US Brown Water Navy

Site Issues 2006 Archive Room
#1

Just what was a Tango, Charlie or a Zippo?

All coming soon, when I have time and inclination, a quick run down on the Monitors in Vietnam.


The heavily armed riverine battleships known as Monitors. (the forward turret contained either a 40mm bofars or a 105mm gun.) Behind is a Tango (a troop carrying varient that doesn’t look disimilar to a Landing Craft) Behind this monitors forward turret will be a mortar pit, there are up to three turrets on the main super structure with machine guns.


A Monitor Zippo was armed with a flame thrower to the rear of the large forward turret, on both sides. This was used to fire napalm in order to clear the river sides. This would replace hte mortar pit.

A Tango was a troop carrying varient (with a ramp and a covered area for up to a platoon of troops), a Charlie the C2 vessel (with a covered area where the mortar pit should be for the C2 elements to plot) and Alfas (?) which were used to lead the riverine convoys and clear booby traps.

#2

Not the best picture but I have to get this in.

A Douche boat (this one named “Irma la Douche”). These vessels carried a water cannon and supported the Zippos in clearing the river banks but not in the way that immediatly springs to mind.

The water cannon was capable of 3,000 psi and was used to drown tunnels and could literally wash away river side bunkers. Other assets would ensure the area was clear, for the douches entry to the fire fight.

This may seem a strange weapon, but some of the mud bunkers were capable of withstanding 105mm bombardment with ease, yet all fell before the 3,000 psi water jet of the douche boats.

#3

Thanks for the interesting information 1000ydstare.

Here are some websites that I found relating to this topic.

MOBILE RIVERINE FORCES OF VIETNAM
http://home.tampabay.rr.com/mrf/index/mrf.htm

BOATS OF THE RIVERINE FORCE
http://home.tampabay.rr.com/mrf/index/boats.htm

Jim Steffes’ Vietnam Photo Album
http://bcres.com/river/steffes.htm

http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe02.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe03.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe04.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe05.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe06.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe07.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steffe08.htm
http://www.bcres.com/river/steflink.htm

COASTAL SQUADRON ONE
Swift Boat Crew Directory
http://swiftboats.net/

Boat Background
http://swiftboats.net/extras/boat_background.htm

Boat Specifications: Mark I (PCFs 1-104)
http://swiftboats.net/extras/boat_specifications.htm

Crew Complement
http://swiftboats.net/extras/crew_complement.htm

Command Lists
http://swiftboats.net/extras/commands.htm

AND MORE…

Swift Boat Sailors Association
http://www.swiftboats.org/

Mobile Riverine Force Association
http://www.mrfa.org/

River Vet
http://www.rivervet.com/
Lots and lots of information, photos, maps, histories, etc. Some examples are
listed below.

Boats
http://www.rivervet.com/boats.htm

Alpha Boat
The Assault Support Patrol Boat (ASPB), better known as an Alpha Boat
was the Destroyer/Minesweeper of the fleet
http://www.rivervet.com/alpha.htm
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/aspb1967.jpg

Monitor
http://www.rivervet.com/monitor.htm
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/Monitor1967.jpg

Zippo Boat
The flamethrowing converted monitor with bow mounted flamethrowers and
napalm tanks provided a means of clearing the dense growth near river banks
where Charlie was prone to ambush our boats or support ships.
http://www.rivervet.com/zippo.htm

Armored Troop Carriers (ATC’s) - Tango Boat
http://www.rivervet.com/tango.htm
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/atc1967a.jpg
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/atc1967b.jpg

Command & Communications Boat or Command Control Boat
http://www.rivervet.com/ccb.htm
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/ccb1967.jpg

River Patrol Boat (PBR) Mk I
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/PBRMkI1967.jpg

River Patrol Boat (PBR) Mk II
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/PBRMkII1967.jpg

Fast Patrol Craft (Swift Boat) Mk I
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/PCFMkI1967.jpg

Fast Patrol Craft (Swift Boat) Mk II
http://www.rivervet.com/images/boats/PBRMkII1967.jpg

The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV)
http://www.rivervet.com/others.htm

NAVAL INSHORE OPERATIONAL TRAINING COMMAND
On Mare Island at Vallejo, California
BOAT INFORMATION - Photos of the various boats
Photos courtesy of LT Al Breininger
http://www.rivervet.com/training_boats.htm

Designs of 1967 Vietnam Era Boats
http://www.rivervet.com/designs.htm

BM3 Johnny Salmi’s Photos, T-111-12
http://www.rivervet.com/salmi_photos.htm

AND MUCH MUCH MORE…

USS Satyr
the ARL-23 in Vietnam 1968 - 1971
http://www.usssatyr.com/

BROWN WATER LST
http://www.lst1166.com/

Howard Kramer’s 9th Infantry MRF Site
Welcome to my gallery of pictures and memories of a time long ago
when so many of us were young and innocent. I certainly hope some
of these images bring back pleasant memories of Vietnam. If you recognize
anyone on these pictures, please let me know and I’ll include your remarks.
If you wish to post reunions or other info here, I’ll be glad to help.
To all my brethren out there, it was indeed an honor to serve with you!
http://www.vietnamsniper.com/

PBR Forces Veterans Association
http://www.pbr-fva.org/betasite/

Endless Journey
Join the author, Michael A. Harris, as he takes you from his youth to his
harrowing experiences with the Navy Mobile Riverine Force in the steamy
jungles of the Mekong Delta. View his personal Vietnam War Pictures,
Vietnam War Memorabilia, Military Medals and much more. Hear his stories
of trips back to Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia as he continues down
the path of his Endless Journey.
http://www.riverinesailor.com/

Patrol Boat River/ Section “533”
http://members.tripod.com/~Yogies/index.html
http://members.tripod.com/~Yogies/main.html

Boat Support Unit One -
Mobile Support Team Two
Supporting U.S. Navy SEALs and South Vietnamese
Navy SEALs from the Rung Sat Secret Zone to the tip of the Mekong Delta.
March 1967 - December 1971
http://www.mst2-vietnam.info/
http://www.mst2-vietnam.info/MobileSupportTeamTwo.htm
http://www.warboats.org/bsumainpage.htm
http://www.warboats.org/

PTF Patrol Torpedo Fast
The “Nasty Class” Fighting Boat
http://www.ptfnasty.com/

The Unofficial River Section/Division 531 Home Page
This page is dedicated to all Veterans everywhere and especially to those
of the Vietnam War’s Brown Water Navy River Patrol Forces, of T.F. 116,
code named Game Warden
http://my.eiis.net/cmart/index.html

HOME PAGE OF RIVER ASSAULT DIVISION 595 and RIVER ASSAULT DIVISION 153
http://mcdevitt.robert.tripod.com/

U.S. Navy River Division 551-Vietnam
http://community-2.webtv.net/devil06/RivDiv551/index.html

Mobile Riverine Force Association
Task Force 115
http://mrfa.org/tf115a.htm

River Division 513
Photos provided by various veterans.
http://stevebingham1945.tripod.com/index.htm

Joe Muharsky’s Swift Boats In Vietnam
http://www.mwweb.com/ndc/SwiftBoats/Swifthome.htm

Rick’s Brown Water Navy page
Riv Div 552
Tra Cu, Vietnam
http://www.secondstartotheright.com/personal/pbr/tracu.htm

WHITTAKER’S BROWN WATER NAVY
The Story of LST 601 in Vietnam–Places We Went, People We Saw, Things We Did.
http://community-2.webtv.net/cwlloyds/MOBILERIVERINE/index.html

U-Boat Sailors
U.S. Naval Support Activity - Da Nang Lighterage Division
http://www.jackcoker.com/

History of The YRBM-20 (Vietnam)
The YRBM-20 known as the Delta Hilton was a floating Brown Water Navy base
in Vietnam during 1969 and 1970. YRBM stands for “Yard Repair Berthing and Messing”
It was not self propelled. A barge tied to the stern had diesel outboards to move the
YRBM when needed. It was located on a wide spot in the Bassac River, the tributary
of the Mekong River south of the town of Chou Doc Province and very near the
Cambodian border. Detachments assigned to the YRBM-20 patrolled the French–built
border canals nearby. One canal ran between the Bassac River and Ting Binh. Another
ran to the Mekong River.
http://www.mrfa.org/yrbm20.htm

Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association
http://www.gunboatriders.com/index_main.html
The Gunboats: Descriptions and Histories
http://www.gunboatriders.com/theboats/index.html

#4

I was particularly interested in the moniters when I bought The Illustrated Directory Of The United States Navy.