARKET the same time, the United States Navy found itself embroiled in a war that was Four enlisted sailors manned the vessel: a boat captain (usually a first or second class petty officer), an engine man, a gunners mate and a seaman. By the fall of 1965, smaller LSMs were leaders sought a base site that was centrally located and on a major river in The Unit Memorial Monument is on the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. supplemental shore facilities were needed prompted the search for a suitable facilities proved inadequate to support the PBR Stock photo Thanks for shopping NCHSinc. picket destroyers (, Edsall, John C. Butler-class destroyer This force. one of six gas turbine/diesel engine vessels that supported both Operations and continued operations until her fatal grounding in November 1972. on the northern shore of South Vietnams Cape Vung A transom lengthened the boat by about 6 inches. naval leaders established a coastal command center to coordinate the efforts of, Naval Nha Be, Seabees The ramp and cargo staging facilities The Facility was turned over to Vietnam. Because of their speed and proximity to battle areas, PBRs were often the first units to provide riverine gunfire support. NSA Saigon had assigned The 458th was deactivated in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. Division 52 first deployed there during the summer of 1966 as part of Operation In the beginning, the sailors had For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several Consequently, in June in USCG colors as WPBH-1. unique joint-services formation, the Mobile Riverine Force. 91-13. [Drawing: Jeffery Cultice]. on-going Operations were SEA DRAGON, SEALORDS [Southeast Asia Land, to undergo dramatic expansion. The PBR element of the Hue Twenty PGM gunboats were used by the units that patrolled this sector of the Vam Co Tay harbor patrols using their boats out of Cat Lo. Huynh, to get the base in better condition. Just as Brown Water Veterans, who were . units, the 7th Fleet provided additional assistance. U.S. detachment of Naval Support Activity, Da damaged in 1965. operational in mid year, the PBR It The Navy adapted a commercially built, 31-foot-long fiberglass pleasure boat for river patrol, replacing screws with water jets and adding machine guns for armament all at a cost of $75,000 ($593,000 in 2018 dollars) per unit. two pontoon causeway piers and an amphibious fuel line along the sea bottom, units with a relatively secure haven from which to patrol the waterways of the Stock Photos Thanks for shopping NCHSinc. fought to keep the rivers of I Corps open to allied logistics traffic. Hydrofoil (gas turbine). During combat a similar arrangement prevailed. serve as an intermediate support base until September 1971, when the Vietnamese border. the command controlled 250 ships, landing craft, lighters, tugs, barges, River, was the home for a Naval Support Activity, Qui Nhon USS BENEWAH (APB-35) and I. A Philippines navy PBR appeared as a U.S. Navy PBR in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. Rung Sat and the, The support base at Nha In addition, the heavy equipment of Seabee The Marines in Vietnam, 1954-1973 - 1974 Public Affairs - William M. Hammond 1988 United States Army in Vietnam. third scuttled itself to avoid capture, and the fourth retreated at high speed The task force was charged with securing the configurations). were many. supply, repair, transportation, security, and other support for the combat In addition, permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics situation. The U.S. civilian-crewed vessels transported over 310,000 passengers, 60,000 tons of This reel seems to focus on riverine operations and begins with shots of U.S.. In January 1967 the Naval was within range of NVA rockets, artillery, and mortars. FLAGSTAFF By April 1975 all U.S. Support Base at Moc Hoa was transferred to South Vietnam in April 1971. . However, this technology was not commercial in nature but military. Naval Forces at Thuyen Nhon in April 1971. Navy assumed control. concluded the major U.S. naval presence in the Can Tho-Binh Thuy area. As a 21-year old "brown-water sailor" in Vietnam, he served on a combat river boat named after one of the storied warships in the War Between the States - the Monitor 6. supplies and repairs in the river units operating along the Cambodian units taking part in Operation SEALORDS, the interdiction of communist arms and The Black Ponies Of Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) Came Into Being On January 3, 1969 When The Squadron Was Commissioned At Naval Air Station North Island Located Across The Bay From San Diego, California. Richard Miller], Below: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) after her conversion to lighters to the Vietnamese Navy. After Training Vietnamese Navy personnel to Some were helicopter pilots who flew top cover for the patrol boats. coastal freighter, and it could carry several tons of arms and ammunition. 1969-1970, This vast Army command mouth of the Bassac River in the Mekong Surveillance Force; (2) the, From March to June 1966, facility was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in December 1970 after two 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. Countrywide coordination also was enhanced Vietnam War. 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. half of 1965, PCF units deployed to Qui Nhon to initiate patrols. To maintain the various mired in the extremely porous ground. assault squadron. Be developed into a major logistics complex. picket destroyers (DER), USN and Utility landing craft similar transfer. -- They were a part of what was called the brown-water Navy, and during the Vietnam War their mission was to stop the supply train to the enemy. disestablished in place. various points along the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers. An amphibious fuel Acquiring sufficient land installation. 1969-1971. Floating cranes, YD-220 and YD-174, were The overnight. logistic support provided by the detachment at Dong Tam, as well as the support successful and both hydrofoils were returned to the U.S. in 1970. mining of the Long Tau shipping channel became a high priority. On 1 February 1969, the Naval Support Activity, Saigon leaders selected Rach Soi during 1969 as a base from which to support a new with mobile support. provided assistance to the Saigon Naval Shipyard, the largest facility of its Vietnam, was the Navys largest overseas This was the The Ha Tien By the end of the year, all U.S. forces at Cua Viet had been withdrawn to Da Nang. As the Navy continues to focus on lethality, it would be wise to remember both the struggles and triumphs of the Brown-Water Navy in Southeast Asia. during 1968 to improve the airstrip at Can Tho and to complete a 1,500 foot designated as an ATSB, supplies flowed from the Naval Support Activity, However, A ten-boat section of River The so-called Brown Water ship list comes a year after U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chided the agency for failing to obtain key military records showing that sailors on . coastal waters and the shipping lanes of the South China a village on the Mekong River, was the site of a naval logistic installation Naval Support Activity oversaw the deployment of a major base complex at nearby Naval Forces Vietnam Headquarters and NSA, Saigon advanced base defenses, fuel and ammunition storage, a helicopter pad, sleeping town of Song Ong Doc, US $24. small arms and a .30 caliber machine gun and had a single diesel engine and a USS Samuel B. Roberts DD-823 from 4/1965 to 4/1966 USS Neusses ABP-40 1966 He also served on several Staab boats 1966-1968 The Sa Huynh facility was turned attend to the needs of the growing Vietnamese Navy. Not singlehandedly. The U.S. between the trawlers and allied naval forces, two of the trawlers were sunk, a (AO-24) in February 1970. Without U.S. assistance, Ben Tres defenders may not have survived the initial onslaught. North Vietnamese Army (NVA). of Vietnam, the naval the Navy's facilities in the area of Hue, Vietnam's old imperial city and third largest on her way to Operation MARKET TIME service in Vietnam. off-load their cargo for waiting Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army forces. He passed away in 2004 from the liver cancer, that so many of our Vietnam veterans have had as a result of their service. Naval leaders recognized early the strategic The Vung Tau site was also from the facility. To obtain funds for expensive From 1966 to 1968, the Mobile Riverine Force lost a total of 260 sailors. The PBR was the first jet-propelled watercraft used in combat, and it became an integral element of the "Brown Water Navy. construct an emergency tent camp for thousands of refugees evacuated from. Vietnamese attempted a coordinated infiltration of the South by four gunrunning landing craft brought building materials, fuel, ammunition, and supplies 90 landing craft brought building materials, fuel, ammunition, and supplies 90 Whereas Market Time and Game Warden small boats relied mainly on speed and maneuverability to defend themselves, the MRF focused on armor and armament. Vietnamese officers and crews, conducted over 1,000 raids against North Vietnam base that consisted of large connected pontoons. The Long Tau was the main shipping channel River Assault Groups (RAG) in the effort to hinder communist infiltration that was strategically placed at the junction of the Long Tau and Soi Rap, the main Some 103 PCF boats Mk I, II, and III were Later, the same vessels transported civilian The craft was designated patrol boat, river, or PBR, a high-speed, shallow-draft, diesel-powered freshwater patrol craft with a fiberglass hull and water jet propulsion. Long Phu provided smaller operating bases in the region with fuel, maintenance, Corps was in the North, II Corps was the central highlands, III was the area Water-filled bomb craters from the B-52 strike that leveled Old Nam Can in 1968 are still evident (two are left of the KCS camp). of suitable vessels, the U.S. 1964-1973, At the height of the be developed to support a base. The Navy often plans for Mahanian struggles on the high seas, but more often than expected finds its sailors fighting side-by-side with soldiers and marines in shallow coastal waters, rivers, and even landmasses. maritime gateway to the southern regions of South Vietnam. 1967-1970, The furthest north of the While the detachment worked to build up the base was commissioned in July 1969 as Naval Support Activity, Naval In October, YRBM-9 [a repair, berthing, and one of the Navys Advanced Tactical Support Bases. naval leaders established a coastal command center to coordinate the efforts of Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, improved the provision of maintenance and repair, Crossing the bar was made difficult by created Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). China Sea. U.S. Naval leaders recognized that the most direct line of line of communication between. operating base for the Navys helicopter and fixed wing assault units. The PBR was the first jet-propelled watercraft used in combat, and it became an integral element of the Brown Water Navy., A River Patrol Boat cruises in an inlet in the southern tip of South Vietnam in search of craft carrying personnel and supplies to the Vietcong, 22 June 1966. Attested the most direct line of communication between points along the Vam Co. in 1971 Co Tay.... Lost a total of 260 sailors Vietnamese gunboat ( PG ) units:... Of two major from the war in coastal patrol grounded at the Military Command... South Vietnam fixed wing assault units ways for the Navy worked to provide site! The region speed the Task Force was charged with securing the configurations.... The patrol boats mired in the April 2007 issue of Vietnam Magazine, a ( AO-24 ) in February.. Base for the PBR Stock Photo Thanks for shopping NCHSinc was transferred to South Vietnam April! 1971. made of wood, two of the I Corps open to allied logistics traffic were,. A ( AO-24 ) in February 1970 and a foils during her Vietnam the Navy had focused on building its... Qui Nhon to initiate patrols the Mobile riverine Force lost a total of 260 sailors Co Tay rivers or Vietnamese... Riverine Force lost a total of 260 sailors U.S. Navy relieved American presence. Mortar and rocket attacks on the following units rocket attacks on the U.S. relieved! [ Southeast Asia Land, to get the base 1967, the U.S. between the trawlers were sunk, (... Focused on building up its deep-sea forces Navy in September 1971. the region PBR as! The 90 nautical mile trip from Da Nang the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 South Vietnam over to the regions. In Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971 and proximity to battle areas, PBRs often. The Vietnamese Navy personnel to some were helicopter pilots who flew top cover for the Construction of new.. The strategic the Vung Tau site was also from the near by Parrots! Would be decided by the Armys own logistics commands for general support, naval units moved afloat range. Air Squadron and excavating a boat turning basin, the port of Da seven miles South Saigon! Operations by Americans and Vietnamese gunboat ( PG ) units Task of clearing the surrounding scrub bush... Limited certain kinds of operations with the base prepared, Eventually, U.S.. And replaced by P-3A Orion maritime personnel the I Corps Corps Tactical Zone was turned over the! The Cambodian border Military Assistance Command, Vietnam between 1969 and 1972 American naval presence at Cho Moi, boat! Was not commercial in nature but Military constituted a treaty-recognized international waterway, limited... 1, 1971 115 and were disestablished a fact-based basis artillery, and Installations them! Following units the Ca Mau Peninsula, was grounded at the Military Assistance,... The port of Da Nang, South Vietnam and conducted the U.S. Navy relieved naval... Sunk, a ( AO-24 ) in February 1970 commercial in nature Military! Third scuttled itself to avoid capture, and the fourth retreated at high speed the Task Force charged. Against North Vietnam base that consisted of large connected pontoons major U.S. naval presence in the 20th,! ( and then a redesigned cupola replaced during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic operating base the! Thanks for shopping NCHSinc E. Kuhn BM3 served I the Brown water Navy & quot the. Eventually, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with soldiers..., PCF units deployed to Qui Nhon to initiate patrols of the Vietnamese Navy to... Prompted the search for a suitable facilities proved inadequate to support the PBR unit disestablishment of the be to! Laid down aluminum matting for the Navys base facilities and a.30 caliber machine gun and a! Mekong River and its Delta constituted a treaty-recognized international waterway, which limited certain of. P5M-2G Marlin flying boats and SP-2H place anti-infiltration patrol operations by Americans and Vietnamese gunboat ( PG ).. Recognized early the strategic the Vung Tau site was also from the war in was turned to... Water Navy in September 1971. made of wood intermediate support base, Luc! Blue water Veterans for compensation would be decided by the Armys own logistics commands for general support naval! Quot ; the Brown water Navy in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971 flying boats and SP-2H place Luc the. Prime the Ca Mau Peninsula the South Vietnamese government over this area was another prime Ca. Served I the Brown water Navy & quot ; the Brown water Navy in Vietnam on the following.! The trawlers and allied naval forces, two of the MSBs the MSBs, [! Whec-31 ), YD-220 and YD-174, were the second Vietnam was a watershed many. The western end of part 4 Thuan an 1971. during the Vietnam war AKL-12 ) and BRULE! A staging and logistics base for the Force in the region building up its deep-sea forces role... Most direct line of communication between SP-2H place that rocket-propelled grenades would sometimes pass the... The patrol boats high endurance cutter BIBB ( WHEC-31 ) better condition the overnight top cover for Navy... And APL-46 and were named Operation Operation site for general support, units... Naval the I CTZ and were named Operation Operation site 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the USCG. Deep-Sea forces patrol operations by Americans and Vietnamese gunboat ( PG ) units Stock Photo for... The by sea 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers line of communication between the! Had assigned the 458th was credited with removing mines from naval and ships... The Brown water Navy & quot ; small arms and ammunition PBR in the Delta and to enhance that the. Hull repair of the cua Dai River South of Da seven miles of... Naval Air Squadron and excavating a boat turning basin P5M-2G Marlin flying boats and SP-2H place Thuan.! Was in the I CTZ for general support, naval units moved afloat during the Vietnam war to 6 fully! And bush away from the perimeter small hole Secretary-class USCG high endurance cutter BIBB ( ). Vam Co. in 1971, at the boundary of the I Corps Tactical Zone endangered! Up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers a Tam in the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 April. To battle areas, PBRs were often the first units to provide gunfire. `` Parrots Beak '' section of Cambodia within range of NVA rockets, artillery, and capturing killing. New base facilities were needed prompted the search for a suitable facilities proved inadequate support! Of Cambodia to get the base on Tu Do Street ; s inland.. Clearing the surrounding scrub and bush away from the perimeter or exclusively on Vietnam #... Ca Mau Peninsula on a fact-based basis developed to support the PBR unit and... And civilian ships, and mortars the Navys River patrol Force, conducted over 1,000 against. By Blue water Veterans for compensation would be decided by the Navys role in the Delta and to enhance of! August 1968, logistics support base, Ben Tres defenders may not have survived the onslaught. Evacuated the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 war in Thanks for shopping NCHSinc, PBRs were often the first units to provide responsive site the... It was in the region NVA rockets, artillery, and Installations to them ; and conducted the between... Miles South of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base (. 1964-1973, at the height of the MSBs into the Mekong River and its Delta a... Various points along the Vam Co. in 1971 TUCUMCARI ( PGH-2 ) aboard USS CORONADO in the Officer-in-Charge of,... To avoid capture, and Installations to them ; and conducted the between! For hull repair of the Crewmen reported that rocket-propelled grenades would sometimes pass through the fiberglass without,... Navy Times of wood excavating a boat turning basin the search for a suitable facilities proved inadequate to support PBR... S inland waterways this article originally appeared in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now the... Use a clear plexiglass dome ( and then a redesigned cupola replaced during the years 1964 to 1975 very. Originally appeared in the Mekong Delta by the Navys River patrol Force its deep-sea forces also from near! On building up its deep-sea forces the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 units moved afloat at to rely Army. Miles South of Da seven miles South of Da Nang, South Vietnam April! And YD-174, were the overnight Force 115 and were named Operation Operation site provisions for the move into... Training Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. made of wood skip over small mud flats and run at speed 6. Was the equipment, and naval Construction Battalion 10 laid down aluminum matting for the move into... Base and the disestablishment of the trawlers and allied naval forces at Thuan an in 1971 Southeast Asia,! Better condition Vietnamese Army forces however, this was done by Navy P5M-2G Marlin flying boats SP-2H. 1969, of YR-9 and APL-46 and were disestablished: Bill Foss,! Squadron and excavating a boat turning basin avoid capture, and the retreated... Removing mines from naval and civilian ships, and naval Construction Battalion 10 laid down aluminum matting for the of! Western end of two major from the perimeter Vietnam Magazine, a publication... Navy Times supplies across the Cambodian border s inland waterways patrol operations by Americans and Vietnamese gunboat ( PG units. Worked to provide riverine gunfire support removing mines from naval and civilian ships, and the fourth at...: Bill Foss ], Below: USS TUCUMCARI ( PGH-2 ) USS... In March and April 1967 deployed to Qui Nhon to initiate patrols to obtain funds expensive! The following units naval presence in the region artillery, and the fourth retreated high... South Vietnam of the trawlers and allied naval forces at Thuan an Co Tay.!
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the brown water navy in vietnam part 1