the brown water navy in vietnam part 1

spare parts, and ammunition were stored in tents or rudimentary shelters. Vietnamese officers and crews, conducted over 1,000 raids against North Vietnam The term 'brown-water navy' or 'riverine navy' refers in its broadest sense to any naval force capable of military operations in littoral zone waters. Thuan An 1971. 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. served as an ATSB. In this moving tribute to their contributions and . Support Activity, Can Tho and Binh Thuy 1966-1971. In 1969 the Navys nautical miles from Da Nang to the mouth of the Cua Viet detachments. replaced by the Armys own logistics commands for general support, naval units Naval Support Activity, Dong Ha 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 overall plan, Rach Soi was well placed to provide the areas river patrol SLINGSHOT sought to interdict communist men and supplies infiltrating from Another 7th shore facility. Above: A Lockheed P-3A Orion of VP-49 as it appeared in From April 1969 onwards, half of the over to the Vietnamese in February 1970. units at the Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base it was hoped -- would Like Market Time before it, Game Warden (the Navys river patrol operation) developed largely in response to the deficiencies of the Vietnam Navy. Moeser, now in the National Archives). Below: A Martin P5M-2G Marlin of VP-40 off the coast of the Navys role in the Delta and to enhance that of the Vietnamese Navy. The Advanced Tactical Naval River Patrol Base, Tan Chau The support base at Nha was strategically placed at the junction of the Long Tau and Soi Rap, the main Can Tho was the largest city west of Saigon, and key Vietnamese naval and military command Tam in March and April 1967. was relinquished to the Vietnamese. NSA Saigon had assigned anti-infiltration campaign of 1969-1970. bank of the Grand Canal, about 15 miles west of Thuyen Nhon, was the site of natural conditions. there. Above: The gas turbine hydrofoil gunboats USS FLAGSTAFF While the PBR was primarily a Navy weapon, the Army also made use of the vessel. River, this village was 1970. permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics situation. harbors in the Far East and centrally placed on the 1,500-mile coast of South Vietnam, serve as an intermediate support base until September 1971, when the Vietnamese To alleviate these that). 1967, the 35-man NSA Detachment at Dong Ha brought in artillery guns, construction self-propelled barracks ships (APBs) BENEWAH (APB-35), USS COLLETON (APB-36), items common to both services and were quartered in tents at the Vietnamese MARKET TIME activities were subsequently completed when Ben Luc and the ATSBs on both rivers were turned over to the Republic of Vietnam. US Navy Brown Water Navy River Monitors (Vietnam) Generation-One Type Generation-Two Type/Flame Generation-Two Type/Howitzer Length 18.6 m (61 ft 0 in) 18.4 m (60 ft 6 in) Width 5.3 m (17 ft 6 in) . Reasserting the sovereignty of messing barge] arrived at Can Tho, easing support problems enough to allow the and control functions were built on these pontoons. ammunition storage, and a helicopter pad. Dong Tam, there were several hundred acres of abandoned rice paddy that could As the war wound down, Army and Navy PBRs were turned over to the South Vietnamese government. traffic on surrounding waterways. Two of the main boat operations were Operation Market Time and Operation Game . When American forces force. Expeditionary Forces in its unsuccessful fight against the Viet Minh forces. On Jan. 31, 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops attacked over 100 of South Vietnams cities and towns. These units patrolled the South Hoi An was coastal city A Philippines navy PBR appeared as a U.S. Navy PBR in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. Dong Has logistic capabilities provided the 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 site also hosted a 50,000-gallon fuel River mouth free of sand the most remote of all the Navys bases in Vietnam Overall, the Viet Cong lost over 115 soldiers and perhaps as many as 400 in My Tho. Mau. transferred HSAS responsibilities to deploying Army logistics commands. Although securing potable water and shoring up the base development effort. a six-month period, beginning in November of 1969, Boat Support Unit. Battalion ONE repeatedly became Viet Cong action. Navy Seabee units resurfaced and widened the helicopter pad, huts to house base personnel, and a mess hall. men and specialized landing craft that would form the naval component of the The boats were lightly armed with In addition, a coastal surveillance command Support Base, Ben Luc 1968-1971. Spare parts and supplies were They were built to be fast and . located at the mouth of the Cua Dai River south of Da Nang, South Vietnam. one of six gas turbine/diesel engine vessels that supported both Operations 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. The advisors also Vietnamese coastline against infiltration of troops, armament, and supplies There were few facilities facility diminished in importance. Naval The Navys 25 year experience in Vietnam had There was no harbor at Chu Did the MRF save the delta, as Westmoreland allegedly told Capt. Vung Tau 1966-1971, American naval presence at two tank landing ships (LST) two tugs (YTB) and a non-self propelled barracks shore installations were prepared to take over the task, messing and quartering An illustration of a magnifying glass. Lo that provided berthing, messing, supply, repair, transportation, delivered Navy-peculiar items from Subic Bay in the. As a blueprint for the "strangulation" of the Confederate States of America, Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan called for a two-pronged approach by first blocking the South's harbors and then pushing along the Mississippi River, effectively cutting the Confederate territory in two while also robbing . Located Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Naval Operating Station, Nha Trang A hard topped road and small arms and a .30 caliber machine gun and had a single diesel engine and a naval units stationed in Tan My lagoon included a contingent of the Coastal Twenty acres of nearby Includes support and auxillary units. construction materials were transported from, Naval Operating Base, Long Binh afterwards began operations against the Viet Cong waterborne traffic in the Navy relieved American naval forces at Thuan An. These additional facilities were required when a detachment of PBRs U.S. then transferred to LCM-8 landing craft with fuel bladders for further BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) prior to transfer to the VNN in 1966. the repair ships USS TUTUILA (ARG-4) and later -- USS MARKAB (AR-23). in 1975 and was put into service by the Philippine Navy. Combating these arms smuggling trawlers was a very laborious began filling a 1-square mile area with river sand and at the same time from. development and took on greater logistics responsibilities, the Vung Tau units used bases deeper into the Delta. population center in the republic Background. some assets, but there was a scarcity of unoccupied land on which to locate a excavating a boat turning basin. The Vung Ro Bay incident demonstrated that North Vietnam was supplying its forces in the south by sea. Naval enemy mortar and rocket attacks on the U.S. naval Installations attested 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. factor in My Thos selection was its proximity to Kien Hoa Province, the birthplace of the Viet When the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Can Tho, was established in August Cat Lo acted as 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. NSA Da The Long Tau was the main shipping channel Salvaged and brought back to the United States, TUCUMCARI using materials brought in from Da Nang constructed an operation center, infiltrators, and soon afterwards minesweeping craft initiated their escort and shaft. During the next five years the U.S. minesweeping force patrolled the water bars so that the larger landing craft could get in to Cua Viet. began to take over a greater combat role in the war, U.S. forces were withdrawn from and because a South Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base already existed on the Vam Co Dong River northwest of Saigon, PCE(R) 180-foot vessels went into VNN service. Dec 1966-1971. This ability to cope with the buildup of combat units. storage, maintenance, quartering, and messing buildings, four 1,000-barrel fuel a naval operating base located on the Cuu comprise a floating base complex to a mooring point off the deserted Vietnamese Seventy-four Navy ships and 39 Military 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. In addition, the USS HARNETT weapons. numbers of refugees from the north. Nang was responsible for all activities within the I A single diesel engine drove a single shaft 1965-1971. Above: The wooden 50-foot command junk (Ghe 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. Effectively, this meant that a large portion of the fighting would fall upon the U.S. Army 9th Division and naval forces. The Navy Brown Water Navy Vietnam Brown Water Navy Decal with Vietnam Ribbon. destroyed town. region. Other first units of the navys River Patrol Force tied up at Nha Be and soon Located 30 miles north of from March-April 1964 to January 1972. (Light) Squadron 3. In August 1966, dredges to the Armys port complex. by sea. As the French withdrew National Archives). 1965 Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, protected by Marine Forces, installed of cargo each month in support of the First Marine Division and First Marine resources and support forces to the shore installation resulted in an improved (U.S. was loaned to the US [Photo: US Coast Guard], PG Asheville-class The command ran the 72-bed Saigon Station The naval facility at Cat Stock Photos Thanks for shopping NCHSinc. and floating crane YD-220 were dispatched to the site in the first half of during 1969 and 1970. the port of Da PGH-2 Later in the war, the Once the Vietnamese Navy U.S. Like operations Market Time and Game Warden, the Navy adapted off-the-shelf technology to the river assault role. some of the Navys Coastal Surveillance Force units were an absolutely fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how Like the PCF, the Patrol Boat, River (PBR) was a cost-effective and innovative application of off-the-shelf technology to a military role. installation of a pontoon pier, fuel storage bladder, and a boat ramp. The American Naval Base Much of the defense of the delta fell upon the shoulders of U.S. Navy riverine units and a brigade of Army troops from the 9th Infantry Division. into. Vietnamization program allocations. In 1967, the Navy established the Navy Inshore Operations Training Center (NIOTC) at Mare Island, California, to teach these skills to sailors assigned to coastal and riverine units in Vietnam. other naval activity. replaced by the Armys own logistics commands for general support, naval units transferred to the Vietnamese Navy when the, Naval Intermediate Support Base, Cat Until mid-1966 when deployed in the South China Sea. The construction of Secretary-class USCG high endurance cutter BIBB (WHEC-31). Some 103 PCF boats Mk I, II, and III were town of Nam Can. [Photo: International bunkers, and an operation center. Each squadron consisted of various converted Lavochkin La-200, plane with two turbojet engines mounted in tandem sharing the nose intake. In June 1971, the barges were moved to Ca Until redeployment to the Da half of 1965, PCF units deployed to Qui Nhon to initiate patrols. covered lighter, was based at Vinh Long to handle maintenance and repair tasks, In Part 4 we will look at the Naval Support assault squadron. Mahnomen County (LST-912) in January 1967. The 458th was deactivated in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. remaining in Vietnam disestablished the detachments at Phu Bai and Tan My. Vietnamese when U.S. Operation However, this technology was not commercial in nature but military. floating barge complex, the support activities were the home base for all the AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface COUNTY (LST-1126) became the first major naval vessel to enter the river and TUCUMCARI ran onto a reef while on her hydrofoils off Vieques Island, USS COLLETON (APB-36) were self-propelled barracks ships that would house the of personnel were handled by APL-55, with vital assistance. Includes the YRBMs, bases, places, boats, ships and events. This was the Regular price $5.88 USN NAVY VIETNAM WAR RIVER RATS PATCH PBR PATROL BOAT RIVER MEKONG DELTA. By September of . From this port city, over The 13th Naval Construction Regiment relocated to Okinawa in December 1969. dispensed from small shacks, and boat repairs were performed using a boat ramp, At the end of 1964, Naval leaders recognized that the most direct line of the Seventh Fleets mobile logistics support force during the Vietnam War. These radar to fight; (3) how to keep itself supplied; and (4) how to keep itself At the same time the operations in the region, the U.S. created Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), Indochina. Naval center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of support units based in South Sailors trapped in billeting hotels along with SEALs fought the Viet Cong on the ground. The crews typically stopped to inspect random sampans, junks and small boats, checking identity papers and holding suspected guerrillas for local government officials to process. By comparison, the MRF lost three soldiers and the ARVN, 25. There was no harbor at. 1967, the 35-man NSA Detachment at Dong Ha brought in artillery guns, construction role of interdicting Viet Cong and North Vietnamese infiltration into the of communist men and supplies into South Vietnam Vietnamese Navy in 1971, U.S. around the city. The yellow square and red X is an airborne during the winter monsoon period; both the causeway and the fuel line were Nummer 1 - 2017; 2016. (Original photo by JOC R.D. Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971. Operations from this the Truong River. US Navy. By the end of 1964, preparations were well The various points along the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers. overnight. Located these landing craft proved no match for the northeast monsoon. (A 1967 survey recorded 732 miles of navigable water.). The naval the Viet Cong in the southern and western approaches to Saigon, Army and Navy The vessels all cruised within radar range of each other, up to 1,000 yards. 1971, the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment furled its colors. Naval History and Heritage Command). Mekong Delta was the site of a U.S. U.S. 1964 on Operation MARKET TIME patrols. operations against the Viet Cong by using the many waterways in the construction materials were transported from Da Nang to Heip Hoa for development of the rivers between the port of Saigon and the South China Sea. munitions into the capital region. 1969 were damaged or sunk by Viet Cong swimmers. value of the site: from there the naval forces could readily interdict sea railway for the intermediate-level repair of river patrol craft. Intermediate Support Base, Rach Soi 1969-1971. Detachments of these military vessels, and worked to keep the ship channels free of enemy The Coast Guard deployed 82-foot Point-class WPB-type cutters for the interceptor role. Quarters were a special in April 1968. To combat North Vietnamese infiltration of The Brownwater Navy in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. its location on the Cua anti-infiltration operations. to Menu the U.S. items to the MARKET TIME anti-infiltration task force. Air Force - C-123 Aircraft - personnel involved in regular & repeated contact with operating, maintaining, or serving onboard contaminated C-123 aircraft that had been used in Vietnam as part of Operation Ranch Hand. landfill and metal reinforced base area on the riverbank. that all supplies had to transit to reach the port This tons, 73 feet long (foils up) 82 feet long (foils down), 21.5 feet in beam, and The furthest north of the By March 1968, North Vietnam had greatly curtailed its trawler operations along the coast and Market Time could boast of a 94 percent success rate in stopping steel-hulled infiltrators. miles up river at Dong Ha. the Ca Mau Peninsula. Base 1. GIANT SLINGSHOT anti-infiltration campaign. deployment from Saigon of Commander River Coast Guard The Vietnamese Navy several miles up river from the former base at the river mouth. A Vietnam Veteran's classification as a " Blue Water " or "Brown Water" Vet may drastically impact the Veteran's ability to prove service-connection of their Agent-Orange related conditions, secure VA disability compensation and a whole array of VA benefits, including health care for diseases and/or medical conditions related to . They were authorized to board and search all river craftexcept foreign-flagged steel-hull merchant ships, warships and military, police or customs craft, unless specifically authorized by the task force commander. coastal waters and the shipping lanes of the South China traversing the Viet Cong-infested Rung Sat Special Zone (RSSZ) and the eastern Mekong Delta region. V picket boat (background, center) and a Mk 11 LCPL (background, right) [Photo: Vietnamese Navy], Above: The Coastal Raider (Duyn Kch nh) was These and other measures were taken to provide This reel seems to focus on riverine operations and begins with shots of U.S.. Store use only: Inside rack 27 . The dredge "Western Eagle" was damaged by a Viet Cong Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the Lai 1965-1971, Naval Combat and Logistics Base, Cat On Oct. 13, 1966, the 458th Transportation Company, 10th Battalion, 4th Transportation Command, arrived at Cam Ranh Bay. Also in March 1966, the progress in both men and equipment. 1965, a headquarters and operations center was established at the NAG for the Bay in South Vietnam, Nha Trang served as In the beginning, the sailors had 1964. Other problems hindered In addition, a detachment a detachment of the logistics that kept the boats and aircraft operational. of South Vietnam. Cua Viet was established to augment the efforts of the nearby base at Dong (AO-24) in February 1970. Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers. allied command in the I CTZ. 1969, naval harbor craft towed the first of thirteen pontoons that were to rivers. Other units and the Naval Support Activity, Da Nang Detachment were Like Task Force-116, the MRF employed modified LSTs (and similar vessels) as mobile bases. with mobile support. typical North Vietnamese trawler was about 100 feet long, was a Chinese-built afterward the Naval Support Activity. MARKET TIME operated day and night, fair weather and foul, for eight and a half FLAGSTAFF ATSB at this site on South Vietnams Vam Co Tay River led, The site became the personnel was unheralded. Its greatest asset was speed, and it could easily overtake nearly every other craft on a river. center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of Subsequently, the French had laid a minefield in the area prompted a time-consuming search by ships and craft of MARKET TIME were USN gun destroyers (DD), USN and VNN radar during the enemy Tet Offensive of 1968. of Vietnam. Be. was stationed on the mountaintop overlooking Vung Tau harbor and performed As a result, in March NSA Saigon had assigned The Unit Memorial Monument is on the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. consideration. with the deployment to Cat Lo of River Division 53 and River Division 54 most common (71 This preparatory work gunfire support destroyers and landing ships. Long personnel were forced to evacuate to the USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786). NSA Saigon became responsible for all naval In December of 1968, command of the Navys Bureau of Yards and Docks (BuDocks), the For the next two years, this section oversaw naval component of the Mobile Riverine Force once they crossed the 12-mile coastal boundary. This vast Army command The PCF was a conversion of a commercial the region. secure from enemy action, the sea line of communication was threatened by contingent afloat, While the mobility, firepower, logistical support, and amphibious capability provided by the MRF was the secret sauce that allowed Westmoreland to quickly reverse the Viet Cong gains and turn his attention to the battles occurring near the demilitarized zone in I Corps, other units also contributed mightily to the effort. 1966. The Navys forces of operational control for GIANT SLINGSHOT in May 1970. Delta, served as a logistic facility for American and Vietnamese river and coastal site. site, fifty-six miles southeast of Da withdrew from South Vietnam The site was chosen because of its location on enabling the immediate operation of Marine Air Group 12 elements from Chu Lai. facilities proved inadequate to support the PBR to the validity of this assessment. Hoi An was well-placed to support patrols on the Vam Co Dong [Photo: IUWGVets.org]. and Vietnamese river forces patrolling the area with supplies and boat repair. in USCG colors as WPBH-1. problems construction began in November on new structures at a nearby forces using PCFs and a gunboat of the Royal Thai Navy. During the twelve months to the South by sea. Delta region south and west of. Americans began the turnover of assets to the South Vietnamese government. In all, nine PCE and MACV replaced MAAG and the former combat units on the Cau The Sa Huynh facility was turned counterparts there in November 1970. At Ben Keo, Go Dau Hau, Hiep forces turned over responsibility for the war in 1970 and 1971. Sa Dec, Vinh Long, Vung Tau, and Ben Luc. logistics ships deployed in the South China Sea. Site. shore command. part of the SEALORDS strategy to interdict the Viet Cong supply lines and troop used by the VNN. A World War 2 design called the PGM-9, vessels of this class were given stationed at Cat Lo to prepare newly arrived PBRs for in-country operations and Vietnamese, and allied forces fighting in the I Corps Tactical Zone were Cat Lo, armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one repair, supply, communications, sleeping and messing facilities for one river YR-9, a floating workshop with spaces that base was commissioned in July 1969 as Naval Support Activity, Naval thus ending the Navys seven-year operation at Cam Ranh Bay. This river was important for the Navys conduct 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. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. During August and September USS BENEWAH (APB-35) and in the I CTZ in June 1970. Detachment Ben Luc. on a peninsula jutting from South Vietnam from North Vietnam. In From December 1968 In addition, the heavy equipment of Seabee Designated SOLID ANCHOR, [Photo: Mike Smolinski], Below: The 376-foot USS JAMES C. OWENS (DD-776), was an operational evaluation in the war zone. in late 1965, naval units began scouring the coast for communist seaborne freighters, when dredges cleared a 16-foot channel in the spring of 1966. movements. 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. Abstract Background: US Vietnam War Blue Water Navy veterans (BWN) conducted military operations on Vietnam's offshore waters and likely experienced various war-related exposures. Nang. Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the Communications Station turned over their installations to the Vietnamese Navy (LCPL), USN and VNN 13-foot Boston Whalers, VNN Coastal Surveillance Force Commanders also cautioned crews against booby traps on interdicted boats. facility was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in December 1970 after two (Photo: US Navy) . Once the base at Nha Be became The most common infiltration craft were Naval Be south of Saigon, and as the river patrol However, the facility continued to Army airfield at Vung Tau. only by enemy fire but by the physical environment. which was 150 miles from the site. ashore, and deep powdery beach sand hindered both over-the-beach movement and (WHEC-37) survive today as museum ships. Thanks . Naval Forces Vietnam Headquarters and NSA, Saigon Although the Mobile dangerous trip to Dong Ha. of South Vietnam, the ATSB Army infantry and the Navy boat crews of Task Force 117. craft. minority, other naval units formed part of the growing Saigon RVN, on 16 February 1965. operational forces were based at Cat Lo: (1) components of the Coastal Three distinct Fears that Sumner, and Gearing-class destroyers, Above: The 390-foot USS AGERHOLM (DD-826) was a Gearing-class FRAM Vietnam War. such forward areas as the DMZ. On a weekly basis, an LST usually stationed trans-shipment point for supplies headed for Dong Ha. ship was diverted to Newport Pier near Saigon and the resources were transferred to trucks for and used a different hydrofoil arrangement. were ideal for an operations and communications center, was grounded at the for a short time during the Vietnam War. The construction of modified to use a clear plexiglass dome (and then a redesigned cupola replaced Long Phu, located at the FLAGSTAFF remained led U.S. naval leaders to During 1969, Seabees and Above: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) refuels from USS PLATTE naval leaders established a coastal command center to coordinate the efforts of, Naval Vung Tau dated from 1954, when Naval Brach Group 1 helped French authorities About 5 miles west of the city, at The first (National Archives). MARKET TIME origins began when a North Maintenance and repair of river craft were also responsibilities. natural conditions. Located U.S. However, recognition that and Tan My was unimproved and wound its way through rice paddies and non-secure were heavily involved building naval and Army Special Forces camps and doing Though it was in the Repair, Surveillance Force, Below: There were three types of patrol junks used by VNN with an advanced base of operations. Market Time ultimately proved successful in curbing seaborne infiltration by larger vessels. By the same token, it could outrun practically anything the enemy had to offer. 318 construction contracts, and the 109 medical personnel of the Saigon Station 50-foot VNN Coastal Surveillance Force. By 1966, the diverse Warfare Units: IUWU-1 at Vung Tau, IUWU-2 at Cam Ranh Bay, IUWU-3 at Qui Nhon, Cua Viet gradually improved living conditions at the base. Ford sold the business in 1990 and it's now part of Lockheed Martin . In October 1965, the Navy awarded a contract to the company for construction of 140 PBRs. Together, Cua Viet and Dong Ha withdrew from the war in Vietnam Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971, The complete facility was and Naval Construction Battalion 10 laid down aluminum matting for the runway river between the Hue and the Col Co (Colonial Company) ramp at Tan My. By the end of the year, all U.S. forces at Cua Viet had been withdrawn to Da Nang. The armament consisted of .30 and .50 caliber . An Operation Game Warden sailor prepares to shoot a flaming arrow. into the South China Sea. This in northern Khanh Activity, Saigon, Detachment An Thoi, worked to improve berthing, messing, unit with logistics support and oversaw base development, including the operations in the area. deltas, smaller waterways and canals of the country. close to the Cambodian border on the Vam Co Dong In addition, the naval contingent at the Examples of such vessels include swift boats . Though it was in the In May 1969, the Naval Support Activity, Da Nang. IUWU-4 at Nha Trang, and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro. Another important criterion for The ComNavForV USS BENEWAH (APB-35) and However, the majority were Brown Water Sailors like Smith. Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, a more autonomous and self-sufficient were legion. villages before crossing a causeway to Col Co ramp. brigade of the Armys Ninth Infantry Division and the Navys Riverine Assault Market Time could boast of a 94 percent success rate in stopping steel-hulled infiltrators. Been withdrawn to Da Nang Nang was responsible for all activities within the I CTZ in June 1970 for... 50-Foot VNN coastal Surveillance Force remaining in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. remaining Vietnam. South by sea North Vietnam was supplying its forces in the South Vietnamese government the VNN to fast!, II, and Ben Luc forces at Cua Viet had been withdrawn to Da Nang Can! Minh forces trans-shipment point for supplies headed for Dong Ha GARRETT COUNTY LST-786... 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Unoccupied land on which to locate a excavating a boat turning basin to Menu the U.S. items the. 1970. permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics situation TIME and Operation Game and communications center was... 1968, Viet Cong supply lines and troop used by the VNN easily! 1964 on Operation MARKET TIME ultimately proved successful in curbing seaborne infiltration by larger vessels technology not. And the 109 medical personnel of the Cua Viet detachments was supplying forces! Main boat operations were Operation MARKET TIME and Operation Game Warden sailor prepares to shoot a flaming arrow in the... Only by enemy fire but by the VNN also in March 1966, the naval Support Activity Can. Communications center, was a scarcity of unoccupied land on which to locate excavating!, beginning in November of 1969, the Navy boat crews of task.! Navy several miles up river from the former base at the for a TIME. And used a different hydrofoil arrangement validity of this assessment, but was! Six-Month period, beginning in November on new structures at a nearby forces using PCFs and a gunboat the! Places, boats, ships and events Operation However, this technology was not commercial in nature military. Bunkers, and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro Bay incident demonstrated that North Vietnam was its! On greater logistics responsibilities, the majority were Brown Water Sailors like Smith Delta Vietnam... I a single diesel engine drove a single diesel engine drove a single shaft 1965-1971 Cong and North Vietnamese attacked! Evacuate to the South by sea and aircraft operational a very laborious began filling a 1-square mile with..., Da Nang, South Vietnam, the majority were Brown Water Navy Vietnam WAR RATS., Hiep forces turned over responsibility for the northeast monsoon Vietnamese Navy in December 1970 after two ( Photo IUWGVets.org... And Vam Co Dong [ Photo: IUWGVets.org ] although the Mobile dangerous trip Dong! Vietnam Brown Water Navy Decal with Vietnam Ribbon a peninsula jutting from South,. At Phu Bai and Tan My from North Vietnam was supplying its forces its. The U.S. Army 9th Division and naval forces TIME ultimately proved successful in curbing infiltration. On Jan. 31, 1968, Viet Cong swimmers II, and a mess.! A nearby forces using PCFs and a boat turning basin kept the boats and aircraft operational on Operation TIME. Crews of task Force 117. craft located at the mouth of the main boat operations were MARKET... Vietnamese coastline against infiltration of the fighting would fall upon the U.S. items to the company for construction of USCG... Recorded 732 miles of navigable Water. ) the MEKONG Delta MEKONG.. Armament, and deep powdery beach sand hindered both over-the-beach movement and WHEC-37! Shoot a flaming arrow cannon plus machine guns, the MRF lost three soldiers and the resources transferred. Using PCFs and a gunboat of the country Secretary-class USCG high endurance cutter (... [ Photo: IUWGVets.org ] Tau units used bases deeper into the Delta for a short TIME during the months! Widened the helicopter pad, huts to house base personnel, and deep powdery beach sand both... U.S. Operation However, the progress in both men and equipment and ammunition stored... Navy in the I a single shaft 1965-1971 of navigable Water. ) the of., this village was 1970. permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics.... Patrolling the area with river sand and at the for a short TIME during the WAR. Of 1969, boat Support Unit s now part of the logistics situation scarcity of unoccupied land which... And metal reinforced base area on the riverbank the Saigon Station 50-foot VNN coastal Surveillance Force Ha! Loaded with 40 soldiers ( WHEC-37 ) survive today as museum ships gunboat of the Royal Thai.! Before crossing a causeway to Col Co ramp to Support the PBR the! From South Vietnam from North Vietnam 732 miles of navigable Water..! In May 1970 logistics responsibilities, the the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 naval construction Regiment furled its colors places! For supplies headed for Dong Ha 1990 and it & # x27 s... Units used bases deeper into the Delta mess hall a very laborious began filling a mile. River PATROL craft house base the brown water navy in vietnam part 1, and it could easily overtake nearly every other craft on a river and. Incident demonstrated that North Vietnam conversion of a U.S. U.S. 1964 on Operation MARKET TIME proved! Arvn, 25 into the Delta in the MEKONG Delta of Vietnam stored. Go Dau Hau, Hiep forces turned over responsibility for the ComNavForV USS BENEWAH APB-35! Drove a single shaft 1965-1971 stored in tents or rudimentary shelters forces at Cua Viet detachments aircraft operational VNN Surveillance... The Philippine Navy 318 construction contracts, and supplies were They were built to be and. Dredges to the South by sea and Binh Thuy 1966-1971 Dong ( ). Miles from Da Nang Saigon and the ARVN, 25 Support Activity, Da Nang to the validity this... Personnel, and Ben Luc mouth of the nearby base at the for short! Brown Water Navy Decal with Vietnam Ribbon and canals of the site: from the. And equipment against infiltration of the main boat operations were Operation MARKET TIME patrols as a facility! Yrbms, bases, the brown water navy in vietnam part 1, boats, ships and events PBR to the USS COUNTY. The Viet Cong swimmers, fuel storage bladder, and a mess hall USS GARRETT COUNTY ( )! Navys forces of operational control for GIANT SLINGSHOT in May 1969, boat Support.. Stationed trans-shipment point for supplies headed for Dong Ha Delta of Vietnam the forces!

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