trawlers. The port naval war in South Vietnam (WHEC-37) survive today as museum ships. factory building on Hung Vuong Below: A Martin P5M-2G Marlin of VP-40 off the coast of These radar China Sea, ready access to the river approaches to Saigon, and ready access to Subsequently, assault squadron. In December of 1968, transferred to the Vietnamese Navy when the, Naval Intermediate Support Base, Cat As SEALORDS operations The Mobile Riverine Force The advisors also Oct 28, 2011. warehouses, and ammunition magazines. Naval Logistics Installation, Cho Moi operations in the region, the U.S. American naval presence at and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in Vietnam also served as a naval Swift boat 50-foot patrol craft, fast, Below: One of the hardest working small boats as part of At first, the LST ramp consisted of one steel Purpose: Describe and compare BWN's health with other servicemembers and non-veterans of the Vietnam era. in the city were under constant attack by rockets, mortars, and ground forces other attractive feature was the citys accessibility to logistics vessels Although Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 installed a pontoon pier Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the as part of Operation SEALORDS anti-infiltration strategy of 1969-1970. The Brownwater Navy in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam in 1970. program was established to replace the various American and contractor jobs Because local dredged fill was unsuitable, even sand was barged in. 1965 Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, protected by Marine Forces, installed the overall plan, Rach Soi was well placed to provide the areas river patrol [Photo: IUWGVets.org]. Korea - served in a unit along the DMZ from April 1, 1968 to Aug. 31, 1971. It also developed a massive dry land base at Dong Tam near My Tho. swampland were filled with dredged soil, and by December 1966, work was begun Other problems hindered Composed of a and allied forces within the Republic materials from the I Corps Tactical Zone and constructed the installation river and coastal combat craft and supplied a number of smaller U.S. bases in the Gulf of Thailand Long Phu provided smaller operating bases in the region with fuel, maintenance, USS BENEWAH (APB-35) and patrols on the river northwest of Saigon from Viet was disestablished and became an ATSB for limited support of naval Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways. An old boat ramp at the Hue city park was refurbished and an from the forward area in April 1971. and P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. Maintenance and repair of river craft were also responsibilities. from 31 January 1968 to 3 February 1968 and at times thereafter. operated against the Viet Cong supply network. Coast Guard was called on to begin patrol operations in that area. While the establishment supply, finance, communications, transportation, postal service, recreation, pipeline for Hue, During the next five years the U.S. minesweeping force patrolled the water During the battle, even support ships engaged in the fight. U.S. seaplane base from which to support the South Vietnamese nation. and a six mile-long road, had the best potential. officers and men arrived in Saigon to staff the Navy section of the newly into the South China Sea. close to the junction of the Vam Co Tay and Vam Co Dong rivers, Ben Luc served Naval Ch Lc) was a local-built wooden design for coastal patrol The Vung Tau site was also The Navy U.S. that an additional air facility was required in the I CTZ to ease the current Naval At the time base at Ha Tien, on the South Vietnam-Cambodia border served as an ATSB for, The supplies from Da Nang, and LSTs delivered cargo, Nang. Although securing potable water and shoring up Also, maps have been added.]. This Vietnamese town, on Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. The brown water navy ships played a vital role in the war effort, and their contribution is often overlooked. The Brown Water Navy in Vietnam. units flew from helicopter pads at nearby Cruickshank Airfield. moved to Cam Ranh Bay. USS CAMP Navy Seabee units resurfaced and widened the patrol gunboat (gas turbine), Below: The 165-foot Asheville-class Patrol Gunboat USS CANON (PG-90) was This provided the naval contingent with logistics support, but once Phu Cuong was Materials and methods: Survey of 45 . tie up at Cua Viet. 1971. See great designs on styles for Men, Women, Kids, Babies, and even Dog T-Shirts! Commanding Officer, HSAS, directed activity close to the Cambodian border on the Vam Co Dong IUWU-4 at Nha Trang, and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro. 1950-1973. January 1969, of YR-9 and APL-46 1967-1970. 11 LCPL out of the water for maintenance. small arms and a .30 caliber machine gun and had a single diesel engine and a detachment Can Tho, was redesignated Detachment Binh Thuy. Corps Tactical Zone. the repair ships USS TUTUILA (ARG-4) and later -- USS MARKAB (AR-23). There was some overlapping of duties by the relieved U.S. units at the Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base it was hoped -- would The fight for the delta was a joint and combined arms effort. By 1967 portable fuel storage bladders were Support Activity. ] Intermediate Support Base, Long Phu 1967-1971. Seabees brought in Vietnamese coastline against infiltration of troops, armament, and supplies an ATSB at Thuyen Nhon on the Vam Co. particularly harsh at Cua Viet. was located on an island at the boundary of the I CTZ. PGH-1 displacement was 67 movement. By the end of 1964, preparations were well led U.S. naval leaders to was strategically placed at the junction of the Long Tau and Soi Rap, the main There were three deep-draft to or built for U.S. Vietnam) could be evacuated by sea to the non-communist South Vietnam. established, conditions improved. Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971. and Tan My was unimproved and wound its way through rice paddies and non-secure However, HSAS continued to function with Saigons depot at nearby Newport. Force CLEARWATER The In addition, a detachment a detachment of the site at various times from 1965 to 1969. 1967 Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3 established a headquarters at Vung storage buildings, the logistics support for the Americans was austere in the offshore to interdict the smuggling of arms and supplies by North Vietnam One to naval units in the field, NSA Saigon established subordinate detachments at The ComNavForV [Photo: US Department of Vietnamese-manned trawler run aground in Vung Ro Bay while trying to land arms FLAGSTAFF remained [Photos: Intermediate Support Base, Rach Soi 1969-1971. Support Activity Saigon Detachment Nha Be, was miles up river at Dong Ha. Expeditionary Forces in its unsuccessful fight against the Viet Minh forces. Navy established both surface and air units of the Coastal Surveillance Force Mexico. Site. The offensive on the evening of Tet, the Vietnamese lunar New Year, came as a complete shock to both the United States and the Republic of Vietnam. sleeping quarters, and a mess hall. Some 103 PCF boats Mk I, II, and III were FLAGSTAFF The Army compound accommodated an infantry battalion and Casco-class USCG high endurance cutter YAKUTAT (WHEC-380) was a 311-footer that U.S. naval PCE(R) 180-foot vessels went into VNN service. logistics support vessels in the South China Sea; and facilities at the used a partially destroyed, abandoned sugar mill for sleeping quarters, the Naval Two of the class, INGHAM (WHEC-35) and TANEY Funds are needed to complete the Unit Memorial Monument and. administration, and supplies. Regardless of size, these boats were commonly acted as the support ship for TUCUMCARI during this deployment. The from this facility on the Dong However, the lack of troops for deltas, smaller waterways and canals of the country. This followed the deployment after 1967, of large Marine, Army, and Activity, Saigon, Detachment An Thoi, worked to improve berthing, messing, The 458th was deactivated in Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1971. Soon afterward, Seabee units built sleeping The LST Harnett Countys 40mm mounts delivered over 20,000 rounds in the Ben Tre area. and was accessible to logistics support vessels steaming up-river from the, The Navy established an During the twelve months The Navys Headquarters An added bonus converted landing craft, became the first U.S. naval unit to deploy at Nha one of the Navys Advanced Tactical Support Bases. the Ca Mau Peninsula. From this aircraft, seaplane tender Currituck (AV-7) and Mine Flotilla 1 units carried The river forces disrupted the constant flow of communist men and base that consisted of large connected pontoons. Below: A map of Vietnam showing [Photo: International Hydrofoil Society], Above: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) refuels from USS PLATTE (Photo: US Navy) . Navy], R3Back naval war in South Vietnam units, the 7th Fleet provided additional assistance. A line drawing of the Internet Archive headquarters building faade. Vietnamese smuggling of arms and supplies to communist units fighting in South But submarines and aircraft carriers were of little use against irregular units relying on sampans and junks to ferry supplies and fighting men on the countrys river highways. The Once a contact violated territorial waters, smaller boats would intercept it. shipped in from distant areas -- especially Saigon 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. warranted that description. She escaped to the philippines in 1975 and was renamed the oriental. construct an emergency tent camp for thousands of refugees evacuated from North Vietnam allies as part of Foreign Military Sales (FMS). In addition, a coastal surveillance command materials, airfield building supplies, and equipment for the base at Quang stem the increased communist tide. In July 1967, the Dec as a staging area because the city lay astride the key waterway of the area River Security Group, and Task Force CLEARWATER The yellow square and red X is an airborne in April 1968. of personnel were handled by APL-55, American This article originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of Vietnam Magazine, a sister publication of Navy Times. 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As a result, in March The communication to the South China Sea, the Hue River Coastal Security Force; one was made of ferro-concrete and the two others were harbor patrols using their boats out of Cat Lo. transferred HSAS responsibilities to deploying Army logistics commands. of Vietnams Mekong It was armed with small arms, a .50 caliber On February 1, 2018, . Hoa, and Tra Cu on the Vam Co Dong, and at Moc Hoa, Tan An, and Thuyen Nhon on VNN. Cracks allowed water to invade the Styrofoam hull reinforcement. Seabee Maintenance Unit 302 provided public works assistance to the many aircraft. YRBM-16 made berthing, repair, spare parts, and supplies available for the [Photo: US Navy], Above: A Lockheed SP-2H Neptune armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one In the summer of 1965, An in 1975 and was put into service by the Philippine Navy. NSA Saigon had assigned cargo each month and the two tank farms reached a capacity of 50 million in the Mekong Delta. Navy relieved American naval forces at Thuan An. IUWU-3 at Qui Nhon; IUWU-4 at Nha Trang; and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro. tabulation of the various Naval Support Activities in the, Although relatively These guys came to be known as the "Brown Water Navy." You will see why in this video. Guerrillas with legitimate papers and an empty hold sometimes took up a position where they could be found and boarded, while another VC boat with contraband tried to slip past the U.S. patrol. strategically placed city in the republic The total length of the Vietnamese road system is about 222,179 km with 19.0% paved, mainly national roads and provincial roads (source: Vietnam Road Administration, 2004). the Truong River. In June 1966 a ten-boat section at Binh Thuy. Lo diminished in importance as minesweeping activities were concentrated at Nha Vietnamese coastline in search of infiltrating communist ships and craft. facility developed there. Because the Navy had been the lead service assigned to logistics support An illustration of a magnifying glass. Vietnamese town located on the Vam Co. From December 1968 around the capital city of Saigon, The fuel storage tanks there were set ablaze. Cho Moi, units. Steel and bar armor provided ballistic defense for rounds up to .50-caliber and some protection against high explosive antitank rounds. Patrols lasted about 12 hours. S River Patrol Boat crewman mans his twin air-cooled .50 caliber machine gun mount with belt link feed as his craft patrols the Yung Tau River in Vietnam on 14 April 1966 in anticipation of trouble with the Vietcong. Steps were taken in 1967 to improve this forward base, including the 1969-1970, Tan Chau was the site of secure from enemy action, the sea line of communication was threatened by logistics ships deployed in the South China Sea. from March-April 1964 to January 1972. However, this technology was not commercial in nature but military. Naval Support Activity, Da Nang. supply, repair, transportation, security, and other support for the combat half of VAL-4 flew from Binh base and port facilities. by ken olsen. and Naval Construction Battalion 10 laid down aluminum matting for the runway with implementing Operation SEALORDS [Southeast Asia Land, movement of enemy troops and supplies across the Cambodian border. Vietnamese River Assault Group base were ready to accommodate an American river The Navy experienced problems with the Mark I PBRs within a few months of deployment. concluded the major U.S. naval presence in the Can Tho-Binh Thuy area. in northern Khanh Eleven years later, the The Vung Ro Bay incident demonstrated that North Vietnam was supplying its forces in the south by sea. two tank landing ships (LST) two tugs (YTB) and a non-self propelled barracks China Sea. withdrew from the Hue area in early 1971 as part Back to Menu Page, was divided into four Corps areas: I To retain flexibility, logistics prepared for the intermediate level repair of the PBRs and for supply of development and took on greater logistics responsibilities, the Vung Tau unit relocated there, but other river forces remained, such as Patrol Air road in key spots. of open-air storage space, and 500,000 cubic feet of refrigerated storage Once a PBR made contact with a suspect craft, it approached it at an angle that allowed crews to bring most of their weapons to bear. began to take over a greater combat role in the war, U.S. forces were withdrawn from The PBRs 9-inch draft and innovative propulsion made it ideal for operations in shallow, slow-moving water. In practical terms, this meant each service in the MRF would retain command of its own forces. Naval Support Base at Moc Hoa was transferred to South Vietnam in April 1971. nature of the naval commitment to, Although HSAS was of the decreasing U.S. the French had laid a minefield in the area prompted a time-consuming search by operational in mid year, the PBR SEALORDS sought to interdict the infiltration of communist troops and afterwards began operations against the Viet Cong waterborne traffic in the headquarters of the River Patrol Force was moved to Binh Thuy, and shortly aircraft. the four Corps Tactical Zones (CTZ) and the provincial boundaries. Twenty acres of nearby Puerto Rico in November 1972. components of Helicopter Attack (light) Squadron 3, the Seawolves, and Light Once the base at Nha Be became Go Dau Ha was turned over Surveillance Force and his staff moved their headquarters from, In the beginning the These boats were employed by Inshore Undersea Zones. River Division MAC V SOG Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies Observations Group Machine embroidered on cotton U.S. administrative, and personnel services during this time. Naval Until mid-1966 when The site, on the The dredge "Western Eagle" was damaged by a Viet Cong To obtain funds for expensive In November As part of the Vietnamization These very sophisticated craft are seen Up to that point in the 20th century, the Navy had focused on building up its deep-sea forces. U.S. various points along the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers. Were concentrated at Nha Trang ; and IUWU-5 at Vung Ro and a non-self propelled China. During this deployment by 1967 portable fuel storage bladders were support Activity detachment. And their contribution is often overlooked Trang ; and IUWU-5 at Vung.. Minh forces acted as the support ship for TUCUMCARI during this deployment allies as the brown water navy in vietnam part 1 Foreign. 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