Fast Patrol Craft
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:For the political jargon term, see swiftboating.
Fast Patrol Craft (PCF), also known as Swift boats, were all aluminum, 50 foot long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the United States Navy for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations during the Vietnam War.
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[edit] Development
Their origins trace to a Naval Advisory Group, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (NAVADGRP MACV) staff study entitled "Naval Craft Requirements in a Counter Insurgency Environment," published 1 February 1965. It noted that "COIN water operations are difficult, demanding, and unique. A prevalent belief has been that COIN craft can readily be obtained from existing commercial and naval sources when needed. Unfortunately, no concerted effort has been made to develop COIN craft specifically suited to perform the many missions needed to combat insurgent activities."
The study went on to list characteristics of the ideal patrol craft:
- Reliable and sturdy
- Non-wooden hull, with screw and rudder protection against groundings
- Self-sufficient for 400 to 500 mile (600 to 800 km) patrol
- Speed of 20 to 25 knots (37 to 46 km)
- Small high-resolution radar range 4 to 6 miles (7 to 11 km)
- Reliable long-range communications equipment, compatible with Army and Air Force
- Quiet
- Armament for limited offense
- Sparse berthing, no messing
- Depth meter, accurate from 0 to 50 feet (15 m)
- Small, powerful searchlight
The study was positively received, and the Navy began to search for sources. Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana, built water taxis for companies operating oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, which appeared nearly ideal. The Navy bought their plans, and asked Sewart Seacraft to prepare modified drawings that included a gun tub, ammo lockers, bunks, and a small galley. The Navy used those enhanced plans to request bids from other boat builders, but Sewart Seacraft was selected.
The Swift Boats had welded aluminum hulls about 50 feet (15 m) long with 13 ft (4 m) beam, and draft of about five feet (1.5 m). They were powered by twin 480 hp (360 kW) Detroit Diesel engines with a design range from 320 nautical miles at 21 knots (590 km at 39 km/h) to about 750 nautical miles at 10 knots (1390 km at 19 km/h). Normal complement was one officer and five crewmen.
The first two PCFs were delivered to the Navy in late August 1965. The original water taxi design had been enhanced with two .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns in a turret above the pilot house, an over-and-under .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun – 81 mm mortar combination mounted on the rear deck, a mortar ammunition box on the stern, improved habitability equipment such as bunks, a refrigerator and freezer, and a sink. The 81mm combination mortar mounted on the rear deck, was not a gravity firing mortar, in which the falling projectile's primer struck the fixed firing pin at the base of the mortar tube; as used by the Army and Marine Corps. But a unique lanyard firing weapon, in which the projectile was still loaded into the muzzle, but the gunner could "fire at will" by the use of the lanyard. The weapon had been tested in the 1950s, disgarded as the US Navy lost interest in the system, then it was resurrected during the war.
The original order for 50 boats was followed shortly by an additional order for 54 more Mark I's. In the latter half of 1967, 46 Mark II boats, with a modified deck house set further back from the bow, and having round port holes were ordered. From 1969 thru 1972, 33 Mark III's, which were a larger version of the Mark II's, arrived in Vietnam. Although only 193 PCF's had been built, only about 110 served in Vietnam and the two training bases in California; with remaining PCF's being sold or given to nations friendly to the US. The original training base for Swift Boats had been at the Naval Base in Coronado, California, and in 1969 moved to Mare Island (San Francisco/San Pablo Bay), California where it remained thru out the war. PCF training boats frequently transited from Mare Island, thru the Golden Gate bridge, then either north or south along the coastline. The only known Swift Boat to be lost while stationed at the new training base, was PCF-8, when it was sunk during a storm off of Bodega Bay, California in December 1969, no crewmen were lost.
The most frequent training area for the Mare Island units was the currently existing marshland, that forms the shore line of San Francisco (San Pablo) Bay's north side. This area, now known as the Napa-Sonoma Marshes State Wildlife Area, was also used by US Navy Reserve unit PBR's (Patrol Boat River) up until 1995, when Mare Island was scheduled for Base Closure. During those years in which the Swifts and PBR's were operating, motorists travelling along Highway 37 from Vallejo, which passes Mare Island, to the Bay Area would often see the Riverine Boats making their way through the various sloughs of the current wildlife area. US Naval Riverine Training is still authorized in the WATER's of the State Wildlife Area, and portions of the TV History Channel Series, entitled, "Gunboats of Vietnam", were filmed there.
As of 2006, there are two Swift Boats known to exist as static displays in the United States. Both are ex-US Navy PCF Swift Boats that were originally stationed in California to train PCF crews. One is located at the Naval Museum in Washington D.C., and the second Swift Boat is on the US Naval Special Weapons Base in Coronado, California; the original home of PCF training.
[edit] Vietnam Service
The first Swift Boat to be lost during the war was PCF-4, which was lost to a mine in 1966. Three others were lost in rough seas, trying to re-enter the treacherous mouths of the Cua Viet River near the DMZ. PCF-41 was lost in a running gun battle with Viet Cong guerrillas (Southern Communists, who lived in South Vietnam) in 1966. PCF-43 was lost to a rocket attack in 1969, and PCF's 77, 14, and 76 were lost to heavy seas. Several other Swift Boats had been lost to river mines, but had been salvaged and either repaired or used for spare parts.
In June of 1968, PCF-19 and PCF-12 were patrolling near the DMZ (17th parallel) when they were attacked by hovering aircraft at night time. Within minutes, PCF-19 had disappeared from an explosion, and PCF-12 commenced a running gun battle with its .50 caliber machine guns for well over an hour with those "hovering lights." During this battle, PCF-12 had been continously radioing that they were under attack by unidentified aircraft, i.e. hovering aircraft. The response was a continuous one, "no friendly aircraft in the area". Further radio traffic informed PCF-12 that US Forces had suspended all flying operations within PCF-12's area, in order to isolate the problem; especially rotor-wing aircraft (helicopters).
But the Swift Boat was still in contact (still engaged with the enemy). Hours elapsed, but still in darkness, US jet aircraft responded to PCF-12's firefight, but bypassed them and headed for the Australian destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDG-39) [p. 100] and the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CAG-1), the US jets fired rockets killing two Australian sailors, and slightly damaging the Hobart, and the USS Boston. Parts of the recovered rockets had US data on them identifying them as American. The hovering aircraft had also been seen by US Marines on shore, near the DMZ, on the South side of the border. When all reports had been submitted, the attacks on the two allied warships were attributed to the US attacking fixed-wing aircraft (fratricide), and also for attacking PCF-12, and destroying PCF-19.[1]
A primary complication, that helped to make the above conclusion, is that the battle between the Swift Boats and the unidentified hovering aircraft started between midnight and 0100 hours on 16 June, and the attacks (fratricide) on the Boston and Hobart occurred during the same time frame, only on the 17th of June. These were two separate dates, and, in reality, two separate incidents. When completed (the reports) both events had somehow been merged into one incident; again, fratricide. It had been theorized, by both officers and men (US Army, USMC, USN) that the, "NVA helos were flying artillery..."[1], etc. to Tiger Island, located just off the North Vietnamese coast. However, it goes beyond theory, when official reports, such as OIC, PCF-12's Combat After Action Report dated "20 OCT 1967" (1968?) for "Market Time Patrol", "151130H JUN-161130H JUN 1968", mentions in part "...enemy held Tiger Island...possible base of operations for North Vietnamese military..." and "under constant air attack from all angles Helo...gunners ordered to fire the .50 caliber guns at any and all air contacts..."[1] There were more than enough (declassified) official reports, that mention "enemy aircraft", to conclude that the loss of PCF-19 was due to North Vietnamese helicopters. It is important to note, however, that as of 2006, PCF-12 and PCF-19 (Lost) were still carried by the US Navy as attacked/lost from friendly fire.[1]
[edit] John Kerry
United States Senator John Kerry served aboard Swift Boats for approximately four of his sixteen months' Vietnam service during the war. His service became a major issue during the 2004 Presidential Election Campaign. As a result of this controversy, terms such as "Swiftboating", and "Swiftboater", have entered American political jargon.
[edit] See also
- Patrol Boat, River, PBR, 32 foot long, all fiberglass boat, with twin water jet propulsion, used on rivers.
- Mobile Riverine Force
- Brown Water Navy
- Littoral Combat Ship
[edit] References
- Steffes, James, ENC Ret. "Swift Boat Down". The real story of the sinking of PCF-19. 2006. ISBN 1-59926-612-1
- Friedman, Norman. "U.S. Small Combatants." 1987. ISBN 0-87021-7135
[edit] External links
