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Patrol Boat

PBR Mark II

PBR Mark II forward .50 caliber M2 machine guns

Patrol Boat, River (sometimes Riverine and Pibber), or PBR, is the US Navy designation for a type of rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971. They were deployed in a force that grew to 250, the most common craft in the River Patrol Force, Task Force 116, and were used to stop and search traffic in areas such as the Mekong Delta, the Rung Sat Special Zone, the Saigon River and in I Corps, in the area assigned to Task Force Clearwater, in an attempt to disrupt weapons shipments. In this role they frequently became involved in firefights with enemy soldiers on boats and on the shore. PBR's were also used to infiltrate Navy SEAL teams.

The PBR was a versatile boat with a fiberglass hull and water jet drive which enabled it to operate in shallow, weed-choked rivers. It drew only two feet of water fully loaded. The drives could be pivoted to reverse direction, turn the boat in its own length, or come to a stop from full speed in a few boat lengths.

The PBR was manufactured in two versions, the first with 31 foot length and 10 foot, 7 inch beam. The Mark II version 32 feet long and one foot wider beam, had improved drives to reduce fouling, and aluminum gunwales to resist wear. It usually operated with four enlisted men, of which the most senior crewman was designated the boat commander. They were powered by dual 220 hp (164 kW) Detroit Diesel engines with Jacuzzi Brothers water jet drives. The boats reached top speeds of 28.5 knots (53 km/h). The boat was typically armed with twin .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns (the forward '50s), an M60 7.62 mm machine gun, a Mark 19 grenade launcher, and sometimes a 20 mm cannon. The machine gunners and conning tower were protected with ceramic armor.

PBR's were operating with the US Navy Reserves up until 1995 at Mare Island, California prior to the base's closure that year. Mare Island is located in San Pablo Bay, which begins on the northeast side of the San Rafael/Richmond bridge. The opposite side of the bridge is San Francisco Bay. For most people not living in the Bay Area of California, the whole bay is called San Francisco Bay, as there are no visible markers indicating otherwise. During the Vietnam War, Mare Island was home to the US Navy's Repair Facilities, Mothballing Operations, Submarine Operations, and Riverine Training Operations for both Swift Boats and PBR's. The training areas for the PBR's and Swift Boats still exist today and are called the "Napa-Sonoma Marshes State Wildlife Area." Sloughs such as Dutchman Slough, China Slough, Napa Slough, Devil's Slough, and the Napa River all run through the former training area. The TV series entitled "Great Ships", sometimes shown on the military channel, has one episode covering Riverine Warfare. Live footage showing some of the riverine boats is used, but tall metal electric power lines are visible in the background of the speeding PBR's. Although not mentioned by the narrator, these scenes are of US Navy Reservists undergoing training at Mare Island, California. In the late 1990s, what remained of the US Navy PBR force (Swift Boats had been retired from the US Navy immediately following the Vietnam war during the early 1970s) was moved further inland towards Sacramento (State Capital), California, which is also intertwined with rivers. From Sacramento, PBR's can still transit directly to and through San Francisco Bay and into the Pacific Ocean, if need be. The waters of the State Wildlife Area, next to the former US Navy (Riverine) training base at Mare Island, are still available for US Navy PBR usage.

A PBR is the setting for much of the action in the film Apocalypse Now. Colonel Le Monde's forces use the PBR, referred to as a 'pibber', in the Electronic Arts game Nuclear Strike.

• Swift boat - An aluminum built, 50 foot long, fast patrol boat used on the coasts during the Vietnam war

• Steffes, James, ENC Ret. "Swift Boat Down." The real story of the sinking of PCF-19. 2006. ISBN 1-59926-612-1
• Friedman, Norman. "US Small Combatants." 1987. ISBN 0-87021-7135

• Gamewardens of Vietnam Association, Inc. The oldest continuously operating Vietnam Veterans Organization in the United States, organized in 1968 by the Veterans of the Vietnam River Patrol Force, primary war boat, the PBR, River Patrol Boat.
• Rivervet website
• Riverine Force History
• PBR Forces Veterans Association Dedicated as a Living Memorial to the American Men and Women who came home after paying the supreme sacrifice for their country, and to those who have passed on since the War. To all our brothers and sisters of the Vietnam War who went and served our country, no nation can ask any more of its children.
• HNSA Ship Page: PBR's as museums to visit.