"The Essential Role of Navy PBR Boats in the Vietnam War" Topic

"The U.S. Navy deployed a variety of small boats to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, but perhaps the best known of these is the river patrol boat. The "patrol boat: riverine," or Navy PBR, was the first watercraft built for the so-called brown water navy in Vietnam. During the height of the conflict, Navy personnel scouted the rivers and canals of the sprawling Mekong Delta for communist guerrilla forces, arms, and ammunition. In addition to patrolling, Navy PBRs participated with Navy and Army troops in hit-and-run raids, reconnaissance patrols, and day and night ambushes.

The origins of the Navy PBR can be traced to Hatteras Yacht Company of New Bern, North Carolina, which in 1965 responded to a U.S. Navy request for a prototype for a small patrol boat to operate in shallow waters. The Navy's Bureau of Ships sought a prototype for what it designated as "patrol boat, river" that could achieve speeds between 25 to 30 knots, draw only nine inches of water, and skim over sandbars. The boat would be crewed by four sailors and have heavy armament. Its armament would consist of a twin .50-caliber machine gun in an armored forward turret, as well as a .30-caliber mounted gun in the aft section. Additionally, the boat would need to be able to reverse direction, turn on a dime, and come to a quick stop from full speed within a few boat lengths…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

We trained with USN Swift Boats, the bigger riverine craft when I was with the 101 in Panama, about '82(?). The PBRs were further South. Good training ! And of course they played the Rolling Stone's "Can't get no Satisfaction!" over their speakers !

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

I knew a guy who commanded a PBR during Vietnam. He said he used to off his crew because when they took fire he'd slow down and they wanted him to speed up. I asked why and he said you couldn't hit anything going fast. He was a thirty-year man, retired in ~90 as a LCDR.

Does make sense … moving at top speed your rounds would be all over the place !