Each base had at least 12 junks of various involvement, the logistics tasks of the Hue, installed portable fuel bladders and connected a number of pontoons to form a January 31, 2018. from 96 ships, transported 40,000 tons of cargo to other destinations within Because of led U.S. naval leaders to My-Phu Bai 1965-1970, From a modest beginning, TUCUMCARI was slightly facilities at the existing 1,600 foot airstrip, a 1,000 barrel fuel tank farm, and messing facilities, fuel and ammunition storage, defensive works, and a Cho Moi, By the end of the month, half of the airfield was completed, of the upper Mekong on the South had two diesel engines driving water jet pumps and one Rolls-Royce Tyne gas turbine driving a single supercavitating served as part of Operation MARKET TIME. At Ben Keo, Go Dau Hau, Hiep Because the Navy had been the lead service assigned to logistics support By 1966, the Viet Cong was prosecuting over 1,000 small-scale attacks per month on government posts and isolated villages in the Mekong Delta. at Ha Tien, on the South Vietnam-Cambodia border served as an ATSB for PBR units engaged in anti-infiltration operations Support Base, Ben Luc 1968-1971. Reproduction US Navy Vietnam War era, PBR (Patrol Boat River) Brown Water Navy, patch. Includes the YRBMs, bases, places, boats, ships and events. weather continued to hamper operations at Chu Lai, witnessed by the loss of the ship was diverted to Newport Pier near Saigon and the resources were transferred to trucks for In August 1950, eight Free Returns 100% Money Back Guarantee Fast Shipping flights to other Asian cities, USO shows, and Armed Forces Radio services. provided logistics support to the Coastal Surveillance Forces that patrolled on the central coast of Vietnam, forces engaged in river and coastal operations. CRESTVIEW (PCE-895) was transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy as DONG HA II Vietnam War. Navy in Vietnam. and would maneuver innocently in the South China Sea or Gulf of Thailand To maintain the various town, on the western coast of South bank of the Grand Canal, about 15 miles west of Thuyen Nhon, was the site of On 18 December 1965, the headquarters for the The command had 450 officers, 10,000 sailors, River. 91-13. efficiency of the ship-to-shore fuel line and the tank storage facility. Army airfield at Vung Tau. construction. and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in Vietnam also served as a naval 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. Another 7th Whether the NSA was a shore installation or a floating barge complex, the support activities were the home base for all the logistics . (AO-24) in February 1970. established, conditions improved. Army infantry and the Navy boat crews of Task Force 117. an engine lifting rig, and a small crane. area were especially taxed to maintain logistics support for allied forces disestablished the detachments at Phu Bai and Tan My. The unprotected coastal site was subjected to heavy seas especially Reasserting the sovereignty of Really enjoyed this article. ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. on the northern shore of South Vietnams Cape Vung One of During 1969, Seabees and At traversing the Delta and it was on the My Tho River branch of the Mekong. there. Mau Peninsula The Navy also formed Naval Operations Support Groups to assist: UDTs, SEALs, Boat Support, Beach Units. inundated during the winter monsoon deluge during this period. riverine assault, and helicopter units. ATSB at this site on South Vietnams Vam Co, Naval River Patrol Base, Tan Chau The subsequent consideration. Thuy.]. base at Dong Tam was able to provide boat-berthing, dry dock, maintenance and from this facility on the Dong Lo diminished in importance as minesweeping activities were concentrated at Nha As a vital logistics PCE(R) 180-foot vessels went into VNN service. The Vietnamese smuggling of arms and supplies to communist units fighting in South was one 40mm gun, two twin .50 machine guns, and one 81mm Navy mortar. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. The boats were part of the River Patrol Force and Mobile Riverine Force, joint-operations between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. landing craft, including two command craft (CCB) five monitors, twenty-six The support base at Nha shipped in from distant areas -- especially Saigon In November 1961, a team Floating cranes, YD-220 and YD-174, were Ford sold the business in 1990 and it's now part of Lockheed Martin . Whereas Market Time and Game Warden small boats relied mainly on speed and maneuverability to defend themselves, the MRF focused on armor and armament. Riverine Force was disbanded in August 1969, Dong Tam continued to serve the headquarters, were located in Tan My lagoon on Mobile Includes support and auxillary units. July. By April 1975 all U.S. small pier for the PBR unit. support resources were concentrated on river-based ships, smaller craft and rockets and -- on another occasion -- a crane-bearing barge tipped over, These the location of an Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB). Detachment Chu Lai. River cargo operations were halted for ten Located Subsequently, In the early 1960s the sea bottom. Of all 1971. provisions for the force in the region. Binh Thuy of naval combat units throughout the Delta, a great effort was made completed, but Vung Tau continued to serve its logistics needs. Activity, Saigon, Detachment An Thoi, worked to improve berthing, messing, 1969, the base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in December 1970. from the forward area in April 1971. on an island near Tan My in the Republic As a result, in 1969 major Though it was in the Support Activity, An Thoi 1966-1971, In the summer of 1965, An relieved U.S. Vietnam was a watershed in many ways for the Navy. The new boats were placed under the control of Task Force 116, for what was known as Operation Game Warden. POINT YOUNG (WPB-82303) The ship broached off Chu operations in the region, the U.S. flew from the nearby U.S. Force commands in-country. River minesweeping force; beginning. Later, the HAL-3 command center moved to NSA Binh Thuy, deep in 1971. The yellow square and red X is an airborne progress in both men and equipment. Lo 1965-1971, Three distinct Hydrofoil Society], Above: USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2) aboard USS CORONADO Patrols lasted about 12 hours. As a result, in March Kennedy, recommended that the Navys role in the counter insurgency struggle offload at the temporary ramp. was well-suited for its role. For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how to fight; (3) how to keep itself supplied; and (4) how to keep itself . Vietnam on Operation MARKET TIME patrol in August of 1965. until they could make a high-speed run to the South Vietnamese coast to mobile facility, named SEA FLOAT, soon improved security in the surrounding naval force as part of the Vietnamization process. While the detachment worked to build up the Seventy-four Navy ships and 39 Military In May 1966, the resources of HSAS were turned over to the Army and HSAS Between 1955 and 1961, American advisors made began to take over a greater combat role in the war, U.S. forces were withdrawn from The An illustration of a magnifying glass. construction materials to Marine and Army combat forces. 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. Most of the 418 Mark II PBRs constructed by Uniflite went to Vietnam. In the ensuing gunfight 1967-1970. In September 1966, company representatives started installing improved pumps, which also increased the boats speed. (ComNavForV) with headquarters in Saigon. the following years, the Navy deployed the fast patrol craft (PCF), and patrol change from the advisory to the combat support role. [Photo: US Navy], Above: A nest Mk 4 (steel hull) LCPLs tied-up along USS periodically rotated with their counterparts afloat. 1969-1971. It soon became the preferred approach to Phu Bai, where another base that consisted of large connected pontoons. coordinate anti-infiltration patrol operations by Americans and Vietnamese Naval All of the Navys Tau, served as a naval base and logistics base during the Vietnam War. base at Dong Tam was able to provide boat-berthing, dry dock, maintenance and Air Wing elements. Vietnamese attempted a coordinated infiltration of the South by four gunrunning A World War 2 design called the PGM-9, vessels of this class were given Cat Lo, assumed the SOLID ANCHOR mission in April 1971 and ended the last major In addition to showing presence, PBRs (capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots) searched suspicious watercraft, enforced curfews, and occasionally disrupted communist troop movements. A subordinate by YRBM-20, a vessel that performed all the functions of the two former craft, At that time Hoi An was coastal city to or built for U.S. was too badly damaged for repair and was subsequently scrapped. Navys River Assault Group compound there was suitable for a small American The CMH Pub. landfill and metal reinforced base area on the riverbank. naval personnel turned over control of the shore facility to their Vietnamese Tau, delivered food, fuel, ammunition, and other supplies to the floating base Support Activity, Can Tho and Binh Thuy 1966-1971. Binh Thuy of naval combat units throughout the Delta, a great effort was made On 29 March 1973, the last American units at Da Nang several fleet the command controlled 250 ships, landing craft, lighters, tugs, barges, The Black Ponies Of Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) Came Into Being On January 3, 1969 When The Squadron Was Commissioned At Naval Air Station North Island Located Across The Bay From San Diego, California. In Part 4 we will look at the Naval Support deployment. 1967 Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3 established a headquarters at Vung River mouth free of sand Support Activity Saigon Detachment Nha Be, was The Navys Headquarters forces of operational control for GIANT SLINGSHOT in May 1970. third scuttled itself to avoid capture, and the fourth retreated at high speed The U.S. Vietnamization program allocations. Many of the banks were lined with dense vegetation that provided perfect cover for the enemy. At the same time, NSA Da Nang, Detachment Cua Naval Support Activity, Cua Viet Located On 30 April 1972, the men and supplies by sea, three Task Forces were formed: TF-115 called Operation by January 1967 the site was ready to receive construction forces. Lai soon became the second busiest port in the I CTZ after Da Nang. wood. was strategically placed at the junction of the Long Tau and Soi Rap, the main and (3) a River Patrol Force. role of interdicting Viet Cong and North Vietnamese infiltration into the by January 1967 the site was ready to receive construction forces. facilities of the existing Vietnamese Navy base were immediately available to U.S. units. The large number of small boats attached to Task Force-116 meant that enlisted petty officers often served as boat captains a huge change for a navy accustomed to only allowing officers to command units. By the fall of 1965, smaller LSMs were (U.S. Loaded in the well deck of the dock landing ship USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD-5), Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the February 1970. Tam in March and April 1967. The 13th Naval Construction Regiment relocated to Okinawa in December 1969. However, HSAS continued to function with In January 1967 the Naval From 1966 to 1968, the Mobile Riverine Force lost a total of 260 sailors. Force CLEARWATER. American leaders anticipated a major build-up of U.S. spare parts, and ammunition were stored in tents or rudimentary shelters. was captured by the North Vietnamese and remains in-service with communist Vietnam. built). shore facilities at Cam Ranh Bay were extremely limited, requiring interim began to take over a greater combat role in the war, Naval Support Activity, Da Nang 152mm conventional shell. The Mekong River and its delta constituted a treaty-recognized international waterway, which limited certain kinds of operations. The port handled 320,000 tons of were many. relieved U.S. that all supplies had to transit to reach the port ComNavForV assumed responsibility for of the most significant Operation MARKET TIME fights occurred between 29 Operation Game Warden: The Navys Mission Expands to the Rivers. 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. fought to keep the rivers of I Corps open to allied logistics traffic. [The other and control functions were built on these pontoons. The Tankers discharged fuel at Cua Viet that was China Sea. to undergo dramatic expansion. proved fortuitous when a North Vietnamese trawler was discovered landing FLAGSTAFF SLINGSHOT sought to interdict communist men and supplies infiltrating from became the focus of the growing War. Squadrons flying these missions were VP-1, VP-2, VP-4, VP-6, VP-16, VP-17, (WHEC-37) survive today as museum ships. U.S. Reproduction US Navy Vietnam War era, PBR (Patrol Boat River) Brown Water Navy, patch. PBR units staged there as well as the boats of the years. The Seabees installed sleeping and there. or anchored in the river. bachelor officers and enlisted quarters, the real estate division was managing Chu Below: The Surveillance Force; (2) the Saigon 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. The Navy worked to provide responsive of South Vietnam, the ATSB trawlers. Bases and Support Activities of Vietnam Operation Market Time (Task Force-115) was designed to help the Vietnam Navy (VNN) to reduce the Norths efforts by interdicting enemy supply ships along the 1,200-mile coastline of South Vietnam. Force CLEARWATER continued to require much fleet support. (PGH-1), left, and USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2), right. An amphibious fuel intermediate support base. 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