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Episode 2606 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the Riverine Operations in Vietnam. The featured story comes from History Net and is titled: All You Need to Know About Riverine Operations in Vietnam Riverine operations were central to the Vietnam War. It was submitted by David T. Zabecki.
The mobile riverine forces in Vietnam faced a challenging situation. They had to patrol 15,000 miles of waterways in the Mekong Delta. The second brigade of the 9th Infantry Division provided the power of the force. The unit did a good job and should be commended for a job well done.
In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) (after May 1967), initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the brown-water navy. It was modeled after lessons learned by the French experience in the First Indochina War of Dinassaut and had the task of both transport (of soldiers and equipment) and combat. The primary land base was at Đồng Tâm Base Camp, with a floating base which operated in the major rivers of the Mekong Delta. Soldiers and sailors went out in river boats from the floating base to assault the Viet Cong. During part of the 1968-69 period, there were two such mobile bases operating in different parts of the Delta, Mobile Riverine Groups Alpha and Bravo. The MRF played a key role in the Tet Offensive.
Each river assault group, later designated river assault squadron, was to consist of the following: 52 Armored Troop Carriers (ATCs or “Tangos”), 10 Monitors with 40mm cannon and 81mm mortar, 32 Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPBs), 5 Monitors to serve as command and control boats and 2 LCM-6’s to serve as refuelers. A salvage force would include: 2 2,000-ton heavy lift craft, 2 YTB’s for salvage, 2 LCU’s (landing craft, utility), and 3 100-ton floating dry docks.
Listen to episode 2606 and discover more about the Riverine Operations in Vietnam.
