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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

COASTAL FORCES

 

"Nasty" patrol boats (PTF3) (1962 - 1969)

similar Tjeld 1968

   

Names

PTF3 - 22

Builders

Batservice, Mandal, Norway: PTF3 - 16

Trumpy, Annapolis: PTF17 - 22

Commissioned

1962: PTF3, 4

1964: PTF5 - 16

1968: PTF17 - 20

1969: PTF21, 22

1970: PTF3, 5 - 7 (all 2nd time)

Losses

PTF4 (4.11.1965), PTF8 (16.6.1966), PTF9 (7.3.1966), PTF14 (22.4.1966), PTF15 (22.4.1966), PTF16 (19.8.1966)

Transfers

South Vietnam, 1.1966: PTF3, 5-7 (all returned 1970)

Discarding

1972: PTF13

1977: PTF3 (2nd time), PTF6 (2nd time), PTF7 (2nd time), PTF12

1980: PTF18, 19

1981: PTF5 (2nd time), PTF10, 11, 17, 20-22

 

 

Displacement standard, t

80

Displacement full, t

85

Length, m

24.5

Breadth, m

7.50

Draught, m

1.20

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 Napier-Deltic diesels

Power, h. p.

6200

Max speed, kts

38

Fuel, t

diesel oil 17
Endurance, nm(kts) 600(25)

Armament

1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 1 x (1 - 81/12 M29 mortar + 1 - 12.7/90)

Electronic equipment

radar
Complement 17

Project history: These Norwegian-designed torpedo-boats were acquired by the US Navy for 'unconventional operations'. PTF3-16 were built by Batservice A/B, Mandal, Norway, and the hulls were shipped to die United States for outfitting. During the Vietnam War, these boats were used to carry Vietnamese special forces attacking North Vietnam.

    The Trumpy boats were built under the FY67 programme, the Norwegian units having been acquired under FY64.

    Armament varied in all these craft; originally it was reported as two 40mm and two single 20mm, but the forward 40mm was later replaced by die combination 81mm mortar/12.7mm machine-gun of many Vietnam-era combatants.

Modernizations: late 1970s, may be some: - 1 x (1 - 81/12 M29 mortar + 1 - 12.7/90); + 1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3

Naval service: No significant events.

PTF6 1973

PTF17 1972

© Ivan Gogin, 2015