The Brown Water Navy in (PUC), 45 Navy Unit Citations River Patrol Force (PBR) Vietnam (NUC), and 39 Meritorious Unit River Division 51 Can Tho / Binh Citations (MUC). Thuy by River Division 52 Sa Dec (later By mid-1968 and just prior to the Vinh Long) Robert H. Stoner, GMCM (SW) Tet Offensive, the compliment of River Division 53 My Tho (Ret) PBRs was increased to 250. River Division 54 Nha Be Patrol areas were expanded into I River Division 55 DaNang Part 2 Corps and even into Cambodia under Operation SEALORDS Four LSTs were specially [Part 1 covered Operation (South East Asia Land, Ocean, configured as mobile PBR bases. MARKET TIME. In Part 2 we River, and Delta Strategy) in the The original Operation Game will look at Operation GAME fall of 1968. Warden LSTs were: USS WARDEN. This is operation took GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786), the war from the coastal regions, USS HARNETT COUNTY up the river deltas, up the rivers (LST-821), USS HUNTERDON and into the canals of South COUNTY (LST-838) and USS Vietnam.] JENNINGS COUNTY (LST-846). Specialized LST The naval war in South Vietnam modifications included: during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic. For the Americans A day and night landing area for aiding the South Vietnamese, the UH-1 helicopters.Refuel and effort was several fold: (1) build ! rearm facilities for the gunships and equip a capable Vietnamese were provided. Four boat booms Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how The original Game Warden for mooring up to 16 PBRs to fight; (3) how to keep itself TF-116 consisted of the following alongside the ship. A cargo boom supplied; and (4) how to keep units: to lift PBRs out of the water itself operational. repairs aboard ship. Repair shops to do engine, pump, hull, and At the same time, the United Support Ships (1966) repairs on PBRs. Fresh water States Navy found itself embroiled distillation was improved for the in a war that was fought at first, USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) increased manning. Upgraded off the coastal waters of South USS COMSTOCK (LSD-19) radio, navigation, and electronic Vietnam, and then in the river USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) equipment installed. deltas, smaller waterways and USS FLOYD COUNTY canals of the country. To combat (LST-762) The LSTs provided important North Vietnamese infiltration of supply and maintenance facilities for the PBRs (and other small men and supplies by sea, three Support Ships 1967-1968 Task Forces were formed: TF-115 boats). Many of these services called Operation MARKET were unavailable at shore bases. TIME; TF-116 called Operation After the modifications, the LSTs GAME WARDEN; and TF-117 had so much new equipment called the MOBILE RIVERINE 4 specially modified Landing Ship stuffed into their hulls that living FORCE (a joint amphibious Tank (LST) conditions for crews were Army-Navy riverine operation). USS GARRETT COUNTY seriously overcrowded. (LST-786) Operation GAME WARDEN USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821) Below: The LSTs that supported USS HUNTERDON COUNTY Operation GAME WARDEN saw Task Force 116 was established on (LST-821) lots of service – some spanning December 18, 1965 and given the USS JENNINGS COUNTY three wars – World War 2, Korea, n a m e O p e r a t i o n G A M E (LST-846) and Vietnam. USS JENNINGS WARDEN. During the Vietnam 20 Landing Craft (LCVP) COUNTY (LST-846) was typical War, there were over 50 LSTs 8 UH-1B Huey Helicopters of those unsung warriors that serving in direct support of the accomplished great things. Like Navy’s Brown Water forces. LSTs the sailors that man them, ships in Vietnam earned 360 battle stars, 120 specially designed River earn and wear awards and 19 Presidential Unit Citations P a t r o l B o a t s ( P B R s ) decorations. Jennings Country earned a lot of them over her long The PBRs (Patrol Boat, River) service. Here is her awards and became known as the mainstay of decorations in order of precedence ! river patrol operations. But, when (top to bottom, left to right): the Navy decided to commit itself C o m b a t A c t i o n R i b b o n , to river patrol operations in Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Vietnam, it did not have a readily Unit Citation, China Service ! available small fast patrol craft, Medal, American Campaign nor did it have time to design one Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign of its own. The Navy decided to Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, ! find a commercially available hull Navy Occupation Medal (Asia and modify it for combat. They Service), National Defense needed a small, light boat with Service Medal, Korean Service ! high speed, shallow draft, water jet Medal (2 awards), Vietnam propulsion system, and heavy Service Medal (9 awards), firepower. A contract for 120 Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry ! PBRs (called Mark I) was awarded Citation (w/palm), Vietnamese to United Boat Builders (Uniflite) Civil Actions Citation (w/palm), of Bellingham, Washington at a United Nations Service Medal, cost of $75,000 each. Vietnamese Campaign Medal, ! Korean War Service Medal. The Mk I PBR had a 31-foot long fiberglass hull. It could do 28 Areas of operation for the four knots and was powered by two GAME WARDEN floating bases GM 6V53 220 hp diesel truck were the Bassac, Co Chien, and engines that gave 2,800 rpm direct ! Ham Luong Rivers. A rotation drive to the Jacuzzi water jet plan was set up where three propulsion pumps. Each boat GAME WARDEN units were carried a Raytheon 1900 radar unit ! always on station while the fourth for night operations. Armament was out of Vietnam for R&R (rest consisted of twin .50 machine and recuperation) and repairs. In guns in a gun tub on the bow, a ! most cases, repairs were in the single .50 machine gun was aft, Philippines and lasted for one to two M60 7.62 NATO caliber two months at a time. machine guns (or one M60 and ! one Mk 18 40mm grenade The flat-bottomed LSTs could launcher) were on armored shields navigate upstream all the way to amidships, plus the personal ! the Cambodian border using the weapons of the crew. Later, some rivers of the Mekong Delta from PBR crews “augmented” multiple entrances from the South firepower with such weapons as ! China Sea. Although the LSTs 57mm and 90mm recoilless rifles, made it possible to project a M72 light anti-tank weapon mobile support base for PBR boats ( L AW ) r o c k e t l a u n c h e r s , ! and helicopters deep inland, flamethrowers, 7.62 NATO Mini- putting such large slow moving guns, 60mm mortars, or 20mm ships like these on narrow cannon. waterways surrounded by dense ! jungle presented risks. The crew of a PBR was four men -- A first class or chief petty ! On September 12, 1968, USS officer, a gunner's mate, an HUNTERDON COUNTY was engineman, and a seaman. Each ambushed near Ben Tre. She was man was cross-trained to do the ! hit by rocket and recoilless rifle other man’s job if he was wounded fire from shore and suffered or killed. PBRs operated in pairs extensive structural damage. Two and patrolled the various rivers crewmen were killed and another and canals day and night. The twenty-five were wounded. PBRs searched sampans and junks for weapons and supplies. The Viet Cong were very good at Mechanized Mk 3, Mk 6, and Mk concealing such material in even 8 (1966-1971), Patrol Air Cushion the smallest of boats. Only by Vehicle (PACV – 1966-1968), thoroughly checking every boat Landing Craft Utility (LCU – could the flow of weapons and 1966-1971), and Swamp or Air supplies be stopped. Boats (1967-1971). The PBR crews (along with the LST – LST-542-class tank landing rest of the GAME WARDEN fleet craft carried out this mission so effectively that movement of supplies to the Viet Cong by these waterways was severely curtailed. Other GAME WARDEN Units Task Force 116 was more than just LSTs and PBRs. Task Force 116 also included Naval Special ! Operations Groups including: ! Mobile Support Team ONE, A bove: A n A rmy CH -47A Mobile Support Team TWO, “Chinook” heavy-lift helicopter in Beach Jumper Unit ONE, Assault the process of hooking up a Craft Unit ONE, Harbor Clearance d a m a g e d U H - 1 B S e a w o l f Unit ONE, SEAL Team ONE and Above: The 328-foot USS helicopter for transportation to TWO, Underwater Demolition GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786) NAS Binh Thuy for repairs. The Team 12 and 13, Explosive was a LST-542 class World War 2 photo was taken aboard USS Ordnance Disposal detachments. built ship. In this photo the ship is HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821). Also included were Strike Assault shown with her brood of PBRs, [Photo: Seawolf.org] Boat Squadron 20 (StabRon 20); a boat booms, and the boat lift Patrol Aircushion Vehicle crane. [Photo: Gerald Busic] Below: USS HARNETT Squadron (PACV); and Naval COUNTY (LST-821) shows off Support Activities (to man the her boats and helicopter facilities forward bases ashore and afloat). in this photo. The helicopter in the Below: USS HARNETT center is an UH-34 Sea Horse Taken together, these units fielded COUNTY (LST-821) was also admin helicopter, a UH-1B some very interesting and diverse home to the Navy Seawolf UH-1B gunship is to the right. Judging by craft.