Sandini

OSPREY
~~~~~~~~~~~~

PUBLISHING

l Vietnam Riverine Craft

Fordon L Rottman Illustrated by Hu

 Sandini

C O N T ITS
INTRODUCTION
The Mekong Delta

GORDON L ROT7MAN
entered the US Army in 1967,
volunteered for Special Forces
and completed training as a
weapons specialist. He sewed
in the 5th Special Forces
Group in Vietnam in 1969-70
and subsequently in airborne
infantry, long-range patrol and
intelligence assignments until
retiring after 26 years. He was
a special operations forces
scenario writer a t the Joint
Readiness Training Centre
for 12 years and is now a
freelance writer.
THE BOATS
Vulnerability and armor
Machinery
Armament
VARIANTS
Patrol Boat, Nver
Patrol Craft, F a t / h s h o r e
Assault Support Patrol Boat
Armored Troop Carrier
Monitors
THE RlVERlNE WAR
The Viet Gong threat
Boat units and combai operations
River Patrol Force
Coastal Surveillance Force
Mobile Riverine Force

SURVIVING RlVERlME AND PATROL CRAFT

BIBLIOGRAPHY
COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY
INDEX

HUGH JOHNSON is a highly

experienced and talented
freelance illustrator whose
work includes WVG 102:
T-54 and T-55 Main
Battie Tanks 1944-2004,
FOR 30:Fort Eben Emael and
NVG 122: H M M W Humvee
198&2005. He lives in
Surrey, UK.
 Sandini

New Vanguard 128

Vietnam Riverine Craft

1962-75

Gordon L Rottman Illustrated by Hwgh johnson

 Sandini

First published in Great Br~ta~n

in 2006 by Osprey Publ~sh~ng,
Artist's n o t e
Midland House, \Vest Way, B o t l g ~
Oxford OX2 OPH, UK
443 Park Avenue South, MW York, NY 70016, USA
Readers may care to note that the original artwork from which the color p l a t e
E-mall ~nfoOospreypublish~ng corn
In th~sbook were prepared are available for prlvate sale All reproduction
copyright whatsoever is retamed by the Publ~sher;All lnqulrles should be
O 2006 Osprey Publishing Ltd.
addressed to:

All rights reserued. Apart from any fair denling for the purpose of private study.
Hugh Johnsm, 8 Barham Road, Epsom. Surrey. KT19 9DN. UK
research, criticism or revie$'/,as permitted under the Copyr~ght,Designs and
Patents Act. 1988, no part of this publication may be reprduwd, stored in a
The Publishers regret that t w can enter into no correspondence upon
retr~evalsystem, or transmittpd in any form or by any means, electronic, eleG
this matter
trlcal, chemical, mechanical. optical, photocopying, recording or othenr~ise.
u t prior wntten permission o'r the copyright owner. Inquiries should be
~ ~ i t h othe
addresssd to the Publishers. Acknowledgments
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Blitish Librar,, The author is grateful to Don Blankenship (A-11 1-3, A-152-21) of the Mobile
Riverine Form website: Michael Warris V-152.1) and his Mobile Riverine Force
site; and Robert B. Shitley (PCF-45) and his Patrnl Craft Fast website arl -
especially helpful In prov~dingdescripions of their respective craft and dher
information. Thank also go to Tom Coulson of the New Jersey Naval Museum.
Page layout 61,: Melissa Orrom Swan and Stuart Kohn for his photographic efforts.
Index by Margarst Vaudrey
Typeset in Helvetica N w e and ITC New Baskarville Abbreviations
Originated by The Electronic Page Company, UK
Printed in China through Worldprint Ltd. AN1 Army-Navy1 (loint equipment des~gnat~on system)
A W N Army of the Republlc of Vietnam
ASPB Assault Support Patml Boat {aka Alpha boat]
ATC Armored Troop Carr~er(aka Tango boat)
For a catalog of all books published by Osprey Military and Aviat~on BuShlps Bureau of Ships
please contact: CCB Command and Control Boat (aka Charlie boat)
HE h~ghexplos~ve
NORM AMERICA hp horsepower
Osprey Direct, c/o Random House Didnblrtion Center, 400 Hahn Road LGM Landing Craft. Mechanized {aka Mlke boat)
\,VSstminster, MD 21 157 LST Landing Sh~p,Tank
E-mail: infoOospreydirect.com MG machlne gun
MON Monitor (aka Mlke h a t )
ALL OTHER REGIONS HRF Mobile Riverine Force
Osprey Direct UK. P.O. Box 140 Wellingbrough, Northants. NN8 ZFA, UK MSM M~nesweeper,River Pormally Landing Craft. Mechanized.
E-mail: info@ospreydirect,co.ult M~nesweeper- LCMM)
NVA Army of North Vietnam
PBR Patrol Boat. River (aka Bibbef)
PCF Patrol Craft, Fasflnshore (aka Swdt boat)
RAD R~verAssault D ~ v ~ s ~ o n
RA5 River Assault Squadmn
RPG rocket-propelled grenade
rpm rounds per mlnute
TOC Tacbcal Operat~orsCenter
VG Viet Gong

Editor's n o t e
.p

Images not cred~tedIn t h ~ sbook are In the publ~cdorna~n

 Sandini

VIETNAM RIVERINE CRAFT

INTRODUCTION
and its long durntion pro~idedthe time to
q e t n a m was a unique !+m,
develop many new weapons. The ~mr'senvironment5 were unique
loo, ranging fro111 101% mountairls to n region-encompassing nyer
deha c u l by countless waterways: and this in pnrticular clernanded a special
form of warfare.
French operations in the Mekong Dclta during the 1950s saw the
development of rivesine warfare as they attempted to maintain their hold
on Indochina. To operate on the Delta's rilcr5 and canals, the French
purpose-built or comerted small craft, and ubtnined others through [,"S
aid. Such craft required a shallow draft, rnaricuverability on confined
waterivays, prolecljon horn close-range fire, m d cansidernhle firepo~r.,er.
They had to Wa~lsporL,deliver, and support ground troops xhore. These
specialized craft and the accompanying rlnval commandos were orga1li7ed
into Di-rr~szorts,Iravah d Xsuut (naxal assault divisions, abbreviated to
DinmsauLs). The Vietnamese continued tke conccpt and the US pror-ided
add~ljonalcraft to use alonplde s u r n ~ i n gFrench boats.
M hen the L S N a y begm operalions in the Mekong Delta in 1965 thq,
too, q~iicklydeveloped their or$m speciali~edcraft. Alongside rivcrinc. units
were coastal inshore patrol craft, employed to interdict cnumy infiltration
from the Sorldl China Sea. Even hougln past lessons were studied, some of
these craft were less than deal. for the challenges thev faced. T h ~ yMere
often adapted from commercral deskvs 10 speed production, nnd the
eniironment in whrch hey were so opemle was underestimated, with thcir
design based on ophrnurn conditions, not the extremes.

The available river patrol

boats were deemed ill-suited
for emerging operations and
new, faster, more maneuverable
craft were sought. One existlng
example is this 36R (Il m ) R i i r
Patrol Craft (RPC). While this
one displays a US flag, most were
operated by the Vietnamese Navy.
 Sandini

A Mobile Riverine Force (MRF)

Monitor (M-1 12.2) cruises down
a manmade canal on the Mekong
Delta; this phofograph shows
how the narrow channels
could restrict maneuver.
The undisturbed water ahead
of the Monitor (MON) indicates
that it is leading a riverine
column, a common position.

T h e Mekong D e l t a
The Delta is approxi~natclyone-firth of tlie land area of the Republic of
Vi'ictnam - S0u1.h Vietnam. Thir regoI1, designated I S: Corps Tactical
Zone (CTZ) during the war, is siniated in thc country's south, covering
10.190 square miles (40,000 square km). Much of the Delta is a plain,
tvhich is coursed by large rivers. About a third is marshes, swamps, and
forests. The Plain of Recds spreads across thc north and can flood up
to loft (3m) during ihe ,June to October wet season or the southncst
Inonsoon. Lrillages are built on stilts or earth mounds connected by
earthen berm ~vall<ways. Ovcr Win. (2,030mm) of rain falls during this
season. The November LO April dry season (northcast monsoon) sees lour
vvaierin the canals, and the wet season's flooded arcas become high and
dry, restricting trarfic on streams and canals. Therc are some hill? areas
in the northwest. Temperatures are generally 880100°F (27-38"C), with
eqlially high humidity.
Mosquitoes, dry land and water leeches, ants, scorpions, centipedes,
snakes, and flies caused many problems during the N - i . Malaria, deng~ie
rever, dpscritery diarrhea, "u~idiagnosedfevers," heat exha~~stion. and
dehydration were common ailments; added to thesc w ~ immersions foot,
rvhich afflicted troops operating for as little as three days on foot. Surface
rvater was, and is still, unsafe for drinking, and salt~vaterfloods rivers and
rvaterways up to 50 miles (80km) inland.
There were few roads in the Delta, and the primary mode of travel
rvas the wateways. The main river ~ 4 a sthe Song Mekong, 2,600 miles
(4,184km) long, rising in Tibet and flowing &rough Burma, Laos, and
Cambodia. The Song Hou Giang (or Ba5sac) branches off and runs
parallel to the Mekong to iis south as it flo-rvs southeast. In tlic centrr of
t h Delta,
~ h e Mckong branches into three rivers; from north to south,
Song My Tho, Song Ham Luong, and Song G o Chien. Anothcr to the
east dehnes thc Delta's nor111 edge, the Nhon Trach, flowing from
the north through Saigon and on to the Rung Sat (Forest of Assassins),
which was a Vie1 Cong-dominated mangrove swamp. To tlie east of the
Nhon Trach is the winding Long Tau Channel, the ship route ro Saigon's
scaport. These rivers are hundreds of yards wide. There are scores of
smallcr rivers and streams - 1,500 miles (2,400km) of natural navigahIe

A column of Armored Troop
Carriers (ATCs) and Monitors
move down a slightly wider
canal choked with hibiscus.
The viney aquatic plants could
easily foul propellers and
rudders. The dense vegetation
edging the canal banks both
restricted obsewation and
concealed ambushes.
Sandini
watcmqs. Manmadc canals stretch across the Delta, part of a 2,500-mile
(4,000km) system begun in 800 AD and gradually expanded until 1940.
They are narrow, with barcly enough room to allow tcvo small craft to
pass; many arc ~vidccriough for only one bmt.
At tllc advent of the \\Tar, about half of these r+7ar.erwa)7s
had det-erinrated
and wcrc narigablc only during high tide. They were edged r,+lthtrees,
bamboo, and brush, making any point a potential ambush site. Many
sections had high banks, and boat crews riding low in the water were blincl
to cvcything bcyond tlic dcnsc vegetation. The natural and maninade
watenmys crcatcd a complcx interrelated system. Tuice-daily tides affected
water lcvcls, current spcud, and the flo~vdirection far inland. For those
unfamiliar with the systc111it was irripossiblc to forecast water conditions.
Patrol craft on an uilfarriiliar canal might find it sufficiently deep to begin
with: but \\ithin hours were grounded or fighting a reversed current.
The Delta's Viiet Long (VC) controlled about a quarter of the X,000,000
population; thcrt were no h-orth Viutnamcsc , h y (AT:%) troops in this
area. Thc VC dcstrqcd many of tllc bridges, making the watenvqs
cvcn more important to thc south \5etn~rncsc.Watcniays securig was
essential to trade, fishing, aiid transportation, particularly as much of
South XTictnam'srice was prvduced i11 the Dclta. It was just as critical for
the waterways to be dcnied to thc cricmy for rno\;e~~icrit. Thcru wurc
70,000 Mairi and Local Force VC in the Dclta, plus 11,000political cadre
operating the Popular Liberation Front's shadow government. The VC
was orgarlized into three repments, 20 battalions, and 69 companies.
Opposing this force were 40:000 troops of the 7th, 9th, and 2Lst Army
of the Republic ofLTietnarn(ARVN) ~ixisions.OtherilR5.W units included
five ranger battalions, three company-sized arrrlored cavalry squadrons,
and Rc,qonal Force and Popular Force companies and platoons. There
were also 16 battalio11-sized camp strike forces (advised by Special Forces),
and the brigade-shed ILTCorps Mobile Strike Force (MIKE Force). Three
Vierna~rleseMarine ha~talionssonletimes operated in the Delta. Iniljally,
there were no US Army co~rlbatunits. With inadequate roads, downed
bridges, and limited helicopters these forces relied on the rt:aienvays
for movement. The Vietnamese operated 13 river assauli groups of 20
craft each.
 Sandini

L.
b . .
" The 2Omm Mk 7 6 cannon-armed
Mk 48 Mod 0 turret could mount
C..
a 40mm Mk 19 automatic grenade
launcher, but seldom did. This is
the coxswain's flat of: a Program 5
Monitor. The har-armor provided
reasonable protection against
rocket-propelled grenades (RPG).
However, the added sandbags
actually negated this protection.
The 20mm ammunition cans are
llght gray.

By 1966 the VC were gaining the upper hand. The could retain
the areas they controlled, but were unable to tip the balance. It WAS
necessay to commit a US division. Realizing the lirnitaljo~~s
of she road
netrvork and terrain restrictions, the US forces understood that the
~ a t c m - a were
y crucial LO their success.

THE BOATS
--
The Delta required special watercraft. The various types of craft were of
very different design, llui there nure common characteristics esserltial for
them to operate on the Y3xierways. They needed to be of slnallow draft in
order to operate in streams and cands and close to river banks, and high-
speed maneuverability in confined watenv;lr;s~ m scritrcal to success. Illlile
they had to be able to move at very slow speed, the ability to achieve 11igh
speed was essential to interdict eneniy vate er craft, to rapidly move into an
area before the rnemy reacted, and for eva~iveaction. The boats had tc)
be lightweight to create this shallow draft, maneweral~ilii~; and specd.
Riverinc wxrfare crart were a new catego? of natal vessel established
by the N a y on .41xgust 14, 1968, although these craft had been in use
for three years. The three- and four-letter classification codes can be
confusing. There were exceptions, but "PB" meant "Patrol Boat" and "PC"
"Patrol Craft." "R" meant "River" and " F "Fast" "LC" identified "Landing
Craft" and "LS" "Landing Ship," followed by a third letter to identifr; the
specific tq>e,i.e. "41" Tor "Mechanizcd" or "T" Tor "Tank." ATC: translated
to " h o r c d Troop Carrier." Variations of craft were identdied bp a inark
number, as were Karydeveloped tveapons. ''Mod" number follotving the
mark sipificd a minor rnodrfication or wriant.

Vulnerability and armor

Engagements were often at close range and the ligh keigtll materials used
in the boats' construction (fibergtass, pl~~vood, and aluminurn) offered
no pro~ection.The light plaie steel used on some crart provided limited
protection. In addition to the crew, boats had numerous vulnerable
poinb: erlg-rrlcs.fuel tanks, sleering gcar, ancl large-caliber amrnurlition
5tores. h o r raised a boat's center of grr-lri?, recducing maneuverability,
and weapons alid rmrnunition stores caused the same problem. Weapons
had to be mounted high to provide good fields of fire, aggravating tilt
 Sandini

center-of-grarity problcm. G m shields were usually s~eel,although some

were c e r ~ m i cand
, add-on cera~rlicpanels were used on some crart.
Bar-armor T ~ used S on the already h e a y and slor$,-mo~<ngATCs tc
pro~ideprotection from rocket-propelled <grenades (WGq); it ~zx5 alrc
lighter than convcrltional armor plating, which would haye required
12-1 4in. (Sk35cm). Bar-armor was a system of spaced llorizoontal concretc
reinforcing bars widi gaps between them of 2-3in. (>T.Gcm), atmched tc
mounting brackets on the sides of hulls and superstructures. On the hull
the standoff spacc was filled 1t4tli Syofoam blocks covered in sheet meml
which aided flotation. The space belween the barr and deckho~xse$iX
sometimes used to s t o ~C-ration cases, which defeated the bar-armor':
standoff effect. If an ItPG shaped-charge warhead struck one of thc
bars. it detonated a sufficient distance (12-18inh/30-46cm), Crom the huII/
superstructure to prcvent penet1.atio11.A ivarhead that hit between two bar!
would short out its piuzodecctri-cletonam system and break up ~+.Ithou~
exploding. Crewmen were equipped ~ 5 t hsteel helmets and armor vests
Extra vest? were sonietimes hung over side rails and grmwales acljacenr t<
gun molmts, and add-on ceramic annor panels were sometimes retrofitted
along with ballistic nylon "flak curlai~ls."The \inylxoated canopies fitter
on Pazrol Boats,River (PBRs), ATCs, Assault Support Patrol Boats (-kCPBs)
and other craft offcrcd protectio~ifroni the sun and min, hut they ~ v e r r
made of hxtllistic nylon and also offered protection Tl-orn frag~nentsailr
long-range small arms.

Machinery
Most craft were equipped with short-range surrace search radar to aic
navigation along tllc twisting waterways at night and to detect enein;
craft. Electronic equipment also included d e p f ~gauges and FM radio,
capable of communicating with other tract, Army ground units aric
helicopters and Air Force fonvard air controllers. Most radar had ;
2,000-5,000yd range (1,800-2.700rn), hut they could not detect sniaI
obstructions, nor were they very reliable, with about half inoperable a
a n y one time.
~ powered hy geared diesels, mostly madc
The majority of the c d were
by the Detroit Dicsel Division of General Motow Corporation (hcnccfod
General Motors). Diesel was used because it is less flammable than g ~ s o l i n ~

The 81 mm mortar could be fired

indirect with variable accuracy.
Ammunition is stowed in the
after ready locker. The circular
device on the box's end is a time
fuse setter. The gunner wears a
Mk 2 talker's helmet and the
others the M1 steel helmet.
 Sandini

and pro\-ides, p a t e r endrrrarlct. per gallon;JP5 aircraft fuel could be used

if diesel was not available. The cngines had to be reasonably quiet. The
PCF, MPB, and ATCs had twirl propeller shafts and trvo ruclders protected
by skeg-s (guards),which prevented fouling with vegetation and snags. The
PER used t15in water jets for propulsion and steering.

Armament
\&apons mounted an riverine craft were, bp necessiq, lightweight. High
speed was essential for the boats, and heavier weapons, their mounts,
and ammunition hampered Ihis. Automatic ficepowcr NUS desired for its
destructive efrect and ability to suppress the enem!. Both point and area
targea rvould bc engaged, ashore and 011 the water's surface.
One of the most unusual weapons was the direct-fire 81nlnl mortar
developed hv the Navy in the earl? 1960s to prolidc patrol boa& b$ith
a lightweight, direct, and high-angle fire weapon capable of engaging
watercraft and target5 ashore. Thc Coart Guard werc first to adopt it in
1962. One of thcir missions was to fire ilh~rninaliorlflares to aid ditching
commercial and military aircraft. and they had experienced difficulties
with worn-out 20mm cannons. In 1964 a .50-cal. machine gun was
"piggyhacI<"mourlted on the mortar a-an experimcnt. ?L protoLvpe
provided a morc flexible "over-and-under" mounting, so that the two
dissimilar weapons required only one weapon station and crew, The
mortar and ils mount proxided a stable mounling for the machine gun
and thus allowed a high degree of control, so the pigbyhack system was
tested and adopted for small craft use.
The direct-fire mortar could pr.cnide both direct and indirect (high-
angle) fire. The muzz1~-loadedmortar consisted of a smoothbore 81mm
barrel and a recoil cylinder. The rate of fire was 10 Trn trigger-fired
and 13 rpm drop-fired. Direct-fire range 1r-a~1,000tyd and \ a s 5,940yd
indirect (914m and 3,602m respectively). The minimum safe range was
3Oyd (45m). This entire assembly was rnorlnted on a Mk 1 Morl O tljpod.
A . 5 k a l . h12 machine gun IW mourlted atop the Mk 2 Mod l mortar. T h e
Mod O lacked the machine gun.

Most riverine and patrol craft

were heavily armed. O n the fantail
of this Patrol Craft, Fastllnshore
(PCF) or Swift Boat is an 81mm
Mk 2 Mod 1 direct-fire mortar
with a .50-cal. M2 machine gun
"piggy-backed." The sailor in the
foreground is firing a 40mm M79
single-shot grenade launcher,
while another mans a 7.62mm
M60 machine gun.
 Sandini

This Patrol Boat, River (PBR)

Mk 1 mounts the standard
.SO-cal. machine guns forward,
with its circular arrnored shield.
A 7.62rnm M60 machine gun
is mounted on the englne
compartment side shield,
and the aft -50-cal. has
a Yk 18 grenade launcher
fitted on top.

Point-detonating high-explosive (HE) rounds were used for en~dging

point and area targets, the proximityfused round provided an airburst
deadly to troops in the open and in open-topped positions. The rvhite
phosphorus (ItTP) rounds were used for the same purpose. showering
burning particles into uncovered positions. 14TP also provided dense rvhite
smoke screens to blind enemy positions. screen the craft's rvithdra~al,and
m x k target?. Parachute-suspended illumination rounds lit up targets on
thc water or ashore. .l Nay-deteloped anti-personnel rotmd corltaining
1,300 flechettes (fin-stabilized darts) for direct-fire on close-range targets
was alx) deployed. lt had a maxinlurrl affecti~erange of 180yd (165m) to
defend against near ambushes and strip away concea8ingvegehhon aIong
banks tu reveal enemy posi~ions.It activated rvithin 1 Oft (3m) of the
rrluzzle to spray the flechettes in a shotgun-like blast.
The Brouning 30-cal. M2 machine ,gun was the real auionlatic firc-
powcr of riverine craft. The "fd~y-cal"had a rate of fire oT450-550 rpm.
The belt-fed weapon 1j7asserved by a l0Ground box or a 200-rozmd
magazine. This reliable weapon was fitted as a flexible gun on many craft.
The PCF and PER rvere fitied 155th manually operated twin scarfring
mounts. Maximum effective range nas 1,200r7d (1,00Om), bui from a
boat in motion 600-80$d (54S-732111)was mtlre realistic. Although the
rounds could not penetrate bunkers. spidcr-holes, or canal dyl~es,they
were excellent for wxppressi~efire.
Two 7.62mm machine guns \*"ereemployed. The MGO was used by the
infantry, but for boat use it was filled on a pedestal mount; its cyclic rate
was 600 rpm. The Naty Mk 21 Mod O saw less use. This was a Browning
.30-cal. M1919A4 machine gun modified in 1967. It was re-barreled
with a 7.62rnm barrel, fitted ~z$h a &in. (15.2cm) long prong-type flash
suppressor: the bolt and other modifications were also made at this time.
It uscd the MtiO's disintegrating metallic-link bclt. The Mk 21 was fitied
to pedestal mount? on ATCs and o h e r craft; its cyclic rate u-as 40&530
rpm. The 7.62mm machine gun was mainly used for suppressive fire and
was duadly to exposed enemy or those behind light cover. It had fka1y
good penetration through brush, light bamboo, and earth parapets, as
well as single-layer sandbags pproteciing fighting positions. It had an
effective rarigc of 500400yd (437-548m), even less in a moring boat.
 Sandini

Here a 7.62mm M60 machine

gun is mounted atop a
2Omm Mk 48 turret. The three
night running l~ghtson the mast
met international standards,
with white lights on the bow and
stern, and three white lights on
the mast, one to be lit and the
others illuminated when towing
or under tow. Lights were not
used during combat operations.

A variety of small arms were also employed by rivcrine craft crews.

with a Mk 2 or 1,116 rifle and one Smith and JVesson 38-cal. revolver
pcr crewman, plus an Ithaca Model 3'7 shotgun and usually an M79
grenade launcher:

Official issue Unofficial issue

7 62mm Mk 2 Mod 1 rifle* .30-cal. M2 carbine
5.56mm M16/M16A1 rifle 7.62mm M14 rifle
12-gauge Model 37 shotgun .45-cal. M3A1 submach~negun ("grease gun")
40mm M79 grenade launcher .45-cal. M191lA3 pistol
37mm AN/MB pyrotechnic pistol
.38-cal. Model 15 revolver
' .30<al. M1 Garand re-barreld by the Navy In 1965-66

Two 9.pes of the 40mm autornatic grenade launchers, or what the Kavy
called 40mm machine guns, were also in common use. They-were good
suppressive fire weapons as their I-IE rounds had a 5yd (4.37m) casualty
radius. The fragmenh tmvelcd much farther, and during near-shore
mbiishcs fragments endangered exposed crewmen. They were also used
for harassing area fire. Sl'kile extremely deadly io exposed troops, they
had littlc effect on dug-in and bunkered personnel.
The first p n a d e launcher, rrlostly found on PE&, ATCs, and ASPBs
was the Honep7vell-designed Mk 18 Mod 0. This tvxs a rclativelp simple
hand-cranked weapon fed hv a 24-round fabric/fiberglass belt. Rate of fire
depended on the operator, bus 250 rpm could he achicvcd. It? accuracy
suffered because or erra~icplay as it ~ y hand-cranked.
a ~ It used the same
lo~t~-velocity rounds as the M79 grunade launcher and its effective range
was no morc than 33Oyd (301m).
The Mk 19 Mod 0 and Mod 1 were flully automatic, using the high-
velocity round as fired fro111 helicopter grenade launchers with a
metallic-link belt. The cyclic mite 325-375 rpm with a practicaI rate of
r70 p m . M a x i m ~ merrective range was 1,780yd (1,@28rn),but practical
range T ~ 1,009d
S (914m).
 Sandini

This PBR Mk 1 is being ouffitted

stateside. The tubular
framework, which normally
supported the canopy, is skowed
aft. A .30-cal. M1919A4 machine
gun is mounted there, but in
Vietnam it was usuaFly replaced
by a "50-cal. The sailor behind
the helmsman's cockpit has
removed the engine cover
hatch from between the two
side shields, an which &her
weapons could be mounted.

Thc 20mm hfi 16 Mod 4 Colt automatic cannon evolvod from the S~viss
HispanoSuiza Slhrld ll.'ar 11 -*"/M3 a i r c d l g11ln. It was prunc to stoppages
and required lubricated ammunition, and i w heavy 20bround belt
fed by an clcctric motor, and could jam while firing at an unnecessarily
high 650-800 rpm. The "twen? mike-mike"was mounted on ASPBs, ATCs.
and Monitors.

Mk 48 Mod 0 1 X 20mm Mk 16 cannon

Mk 48 Mod 1 2 X .30-cal. M1919A4 MGs
Mk 48 Mod 2 2 X 50-cal M2 MGs (often only one)
Mk 48 Mod 4 2 X 3.5-in. 4-tube Mk 47 rocket launchers* & 1 X .50-cal. MG
A Externally mounted. Fired the 3.5-ln. M20A1 bazmka rockets.

The Mk 26 tripod mounted 30-cal. and 7.62mm machirw ,guns, as

well as 40mm grcnade launchers. It rvas provided with a shield, which
was sornetirnes rcmoved. Three marks 01~ ~ ~ a n u aoperated
lly scarf-ring
mounts for win .50-cals were ~lsed:Mk 36 on the PBR hlk 1, Mk 17 on
the PCF Mk 1, and the Mk 56 011 the PBR Mk 2 and PCF Mk 2 / 3 .

Mk 50 1 X 50-cal. M2 MG
Mk 51 1 X 20mm Mk 16 cannon
Mk 63 1 x40mm M k l 9 MG

The Mk 48 mount \\asa fully enclo~edarrnored, xnanuall? operated

lurret for a 40mm Mk 19 hlod 1 grenade launcher and oiher tveapons.
Often the 401nrn was not mounted. It w a q fitted with a periscope dav
sight and a light-amplification starIight scope. Two Mli 48 turrets were
nlou~ltedon MPBs and Program 5 Monitors.
AT&, Monitors. and ~ o m m a n r land Control Boa& (CCBs) Mere
fiited with tliree turrets with a %-in. (19mm) steel shell resistant to
12.7mm rounds, a l-in. (23.4mm) Styrofoam liner, and a removable
plastic weather cover.
The earl! Monitor buais mounted a 40mm Mk 3 Mod 0 automatic
cannon in a manually trvcerscd Mk 52 turret. X coaxial .5@cal. machine
gun was mounted on thc starboard side for spotting and rangmg. This im
 Sandini

thc Swedishdesigned Bofors gun and the Naw version

of the h y ' s M I . The gun was capable of semi- and
full-automatic fire at 120 rpm fed l~ four-round clips.
Maximum effective range M ~ S 5,001)yd (3,658m), far
Inore than was lrstrally necessary and could pose a
lzamd to friendly troops arid villages.
These weapons could deliver massive autorndtic
firepower to suppress enemy positions. destroy
troops, and neutralize bunkers. I-Iowever, bunkers
were repairable and could be reoccupied. Ultimately
a bunkur-destroyer was needcd. The Program E,
Monitor mounted the 105mm M49 howitzer filled in
a Mk 4 turret on the T172 mount developed for the
Marine Corps' Landing 1,-ehiclc, Tracked. Howitzer,
Mk 6 - LW14 (G). The howitzer w a s developed for the
Army's M52 self-propelled howitzer. Its rate of fire
was 4 rpm. The turret had l-in. (25.4mm) frontal.
%-in. (19mm) sides and rear, and y4-in. (6.51nm)
top amior. The indirect-fire range was 11,400yd
(I0,424rn), but the weapon w a s seldom used in
this role. hmm~xnition includud HE, J1T, HEATT
HEplastic-tracer, anti-personnel-tracer (flecheues},
smoke, and illumination.
Flamuthrtmers were mounted on some Monitors, known as "Zippos"; This PBR ~k 1's Jacuzzi water
ix-o M8 cupolas with MIO-8 flanleguns - w h a ~the Nary called the jets can be seen as the boat is
Mk 1 Mod 0 flame system - were positioned on the bow or aft of a Landing
Repair Ship (ARL). Water intake
the 40mm gun. This was the cupola from the Army's M132A1 armored are on the hull,s underside.
flarnethrowur. The cupola mounted a 7.62rnrn Mk 21. In the former The pennant number can
mortar well, armored 1,330-gallon (5,140-liter) tanks held thickened be seen on the stem plate.
napalrn fuel, along with co~npressed air propellant tanks. The
CIamegun had a 150-200pd rangc (137-1 83rn), wit11 a bum duration of
225 seconds. While Zippos would engage enem: shore emplacements,
they were rnore commonlv used to burn off camouflaprig vegetation,
and were excellent in psvchological warfare.
Regardless of the weapon, because of [he craft's speed, course changes,
and roll action, they were not vero- accurate o h e r than when spraying
rounds at vcry short ranges. Most engagements were carried O L I ~in areas
or less tllm 50ft (15rn).

VARIANTS
Patrol B o a t , River
TVith increasing emphasis on operations in the Delta, thc Navy found it
had no small pdtrol boats suitable for river operalions. The idea1 boa1
had to be small, fast, maneuvemble, able to operate in shallo~vwater, well
armed, and easily maintainable. Thc Bureau of Ships (BuShips) began a
search for an existing candidate boat which could be easily modified as
a combatant. Mtcr considering several sport boats, BuShips selected the
Uniflite 31 Sport Sedan cruiser.
Uniflite {United Boatbuilders of Bellingham, Washington) were
pioneers in the field of srnaIl fiberglass pleasure craft. The Uniflite 31

The much-improved PBR ML 2
used a different form of water
intake t o reduce fouling from
vegetation debris. Tmilers were
available to move boats by land
to othetwise inaccessibte
waterways.
Sandini
was extcnsirelp redesigned to become thc Patrol Boat, River Mk 1 (PBR)
beginning in Karremher 1965. The ?ton (6.3-tonne) PBR's most notable
features wcrc its fiberglass hull and the twin waterjet engines. The high-
speed Jacuzzi Corporation 1417 water jet pumps propelled the boat
by jetting pressurized water through stern nozzles at 96,000 gallons
(363,400litcrs) a minlltr. The boat was steered by changing the nozzles'
aspects. This allowed the boat to make very sharp high-speed turns and
operate in as little as one root of water. If it actually halted in such
shallotv water it wt~uldground, as it drew almost two feet. It could make
a 360-degree turn in l1 Oft at 23 knots (35m at 46km/h), and actually
ium in its own length at slorver speeds. Fitted with little armor, the PER
relied on spccd and nimbleness.
Length 31fi (9.5m)
Beam 1Oft Tin. (3.2m)
Draft lft 10i/*in. (0.6m)
Displacement 14,6001b (6.6 tonnes)
Speed 25 knots (46km/h)
Engine General Motors V6-53N 216hp diesel
Fuel capacity 160 gallons (605 liters), 2 tanks
Radar Raytheon 1900tW
Rad~os 2 X AN/PRC45 backpack
Armament 2 X 50-cal. M2 MGs forward
1 X 7.62mm Mk 21 or M60 or 50-cal. M2 MG fantail
1 X 40mm Mk 18 MG amidships
The forward win . 5 k a l . machine . q n s were set in a 4ft (1.2m)
diameter tub surrounded hy a 12-in. (30cm) high armored r i n g s h i e on
a Mk 36 scarf-ring mount. Slmm~mnitionstorage was fonmrd of the guns.
The cockpit had a lo-rvfiberglass fairing. The helm was on the cockpit's port
side surrounded by an armored compartment. The forward portion of the
cockpit was covered by a canopy. Fonvard of the cockpit was a small com-
partment Tor radar and radios. The bdttteries
- and fuel tanks were beneath the fon+-ardend of
the cockpit. The tw-o engines were amidships,
over which v;as the tsvmsided gunner's shelter.
I A weapon mounting was on either sidc of the
shelter for a 40mm hlk 18 grenade launcher
that co~rldbe switched to either side. Tlie water
jet pumps and exhaust silencer were bencath
the fantail. I-Iere a .3@cal. M1919A4 ~rlachine
gun wa.s initially mounted on a Mk 26 tripod.
Thc crew consisted of a hoson's mate 1st or 2cI
class boat captain. a petty ofhcer 2d or 3d class
engincman. a 2d or Sd class gunner's mate,
and a seaman. The gunner's mate manned the
fortvard guns, the engneman the amidships
weapons, and the seaman the d t FtTeapon.The
craft Itas commonly known simply as a "PBR"
although thc nicknames "Bibher" and "plastics"
.czrereused.
 Sandini

Here a PBR Mk 2 noses ashore, as

Army scouts disembark to check
out the k m edging €hecanal.
Such spoil banks provided cover
and concealment to the enemy.
The American flag was fCown from
all craft: as a means of surface
and aerial identif~cation.

The first I I PE% were deployed to Vietnam in March 1966, assigned

to River Patrol Force. They conducted IBhour t~$-c-hoal pa~rolson the
Long Tau River. ProMems were soon encountered. The gun~valesof the
fiberglass hull were easily damaged ~vhenboarding boak and docking. The
fonvard gun shield x m removed as it obstructed h e coxswain's lisibi1it)l.
Mud, xwids, and vegetation debris sometimes clogged the waierje~pumps.
and corrt)sive componentq QC the pumps required frequen~replacement.
\lost of these problem5 were remedied on the l61 Mk Is (pennan~
numbers SlRP 66001-661 G1 l ) . The fiberglass hauls became waterlogged,
but werc later dried o11t and sealed. Orten the aft .30-cal.was replaced by a
.5&cal.to increase firepo-rz~erand provide common ammuniton for b o a
guns. h T.62mm 1160 machine gun so~netimesfitted afi. Occasionally,
a 40mm Mk 18 was pigg,?;back-mountedatop the aft . 5 k a l , machine gun.
Development of an improved hfk 2 commenced in 1966. Ther began
to arrive in Vietryam in September 1965. The Mk Is remained in use
with upgrades. Thc Mk 2A had electricalIy fired forward .5@cals and
Stysofoam-filledI oids to keep it afloat even ~vhenholed. Syofoam was also
added to the earlier Mk 2s. The hfk 2 was slightly larger than the Mk l,
some 1,4001b (633kg) heavier, and three knots [aster. Its more po~3,erful
Jacuzzi Mk 4 watcr jet pumps reduced the number of corrosive pals.
Mk 4 puIrlps were retrofitted in hlk Is. An aluminurn Cender protected the
gunwales and w a s addcd to Mk 1s. The Mk 2, though, turned out to have
a lower operational specd, and it? sea-keeping abilitie?were not as good.
The Mk 2's forward cockpit fairing \\-as larger and higher, with an
arrnored compartment in thc cockpit's port threequarters. To starboard
the access hatch to the forward compartment. The new Convard twrn
.50cal. scarf-ring mount nas thc Mk 56. Weapon mounts on either side
of the amidships shelter wcrc fitter1 uith an h1160 on one side and a
40mm hflc l8 on ille other. These could be switched. The fantail mount
had a .50cal. machine gun. Occasionally a Mk 18 or M60 \\-as mounted
there. 111 some insia~lcesa 60mm Mk 4 Mod O direct-fire mortar was
mounted aft. Eighi~r-oneMk 2s wcrc built in 1967 anrl delivered through
1968 (pennant numbers 31RP 67001-6708 1).

1 Small crafi pennant numbers identified the type of craft with tiro letters (different from I& classlficatjoncode)
and its length in feet follo~*~ed
by a five-digit number, the first two digits being the year ul construction and the next
three the sequence number The number was embossed in 3-ln. (7.6cm) figures on the stern.
 Sandini

The PBR Mk 2 is differentiated

from the Mk 1 by its larger
and higher cockpit fairing. The
red-on-white pennant indicates
that Commander, Task Force
176, River Patrol Force,
is aboard.

Length 31 fi 11'J2 In. (9.8m)

Beam 1 l ft 7 %In. (3.5m)
Draft 2ft (0.6m)
Height, keel to deck 4ft (1.2m)
Height, keel to cockpit 7ft 1 Oin. (2.4m)
Height, keel to canopy 9ft gin. (3m)
Displacement 16,0001b (7.25 tonnes)
Speed 28 knots (52km/h)
Engine General Motors V6-53N 216hp d~esel
Fuel capacrty 160 gallons (605 Hers), 2 tanks
Radar Raytheon 19001W
Radios 2 X AN/PRC-25 backpack
Armament 2 X 50-cal. M2 MGs forward
1 X 50-cal. M2 MG fantall
1 X 40mm Mk l 8 MG amidships
1 X 7.62mm M60 MG am~dships

Patrol Craft, F a s t / l d s h o r e
In 1964 Naval .%dvisoryGroup, Vietnam, undertook a study cif n a ~ dcraft
requirement5 in a cou~iterinsurgenqenli-ronrnent. Releascd in February
196.5, the report called for a patrol craft suitable for inshorc and river
patrols. Key features were to include:

Reliabiliv and stllrdiness

h-on-wooclen hull \\ith screTzTand rudder proleclion against
groundings
Approximately 50ft (15.2m) in length
Sclf-sufficiencyfor 40+500-mile (643-805km) patrols
20-25-knot (57-4tikm/h) speed
Long-rnngu communications compatible with Army and
Air Force
Quiet opemtion
_%rmamcritfor limited offensive action and selr-defense
Sparsc bcrthing, no messing
Fathomctcr
Searchlight
 Sandini

BuShips represen~tivcsbegan searching for

a suitable b o ~ desrgn
t on which to base the craft.
,4 BuSh~ps'crnployee recalled m oftshore oilxig
senice boat used in tlie rrllIr of Mcxico, the
Swift Boat. Within day5 a BuShips <groupvisited
the Sewart Scacrart Corporation rn Morgan Gig,
Louisiana, in ,June 1965. The r i g h to the plans
of what would become thc PCF were purchased
by the Nay: on the spot and the fin11 prepared
prdiminary drTzrings. Modificatlom included a
,gun tub atop the pilolhousc. ammunition lockers,
bunh, and a g~lley;the plan5 were delifcred m a
week. Sewart Seacraft was awarded a contract for 20 r- 7--
PCFs in May (pennant numbers 50NS 65014590).
The firs1 four Wton (18-tonne) PCF Mk Is, comrnonlv knowm as S ~ d t PCFs were identified by the
Boats,were delivered m 40 d a ~ Two . (PGF-l m d 2) ruere assxgned to hull number On the bows, stem
p'ater and the arnmunltlon
N~valAmphibious Ease, Coronado, as training boats. PCF-3 and 4 were

.,
locker. The short stripes atop
shipped to Subic Bav, Philippines, b\"here squadron personnel bcgan the wheelhouse and
readying them for Vietnam. The first boats arr~vedin Vietnam in October dam gray, non-sllp surfaces.
1965. An order for 38 additional boats ~ r d splaced (pennant numbers The after cunn wheel on the
30NS 660 1-6638), followed by another 561 (50NS 6639-6688). PCfi 7. after PO* side of the deckhouse
when Or
S, 29, SO, and 104 rvere also a~signedto training. On August 14, 1968
coming alongside a boat t o
the designauon w a s changed from "Patrol Craft, Fast" to "Patrol Craft, be boarded.
Inshore" wit11 the classification code remaining PCF. 14Xile "OR-the-shelf'
procuremen1 spcd up the process, there were problems; the Sbiift rvw
simply not robust enough for it\ missions.
Thc 108 PCF Mk Is possessed welded [/,-in. (6.5mrn) ah~minurnallor;
hulls, decks, and dcckhou.;es. The deckhouse \\-as posrtioned well forward.
The duck space bcisveen ~e bow and the derkhouse provided only 7ft
(2.11n) of space on the forecastle, pull? obstructed by an access hatch,
r~nrilators,and h e anchor stowL+gecompartment. N o wrapon could be
mounted fonz~ard.
Thc pilothouse wac about 6ft (1.8m) high and providcd good \-isibility,
with tliroe rvi.vll-rdscrcencforward, small ~\5ndo-rvson either side, and hvo A newty 50fi
(15m)PCF Mk l without the
~~ndo aftwon~either side of the gun tub. A chart table kas on the port side
81mm mortar mounted.
oCthe pilothouse, with engine controls, reInote radlo consoles, fathorneter, ,,,,,
,
, painted gray
and Ihe helm on the centerline. A radar screen was starhoard of' the they arrived in Vietnam, m e r e
helmsman's ?eat with an hN/PRCr23 radio. Atop the pilotho~lsew.w a they were painted olive drab.

i

While not intended for river
operations, PCFs were
nonetheless so employed.
A crewman or passenger
was stationed in the anchor
~ompartrnentwith an M60
machine gun. Some crews
painted unit insignia on the
inside of the pilothouse side
hatches to display it when the
hatch was secured open.
Sandini
gun tub mounting hvrn .50-cds on a Mk 17
scarf-ring mtjunt. At l l Et lirn. (3.5111) above
i the ~mtcrline,the mount W* valuable as a
I lookout position. The scarf-ring was capable
of 3 6 0 - d c p c traverse. The C I - ~ T compartment
~,
was beneath thc pilothouse and [orecastle and
contained four bunk\, st0r;lg.P shelves, and a
head {toilet).
The 111airl cnbin extender1 aft or the
pilohouse. A small rigid life raft \\.as stowed
atop i ~ The
. main cabin contained the rad~os,
refrigerator, free~ur,hotpldte/griIl, and sink on
the starhoard side, wit11 two b u n k and a small-
arms locker on the other. There were two sets
of sliding windows on both sides of the main
calin. TTVO ammunition lockers and a fuel tank were locatcd beneath the
cabin deck. On the port side or the cabin's exterior aft bulkhead WZLT the
aft steering station, ~i-hicl1~2x5wed for ma~ieuveriiigalongside other
vessels or clocking.
Aft of the cabin were engine compartment hatches ovcr the h-r,
engines, a diest.1 power generator, and 24volt batteries. Aft of tliu engine
COmpartmenT were two rue1 tanks, a 31-gallon (193-liter) fi-csh water
tank, and the lamre~tewith steering gear and emergency tillcr. These
were accessihl~froin above by removing the fantail decking on either
side of thc mortar mount.
Ari 81mm Mk 1 Mod 1 mort~rwitha . 5 k a l . gym rzZasmounted on top
of the fantail. Aft of the weapons station ~ v z ' aan ~ Slmrn ammunition
locker. A typical ammunition Ioad in thr main cabin storage consisted of
80 rourids of HE with pointdetonating fuses, eight rorrnds of HE with
proximity fuses, 15 rounds of WP, 22 rounds of illumination, and
20,000-25,000 rounds of . 5 k a l .
Th"ri1e capablc of 32 knots (59km/h), cruising speed was 25 krlo~s
(46km/h), at which the PCF could make a 360deg;ree turn in 75yd
(6'3111). The 23-ton (21-tonne) PCF \*as propelled by two 28-in. ('71cm)
dia~r~eter scr.ews, counter-rotating outl3oard.
Length 50ft 1 In. (15m)
Beam 13ft 11n.(4m)
Draft 3ft 1Oin. (l .l m)
Displacement 42,5001b (19.3 tonnes)
Speed 32 knots (50kmh)
Engines General Motors 12V-71 N 475hp d~esels:
Starboard: Model 7122-7000
Port: Model 7122-3000
Fuel capacity 828 gallons (3,115 liters), 3 tanks
Radar Decca Transtar D202 or Raytheon Pathfinder 190OND
Radios 1 x ANNRG-46 tactical
1 X ANIURC-58 ship-to-ship
1 x AN/URC-4 surv~vaWernergency
1 x AN/PRC-25 backpack
Armament 2 X 50-car. M2 MGs atop pilothouse
1 X 81 mm mortar & .50-cal. M2 MG fantail
 Sandini

Thc PCF was intended for inshore operations

interdicting enemy infiltration of supplies. It \$-as
also uscd to patrol inland xvatenvay. It W ~ ill-suited
S
for this role because of its almost 5ft (1.5m) draft
and necessarily wide turning radius. It could not
al\vays make Ilse of its high speed and it lacked
armor for close-range engagemen&. Therc ~vas
absoltitely no protectioxl from U G q or other hex\?
weapons. T h e PCF could not accept rough
handling, which riverine operations demanded.
There were dso hull corrosion problems. The
six-man crew consisted of the boat caplain (lieutenant Cjt~niorgrade] PCF-9 cuts through the water
or l ~ e u ~ e n a n tC
) ,O X S ~ ~radarman
~II, or radioman, gunner's mare, afta~speed.Theblackhull
number was displayed on the
engineman, ancl seaman.
In 1968 the PCF klk 2 ~ v a sdeveloped with impro~edsea-kecping
abilities arid accommodation for longer pauol endurance. The bow was
,,
wh~te-paintedcover of the
,,~,, ammunition wady
lacker, 7he white star atop the
raised lfi (30cm), as as Lhe deck from h e aft end of the deckhouse wheelhouse was on a blue disc.
fonr-ard, malung it easier to handle in rough seas. The. deckhotrse's brgc
parabolic side ports Tvere replaced by small portholes. The irnprur,ed
pilothouse d e s i p was moved 3ft ( I m ) art. The increased clearance in the
crew quarters allowed Tor six bunks, three to a side. The space fonnerIy
occupied by the two deckhouse bunks IW now taken up I?y a mess table
and bench seats. h improved Mk 5fi twin rnachinc gun scarking mount
w a s fitted. The boat's length \$as ntnt7 51ft 3in. (ltirn) with a beam of
13ft 7in. (4m). DispPacement %$-as45,0941b (21 tonncs) . Only three Mk 2s
(I'CE13'7-159) served in Viebarn of the SO brlill (50KS 6801-6830).

Assault S u p p o r t Patrol B o a t
The French enlploycd small palrol boats knowr.vn as tllu STCAK (SeruiEEs
Tech~~iqur etr A
&S C , ' o n ~ t m ~ t i ~ t . ~ m a sNavaG.~,the gokernmen t organizatioii
responsible For ship constnlction) and the FOM (France Oldtr~Mer, which
refers to its being built overseas). Thc lightly annored 36ft l l m) "stav-
can" w a s L L a s~a river patrol and cscclrt craft and xt-ds armed with a
.50-cal. and three .30-cals. The h a i d Advisory Group, Vietnam, realized
that a similar boa1 was needed for US opentions in Vietnam. 'The US
Nay's larger Assault Support Patrol Boat (ASPB) was regarded as a multi-
purpose vessel Tor river patrols, escort, fire support, and minesweeping.
This mission reqiiired a well-armed, well-armored, and relatix7ely fast
vessel. It rvould become kno~tnas the "destrriyer" of the nverine force.
The design requirements were:

Speed in exces5 of the ATC

Sufficient firepower fbr fire support and sel f-defense
Crei3, and vital equipment have armor protection
Mine-resistant hull
Qluiei operation
Minimum draft
Maximum maneuverabili~

The ASPB Mk l (no Mk 2) 7;as designed by Buships in 1966 as the

only purpose-designed riverine crart. T h e first 3 1 were ordered horn
Gundenon Brothers Engineering Corporation, Portland, Oregon in

~n early production Program 5
ASPB I W ~7. Here, ~ 9 2 - Istill
had an Open fantail cockpit with
an 81 mm mortar and .50-cal.
machine guns like the Program 4
boats. ~ o t the
e large hatch abaft
the forward twin .50-cal. turret.
Sandini
October 1966 ( N A B 6701-6?37), and thc first
boats arrir-cd in Vietnam in late Septerrlber 1967.
The 29-ton (26-tonne) boats became known
simply as "Alpha boats" owing to the "A" prefixing
their hull numbcrs.
With the emphasis on armor protection and
speed, [he ASPB usud unique design fea~ures,
T$-hichunfortunately resulted in a Ies~thmeffective
cmCt. The ,GP& was intended TO operate with river
as?ault forces alongside AT& and to be faster
and more rrlaneuvurable than the craCt it escor~ed.
It needed the same degree of proiection as ATCs, but the weighty bar-
armor ~vastoo heay. Instead, a double-bulkhead design was used. The
$?-in. (5.5mm) aluminurn alloy hull detonatcd shaped-charge rvarhe;tds.
The double-~mlleddeckhouse had an outer bulkhcad of !/-in. (6.5mm)
a1~11linumwith a 22-in. (56cm) standoff around the wheelhnuse, backed
by a Yp-in. (16rnm) dual-hardness steel bulkhead. Besidcs detonarjng RP&
it was supposed to protect Crom 12.7mm rounds at a 20yd (118m) range.
A %-in. (6mm) special treament steel plale d e f e n d e d the engine com-
partment, and crew stations were protected from 7.62mm rt~undsat a 75yd
(69m) range. Sty~ofoamfilled the hull voids for flotation and mineblast
cushioning. The hull \$-as supposed to resist a 1211b (55kg) TNT near-miss
mine blast. However. in July 1968 a delay-fused HE projectile penetrated
the outer bulkhead nf LUI AFPB and detonated on the inncr. Large pieces
of the brittle inncr plating were Masted thro~xglnh e craft with terrible
effect. A ycar later a frahmentation-redt~cinglining was added. Regardless
of t h e doublc-bulkhead stancloff, the ASPB TGSI iulnerable to RPGs and
several were lost. Crew casualties were high, with many being irlflictcd by
small a m : the boat \$-as less than popular -4th crews. There were other
p-roble~ns.The hydraulic steering system was especially bulnerable to battle
darnage. T h e low freeboard (about 2ft, less at the stern when underway)
also caused psoblerns, as did it? S1/zft draft. The lo~vfreeboard was a
prohIeni in die rough swclls encountered at river mouths, and several
ASP& i5"ere swamped by passing boat5 and even their own ~ m l i e swhen
they came 10 a sudden stop w wxter flooded into the ranhi1 cockpit.
Length 50ft I%ln. (Ism)
Beam 15Ft 2% In. (4.6m)
Draft 3ft 61n.(l m)
Displacement 58,5001b (26.5 tonnes)
Speed 16 knots (3Okrn/h)
Engines General Motors 12V-71N 475hp d~esels:
Starboard: Model 7122-7000
Port: Model 7122-3000
Fuel capacity 620 gallons (2,347 liters), 3 tanks
Radar Raytheon 19OON
Radios 2 X ANNRC-46 tactical
1 x ANIPRC-25 backpack
Armament 2 X .50-cal. M2 MGs Mk 48 Mod 2 turret forward
1 x 20mm Mk 16 cannon Mk 48 Mod 0 turret atop deckhouse
1 x 81mm mortar fantail
 Sandini

Another view of A92-1 with the

fantall machine guns removed
to reduce weight aft and improve
freeboard. The positions of the
2Omm and 50-cal. turrets have
been switched, a wmmon
practice. The ASP65 low
freeboard is evident here,
and was one of the main
complaints about the boat.

The l&knot (SOkrn/h) spccd was useful Tor maneuvering to react to

neiny fire dlrected ai the craft it WAS escorting, h11t more often L
i only
ruised at f knoa {llkm /h) alor1,qide ATGs. It was driven by two 30-in.
76.2rm) screws and could make a 6-knot ( l l km/h) SBO-degree turn i11
Oft ( 1.5.2m). The ASPB's draft hampered minedragging, although ihis
,as a primary mission.
The long forecastle provided stowagc for the anchor, an escape hatch
>rthe fonvard comparlment, and a Mk 48 Mod 2 turret with kz7o.50-cals.
,arlyASPBs had the turrel immediately fonvard of the deckhouse, whicl~
?as amidships. It sacrificed ports for arnlor protection and had two small
atchcs in the forward hulkhead and orw aft. A crawlspace with a folding
u ~ l k ,was on both side? of the armorcd coxswain's flat inside the
eckhousu. In the fonmrd portion was a hatch to below deck and the
~ m a r dturret. This compartment held two bunks, ammunition lockers,
nd a head. Thc coxswain's flat rvas an open cockpit in the deckhouse,
olding radios, radar, and fathometer. The cockpit was covered by a
>W canopy. Aft of the cockpit was a M!< 48 Mod 0 turret with a 20mm
annon. The aft kalf of the cleckhouse, open overhead, had the option
being covered by a acannpy, and contained hcofolding bunks. A SEAI.
r reconnaissance team collld he carried. There wurc truo deck-hatches
'rovidirlg access to the e n g n e compartment. The fantail cockpit had
?ree hatches accessing ammunition lockers and storage. An 81mm
Ik 1 Mod 0 mortar (rz-ithout . 5 k a l . ) was mounted hcrc. Sometimes
.62rnrn Mk 21s or .SO-cal. M2s were mounted on Mk 26 tripods on one
r both sides of ihe cockpit. A canopy .was at-ailable for the fantail
ockpit, buz was often rcrnovecl to provide clearance for thc mortar.

This ASPB has been fitted with

a two-pie- hatch opening
outboard! and 40mm Mk 18
grenade launchers mounted on
both sides, a common practice.
A canopy is installed over the
fantail. This was more often
removed. In the background an
ATC beaches to deliver troops.

A91-4 has a decked-over fantail
and apparently no weapons
mounted there. Tripod-mounted
-50-cal. machine guns could be
mounted on one or h t h sides.
40mm grenade launchers can be
seen on the outboard ends of the
hatch abaft the forward turret.
Ambushes at such close range
were deadly.
A I 12-2 has its armament
mounted in the standard
configuration, with the twin
.SO-cal. turret forward, the
20mm atop the deckhouse.
The following A I 12-3 has
switched the turrets. A hyphen
(-1 sometimes followed the type
Letter af the hull number.
Sandini
The six-man crew included the boat
captain, ct~xsrvain,and radioman manning the
helm cockpit: fonmrd and duckhousu turrct
gunners, and the crqfincman in thc faritail
cockpit manning the 81mm or other weapon.
Thc first 37 MPBs possusscd an open fantail
cockpit with the 81mm mortar and/or other
weapons. Most of the 50 Pr,ograrn 3 .4SPBs
(AB506801-6830) ordered in January 1968 had
the fantail cockpils decked ovec, some annor
remoled astern, and o ~ h e rmodifications. The
shield 155th \ision blocks rimming ii. The xrlorur
was rcmoved. but machine iripods were fiued on the rjdes of the
Edntail. Pliotugraphic e~idenceshows h e 20mm lurrel fonmrd and the
twin 30-cal. turret atop the deckhouse or 20mm in both. It rvm not
uricvmrrlorl to rearrange ihe weapons. The Program 5 ASPEs had the
forward turret moved closer to the bait, and a large double-hatch fitted
L-rctruccn the turret and the deckhotrse on some. 11 layer of Sq-rofoam \ i ~ a . ~
added inside die hull, and the design changed to provide a slightIy higher
freeboard. A small number of Alpha boats were litzed with m u l t i p l ~rocker
launchers for direct-fire support. :2 Cour-tube S.,?-in. Mk 47 rocket launcher
was mounted on eiiher side of the fol~mrdturret.
Armored Troop Carrier
To iransport and support Mobile Kiverine Force (MW) soldiers, an
exis~inglanding craCt was modified into severaI ppes of c~mbataritcraft
under Program 4.The Landing Craft, Mechanized Mk 6 Mod 1- LCM (b)
was selected for conversion to the ATC. Thc Mod 1 was developed in 1951
and TVMan improved I ersion of the I943 LCM(6). Tho "Mike boat" Mod
1 had narrower gunu-ales, allo-rving it to carry nicltr loads, aiid the bo7tV
ramp 11-5 l l ft ((3.3m). longer than thc original's to pro\ide a shallo~ver
incline ror debarking vehicles. Thc rairlp was retairled on the ATC. This
%&ton (52-tonne) craft could cnrrr; cithur a medium rank, a 135rnrn
howitzer, '70,0001b (39 tonnes) of cargo, or 73 troops. The basic LCM $\-as
a j-obzlst veqsel of doublc 5-iri. (6.5mrrl) steel kull constructjora. The
coxs-rz,ain's position, a stucl box, was centered atop ihe fmlail. The cargo
well rvas 1lft wide and 3Sft long (3.3111by 10m).Tlne 24in. (61cm) screws
 Sandini

and rudders were additiondlc protected by skegs.

The LCM(6) Mod 1 remained in risc as a cargo and
utility crart, as did the LCM(8), a Mk 6 wit11 an 8 f
(2.4m) section addcd to the hull.
In 1966 N a n l Ship Yard, Long Beach, r~lirornia,
with t h e help of the Ordnance Engineering 'Division
of FkIC Corporalion, San Jose. was p c n 120 days to
develop plans and col11crt two T.CM(6) s into an rYrC
and a Monitor. They accnmplished this in 90 days.
Mass conversion was undertaken at cornnlercial j~rcls
in California, Oregon, and Wimhington.
In late 1968 second-generation ATCs. Monitors,
and CCBs appeared, being built under Program 5;
a total of 88 boats of all types were completed in 14 ivecks. Lessons This ATCS bow ramp is lowered
learned in combat were incorporated into the new designs to improve as the crew services their boat.
Heavily loaded troops embarking
accommodation, suruivability and firepower. Design specifications were
from an AMMl (American
developed in January 1966. River Assault Squadrons (Kiss) 9 and l l were Merchant Marine Institute)
assigned the earlier crafl, and Squadrons 13and 1.5 received the nu~vboats. barge had t o be assisted aboard.
The ATC r u s called the "Tango boat" because of the "T" p r c f ~ n g
its If one stumbled on the rungs, a
hull number. Bar-armor backud 1)y Smrofoarri panels for flotation were fall into the water could be fatal.
Note that the three side-awning
fitted 10 the hull sides. In all there was ti,8001b (S tonnes) of armor.
panels have been raised to
The bow was completeIy unarmared and vu1ncr;lhIe to small-arms fire. improve ventilation.
The fantail deck was extended fonvard to just 01 ur half the craft's lcngth,
providing a covered compartment. The forward end of tlie troop
compartment was open, hut covered by a cariopy. The open troop
compartmenl has 22ft 6in. (7111) long r v i t l ~anothor 9ft (3m) of space
under the overhead deck. Eaclz ATC could carry a fi~ll-strengthrifle
platoon (40 troops), or the equivalent weight as a 105mm howiuer, M1 13
,?,PC, a P/!-ton iruck, or 24,0001h (11 tonnes) of cargo. Four ATCs were
requirecl to m s p o r t a rifle conlpanp h the koog compartment's aft
portion were four bunk? on each side. Stacked double-tier, they werc
folded when nol in use. Aft of the bunks were a~rlrrlunitionlockers on
both sides, and a 200.gdllnn (737-liter) freshwater tank starboard. Therc
b-as no head; a bucket on the Uan~aiI\+-asthe only sanitation "facility." Aft
of h e locker compartment ~ a access
r to the engine compartmenl. Two
fuel tanks were aft of the engines. Fitted high to ille bulkheads on each
srde of the troop compartment were &SO folding arnmurlition-can sllelves.
nlnning from the forward bunlcs almost to the ramp. In the after part
of he crpen troop currlpament were trvo rnldirlg glnncr platrorms on

A Program 5 ATC with a

helio deck. The single
gunwale-mounted .50-cal. and
two 7.62rnm machine guns are
evldent. As well as sandbags
between the wheelhouse and
bar-armor, there are C-ration
cases stowed between the
bar-armor and sides of
the lower deckhouse.

ATC T-112-3 disptays its 20mm
and -50-cal. turrets atop the
deckhouse. The engine room
hatch is open, revealing its white
inside. Often the inside surface
of hatches opening to the
exterior were painted the same
color as the hulllsuperstructure.
Sandini
the side bulkheads, about sin. (20cm) off
thc duck. A chain liois~was available for
crriurgencv rnIrlp retrxciion. There were
no troop seats: passengers stood, sat, or
Inore ofte~i,laid on ihe deck. Although
protected fi-om small-arms fire, an under-
water mine delonation could lead to leg
and back injuries carlsed by hydrostaric
shock iransmirted through the I~ull.Troops
could disembark in about hw minutes
, - they sometimes went over the sides
I depending on how the .Kl-C beached - and
look about five minutes to embark.
Thc fonvard two-thirds of he new upper deck was occupied hy an
eight-sided ar-rrlored deckhouse atop a longer l X-in. (46cm) raised
rectarigular-Ilousi~lg.Bar-asmor protected all sides. The forwarcl portion
of the "coxs~vai~l's flat" w a s open-topped, hut covered by a canopy.
Bar-armor psotec~ediw front and sides, ~vhichwere hinged to allo~~v thcrri
to bc lw~veredfor better visibility, and there were also hinged shuttcrs
with visiorl slih. Access to the wheelhouse was by a ladder from the
troop comparhenl. The radios were mounted in the ~vhculhsuse.
Immediately afi of the wheelho~~5e were two Mk 50 turrets with - 5 k a l s .
Their arc of fire JY;~S from straight Conv-ard to slightly aft. Aft of these on
the cerlterli~iewas a lo~v,h e s i d e d structure, atop which was a Mk 51
turretw5ih a 20mm capable of 360-degree rotation. Four 7.62m1rl Mk 21s
were mounted, two each on the ~wn~\ulus arld wheelhouse, wifn two
Mk 18s on ihe gun~vales. The machine gurls and 40m1ns were no1
always mounted and other weapons could be substituted, such as M60s
for hlk 21s, and Mk 19 grenade launchers for 3,lk 18s. Besides on-board
armament, the inrant? passengers would add their own firepower by
firing over the gunwales. A small criprle-room hatch, storage locker, and
a bottom-drag minesweeping chain winch-stand were also on the rantail.
The ;ZTC had a seve1-i-mancrew: boat captain, coxswain, radioman, three
gunner?, and one enginemail.
Length 56ft l 'l?In. (l7rn)
Beam 17ft 6rn. (5.3m)
Draft 3ft 81n. (l m)
Displacement 155,0001b (70 tonnes)
Speed 8.5 knots max, 6 knots susta~ned(16krnJh max; I l km/h)
Engines 2 X General Motors 64HND or 64HN9 225hp diese[s
Fuel capacity 450 gallons (1,703 I~ters),
2 tanks
Radios 2 X ANNRC-46 tact~cal
1 X ANPRC-25 back~ack
Armament
Program 4: 2 X 50-cal. M2 MGs side turrets
1 x 20mm Mk 16 cannon aft turret
4 X 7.62mm Mk 21 MGs gunwales/wheelhouse
2 X 40mm Mk 18 MGs gunwales
Program 5: 2 X 20mm Mk l 6 cannons aide turrets
40mm Mk 19 MG aft turret (.50-cal. in some)
4 X 7.62mm Mk 21 & 2 X 50-cal. M2 MGs gunwales
 Sandini

Program 4 ATCs were retrofitted \\ith a

removable helicopter landing platrorrn over the
troop compartment, w l ~ i c h stretched from the
wheelhonse to the bow; there \yere one or two per
W?.They were kno~vnas h o r e d Tl-oop ~arricrs,
Helicopter (ATCH), "medical aid boats," or sirrlply
"aid boats." They usually carried a wlrgeon and .a
medical corpsmar], or trvo h r l y rriedical personnel.
M7ounded from other crafi or the ground forcc
would be stabilized abnard h e m before they werc
helicoprer "rnedevacud." Called the 'tvor1d's smallest
aircraft carriers," a UEI-1 Huey could (precariously)
Ia~lclfor resupplv, liaison, and medcmc.
1 4 0 ~ 1three-quarters
t of the 1'368 Program 5 ATCs had an armorcd A section (usually four) of ATCS
helicopter platform doubling as an ovel-head cover d i d 1 1$r;l5 resistant embark on an operation. Note
to 82mm morlars. Thc platrarrn was accessible via anglrd ladders on that Ihe 20rnm mrretsare
or~entedto alternating opposite
botln sides of the ai.1 end. A third laddcr with an access hatch Fvas irl tlic T-9.1-1 has a 16ft (5m)
forward cnd of the platform, j u s ~aft of the ramp. "plastic" (actually fiberglass)
Program 5 ATCs had other rnodificatinns. Tlie rvheelhouse as assault boat tied up alongside.
probided with at] ar~norcdoverhead cover, with h e aft third being a
twc-piece hatch. hmairiunt rvas rearranged ~vith201nrri cannons in the
two side Mk 51 mrreu, and a 40mm Mk 19 grenade launcher in the aft
Mk G3 Lurrct. A .50cal. 2nd nvo 7.62nlnis rj-ith shields on Mk 58 and
Mk 57 pintlus, respecljvely, were rnou~ltedon each side of the gunwale,
thr .50-cal. being dt-most. A small head compartmenL was added to tlne
starboard sidc of the locker room. 'The toilut ~ t usually
s rurntned as il
seldom operated properly. Two foldrng crew bunks were fitted on either
side f o t ~ a r dof the existing bunks. Against the fnnzmrd hulkhcad or the
locker room on the port sidc were mdio racks, which were rcmotelv
opurated from the u-heelhousc. Forty ijndividual troop seats, tcn rows o f
four, were filled in tlw troop compartment, with a wide walkway on both
sides. The seats were mounted un shoclc-absorbing expanded steel-mesh
columns. ' ~ T V Osuats were fitted to a modular aluminurn platform
supported by 311"X" beam fmrncwt~rkdesigned to collap5e t%itha mine
detonation. 'The spat? were commonly removed, as the troops preferred
10 lic on the deck, placing tlnerri below the watcrline for fra<grriuntation
protection. In January I969 ballistic nyloii blanket fragmuntittion
~hielding- "flak curtains" - as hung from the overhead landing
platfbrm, fore 10 aft. 15in. (4Cic1n)from the inside of the srde bulkhead.
'The 30-pIy ?,?c5fi (0.9x1.5m) and 3.5x.3ft (lxl.51n) blankets weighcd Slb

T-93-1 debarks troops on to a

riverbank. A 7.62mm M k 21
machine gun can he seen in the
side of the wheelhouse. The
three awning panels are raised
to improve visibility and employ
weapons. They were often
lowered to provide shade from
the blistering sun.
 Sandini

A I : Patrol Boat, R i v e r [PBR) Mk 1

A 2 : Patrol Boat, River (PBR] Mk 2

 Sandini

B1: Early A s s a u l t Support Patrol Boat (ASPB)

8 2 : Program 5 Assault Support Patrol B o a t

(ASPB]
 Sandini

C l : P a t r o l Craft, Fast/lnshore (PCF) Mk 1

C 2 : P a t r o l Craft, Fastllnshore (PCF] Mk 2

 Sandini

D: SWIFT BOAT (PCF) MK 1

Sandini
 Sandini

E l : Program 4 Armored Troop Carrier (ATC)

E2: Program S Armored Troop Carrier [ATC)

 Sandini

F1: Program 4 Monitor (MON]

R.. .
,*,, ,;
,.
,,*C.

-,.+y.-
,'*,

F2: Program 5 Monitor (MON)

F3: Program 5 Ftarnethrower Monitor (MON]

 Sandini

B1: Program 4 Command and Control Boat (CCB)

;&

62: Program 5 Command and Control Boat (CCB)

' G 3 : Minesweeper, River (MSM)


An ATC and Monitor tied up
alongside their self-propelled
barracks ship WPB). ATCs did
not possess radar, relying on
Monitors and Command and
Control Boats (CCBs) for night
navigation when necessary.
T-92-10 cruises down a river
during high water. LLBM1
THOMAS" is painted on the
deckhouse's bulkhead, referring
to the boat's captain [boson's
mate 1st class). The two- or
three-number sequence fol-
lowing the type letter identifies
the River Assault Division {RAD)
to which the boat is assigned.
The last: number is the boat's
number within the RAD.
Sandini
L-
7(1.4kg) per square foot. On one occasion an KPG2
struck one, causing three dead and 39 wounded.
A -
They also preirentcd air circulation in &c stifling
compartment and w r e removed.
Another ATC variant as the reftieler. This T\PJ--F a
standard ATC carrying a 1,20@gallon (4,50&liter)
L#, '
diesel he1 bladder, 500-gallon ( B ,900-liter) mixing
tank, and transfer pump ancl hose, along with stowage
for 300 gallons (1,135 liters) of oil and lubricants. 0 1 1
the exterior it appearcd no different from a standard
ATC: and )\-as often identified by a "T" hull riumber
like other I-ITCSto prevent it being singled out, hut
"K" was used by soInc unity.
TWOATCs were fitted with high-pressure fil-efighting water cannons
under Project Douche. "Douche boats'' had two water cannons that
operated at 3.0001b per square inch, and were fed by centrifugd purrlps
powered by a General hlotors 12V-71diesel cngne, pumping 1,000 gallons
(3,785liters) per minute through each cannon - over Cour tons of ~vatcra
minute. 115th a range of up to SO@d (274m), they were usually employed
much closer, ancl literally blew aymy shoreline brmke1-s and concealing
yegelation, arid flooded qpider-holes. The) wcre also wed to fight fires on
o h e r boats.
Ten LCM(G)s were refitted as LCM, Minesweepers (LCMM) under
P r o p m 5 and assigned to Mine Division 13,where they were redesignatud
Minesweepers. River (hlshf). They were grovidcd with enlarged %heel-
houses protected bv bar-amor, ns well as bar-armor on the side sponsons.
The bow ramp !-as cut do1+-11to ginivale height and se~led.The MShT had
20mm Mk 51 t ~ ~ r r uamidships
ts and a .50-cal. in tlic bo~v.It proved io be
xulnerable to fire and too slorz:
The main complaint? about the ATC wcrc insuficient forruard
armament, lack of armored bows (the wi~-jnclncould not raise an armored
ramp), limited forward risibility from ille wheelhouse, and slo~z,speed.
The h p insisted on retaining the ability to embark vehicles, ~vhhichwas
seldom done. Far orable mark5 were given for its ability to resist near-miss
mine de~onatioiisand its good firepower; it nas more mane~~verable
than expected, and its desipl allowed it io be used in mr-lnp roles.
Monitors
'l'he "batlleship" of the h f W was the Monitor (MOh') , sometimes called a
"Mike boa^." The Program 4 Monitor ~ m asmucln-rnodified ATC. The bo~z,
 Sandini

ramp was re^ernovecl and r-eep1acc.d hr; a rounded 1

over most of the well deck. A small we11 deck iv
left open tor die direct-fire mortar. A Mk 52 turret
was mounted fonvard with a 4-0mm and coauial
.5&cal. with 48 rounds of 40mm and 250 of 50-c$.
In the mortar >vull was an 8lmm Mk l Mod 0
mortar wit11 7.62irlms 011 the gunwales. The mortar
was mounted just high eenoush to fire over h e
gunwales to the sides. The deckhouse and its
a m m e n t amngemellt were the same as the
ATC's. hIonitors were fitted with radar t.0 aid zarget acquisition. The crew Monitor M-92-1 approaches a
corisisted or a boat captain, coxswain, radioman, three 40mm cre~mlcn, downed bridge- Most bridges in
the Delta had been destroyed by
orlc mortar creimnan, three 20rnm gunner?, and an cngineman.
the Viet Cong (VC). Only around
major population centers where

Le~gth 61ft (1 a 5m) Program 4 , 603 6111 (18 4m) Program 5 bridges made the waterways
Beam 17fl 61n. (5.3m) even more important for com-
Draft 3tt 6in. (1m) mercial transportation.
D~splacement 169,0001b (76 tonnes)
Speed 8.5 knots (1 5.7km/h) max, 6 knots (7 lkm/h) susta~ned
Englnes 2 X General Motor 64HK9 220hp diesels
Fuel capacity 450 gallons (1,703 liters), 2 tanks
Radar Raytheon l90ON
Radios 2 X ANNRG-46 tact~cal
t X A W R C - 2 5 backpack
Armament
Program 4: 3 X 20mm Mk 16 cannon side & aft turrets*
1 X 40mm Mk 3 cannon & 50-cal. M2 MG forward turret
1 X 81rnm Mk 1 Mod 0 mortar well deck
4 x 7.62rnm Mk 21 MGs mortar well/wheelhouse
2 x 40mm Mk l8 MGs mortar well
Program 5 2 X 50-cal. M2 MGs side mounts
howitzer-type 2 X 20mm Mk 16 cannons fore & aft turrets
1 X 40mm Mk 19 MG aft turret
2 X 7.62mm M60 MGs
1 x 105mm M49 howitzer forward turret
Program 5 2X 50-cal. M2 MG side mounts
flamethrower-type: 2X 20mm Mk 16 cannons fore & aft turrets
1X 40mm Mk l 9 MG aft turret
2X 7.62mm M60 MGs
2X M10-8 flameguns & 7.62mm Mk 2f MGs forward
' Some had 2 x .5D-cal. M G s on the sides and 1 x 20mm aft or 2 X 20mm on the sides and 1 X 40mm MG aft.

The 19GS Program 5 Monitor saw the rearrangemenL of thc 20mm and
.X-ral. ~veaporls,the 81mm mortar w;ts rerntwed and ib lie11 decked oveI.
and t-he 40mm was replaced by the 105rnrn M49 howrtzer turret mounted
further aft. ,clrrlmunition storage aHorved for 350 rounds. A bal--armor
screen rncircled the turrel. Thc smaller boxy deckhouse ims proircted by
bar-amor. A ~ o pthe wheelhouse I ~ aS1CIk 48 Mod 0 turret with a 20mxn
and another on the aft of the deckhouse. A 30-cal. was on either side of
the deckhouse in open-topped positions. The crew comprised a h o a ~
captain, roxrrvain, radioman, four 105m m cret%men,three .30-ca1./20m m
gunners, and arl engineman. Both type5 of hlonitnrs lvere or,crloaded.
 Sandini

The first flame boats or "Zippos"

were simply an ATC with an
Army M132A1 armored
flamethrower experimentally
embarked. The vehicle's front
end was chocked up to elevate
it suW~cientlyfor the flame gun
to clear the s ~ d ebulkheads. It
was this vehicle's M18-8flame
gun in an M8 cupola that
was used on the later
purpose-built Zippos.

wth the Program 4 caming almost 18,0001b (S tonnes) of armor and the
P r o p m 5 alrnosl20,0001b (9 tonncs).
The firs1 flameillrower boats (Zippos, identified by a "Z"hull number)
were Program 4 Rrlonitors 1+1th thc mortar well decked over and tcvo
M10-8 flameguns in h58 cupolas mountod aft of the 40rnm. The
Program 5 "flame boat" w a s the new type Monitor, but with hvo M l M
flameguns rnounled on the forecastle. The Nay had not wanted these,
but srrfficient 105mrn turrets were unavailable, so four of the 14 new
Monitocs were Zippos.
The P r o p m 4 CCB, or "Charlie boat," rvas a slightly modified
Monitor with the mortar hell deck convcrtcd to a Tactical Operations
Center (TOC) and covered by a stccl-sided,peaked vinyl-can=? housing.
There were two large shuttered ports on either side. Theqe provided
space for three additional ,W /\,TC-46 radios, encryption device,
work tables, map boards, etc. Radar was aIso fitted. Crew quartws were
provided beneath the deckhouse, and tcvo bunks for the four-man Army
TOC: crew were in zhe TOC. The TO6 crew was provided by thu h y bat-
talion headquarters and consisted of a staff officer, artillcry officer, and
two enlisted men. M7ilhthe exceplio~lof the removal of the 81mm mortar
and gunwale machine guns, armament was uncllangcd from the Monitor,
to include retaining the fom-ard 40mm. The CCB terldcd to attract VC
fire lsecaure or its numerous radio anle~inaeand the fact that it would
charge into the thick of the action for co~iuolpurposes arid to lend its fire
support. Chamcteristics were the same as for tlie Monitor, uxccpt that it
was lighter at 167,0001h ('76 tonnes).
Program 5 CCBs were based on the new ATC, but had a Monitor-type
horv and a n air-conditioned bar-armor-protected, raised stecl liousing
over the TOC. A raised bar-armor-protected Mk 48 Mod O turrct nas
on the horv. The TOC compartment was lengthened forward arid
heId an AN/PRG125, AN/PRC-23. and four ,;W/\.'RG46 radios. Tlic
radios were on the brigade, battalion tachcal (on which the companies
comin~micated),battalion logistics, fire wpport, and uiility nets, with
one spare. Deckhollse armament was a? a Program 5 ATC.

Type Program 4 Program 5

ATC 52 64
MON 10 (4 Zippos) 14 (4 Zi ppos)
CCB 4 8
Refueler 2 2
LCMM - 10
 Sandini

C-133-1 was a Program 5 CCB.

Rather than being based on a
Monitor, as were Program 4
CCBs, the Program 5 Charlie
boats combined an ATC
deckhouse and Monitor hull. The
bow armament is a mystery, as it
mounts a Mk 48 with a 20mm,
but apparently a much Iarger
weapon is fitted. A 40mm would
not fit and the barrel is not

--:. A-- ---

.- :-
.-
-_
e, -
_
'Y

p
^.--
--
---
-
-- "
-I
-
- -- _ -
> 1j
-.
tapered. It is suspected that t h ~ s
isarnere~yaen-ofpipe,
fitted t o dece~vethe enemy.

THE RlVERlNE WAR

The V i e t Cong threat
The Viet Cong tvas a highly motivated. well-trained, and modrra~ely
well-equipped C ~ r c eTheir
. ~ advantage was that they krletv the territory,
people. and watemrdps. They too ~novcdby boai, mainly sampanr,
usually disguised as local mercllant and fishing craft. Regular civiliarls
volunteered or were coerced into caming material for thc VC.
The VC: used a wide variety of weapons, includrng those supplied by
Chirra and the USSR, equipment captured from Free IYorId Forc~s,and
even French TzTeapons.They had a difficult time marshaling forces and
executing large-scale opurations, due to tlic rugged terrain, and because
weaporis had to he ~nan-packedand carried in sampans. Therefore,
engagements were at short ranges, seldom over 200Tt (61111)cxcept on
the widcst rivel-S.Narrow river and canal eilpgernents r n i ~ h be
t as close
as 20ft (6.lm).
The most commonly used small arms had only limiied effect on
steel-hulled res~elsand thcir armor. These included the i.tj2mm ,W47
xssauli rifle and SKS carbiiic, 5.56mm M16 rifle, and 30-cal. carbine. The C-gi-' a P"Qmm
based on the Mon~tor.The
latter ttvo rouilds had poor punetration. Communist Eloc 7.62mm (a more
Tactical Operations Center (TOC)
powerfill round than the shorter AK/SKS cartridge) and US 7.62min and ,placed the Monitoh
. 3 k a l . machine guns could penetrate steel hulls. The 12.7rnrnand . 5 k a l . ,,m, I, , TI, ,,,,
machine ,pis were deadly wcapons against boat?,but their weight limited radio antennae are apparent.
their use.
'The same constraint applied to the 57mm M18A1
and 75r-rlxrlM20 recoi Iless riflcs and their Chinese-made
copies (Types S6 and 32). Thcv were onh used to a
limited extent, and were corlsidered deadly by boat
crews. The most effecthe antiboar weapons were the
Sm-ietdesig~ledRPGP and RPG7 antitank rocket
Iaunchers, which the \.'C: caIlcd the R40 and B41.
These shoulder-firecl ~veaponstwre compact, accurate,
and lightweight. and their shaped-charge higll-
explosive antitank (HE:W) .tvarkiuad~were extremely
effective against nverine craft. Mortars, on the other
hand, u-ere of little use against rno\ing rirerine craft, but
could fire on troop debarkation sites.

The Minesweeper, River {MSM)
was initially designated LCM,
Minesweeper (LCMNI). The
.50-cal. machine gun can be
seen in the bow, while the
port 20mm turret is aft of
a Type o minesweepingfloat.
Sandini
W Undenater cornmanddetonatcd mines were
a serious threat. These were made frorn various
containers, such as oil. drums, packed with cxpll'hosi~~es,
and had air-filled buoyancy compartments. Mines
Tiere moored a Ce~v feet below 111e surface alld
connected to shore by electrical firing wircs. The
firer hid in a spider-hole and battery-detolratud the
mine. Since riverine craft hacI light steel. fiberglass,
Or alurllinum hulls, the hydrostatic shock ~ 3 consid ~ s erable and direct
contact with the hull rvas 1lnnecesrat-y to inflict injum and damagc. h
I001b (4.5kg) charge within loft (Sm) devaslating. However, thanks to
Styrofoam flotation aids, multiple compartmenrs, and the proximity of tllc
shorc, it was seldom that a craft compIetely sank. T h e y usually were able to
s o u n d thc.rnsel~les.Even if sunk, thk boa& were easily recovered because
of their small size and the shallo~vwaters.
rlTCs, X P B s , and various river mines~veepercraf'~were ernplovcd
to countcr mines, ~vllichwere a particlrlar problem on the Long Tau
Charlncl in the Rung Sat, where the \:C: attempted lo mine Saigo11-bound
ships. Since the easiest rvay to detonate mines $*;as 1>y remoie-control the
most c-ffucti~c~vayto neutralize them was to cut the wires. This only
rcquircd the use of a bottom-drag chain. a h e a y chain wi~hshort welded
prongs dragged astern, a l t h o ~ ~ gtheh minesweeper had to run close to
sllorc, making it vulnerable to attack. The chain 1z7asdragged aft, so the
VC began emplacing mines TO attack the minesweepers. Claymore mines
wurc employed, and capturecl American M1 8.41 or Soviet MON-50 and
MON-100 werc emplaced on shores and command-detonated 10 blast
ball bcaririgs into boats.
On smallcr canals and streams the 'l% erected
; frame-like log barricades.
These might bu ambush sites, ctlvered by snipers, or booby-trapped. Thec
were casily dusmoycd rz-ith demolitions, but they slo~z,eda riverine force's
advance, and blowing them ~ w r n e dthe l,-C of the force's approach. Snipers
were more uf a nuisance than a serious threat. It Y ~ dificult S to hit a
mansizcd targct on uwn a SIOTVbox.
&nbushcs corisistcd of 10-20 spider-holes and bunkers3 along
100-300yd (91-274111) of shore with follr to five shoulder weapons and
machinc guns to onc RPG. Ambushes were set-up at narrows 30-1 00ycI
(27-9lm) across. Of course on narrow watenvays the initiation range was
a nrattcr of fcct rlot rards. Ambushers were seldom positioned on both
banks of a watum~ilp.
Anbushes were riskv. Thc LTCknew riverinc- forces carried a great deal
ofautorrratic rseaporls arid highcxplosive firepo-rverand Free l,lTorldForces
could call dou1i artillem fire, which only tc>okminutes to cleliver. Kiverine
forces alrvays operated under arl artillcry umbrella. They ccollld caIl in
helicopter gunships and figliter-bombcrs,which could be on-station thin
20 ~ninutes.Fl3en the VC: tz-ithdrcw t h q were often exposed an the open
plains and had to abandon their heavy WCdponS. Riverine operations o f r ~ n
insened blockirig forces on other watercvays and the uithdrawing LTCcol~ld
easily run inro them. Another danger was helicopter-delivered reaction
forces irisened on h e i r reireat reute.4
3 Osprey F o r k s s 48, V~etCong and NVA Tunnels and Fort~ficahnsof the V~etnamWar
4 Osprey Elrte 154, Metnam Fvmobfle Warfare Tactrcs
 Sandini

Boat units and combat operations

SaiIors assigned to thc hfRF and River PatroI Force
had first undertaken their specialty training
in N a y senice schools as seamen, radiomen,
radarmen, enginemen, coxswains, gunners, elec-
tricians, etc. They then attended h e Naval Inshore
Opcratinns Training Center at VallejQ. California,
where they learned to operate as crews in the
l l-week River ,ksault Craft Training Course on the
Sacramento k ~ eDelta.
r Training also took place at
Marc Island N a n l Shipyard, California (smalI boat
training) ; Camp Robcrts, California (an h y base
for gunnery &&ing); and M'hidbey Island 'Naival
Air Station, JVashington (survival, evasion, resistance. and escape USS Mercer (APE-39) was one
training). PBR crews undertook similar training in the fiver Patrol Boat of the M R F t mother ships.
Two AMMl barges a n moored
Course at Vdlejo and Mare Tsland. PCF crews were trained at Naval h e .
alongside. The ship was olive
Coronado, California by Boat Support Unit 1. Once the PCF c r w s were drab, but the helio-landing deck
trairled they moved to Sul-lic Bay: Pllilippines, where h e y reccived their was white with red markings.
boats and proceeded to Vietnam. Newly arriving Swi-fl Boat crews in Others had a light gray deck
ITietnamwere qpically broken up, with each man detailed to a different with white markings in the
same pattern.
boat to gain experience. Il'hen ready thc crew rvas reassembIed and took
orer their hoai. Survival training lvas also provided at Subic Bay where
some sailors laid over en route to Vietnam. Some personnel wcre gwen
basic Vietnamese language training to aid them wherl boarding
tTietnamese watercraft. This was routine and dangerous ~ o r k for PER
and PCF sailors.
The brown water sailors li-ere highly trained and motivated. Many
coluntuered for the duty and served one-year tours in Vietnam.
Casualtics were high. Thc numbers of tvouncled were proportionaIly
higher than in other types of unit, and ii-erc the highest rtithin the N a y .
This was especially true for the blW. The brown water sailors called their
A r m y counterparts "grunts" and were like~zGsecalled "squids," but there
was a real mutual respect. In the boats it lnade no difference what color
of u~lit'ormone 1%-ore: it was a shared dangcr.
The organi7aiion of b m t units and the number of assigned craft
deperlded on the type. The hierarchy of n;~\.alsmall craft unit?, from
highest to lowest, was flotilla, squadron, division, and section. These were
administrative organizations in large ship categoric?, but for smdl craCt
they sened a? tactical units as well, alhough they ~z~ould be internally task-
organized for combat. Flexibili~F+QS ihe kcy to naval task organization.

River Patrol Force

PBR Mk Is were assigned to the hver PatroI Farce. alia Task Force 11.6,
commissioned on December 18. 1965. Its mission was to conduct
Operation Gamt IVnrden, the patrol and security of the Delta waterways.
On Marrh 15, 1966 the force received an additional desig~ration,River
Patrol Squadron 5. 11 ims first organized into Task Group 116.1 with
80 PBRs to operaLe in h e Delta at large, and Task Group 116.2 for the
Rlmg Sat Special Zone. with 40 boats. It tqu~vto fol~riask groups in
January 1968, each with ~ b r o10-boat seclions. Each group operated on a
specific river. h fifth task q o u p \%-asadded in-June to operate far upriver
on the Mekong near the Carnhodian border.

The main mission of the
12-14-hour PER patrols was
to inspect Vietnamese boats
and check identification papers.
The radar was not especially
effective for detecting small
craft. but was useful for
night navigation.
Sandini
Task Group River Base
116.1 Song Bassac Can Tho
116.2 Song CO Chien Sa D e c
116.3 Song My Tho My Tho
116.4 Song Nha Be Cat Lo
116.5 Upper Song Mekong Chau Doc
PBR sections operating- at the rnrmths of the river, had re-statioricd
hemselves further upriver to amid sea s~vells,although this lirrlitcd thcir
operalions by 50 percent. The supporting mobile bases would rclocatc
each night as the VC: positioned mortar-aiming stakes during thc day.
Two-boa1 patroIs typically lasted 12-1 4 hours.
Zn Septemher and October 1967 a PBR section lvns sorit to tlie
o p p ~ s i l eend of Vietnam to test the feasibility of conducting opcratioils
on the Song Huong Giang ( P e r h m e River) 2nd son^ Cua Dai ricar the
Demilitarized %one.In Janllai-y 1968 the new Riwr ~ivisiori55 was sent
11orth to pa~rolthese rivel-S under Operation Cknrwntm. Kwr P~atrol
Squadron 5 lvas redesignated River Florilla Five in Scptcmbur 1968 and
1,eor~anized into five river divisions with the addition of 130 PBR Mk 2s.
RilCerdivisions consisted or four or firit: 10-boat sectioris dcsiqated by
three-digit numbers reflecting the parent di~ision,e.g. River Dirisiun 51
with River Sections 51 1-51 4.
River Division River Bases
51 Song Bassac Can ThoIChau Doc*
52 Song Co C h ~ e n Sa Decminh Longflan C h a u r
53 Song My Tho My Tho*
54 Song Nha Be Cat Lo
55 Song Huong Giang & Cua Dai Danang
* Addit~onallya floating W base at the river's mouth with hvo aiiached UH-1Bs.
t Rest stop, no permanently assigned units.
The flotilla T V ~ S suppol-ted bp Detaclirrlent Guy (two or three
SEAL Team l platoons), Helicopter Attack Squadron (Light) S wilh 25
UH-1B Hue? gunships, and ~ i & tAtttack Squadron 4 with 15 OV-1011
Bronco obscrvation/dttack ai~planes.'The
helicopter attack squadro~lhad replaced
Ilelicoptur Combat Support Squadron 1
in April 1967. Other ailached unitr were
Mine Division 112 with 12 minesweeping
boats (MSBs), Patrol Air Cushion Vehiclr
Division 107 with ihree PACV?, and
Striku Assault Boa1 Squadron 20 with
22 ST-Us supporling the SEAIS. The
l ~ 1968 wa? 2,000 men.
flotilla's s t r e ~ i g t in
By 1970 the flotilla possessed 258 c r d .
Deco~rl~rlissioned in Decemher 19'70,most
assets wcerewrned over to the Vietnamese.
The C~Ieurn~a~rn rr~ir;s~on in the north had
beer1 terminated in June.
 Sandini

Coastall Surveillance Force

Suift Boats were assigned to Task Force 115, the
Coastal Surveillance Force for Operation Market
Time Tlie Korth Vierriamese were infiltrating
supplies south a n a massive scale. They used junks
and other smalI crafi, which were difficult to dis-
tinguish from the 64,000 licensed junks, sampans,
and fishing boats. Most sirpplies and troops rroxn
North Vietnam came south via the Ho Chi Minh
Trail, b u ~a significant amount was delivered by
boat. This was easier and fdster than nail-packing
it over ~ l l etrail network and delivering it directly
to units in the coastal arcas rather ihan hading it
overland. Tlie Ta?k Forcc was cornrriissioned i11 July 1965, although Army UH-IH medevac
clernenu had begun operations earlier in the year, Boat Squadron 1 was Huey lands on A-92-4 with
a he'io deck. The
organized wit11 five boat divisions (101-1 0 5 ) , each wit11 1419 PCFs.
decks were fabricated from
Crews tvpicallr; conducted 24hour patrols and were relieved by another M8A, aluminurn airfield
boat. It was rudesigna~edCozsGd Sqiradron 1 in January 1967, with (,ft 7inmxlln 91nM~0.5x3.6m).
six coastal divisions (11-16) of 16-22 boats each. The coastal divisions The deck markings are in
ncre resporisible Tor specific patrol areas from north to south alorlg the white with a red cross. Note
that the troop compartment
I,20&mile (1,951kmj coast:
canopy remains in place.

Division Base
Coastal Division 12 Da Nang
Coastal Division 16 Chu Lai
Coastal Division 15 Qui Nohn
Coastal Division 1 4 Cam Ranh Bay
Coastal Division 13 Cat Lo
Coastal Division 11 An Thoi

Coa~talSqiradron l, with the addition of Coast Guard Squadron l,

with 25 WPB 82ft (251u)all-weather patrol cutler.s, and Coastal Patrol C-132-1 moored ashore. A tarp
Squadron 3 with five PG patrol 9;111lboats,\ELS assigned to Lhe nex has been hastily erected as
Coastal Flotilla One. Its 1968 strenpth
U
was 1.050 men. iVI~rkpLTirnewzt~ pmectionfromthesun.
The dark colored
also responsible for Operation Stable Door - the harbor defense of Vung
became ovens during the day.
Tau, Cam Ranh Bay, Qui Nhon, and Klia Trang. Inshore Underwater Coupled with the humidity
IYarfare Group One. with Units 1-5 performed this ~nissioii using qenerated by the water, they
variom types of ?mall patrol boats. It is estimated that Coastal Flotilla were suite uncomfortable.
One reduced enemy boat irlfiltratron b) at least
one-tenth Besides rxtended trvwboat i n ~ h o r e
patrols, they also conducted river patrol? w t h
Ktver Patrol ForLe PBKs and PIP MW. Tht. unit
rvas decommissioned at the beginning of 1970.
and most of ihe craft, except the Coast Guard
cutlers ~11dpaunl ,pnboais, nere nrcned o17t.r to
the Vietnamese.

M o b i l e Riverine Force
l'he Mobile Krverine Force w a s established as
a joint force to conduct ofiensive operations In
the Deltn. Considered the ~rlostviable ~rlethod

Four recently arrived ATCs a n
moored to an AMMl pontoon
barge. The two craft forward
of them are loaned Vietnamese
Mavy riwrine craft that RAD 91
used for training prior t o the
arrival of their own craft. The
cylindrical fittings on either side
of the fantail lockers are engine
air intakes.
Sandini
of regaining the initiative frorri the VC, it wolxld
take advantage of the regon's natural means
of communication. The Na177 component of the
M W was River A ~ a u l tFIotilla One (Task Force
117),commissioned at Coronado on September 1,
1966. It immediately commenced assembling crew
and undcrtaking training. 'The Flotilla staffw~s75
men and thc advance ~lementsarrived in Vietnam
in early J a n u a ~1967.
Tlie first support elr~nentsarrived i11April and
May. I11 J u n e they moved to Dong T m ("unitcd
hearts and mincls") rvhere a base was constnlctcd
for 2d Brippde, 9th Infantry Dil-ision. the MW's
A r m y component. This base WAS 3 miles (4.8km) FtTeslof the town of
My Tho on the Song M y Tllo 20 miles (32km) southwesi of Saigon. The
M W ' s main operating base. tliough, would be afloat, as adequate Iarld
space w-as scarce, required significant security forces, and the Viet~larnesc
were not too keen on he idea of introducing American lroops into thc
Delta as it wolild escalaie the war. A floating base would s e m to separatc
the Americans Crom the population and could also be moved to differem
areas. making the M W truly mobile, not just its boat-home combar
element?. The mobile rherinc base rvas operated by River Support
Squadron 7 ( ' h k Group 117.3).
2 X Barracks Sh~ps,Self-Propelled (APE)*
1 x Barracks Sh~p,Non-Self-Propelled (APL)
1 X Land~ngCraft Repair Ship (ARL)"
2 X Landing Ships, Tank (LS)
1 X Net Laying Ship (AN)
1 x Repair, Berthing, and Messing Barge (YRBM)
2 x Heavy Salvage Craft (LHC)
2 x Light Salvage Craft (LLC)
2 X Harbor Tugs, L~ght(YTB)
'The APE and ARL were much modified LSTs. See Osprey New Vanguard 115, Laodfng Shrp, Tank LSIJ 194742-m2.
RGs 9 and I1 were the MRF's combatant ~mits. The It% was
subdi~idedinto two river assault dirisions (RADs). each capable of
transporting and supporting a11 i n f h t q battalion. RWs 9 and 1 l consisted
of tcvo M D s each (drawn from RADs 91, 92, 111, and 112). Attachments
included an L'ndemxter Demolition Team (UDT) d e t ~ c h ~ n e nexplorive
t,
ordnance disposal detachment, and a rivcrinc survey team.
The original concept called for h e floating barrich to operate upriver.
but it ?-as felt they were too vulnerable to swimmers and standoff attacks.
as ~vellas being too deepdra~rglniio travel h. Iristcad. they ~v0111dbe based
sca~$-arc1of the river mouth where lJne W units would operate.
The first craft assigned 40 h e new unit were b<)rrt)wedUSmade
Vietnamese vessels. These under-armed and under-armorecl craft, simpIe
LCM(6) modifications, were sufficienl to train and familiarize the US
crclvmen who operated them triple-crewed. Tlie first 9th Infantry Division
clcments reported for training in rnidjanuary and additional '1,ietnamese
craft were borrowed. N e ~ vUS craft b e g n arriving in March and rhe
 Sandini

Liietnamese craft were turned over to M S 11 in April so it could

commence mining.
The US craf~were split unevenly benveen d ~ nvo e R4Ds of a-I M, as
demonstrated in the table below. with two oficers and 155 and 171
enlisted men, respectively. h RAD was commanded bp a lieutenant. assisted
by a chief staff' officer (later a material officer), plus petty officers for
training, pecsorlncl, boat maintenance, supplies, tvelfare and recreation,
work details, pontoon c,hiel; and pontoon ~ m c hThe . demands on the
boats were heavy, and a 75-80 percent atvailahrlity tens typical.

RAD 91 RAD 92
2 X GCBs l X CCB
3 X MONs 2 x MONs
13 X ATCs 13 X ATCs
8 X ASPBs 8 x ASPBs
IX refueler

In 1968 River. Support Squadron 7 received two additional MBs, alorlg

rvitli one more Barracks Ship, NonSelf'Propelled ( M L ) and m LST to
support rrvo additional IWSs. MS13and 15 were assigned in June 1968,
Rms 131, l%,151,152, and 153 ( M S 15 had three R4Ds; 153 had
only 16 MP&) biith nerv Program 5 boau. In Jtllv, Task Force 117 was split
into trvo task groups, Alfa (TG 117.1) with KASS 9 and l l to operate in
the eastern Delta, and Bravo (TG 117.2) with & ? S 13 and 15 working tlzc
western Delta. TF 117's Navy strength in 1968 was 3,700 men.
In April 196'3 the U D s were organized into sections led by
boatswain's males 1st claqs for better control and maintenance. The
boats could be co~nmandedb~ boatswain's mates 3d through 1st class.

Section A Section 8 Section C Section D Section E

A-152-1 T-152-1 T-152-4 T-152-7 T-152-1D
A-152-2 T-152-2 T-152-5 T-152-8 T-152-11
A-152-3 T-152-3 F 152-6 T-152-9 T-152-12
A-152-4 T-152-13
C-1 52-1
M-152-1
R-152-1
2-152-1

The Program 4 boats of KSSs 9 and 11 were turned over to the

Vietnamese and both scluadrons tverc decornn~issionedin June 1969.
That sarrie monill the 9th 1nCantr-vDivisioil was uotificd of its departure.
with 2d Brigade the first to depart at the end of July. MS 13 and I5
recei~edthe remaining 94 boats.
Some ATCs were assigned to carrv RI~nrn nort tars. arhllery fire
direc~ion centers, aid stations, ammunition, and supplies. Thcp
undertook patrols, blocked escape routes, and protected floating
howiaer batteries. T h e later arrival of M P B s relieved them of some of
there tasks. M W at at er craft supported the ground force by:

2-132-1 was a Program 5 flame
boat mountlng two flame guns
plus two Mk 48 Mod 0 turrets
with ZOmm cannons. The
crewman in the center against
the frame fuel tank compartment
hatch holds an M60 machine gun.
Sandini
Trarlsportir~gand supporting assault troops
Acting as. or in support of, blocking for-ces
Conducting reconnaissance, securitv, and combat patrols
Transporting and landing raid hrces
Displacing crew-served weapons
Transporting and positionirlg reserves
Performing resupply and evacuation tasks
Serving as command or utility vessels
Serving as mobile aid sla~ions
Providing direc~and indirect fire support
\Vithdrawing or redeploying lroops
Acting as 105rnrn howitzer or 81mm rnorLar
firing pla~orms
Etxcuating prisoners of war, defectors, and detainees
Acting as minesijveepers
Performing damage conlroI and salvage
Providing maintenance and repair of m~ercraft
As for the hlRF's ground elemenl. Lhe Kaiy originally proposed that
amphibious-trained marines be assigned, but h e y were totally committed
far north and no other Marine units could be deployed to V~etnam.It
recognized that the ground force M-ouldhave to be specifically trained for
n17crine operations rather than simpli7rotating just any unit. The 9th
Infantry Division nas reactivated at Ft Riley, Kansas on Febnm7; l , 1966.
The 2d Brigade, 9th Infmlry Qkision, consisted of three inrantry
battdions ~+ltlla headquarters company, combat support company and
thrce rifle companies. Urlneeded vehicles and equipment were stored at
Dong Tarn. Some support personnel were used to form bvo additiona1
rifle platoons, and 'iviih the existing scout platoon from the former
combat support company, provided a fourth rifle company. This proi-ided
a company for base security and still allowed three rifle companies to be
com~rlittedto operations.
HQ & HQ Company, 2d Br~gade.9th Infantry D~vrs~on
2d Battalion, 47th lnfantry
4th Battalion, 47th Infantry
3d Battallon, 6Mh Infantry
3d Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 34th Artillety
Company G, 15th Eng~neerCombat Battalion
The g-round troops5 transported and supported by riverine craft spent
much of their time merely a passengers. Mien amh~whed,though, they
would return fire with their o ~ m
weapons and prepare to debark. 1l;hen
engaged, the rive~ineforce might fight itq way through the arnbmh and
continue on its primary mis~ion;the ambush ~vasmost likely a dekd?ing
tactic. It might disembark a small element to engage and pursue thc
ambushers, or units might be landed to the flanks in an effort to enwap thc
ambushers. A helicopterdelivered reacuon force might be inserted to cut
off the withdrawing ambusher?.
5 See Osprey Wawior 98, US Army infantryman in Vietnam 196573
 Sandini

Typically, the ground force would he landed in a specific area ~ ~ h e r e A Program 5 Zippo flames
inlelligence had ide ntjficd enemy activity, Ihcy ~vouldsweep through the the shoreline to bum off
concea'rnentmF'amethrower
area, often with blockr~lgforces i~lsarredhorn parallel streams and/c~rby
fuel was a mixture of gasoline
helicopter. If the sweep turned up nothing. combat patrols might he
conductrd tllrough the area ancl anbushes t.shblished a t nigh1 011 trails
~ . ground force rriight be witl~dra~tm
and w a t ~ n t 2 The
.
and napalm powder to make
thickened f i e , , increasing
the same davit I ~ S its mnge and allowing it to
insertud, or rernain in the area f i r up to three days. Immersion fool bum longer.

beca~nca problem rrorn that point. One of the three battalrons ~$-nuld
remain at the floating hasc to dnr out and operations were rotaied.

SURVIVING RlVERlNE AND

PATROL CRAFT
Or the hundreds of riveriiic and patrol r m f ~built, few remain today. Most
Icere lcft in Vietnam and have becn scrappcd, w were most of those
retained in the USA in ~raining,opzr~tional,and reserve units, lrlsofar as
can be determined, no PBR hlk 1s or l\SPBs suu-vive. PER Mk 2s are
exhibited at:

Neh\ Jersey Naval Museum, USS Ling Submarine

Memorial Xssocia~ion,Idackensark
USS rllnhama Battleship Commission, Mobile, Nabama
National Vietllam MBr hkmorial Museum, Orlando, Florida
Mare IsIand Historical Park rlssociation, Vall~jo,California
Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California

The PER ai Coronado commemorates Task Force 116. -sllso on

display arc- PCF-104 (hfk l ) honoring 'Task Force 115, and CCB18
commemonting Task Force 11'7. CCIS-IS is a Program 5 version
assigned to a reserve unil at Mare Island and i w w r saw Vietnam service.
Nn ATCs or other vi~riantsremain. One other PCF Mk 1 is o t ~ display at
Navy Yard. Wasllingtnn, DC. Three or four former PCF hlk Is arc said
to have bcen convened to civilian usu. One of these, PCE2, is no?$-the
rcsearch vessel iVattharo E iMnuq operated by Tidewater Conlrriunity
Lollege, Norfolk, Virgi~iia.
 Sandini

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Croi~at,1,-ictor,Vzesnnm Raver \Varju?e 1945-1975, Bradford Press,
London (1986)
Cutler, 'I hornas J ., I3~romnH hkr; Block Bmts: Coas~aland Rivenne
Ji%l?;Cn~e tn l/zernan~Pocket Books, New York (1988)
Forbes, John, and Jirn Wllliams, R~vmi.rineS;br~e:T h e Illustrated Histuv
o i ~ h rIr?rlnam Ilhr. l3antam Books, New York (1987)
Friedman, Norman, Lr.,'.S. S?nnll Coniba/an ks, mcludingP7lbonls,
S U ~ T ~ < I aJ ~dP S , I3~own-WnsmAYaq. An Illuslraled U e s i p ~H k t u ~ ,
i thr
haval Institute Press, Annapolis. MD (1987)
Fulton, \Vllliarn B.. Klvmne Opmnlions 1966-69, Department of the
Army, 1,ietnam Studies senes, IYasllington, DC (1975) See also:
hl~@://wmus urn>.?ni~/cmh~g/~o#k/~>~fl~m/riuerz'ne/~ r~dex.htm#Cirntrw B
Goldsmitll, \Vynn, Pupci Bvuvo R m r o : LT.S ,Yov} Pulrol Bocit~at VIhr
2 ~ Ifielntim,
t Ballentlne Books, Neu" York (2001)
Gregor): Harry, I/aelnnm ConslaF nnd R ~ v m i nForces
~ Hcrndhuk,
HarperCollins, Northampton, UR (1988)
klarolda, Ed~-ardJ ., Spa, A q ar~dLand: A ~ fllustru/ed
L Hfitu?y
oJ/hr C:S *Yuq and lhe Ilhr m Suulheut his, Nabal. Historical Center,
M'ashmgton, DC (1994)
Mesko, Jim, Rzvm~ne:A ActonaF H k l o r ~o j lhe Brown Tlbt~rW{irin V~clnam,
Squadron/Signal Publica~ions,Car rollton, T X (1983)
Rouman, Cordon L , 7&e b~etnnmBlown TV{iterN u q : Rzvmne and Coastal
Warfin 1965-69, Concord Publications, Hong Kong (1997)
Schreadley, R. L., Ili-om !he 12tvprs lo Lhe Sea: Tl?eU7i~ledS~ales,Yoq
2n I'i~lnnw. Nax-al Institute Press, rhanapolis, MD (1992)
US Army, Rwrzne IVar&re, FM 31-75 (Test) (June 24. 1968)
US Army, fitvpnne ITru&re, FM 31-75 (Januarv 18, 19'71) Infantrymen prov~desecurity as
US Nay, Uonls 01the L'nilrcl Sla/es ,Va7y, NkILISHIPS 250452 (May 1965;) the platoon moves inland for a
sweep. This armored LCM(6)
was a loaned Vietnamese Navy
Riverine and p a t r o l b o a t a s s o c i a t i o n w e b s i t e s
riverine crafl on which RAS 9
K i v e r i n ~ / C o a s ~Cnit
i l Insignia conducted its initial in-country
http://li )U W.b1?~jurkct. co:om/usn-sh~-insi~~~wkn~.
htrn training and first operations.
9th Inrantry Division e-Association
hrt~://9t~iinfan1:~ydi11~io~i~. bmvepages,cow/
9th Inrantry Octiroil nivision Association
LTLTk
~ L ~ ~ X / ~oldrt?linb U q/
.
Kiver Vet
IZ~@://~NN#. n ~ m corn
~~t.
Mobile Riverine Force Association
h,tt#://7umu). m,l-foO. erg/
PER Forces Yeterans A~sociation
http://1u7jtuj.p/1r$ta.wg-)
S TTt~Boat Sailor's Associatioi~
htfp://~~ijt~1..~#2ftb0~1~t~~.
K@
Gamewardens or Vi etnam Aqsociation
h t t p : / / ~ m tfllri.
~ ) . org/in.cIxx.h , t d
klobile Kiverine FOI-ce
htt$://www. ri~mmn~snilm: co:orn/
'i,Val-boat?of Americ,a
http://~j)a~-hoaf,~. rq/
 Sandini
COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY
A: PATROL BOATS, RIVER (PBR)
These PBRs are depicted with the cockpit canopy attached in
both the side view and the overhead view. The 31ft (9.5m) PBR
Mk 1 (AI) is armed with twin .SO-cat. M2 machine guns on the
Mk 36 scarf-ring mount, a 40mm Mk 18 grenade launcher on
the starboard amidships engine compartment shield, and a
.50-cal. on the fantail on a Mk 26 tripod. Some units applied
the US white star on the forecastle rather than
on the canopy as was more common. In this instance the
hull number is marked on the forepeak access hatch. The
32ft (9.75rn) PBR Mk 2 (A2) has its twin 50-cal. machine guns
on the Mk 46 mount, a Mk 18 grenade launcher on the port
side, a 7.62mm M60 machine gun on the starboard side of the
arnidsh~psshield, and a 30-cal. d.The Mk 1 and 2 can be
diferentiated by the Mk 2's larger and higher cockpit fairing and
the wider separation of the forward machine guns. National
identification was imporkant to prevent fr~endlyair attack. The
US skar (A41 was commonly marked on the cockpit canopy,
while Vietnamese Navy craft applied a yellow redangle w~tha
red cross (A3). Likew~se,national flags were flown for surface
identification. Boats were often required to extract small
reconaissance teams such as SEALS and long-range
reconaissance patrols (LRRPs). The high bow made it difficult
to board, so nylon webbing cargo nets (A5) were secured to
assist heavily burdened trmps.
B: ASSAULT SUPPORT PATROL BOATS {ASPB)
The 37 early ASPBs (Bl) had a fantail cockpit in which an
8 l m m Mk 2 Mod 1 mortar was mounted. One Or two .50-cal.
machine guns might be mounted on the sides of the cockpit
similar to those seen on 62. The forward Mk 48 Mod 2 turret
mounts two .50-cal. machine guns. The top Mk 48 Mod Q
turret mounted a 20mm cannon. Both turrets could also
mount a 40mm Mk 79 grenade launcher. Most of the 50
Program 5 ASPBs (BZ) had a decked-over fantail and the
mortar was removed. Two 30-cal. machine guns on Mk 26
tripods may have been mounted on the fantail- The forward
turret was relocajed closer to the bow and a large access
hatch may have been fitted between the turret and
deckhouse. Turret armament was sotnetimes switched
between the two turrets. Here, though, the forward turret IS a
Mk 48 Mod 4 with a .50-cal. machine gun and a four-tube
3.5-in. Mk 47 mcket launcher fitted on either side. Hull
numbers were normally white, with the " A indicting an ASPB
Only two PCF Mk I s are on public display. This is PCF-I,
used during the Vietnam Wat as a training boat, now on
display at Navy Yard, Washington, DC.
. --
or "Alpha boat," a two- or three-digit number forthe RAD, and
a single digit designating the ASPB within the RAD. The
Mk 48 Mod 0 turret (63) mounts a 20mm Mk 16 cannon and
a 40mm Mk 19 Mod 0 grenade launcher.
C: PATROL C RAFT, FAST11 NSHORE (PCF)
The Patrol Boat, Fast or Patrol Boat Inshore (from August 1963
was better known as the Swift Boat. The most widely used was
the PCF Mk 1 (Cl) of which 84 were deployed to Vietnam. This
mounts the standard armament of twin 50-cal. M2 machine
guns on a Mk 17 scarf-ring mount, and an 81mm Mk 2 Mod 1
mortar wkh a -50-cal. machine gun. This early PCF still bears
the hazegray ocean color, but all were soon painted olive drab,
as the ligM gray was detectable at night. Hull numbers were
white (=seldom highlighted in black) and numbered in srsquenoe
through all PGF series. The number did not ind~catethe
assigned unit. Only three PCF Mk 2s (122) and five externally
similar Mk 3s served in Vietnam. Accommodation was much
improved over the Mk 1. Armament remained the same, other
than the topside twin .50-cals which were on a Mk 56 mount.
The lid of the 81mm ammunition locker was painted white with
the hull number in black. "PCF" and the hull number were
painted in white on the boat's stern.
D: S W I F T BOAT (PCF) MK 1
Given ~ t s5017(1 5m) length, the PCF Mk 1 provided its six-man
crew with adequate, if Spartan. accommodation. Four bunks
and the head were in the forward crew compartment. The
pilothouse was the duty smion for the boat captain and
coxswain. The gunner manned the k i n .50-cals in the
topside tub. me radioman's posit~onwas in the aft deckhou=
compartment, where two more bunks were located on the port
side, with the compact galley on the starboard. The engineman
and a seaman manned the 81mm motar.
E: AR MORED TRQO p CAR RI ERS (ATC)
The Armored Tmop Carrier or "Tango boat" was the most widely
used of the riverine craft. its spacious troop compartment
allowed i t to k used for other purposes, including water
cannon-armed Douche boats, rduelers, and simply hauling
ammunition and supplies. The Program 4ATC (El) of 1966 was
arm& with a formidabie array of wmpons including a 20mm
cannon and two .50-cal. machine guns in turrets, two 7.62mm
machine guns in the wheelhwse and two more on the troop
comparlment gunwales along with two 40mm automatic
grenade launchers. The machine guns and grenade launchers
were not always mounted. ATC hull numbers migM b e white or
black on the bow and stern, precedd by a "T," followed by the
PAD'Stwo- or threedigit number and the boat's number within
the division. The canopy star was often reversed on lsrter boats.
The 1968 Program 5 ATC (E21 was outwardly similar to the
Program 4, but there were numerous internal improvementsand
armament changes. Owr three-quarters of the new ATCs had
helicopter decks - RAS 13's RAD 131 had 13 without, and RAD
132 had 13 with. All 26 of RAS 15's ATCs had helio decks.
Armament was much increased, to two 20mm cannons and a
40mm grenade launcher in turrets, as well as a .50-cal. and
two 7.62mm machine guns on both sides of the troop
compartment. Helio decks, including those retrofitted to some
early ATC aid boats, were marked by a red cross.
 Sandini

F: M O N I T O R S (MON) (G3)was a modifled LGM(6) wrth an enlarged bar-amored

The MRF's heay firepower was prov~dedby the Mon~torThe
Prwram 4 Monitor (Fi) mounted a 40mm Mk 3 cannon In the
foward turret, werghlng 3,7481b (1,428kg) without the gun, and
was mounted along with a .50-cal. machine gun for ranglng.
An 81 mm direct-f~remortar was m the am~dshlpswell deck,
and the deckhouse armament was the same as the Program 4
ATC's. A few Mon~torswere fitted w~thtwo flame gun cupolas
just abaft the 40mm turret The armament and deckhouse
deslgn of the Program 5 Mondor (F2) were very different.. The
main armament was a turreted 105mm how~tzer,and two
wheelhouse, s~de-mountedam~dshipsMk 51 turrets w~th
20mm cannons, and a sh~eld-protected.50-cal. on the sealed
bow ramp. The ramp was c~rtdown to gunwale level to
improve the helmsman's vlew. Two davits were provrded wlth
two mount~ngbrackets mounted on the stern and am~dsh~ps
on both s~desIn the well deck. The dav~tscould be sh~ppedto
where needed for Type Q Size 5 (5ft 61n.ll.Jm) mlnesweep
floats, whlch were stowed on racks In the well deck

F--=
Mk 48 turrets with 20mm cannons were atop the smaller
deckhouse wlth .50-cal rnach~neguns on the s~des.The
81mm was orn~ffed.A 50-ca[. was sornet~mesmounted atop
the 105mm turret Four of the ten new Program 5 Monitors (F3)
subst~tutedtwo M10-8 flame guns in M8 cupolas for the
105mrn to become Zlppo bats. Monitors were identified by
an 'W hull number and flame boats by a "Z." I

G : COMMAND AND CONTROL BOATS (CCB)

A N D MINESWEEPER, RIVER (MSM)
Program 4 CCB Charlie boats (G1) were modified Monitors
whlch were still capable of providing significant fire support
by reTainlng the 40mm cannon and standard deckhouse
weapons. The well deck for the deleted 81mm mortar
was converted to a Tactlcal Operat~onsCenter (TOC) for a
small Army staff and extra radios This was covered by ABOVE An Army CH-54 Tarhe, better known as a 'LSkycrane,'7
a steel-sided, canopy-topped houslng. The Program 5 CCB prepares to lift a grounded PBR Mk 2. Skycranes were also
(G21was also based on its Monitor counterpart, but it lacked used to transfer PBRs from one wateway to another.
the forward 105rnm how~tzerturret, whlch was replaced by The canopy was removed and the radar mast taken
a 20mm cannon-armed Mk 48 Mod 0 turret as found on down when airlifled.
the deckhouse of both the Program 5 CCB and Mon~torThe
larger, flat-topped TOC housing was a~r-condit~oned CCBs BELOW An Army UH-1H Huey helicopter settles aboard R-92-1,
were ident~f~ed by a "C" hull number. The Minesweeper, R~ver a refueler retmfitted with a helicopter landing deck. The radio
(MSM) (formerly Landlng Craft, Mechan~zed.Mfne - LCMM) antennae had to be faken down for a chopper to land.

. -:<
.. A. "
t,
--

Figures in bold refer tu iIlustrations
a ~ dboat? 21
Mpha boats c ~ Aswult
r Support
Patrol Boars
AM141 barges 38, 41
armanlcnt 8-1 2
armur 6-7
i h o r c d Troop Carrrers (-4TC:s)
5, ?l-24, E (3n, 46), 33, 33,41
armamcnt 9, l 1, 23, 24
r h o r e d Troop Carriers,
Helicopter (ATCH) 24
A l n ~CH-54 Tarhe 47
h y 1-H-11-TT-luey hellcupter 43
h 7 UH-111 medevac Huey 440
hs:luIt Supporl Pacrol Boats (MPBs)
7 , 18-21, B (26. 46), 42
design r c q n i r ~ n ~tse n18
autorrlatic callnon I l
I ~ a r - a m u r6. 7: 22
Bofors b i n 12
I I ~ O U ~ Xwater
I sailors 38
l31.ownrx1g.50-cal. M2 rnact~irlegun 9
Char lie boats SPP Corninand 3 r d
Control Boat?
rlasqificdtion codcs 6
Cnasral Squadron 1 10
Cnasrd Survelllancr Force 40
Command and Control Roats (CCBs)
l l , 22, G (32,47), 3 5 , 3 6
on displav 44
flak rutxlir~s 24
flamr bnau (Zippos) 35, 3 5 4 3 . 47
flamcrhrowers 12, 35,43
French patrol boats 18
fuel 7-8
grenadr: Iaunct~ers6, 8, 9, 10, 1 1,
20,21
ground force 43-44
Sandini
helicopter stuck squadron 39
helicoptcr landing d e ~ k24, 40,47
jacuzzi warcr jet purnpa 12, 13: 14
Landing Crxrr, Mectmi~zed(LCM)
"-22, 45
Landing Crafr, Mechdrllzed,
hiincsrv~eper(LChlkl) 33, 37, 47
LClf (G)-hawdrivenne craft 35
M49 hovit7er 12
machinc guns 8,9,10, 10, 11, 15, 14 Rivrr Support Squadron 7 41
m a c h i n c ~7-8
mcdicaI aid bnau 24
Melcong D e l ~ a3, 4 6
M-atcrcrarlrequir.errients 6;
Milce boats sm hiorntors
Mlncswccpr ;t River (MSR.1)
G (32, 47). 33, 37
Mobile Rivrrinp Forcr (h1RF) 40-41
2d Brigarlc. 9th X ~ l f a r Division
l~
h v e r Assa~~Ir Division 152 4'1
h ~ e Assaulr
r Flotilla One 41
fiver Assault Squadrox~!) 42
h ~ e Support
r Squadrori 7 41
Mon~tors(MOYs) 4, 5 . 11-12, W .
F (Y1,4i), 33-35
rnurtars X. 17
Operation I;lpnn~)alp.r39
Operation TAW H'nrtIrn 38
Operation ,lfork~fTiwe 40
Opexatlun Stabl~now 40
Pauol Boats, Rivcr (PR!&) 7, 9, 12-15, LH-IB I-Iuey gunships 39
A (25,46), 39
c r e w 13. 38
M L J. 11, 12- 1%
hf1, 2r 13. 14, 15, 15, 44,47
Parrol Craft, Fast/Inshnre (PCF)
S, 9, 15-18. C (27, 16), 40, 46
crews 18, YX
dmigrl requiremcntq 15
Mk 1 16, 17. D (28-29, 4F), 44,46
M k 2 18,44
radar 7, 35
radio aniennae 35, 36
rcrrlcler 53
Rwcr Assault Din-ralons ( W s )
33,41, 42
Rivrr Asrault k-lotllla Onc 41
Rir-rr Assault Squadrons (RASs)
22,41-32
Rivrr Florilla Flvz 3'3
Rivrr Patrol Craft ( W C ) 3
Rivcr Patrol Force 14, 38-39
Rivrr Patrol Squadrun 5 39
Rivrri n r ll'ar 56-44
boat 11tlits SS
Coasml Sux-\~cl~lbncc Forcr I 0
cornl>a~ operatIun5 38
Mohile Rhenne Furcc 40-41
Rrver Patrol Force 38-39
Vier Cnng threat 36-37
I-ockrt Iaziunct~ers121
43 rockrt-propelled grenades (RP&) 7
Skycranc 47
small crarr pennant numbers 14
suniving riverine and patrol c r d t 4.1.1
Srcift h a u SW Patrol Cratt, FartjInshore
TactticaI O p e n ~ i o n sCenter (TOC)
3.5, 36, 3 7
Tango hnau sot Arxr~ored
Troop Carriers
Task Force l l5 40, 44
Task Forcc l l G 38-39.44
Task Forrp 1 1'7 44
tlaillillg 38
UH-1H ITuey helicopter 24, 10, 47
LSS Mmtw (?;PE-39) 38
VletCong (VC) 5, 6, 3 6 3 7
k-~etnarncsrN a y ~ i ~ e ncrait
r ~ e 41, 45
~wlneraliility c-7
Zippos 12: 3.5, 44
 Sandini

New Vanguard 128

design, development, operation and history Vietnam

of the machinery o f warfare through the ages
Riverine Craft
1962-75
In 1965 the military situation
in the Mekong River Delta
of southern Vietnam had
deteriorated to such a degree
that the decision was made to
commit a joint US Army and
Unrivaled detail
Navy Mobile Riverine Force to
the area. This force was unique
in its composition, mission,
and the means by which
2

Full color artwork it operated - riverine craft.

A variety of watercraft were
deployed, including heavily
modified landing craft,
purpose-built patrol boats,
and a whole host of auxiliary
and support craft. This book
explores those craft in detail
and offers an insight into their
Photographs Cutaway artwork I performance in combat

US $15.95 / $ 2 2 . 9 5 CAN

I S B N 1-84176-931-2 1
OSPREY
PUBLISHING