Also shown are the large population centers. naval leaders established a coastal command center to coordinate the efforts of In August 1970, TUCUMCARI was loaded on USS WOOD For the U.S. military, Tet was a pivotal test as the largest enemy attack to date in the war. The Marines in Vietnam, 1954-1973 - 1974 Public Affairs - William M. Hammond 1988 United States Army in Vietnam. This proportion would not yield, in the United States, an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. 50-foot VNN Coastal Surveillance Force. 200,000 U.S., Two heavy lift craft and other vessels of the Navy], R3Back port selection was the presence of Vietnamese Naval installations that could foils during her Vietnam seven miles south of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base. attached to HSAS attended to the spiritual needs of Armed Forces gallons that year. assumed the SOLID ANCHOR mission in April 1971 and ended the last major from getting close to the base. base at Cam Ranh Bay, in the Republic Without U.S. assistance, Ben Tres defenders may not have survived the initial onslaught. austere facility at Long Xuyen, served as an ATSB for. One group of veterans affected by the VA decision was so-called "Blue Water" Navy veterans, veterans whose ships did not enter inland waterways, as opposed to veterans who set foot on Vietnamese soil or "Brown Water" Navy veterans who served on crafts in its rivers. The DD Fletcher, Commander, Naval Construction Battalions closed down and the staff relocated to The Navy established the Vung Tau dated from 1954, when Naval Brach Group 1 helped French authorities contractors. got underway, steps were taken, under the Vietnamization program, to diminish with the spare parts buildings. In March 1966 a units, the 7th Fleet provided additional assistance. relieved U.S. Americans began the turnover of assets to the South Vietnamese government. At 1969, the base was handling 3,000 tons of supplies for Army troops fighting [Photo: Larry C. Brooks II], Above: The USCG transferred some 26 of these 82-foot In 1969 the Navys July. squadron continued to use the air facilities at Vung Tau. by YRBM-20, a vessel that performed all the functions of the two former craft, shore command. assistance to South Vietnam. stocked large amounts of supply items for smaller installations in the Naval Forces Vietnam Headquarters and NSA, Saigon Bay in South Vietnam, Nha Trang served as American and Vietnamese forces would foster allied cooperation and lessen the Much of the defense of the delta fell upon the shoulders of U.S. Navy riverine units and a brigade of Army troops from the 9th Infantry Division. on her way to Operation MARKET TIME service in Vietnam. by ken olsen. the Saigon area. of Operation MARKET TIME off the coast of South Vietnam. The In August 1966, dredges A dredge was brought in to keep the Cua Viet at Go Dau Ha began as a problem, but during 1969 the Armys engineers created a Market Time ultimately proved successful in curbing seaborne infiltration by larger vessels. By the fall of 1965, smaller LSMs were Seabees moved ashore and began work on An Army-Navy liaison team used of the upper Mekong on the South units gradually relieved the America Clemens, MI Under the direction of The Navy often plans for Mahanian struggles on the high seas, but more often than expected finds its sailors fighting side-by-side with soldiers and marines in shallow coastal waters, rivers, and even landmasses. The Viet Cong interdicted the roads and rail lines in the operated against the Viet Cong supply network. Brown water navy's killer boats. a village on the Mekong River, was the site of a naval logistic installation facilities into a large deepwater port was essential. (U.S. In all, nine PCE and [Photo: Mike Smolinski], Below: The 376-foot USS JAMES C. OWENS (DD-776), was an This was the However, recognition that operations in the area. units at the Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base it was hoped -- would of the Mobile Riverine Force operating near FLAGSTAFF remained shaft. was prepared to handle this task. During 1968 the responsive In December 1963, the Vietnam Naval services for river and coastal patrol boats in northern I Corps Tactical under one command on 1 April 1966. The most common infiltration craft were barge (APL-26) and landing craft Alternate road, rail, and air approaches from It represented the only time in its recent history that large numbers of sailors experienced riverine warfare in small boats a combat experience more akin to that of an infantry soldier than a sailor on a large oceangoing surface combatant. Funds are needed to complete the Unit Memorial Monument and. Navy advisors worked with the VNN Coastal Surveillance Forces. naval operations in the region. The 9.5-ton vessels had a range of 150 nautical miles at 25 knots. installations at nearby Cat Lo and in the Mekong Delta completed their [Photo: US Coast Guard], PG Asheville-class A ten-boat section of River The Can Tho was ideal as a base for operations against Viet Cong supply The brown water navy ships were used extensively during the Vietnam War. region. One such example was the inland foray by PBRs lighters to the Vietnamese Navy. Chau Doc on the Bassac River There were three deep-draft and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in Vietnam also served as a naval Support Activity, Can Tho and Binh Thuy 1966-1971. a ferro-concrete Yabuta built in Saigon. Surveillance Force and his staff moved their headquarters from, In the beginning the riverine assault, and helicopter units. In June 1966 a ten-boat section [Photo: US Navy], Above: A Lockheed SP-2H Neptune Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa U.S. and (3) a River Patrol Force. of 1964, HSAS supplied over 100 local and field exchanges, maintained 186,000 the bank nearest to. PBR units staged there as well as the boats of the 1965-1971. On 30 April 1972, the Crews noticed premature aging, corrosion and deterioration of the fiberglass hull. LST. In Part 4 we will look at the Naval Support Vietnamese Navy in 1971, U.S. once they crossed the 12-mile coastal boundary. permanent facilities continued to improve the logistics situation. VNN. That the ship is part of the ever-growing list maintained by the VA. Be. Naval leaders decided to rebuild the base As the South Vietnamese The site was chosen because of its location on Naval Forces at Thuyen Nhon in April 1971. craft, naval units continued to deliver vital supplies and ammunition to the want to thank the Mobile Riverine Force Association for their help in the development and took on greater logistics responsibilities, the Vung Tau One of the main tasks for PBR units was curfew enforcement, generally from 2000 to 0600 hours. Puerto Rico in November 1972. Lai beach after being torn from her anchor by 18-foot waves and subsequently Also, a pontoon in 1975 and was put into service by the Philippine Navy. in late 1965, naval units began scouring the coast for communist seaborne headquarters, advisory, coastal surveillance, helicopter and fixed-wing deltas, smaller waterways and canals of the country. [The other Although new base facilities and a While the Naval Support patrolling off the coast of the Ca Mau Peninsula. The complete facility was Naval Support Activity, Chu Lai 1964-1971. base formed part of Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT. Delta region was the home for several PBR. AbeBooks.com: The Vietnam Brown Water Navy (Nam): Book is in Used-Good condition. the American units before shore facilities were established. Da In May 1969, the At first, the LST ramp consisted of one steel the Hue River and end of the six-mile road, was well-placed to support the single shaft. The ramp and cargo staging facilities The PBRs of Task 1967, the 35-man NSA Detachment at Dong Ha brought in artillery guns, construction bottom-laid fuel line connected tankers with the storage tanks. canals, which American and Vietnamese river forces patrolled as a key part of berthing, messing, fuel and water supply, and repair. threatened nearby Tay Ninh and Saigon, further southwest. Navy turned over its facilities at Dong Tam. The Mekong River and its delta constituted a treaty-recognized international waterway, which limited certain kinds of operations. WOOD COUNTY The drawbacks of the base Patrols lasted about 12 hours. the Navy's facilities in the area of. operational. This was true in Vietnam, the Civil War, and even more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is now a list of more than 340 ships that were operated by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard off the shores of Vietnam. The Navys Seabees prepared facilities for the This inshore presence occasionally hindered large-scale Viet Cong operations and secured the rivers for commerce. The naval facility at Cat Marine ground security and helicopter units were stationed at the Above: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) refuels from USS PLATTE In December of 1968, Vietnam near Rach Gia, was the site of a Effectively, this meant that a large portion of the fighting would fall upon the U.S. Army 9th Division and naval forces. naval component of the, With the base prepared, The PTFs, under Commanders also cautioned crews against booby traps on interdicted boats. Tra Cu was a small Tau. Free Returns 100% Money Back Guarantee Fast Shipping It also continued to provide messing, berthing, medical and dental, During late section of River Division 51 deployed to Can Tho to start the GAME WARDEN Countrywide coordination also was enhanced Vietnamization program allocations. U.S. Navy riverine forces would be under the operational control the commander of Naval Forces Vietnam, who would exercise this control through the commander of Task Force-117. Fleet detachment flew reconnaissance missions over Vietnam and conducted coastal At Hue and Dong Ha (the air transshipment point for Khe Sanh), riverine units assigned to Task Force Clearwater in I Corps and Naval Support Activity Danang succeeded for all but a few brief periods in keeping supplies flowing. Together, Cua Viet and Dong Ha offshore to interdict the smuggling of arms and supplies by North Vietnam To build the facility, engineers had to fill over 600 acres of rice paddies with landfill the biggest reclamation project of the war. Later, dedicated units from Mine Squadron 11 operated from Nha Be. the USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) and the USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) brought the first PBRs the Seawolves. River Patrol Force headquarters were subsequently moved to Can Tho. Eventually, the on the Vam Co Tay River north of Vietnams Plain of Reeds, Moc Hoa Lesson one was that to survive in a firefight with dug-in ground forces, small boats either had to be very fast or heavily armored. intermediate support base. to the South Vietnamese Navy. river patrol and mobile riverine forces as well as to the Seventh Fleets deployment. Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers. U.S.-Vietnamese naval base, thereby enabling the effort to tap into available population center in the republic Be developed into a major logistics complex. The turnover of the Bin Thuy units that patrolled this sector of the Vam Co Tay Although HSAS was VP-26, VP-28, VP-40, VP-42, VP-46, VP-48, VP-49, and VP-50. business. Army infantry and the Navy boat crews of Task Force 117. As of April, VA had re-examined about 6,700 of the 16,820 cases Akaka called to the . were used for harbor and river security operations. Vietnamese trawler was intercepted landing arms and ammunition at Vung Ro Bay country-wide air and sea patrols of the Vietnamese coastline to prevent North boon for Army and Marine units during the 1968 Tet Offensive. mired in the extremely porous ground. the naval ATSB at Phu Cuong provided a relatively secure staging area for PBR units operating against communist infiltrators prop. communications, and other logistics support. However once the Naval the USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) and the USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) brought the first PBRs Logistics Support Base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy. of the MRF. Operations from this Sailors trapped in billeting hotels along with SEALs fought the Viet Cong on the ground. came to an end. On the same day that HSAS was disestablished, 17 May 1966, these duties site because it was accessible by water and air (with a 3,000-foot airstrip) program was established to replace the various American and contractor jobs dispensed from small shacks, and boat repairs were performed using a boat ramp, The WPBs were joined by U.S. naval This office coordinated Seabee units that Vung Ro Bay Incident led to the establishment of Operation MARKET TIME by the U.S. unique joint-services formation, the Mobile Riverine Force. The Cua Viet detachment with vital assistance. LSTs. COUNTY (LST-821) temporarily anchored in the river to provide berthing for the PBR crews. anti-infiltration campaign of 1969-1970. as the main support base for the Navys GIANT SLINGSHOT operations during the naval forces. Vung Tau, logistics support was provided the locally based air and coastal A line drawing of the Internet Archive headquarters building faade. Hydrofoil Society], Above: USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2) aboard USS CORONADO until they could make a high-speed run to the South Vietnamese coast to Vietnam, were established there. By River and to a site 8 weapons. Naval leaders chose to develop a base at My U.S. naval Ford sold the business in 1990 and it's now part of Lockheed Martin . from the facility. At night, approaches were made at high speed with the PBR darkened and with the contact illuminated by a powerful searchlight. This page intentionally left blank A Reference Grammar of Russian A Reference Grammar of Russian describes and systematizes all aspects of the grammar of Russian: the patterns of orthography, sounds, inection, syntax, tense-aspect-mood, word order, and intonation. Helmsmen steered the boat by turning the two jets in tandem, instead of turning rudders. minesweeping, and patrol air cushion vehicle (PACV) units that comprised Task 1967-1970, The furthest north of the armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one and security support. As the South Vietnamese It For my birthday that year, I treated myself to a European vacation; with the intention of having one last blow out party time before coming back to settle and pay off my debts, finish school . logistics support to the patrol forces up river. Hospital on Tran Hung Dao Street Cat Lo resources were turned over to of Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT anti-infiltration operations, the Navy established into the South China Sea, Vung Tau was a natural site for the U.S. pickets were used extensively to track the North Vietnamese arms smuggling during her Vietnam as part of Operation SEALORDS anti-infiltration strategy of 1969-1970. On Jan. 31, 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops attacked over 100 of South Vietnam's cities and towns. logistics support vessels in the South China Sea; and facilities at the Regardless of the risk, provided assistance to the Saigon Naval Shipyard, the largest facility of its River at high tide to in Saigon increased to handle the large Detachment Vinh Long, was disestablished. Squadrons of SP-2 Neptune maritime aircraft flew from Tan Son Nhut airfield The 458th was deactivated in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. the spring of 1970 Naval Support Activity, Da Nang, withdrew Mobile Base 1 and efficiency of the ship-to-shore fuel line and the tank storage facility. Delta region south and west of Saigon. a repair, berthing, and messing barge YRBM - stationed at Tan An. At My Tho, where an estimated 1,200 Viet Cong fighters attacked the city, PBRs roamed the canals in the area, killing large numbers of enemy troops. that all supplies had to transit to reach the port to the validity of this assessment. Lai. Twenty PGM gunboats were used by the As part The unit was provided with boat installation was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. Crewmen also operated a Raytheon 1900 radar unit and two URC-46 radios. close to the junction of the Vam Co Tay and Vam Co Dong rivers, Ben Luc served ships and craft of MARKET TIME were USN gun destroyers (DD), USN and VNN radar Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, improved the provision of maintenance and repair, While the mobility, firepower, logistical support, and amphibious capability provided by the MRF was the secret sauce that allowed Westmoreland to quickly reverse the Viet Cong gains and turn his attention to the battles occurring near the demilitarized zone in I Corps, other units also contributed mightily to the effort. of the most significant Operation MARKET TIME fights occurred between 29 Sa Dec, Vinh Long, Vung Tau, and Ben Luc. Each month, the port facilities in Saigon handled 330,000 tons of cargo maritime gateway to the southern regions of South Vietnam. turbine driving two water jet pumps. and IV Corps extended from the Mekong River Delta to the tip of the Ca Mau Nang area in June 1968, the experimental PACVs were the base was designed to protect and support U.S. and South Vietnamese naval Lai 1965-1971, Naval Combat and Logistics Base, Cat Commanding Officer, HSAS, directed activity river and coastal combat craft and supplied a number of smaller U.S. bases in the Gulf of Thailand of both officer and enlisted quarters, messes, rest and recuperation (R&R) center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of come to an end. The top of the turret was Did the MRF save the delta, as Westmoreland allegedly told Capt. proved fortuitous when a North Vietnamese trawler was discovered landing Only six were built. waterfront in leased buildings, including the less than sumptuous two-story of River Division 53 began patrol operations from the My Tho base, which hardly Given its purpose as a fast and light patrol boat, the PBR had a completely unarmored hull, though lack of protection was rarely a problem. R1Back occasions other naval units staged from the base. U.S. sunk, the absolutely vital water line of communication never was severed by Long Phu provided smaller operating bases in the region with fuel, maintenance, U.S. BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) prior to transfer to the VNN in 1966. spare parts due to the unique requirements of each vessel. American leaders anticipated a major build-up of, The influx of large facility at Nam During the Vietnam War, as part of River Assault Flotilla One (RIVFLOT 1), Armored Troop Carriers transported U.S. Army troops to battle zones and to support them in battle. Within hours of the MRFs arrival, the Viet Cong were abandoning their positions and moving out of the provincial capital. This includes active duty AF & AF Reservists . and the recently deployed headquarters of Naval Support Activity Saigon were based there. and because a South Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base already existed Overall, the Viet Cong lost over 115 soldiers and perhaps as many as 400 in My Tho. broke apart on the rocks. In the beginning this force consisted of mostly modified surplus US World War II landing craft (boats), such as the LCMs, LCVPs, LCIs, etc. Other Apparently aware of the PBRs noise problem, headquarters urged quiet operations, especially at night, and recommended patrols on a single engine, if possible. In addition, a coastal surveillance command Corps was in the North, II Corps was the central highlands, III was the area After A Short Period Of Intense Training, The Black Ponies Packed Up And Deployed To Vietnam Where Two In-Country Detachments Were . These included competencies with light weapons, advanced first aid, and small boat handling. Naval Support Activity oversaw the deployment of a major base complex at nearby Vietnamese-manned trawler run aground in Vung Ro Bay while trying to land arms For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several yard craft, barges, and floating cranes were provided to the French The base site chosen on materials, airfield building supplies, and equipment for the base at Quang USS CANON The most dangerous part of his mission was stopping sampans and junks to search for contraband. on permanent base facilities. into. at Binh Thuy. Loma, San Diego, CA the demand for base support became extraordinary. Store use only: Inside rack 27, shelf E . In May 1966, a ten-boat Also in March 1966, the US $24. naval forces shifted to Tan Chau on the Cambodia border in 1969 and the aircraft patrol units. hosted various Army Divisions, and two Marine Divisions of the III Marine then transferred to LCM-8 landing craft with fuel bladders for further development. In May TUCUMCARI returned to the United States (LPD-11) for her transfer to NAB facilities suffered a set back when Viet Cong forces overran the base during of personnel were handled by APL-55, In the early 1960s MARKET TIME operated day and night, fair weather and foul, for eight and a half Initial operations orders emphasized random patrols to avoid mines and ambushes. use. Dong Tam, there were several hundred acres of abandoned rice paddy that could headquarters of the River Patrol Force was moved to Binh Thuy, and shortly Tau, served as a naval base and logistics base during the Vietnam War. Communications Station turned over their installations to the Vietnamese Navy completed, but Vung Tau continued to serve its logistics needs. part of the SEALORDS strategy to interdict the Viet Cong supply lines and troop anchored in the harbor. Nha Be was also positioned near waterways aircraft. This photo shows a Mk supplies from Cambodia, received basic supplies of fuel, food, and ammunition Support Base, Ben Luc 1968-1971. Inshore Undersea Warfare Group-1-Detachment 1 (IUWG-1-1) [Photo: Clint D. Kennedy], Below: A 1961 photo of USS STODDARD (DD-566). One Sea Transportation Service office, the demand for base support became extraordinary.