Patrol Boat River
| Patrol Boat River | |
|---|---|
 PBR Mark II |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Patrol boat |
| units | 140 built |
| 1. Period of service |
|
| period of service |
since 1966 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
7.03 tons |
| length |
9.45 meters |
| width |
3.96 meters |
| Draft |
0.6 meters |
| crew |
4th |
| drive |
2 × Detroit Diesel with 255 PS each |
| speed |
27.8 knots |
As the Patrol Boat River (also Rigid or Riverine ), PBR for short or onomatopoeic Pibber , the US Navy designated a class of small, light patrol boats for use in shallow coastal waters and rivers, which was used in particular in the Vietnam War from 1966 onwards. The boat was later used in the same role by the US Army .
technology
The fuselage of the PBR was made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic and was therefore very light, but still stable. In the bow there was a rotating and pivoting twin 12.7 mm machine gun in an open turret armored with ceramic plates. Behind it was the small cabin below the open bridge. The Raytheon 1900 / W reconnaissance radar was on a mast in front of the bridge . On the flat stern there was another 12.7 mm machine gun and one or two M60 machine guns or grenade launchers of the Mark 18 , Mark 19 or Mark 20 types . Even more weapons like light were here when needed mortars , flame throwers , 20-mm machine guns or recoilless guns housed. In addition there was the personal armament of the crew, which consisted of M16 rifles and M79 grenade launchers .
In the stern were the two Detroit Diesel engines with 255 hp each, which transferred their power to two waterjet drives that could pump 22,712 liters of water per minute. This drive enabled the boats to be extremely maneuverable. After the first experience in the rivers of Vietnam , the diameter of the waterjet drives on the Mark II model was increased because they often had problems with the dense vegetation in the rivers that wrapped around the impellers . However, this also led to a slight reduction in top speed.
commitment
The first PBRs arrived in Vietnam in March 1966 and were placed under the Mobile Riverine Force , which coordinated operations on the major rivers, especially in the Mekong river delta . The crews had previously been trained in Coronado , California and Mare Island for several months . As part of Operation Game Warden, the PBRs patrolled almost all of South Vietnam's major rivers. Due to the shallow draft of only 60 cm, the boats could also sail in shallow side arms. The main task of the PBRs and their crews, mostly supplemented by a Vietnamese interpreter, consisted of checking and searching local boats for weapons and other smuggled goods. But the boats were also used to set down seal teams.
The successor was introduced during the Vietnam War, the Special Operations Craft-Riverine replaces the PBR and is mainly used for Seals. Nevertheless, the boat type was still used until the 1990s, primarily as a light escort boat, including in the Panama Canal .
Trivia
In the film Apocalypse Now , much of the action takes place on a PBR. In the first episode of Season 4 of the Amazon Prime Show "The Grand Tour", a replica by Jeremy Clarkson was used.
See also
- Fast Patrol Craft , a similar patrol boat
- Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle , a military hovercraft, also used in Vietnam
Web links
- PBR Forces Veterans Association (Engl.)
- River Veterans (Engl.)
