River Gunboats
Page 25
Despite their drawbacks the Gressier armoured barges proved useful while other more modern vessels were being sourced and armed. On 1 January 1946 there were four, Dévastation, Lave, Tonnante and Foudre, joined on 15 March 1946 by two more: Volcan and Terreur. Lave was sunk by a mine on 16 June 1947, and replaced by another requisitioned barge several months later which took on the name of Lave II. Tonnante and Terreur were withdrawn in the autumn of 1947, followed by Dévastation and Volcan a year later. Lave II was stricken in 1952, while Foudre, renamed Tonnerre, was still in service when the French pulled out in 1954.
One of the Gressier barges requisitioned, armed and armoured. Note the cylindrical conning tower, the armour-plate bulwarks and the twin 13.2mm on the bows.
Launched:
Converted between late 1945 and late 1947 by BMEO Workshops and Saigon Arsenal.
Dimensions:
Displ: 220 tons; L: 31.5/103ft 4in; B: 6.5m/21ft 4in: D: 1.1m to 1.8m/3ft 7in to 5ft 11in.
Crew:
14, plus up to a company of troops for 2–3 days operation, or 250 men over short distances.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; 1 × single-cylinder Bolinder hot-bulb semi-diesel engine, 25bhp to 45bhp/5 to 7 knots.
Guns/Armour:
(Typical) 2 × 25mm Japanese Type 96; 2 × 13.2mm Hotchkiss HMG; 3 or 4 × .30 cal Browning MG; 1 × 81mm mortar/Bulletproof conning tower and side bulwarks. Foudre armament: 1 × 75mm Model 1897 QF; 4 × 25mm Type 96 (1 twin + 2 single); 2 × 13.2mm Hotchkiss HMG; 2 × 8mm Hotchkiss MG; 2 × .30 cal Browning MG; 2 × 91mm mortars; 1 × 50mm mortar.
Fate:
Lave sunk June 1947; remainder returned to their owners by 1952 except for Tonnerre – ultimate fate unknown.
LSSL
The US Landing Craft (Support) (Large) was a heavily-armed fire support version of the standard LCI (Landing Craft Infantry). In February 1949 their USN designation changed to LSSL (Landing Ship Support Large). Beginning on 15 August 1950 the US Navy transferred nine LSSTs to France: LSSL-2 became Arbalète; LSSL-4 Arquebuse; LSSL-9 Hallebarde; LSSL-10 Javeline; LSSL-28 Pertuisane; LSSL-80 La Rapière; LSSL-35 Etendard; LSSL-105 Framée and LSSL-65 Oriflamme. Note the re-use of several traditional gunboat weapon names. The first six received armour protection plus the addition of two mortars. The final three had their forward 3in gun replaced by a 40mm Bofors, and two banks of BBR rockets added.
In French service they gained the nickname of ‘River Cruisers’, and were used singly for patrol duties. Because of their extensive command and control facilities they were often used to support Dinassaut operations.
A former French LSSL handed over to the South Vietnamese Navy.
Launched:
Late Second World War by various builders.
Dimensions:
Displ: 390 tons; L: 48.7m/159ft 9in; B: 7.2m/23ft 7in; D: 1.8m/5ft 11in.
Crew:
3 officers + 55 men.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 8 × Gray Marine 8V 71 diesel engines, total 1,320bhp/16 knots.
Guns/Armour:
First six: 1 × 3in/50; 2 × twin 40mm Bofors; 4 × 20mm Oerlikons; 2 × .30 cal MG; 2 × 81mm mortars/Bulletproof plating to bridge, conning tower and radio room. Armament on last three: 2 × twin 40mm Bofors; 1 × single Bofors; 4 × 20mm Oerlikons; 2 × .30 cal MG; 2 × 81mm mortars; 2 × six-round BRR rocket launchers.
Fate:
Arquebuse, Javeline and Framée became South Vietnamese; the other six returned to the USN.
HDML/Vedette de Port/Vedette de Patrouille
During the Second World War the British supplied twenty-two Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDMLs) to the Free French Navy, and it is probable that these were the boats deployed in Indochina after 1945. Two unarmoured HDMLs were used for offshore patrols. Armour protection fitted around their upper-works allowed others to support the ‘Dinassaut’ units, and eventually no less than nineteen were in service by 1954. The original French designation ‘Vedette de Port’ was a rough equivalent of ‘Harbour Defence Motor Launch’, but this was felt to be too pejorative, so they were reclassified as ‘Vedette de Patrouille’ or ‘Patrol Launch’. (For a profile drawing of an unarmoured HDML, see GREAT BRITAIN – Burmese Gunboats).
Launched:
Launched during the Second World War by various builders.
Dimensions:
Displ: 50 tons (54 tons full load); L: 21.95m/72ft; B: 4.9m/16ft; D: 1.5m/5ft.
Crew:
2 officers +10 crewmen.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × Gardner 8L3 Marine diesel engines, total 304bhp/12.5 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × 20mm Oerlikon; 2 × .50 cal MG; 1 × 60mm mortar/Bulletproof plating around the Oerlikon positions, gun shields to 20mm and .50 cal MG, bridge and conning position.
LCM
The river monitors were converted by Saigon Arsenal from LCM-6 landing craft, with a ship-shaped bow welded on in place of the bow ramp. The front turret came from a Coventry armoured car, with the BESA 7.92mm MG replaced with a German 20mm MG151 cannon. Three more MG151s were mounted behind shields on the rear deck, and an 81mm mortar was placed in the central well. At first a crow’s nest was constructed at the top of a tall pole structure at the stern, for observation of shot, but the observer proved too vulnerable to Viet Minh fire and this was soon removed. A similar conversion resulted in the LCM Command version, but without the front turret and crow’s nest.
An armoured HDML in French service. (Photo courtesy of J Briand)
Armoured LCM (Monitor) at Phal Diem, October 1952. (Photo ECPA)
Surviving French monitors were passed to the South Vietnamese, and new monitors to virtually the same design would be produced on the base of LCM-6s in the United States in the early 1960s and supplied to South Vietnam (see SOUTH VIETNAM).
With the arrival of American forces in Vietnam, the surviving French and South Vietnamese monitors and command boats served once again as models for new American construction (see UNITED STATES OF AMERICA).
Launched:
Late Second World War by various builders.
Dimensions:
Displ: 47 tons; L: 17.26m/56ft 7in; B: 4.28m/14ft; D: 1.22m/4ft.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × Gray 64HN9 Marine Diesels, total 330bhp/8 knots.
Guns/Armour:
In front turret: 1 × 2-pounder QF; 1 × 20mm MG151; On rear deck: 3 × 20mm MG151; or 1 × 20mm cannon + 2 × .50 cal Browning HMG; Central well: 81mm mortar/15mm bulletproof plating on hull sides and bridge; Original Coventry turret armour upgraded by spaced armour plates.
The wooden LCVP as rearmed and armoured by the French, with a wooden or metal roof to deflect grenades thrown from the river banks. (Profile drawing by Claude Picard)
LCVP
The French Army scoured the beaches and harbours of the region, and recovered a number of wooden LCVPs. They were armed and given basic armour protection. Slow, noisy and vulnerable, their patrol and assault tasks would be passed to more suitable vessels such as the FOM and Vedettes Vietnamiennes.
Launched:
Built Second World War; converted late 1940s.
Dimensions:
Displ: 7 tons; L: 10.97m/36ft; B: 3.18m/10ft 5in; D: 1.09m to 1.15m/3ft 7in to 3ft 9in.
Crew:
6 + 10 troops.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; 1 × Gray 64HN9 Marine diesel, 225bhp/7 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 20mm Oerlikon; 2 × .30 cal Browning MG; 2 × 7.5mm MAC 31 MG or 2 × FM 24/29 LMGs; 2 × VB grenade launchers (7.5mm MAS 36 rifles in cradles)/Bulletproof gun shields and side panels.
Engin d’Assaut (EA)
The Engin d’Assaut was a version of the LCVP built from the keel up. In comparison with the armoured versions of the American LCVP, the EA were constructed of steel and were therefore more robust. However, as they possessed only a single motor, to avoid the risk of one being disabled and vulnerable through breakdown or a hit in the
engine, they normally operated bound together in pairs.
The ex-Luftwaffe MG151/20 cannon which armed the EAs had a much higher cyclic rate of fire than the Oerlikon used on the LCVPs (750rpm as against 450rpm).
The EAs normally operated coupled in pairs, as each had only one engine. (Photo ECPA)
The EA showing one variation of the armament. (Profile drawing by Claude Picard)
Launched:
Beginning in 1950, by Cherbourg DY.
Dimensions:
Displ: 10 tons; L: 10.75m/35ft 3in; B: 3.23m/10ft 7in; D: 0.95m to 1.15m/3ft 1in to 3ft 9in.
Crew:
6 + up to 10 troops.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; 1 × Gray 64HN9 Marine diesel, 225bhp/7 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 20mm MG151 cannon; 2 × .30 cal Browning MG; 2 × 7.5mm MAC 31 MG or 2 × FM 24/29 LMGs; 2 × VB grenade launchers (7.5mm MAS 36 rifles in cradles)/Bulletproof gun shields and side panels.
Vedette FOM 8m
A need arose for a shallow-draught vessel to reach into waterways where the LCVPs and EAs could not go, so with help from the French Navy, the 8m Vedette FOM (for ‘France d’Outre-Mer’ or France Overseas) was designed in 1949. They were built of bulletproof steel with an armour belt above the waterline, and all-round armour protection for the steering position.
The first type was just 8m long, and relatively slow, armed with various machine guns and two grenade launchers (MAS 36 rifles fixed in frames), and drawing just 80cm of water. Slight drawbacks were its noisy diesel engine, a large turning circle using the single rudder, and the relative lack of command of the armament due to the low profile of the FOM. The Engineers attempted to fit a 60mm or 81mm mortar, but the recoil was too great for such a small vessel. They were operated by the armoured forces, and were very popular.
Launched:
1949 on.
Dimensions:
Displ: 8 tons; L: 8m/26ft 3in; B: 2.75m/9ft; D: 0.8m/2ft 7in.
Crew:
5–6.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; 1 × Renault 70bhp diesel engine/7 to 8 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × .50 cal Browning HMG; 2 × 7.5mm MAC 31 MG; 2 × VB grenade launchers (7.5mm MAS 36 rifles in cradles)/Bulletproof armour: waterline belt, gun shields and around steering position.
Re-ammunitioning an 8m FOM with ‘camembert’ ammunition drums for the MAC 31 MG. Note how compact and low profile this craft is. (Photo Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Tourret, by kind permission of Mme Tourret)
FOM 11m
The success of the first type led to a demand for a slightly larger and faster version, measuring 11m. It was more heavily armed, but drew 1.1m against the 80cm of the earlier boat. An advantage was the fitting of two engines, and the turning circle was reduced by the use of twin rudders. The boat chief could now operate a machine gun or recoilless rifle from a height of 2m (6ft 6in) above the waterline. In each platoon, one boat would be armed with a 60mm mortar in the rear turret in place of the .50 cal. In emergencies, six or eight troops could be carried (see also SOUTH VIETNAM).
Launched:
1949 on.
Dimensions:
Displ: 12 tons; L: 11m/36ft 1in; B: 3m/9ft 10in; D: 1.1m/3ft 7in.
Crew:
7–8.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × Renault 70bhp diesel engines/11 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × .50 cal Browning HMG or 1 × .50 cal HMG + 1 × 60mm mortar; 4 × 7.5mm MAC 31 MG; 2 × VB grenade launchers (7.5mm MAS 36 rifles in cradles); 75mm recoilless rifle/Bulletproof armour: waterline belt, turrets fore and aft, MG shields and around steering position.
The 11m FOM. (Photo Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Tourret, by kind permission of Mme Tourret)
The armament layout of the 11m FOM. (Plan: Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Tourret, by kind permission of Mme Tourret)
VV 51 armoured vedette, at Vinh Long. (Courtesy of Eric Tirilly, Tirilly Emile Indochine 1947-49 Website)
Vedette Vietnamienne
The original American LCPL was used as the basis for the Vedette Vietnamienne, retaining the two bow ring mountings for .30 cal Browning MG, as seen in the above photo.
Launched:
As LCPLs during the Second World War.
Dimensions:
Displ: 6.5 tons; L: 11.07m/36ft 4in; B: 3.3m/10ft 10in; D: 1.1m/3ft 7in.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; Gray 64HN9 Marine diesel, 225bhp/8 knots.
Guns/Armour:
Varied, but typically: (Unarmoured boats) 1 × .50 cal Browning MG; 2 × FM 24/29 LMGs. (Armoured boats) 1 × 20mm Oerlikon + 3 × .30 cal Browning MG/Bulletproof hull side plating, cabin and roof turret.
‘Y-Cutters’ (40-foot Utility Boats)
At the beginning of the 1950s the US Coast Guard decided to build a series of Utility Boats to replace a wide range of older craft still in service. Construction started in 1951 using prefabricated sub-assemblies on a production line, at a rate of delivery of one boat per day, and a unit cost of $47,675. In 1951 the Yard began building twenty-seven boats for the French Navy. Eighteen were delivered the following year, and the remainder were sent to the newly-independent South Vietnam in 1955.
These small craft had a fair turn of speed and were well-armed for their size, but their complete lack of protection meant they were too vulnerable to use on most of the river systems. In particular the open rear decking made them particularly susceptible to free-surface water in the event of minor hits, leading to a risk of capsize. They did however patrol the estuaries, plus the Cambodian lakes and rivers where it was hoped they would face less opposition.
A pair of ‘Y-Cutters’ on patrol, with gunners keeping a sharp lookout on the river bank. (Photo ECPA)
Launched:
1951 to 1955 by the US Coast Guard Yard.
Dimensions:
Displ: 10 tons; L: 12.2m/40ft; B: 3.4m/11ft 2in; D: 0.7m/2ft 3½in.
Crew:
4–5.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × 190bhp GMC 6-71 diesel engines/22 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 20mm Oerlikon at the stern; 1 × .50 cal Browning HMG in the bow.
Drawing of the type of vessel supplied to the French in 1952. Note the towing bitt in the middle of the stern deck, which would be replaced by an Oerlikon mount. (Plans from the US Coast Guard History Program)
GERMANY
Rhein and Mosel
The new German Empire’s first foray into building river gunboats can hardly be deemed a resounding success. In 1871 two river gunboats of the Monitor type were laid down in Bremen, designed specifically for service on the Rhine. They were given the names Rhein and Mosel after the two principal western border rivers of the new Reich, the Rhine being the traditional, and the Moselle the new, frontier between France and Germany. As their stated role included defending the railway bridges against an expected French attack, the Rhine Railway Company was obliged to contribute 300,000 thalers towards their construction.
The Germans were undoubtedly inspired by the recent Austro-Hungarian river monitors Maros and Leitha, and felt the need to come up with a pair of armoured river monitors of their own. But Rhein and Mosel compared badly with their contemporaries on the Danube, with old-fashioned bronze MLRs and a huge target of a central casemate, and they lacked the innovative curved hull profile which made the Austrian pair so successful and long-lived.
In addition to their low freeboard, Rhein and Mosel could make use of ballast tanks fore and aft to lower their target profile even more. However, use of the tanks reduced their normally sluggish manoeuvrability to the point where they became dangerously unmanageable. The armour was sufficient to ward off field gun shot, and their modest armament of 12cm bronze MLRs was all that would be needed to silence French field batteries and drive off infantry attacks. The turreted Monitor design was certainly superior to the earlier river gunboats designed by Napoleon III which were all the French could brin
g to oppose them at the time.
A German engraving showing Rhein (on the left) and Mosel in 1875. (Illustration from Wikipedia.de, posted by Gerd Wiechmann)
A reconstruction based on contemporary descriptions and one photo. Sources differ as to whether one or both of the vessels had a rounded or a pointed stern. Note the prudent use of bracing girders to stiffen the construction. Similar bracing would reappear on the British Humber class. The two box structures ahead of the citadel are the heads. The larger square structure behind the citadel is the galley. (Drawing and details courtesy of Martin Hathaway of paper-shipwright.co.uk)
One surprising feature was that the crew had no permanent on-board accommodation, and when their gunboats were in service were expected to sleep on a convenient riverbank. The attached group of up to 100 pioneers (Army Engineers) was very necessary considering the low power of the coal-burning engines: at full speed they could barely hope to breast the flow of the Rhine in flood, and the pioneers would assist in moving the monitors by means of ropes and horse teams.
Having been built in order to copy the Austrians, and not from any necessary tactical requirement – the river and the railway bridges could have been defended far more effectively by mobile artillery – the two monitors hardly ever left their base of Koblenz, and their peaceful existence was disturbed only by the Kaiser taking a short trip on the Rhein in 1875.
Launched:
1872 by the AG Weser Dockyard, Bremen, Hull Numbers 23 and 24.
Dimensions:
Displ: 283 tons; L: 49.6m/162ft 9in; B: 7.85m/25ft 9in; D: 1.6m/5ft 3in at deep submergence.
Crew:
8 officers + 22 men + up to 100 pioneers to assist with moving the gunboats.