Coordination of military cargo unloading and port clearance was handled by the Navy's Headquarters Support Activity Saigon. Two attacks, carried out by Junkers Ju. As the two ships approached, there was great confusion regarding which ship had the right of way. 1943. Thus closed the last act in the long Vietnam drama. University and by American Merchant Marine at War **personal correspondence. In cases where shore docking did not occur, the evidence must show that the ship operated in Vietnam's close coastal waters for extended periods, that members of the crew went ashore, or that smaller vessels from the ship went . Philadelphia, and New York. "The Beginning in fiscal year 1970, the funds and personnel of Far East military ocean terminals were severely cut to a level where the ports had to decrease operating hours and thereby increased the ships' time in port. There was insufficient berth service available on ships operating on routes from the United States to Vietnam to meet the increased cargo requirements. The biggest and most obvious down side to Vert Rep'ing ammo is the damage incurred when dropped on the deck of the receiving ship. With dozens of ships off Vietnam at any time, U.S. naval forces needed a constant flow of supplies. for Vietnam duty on the SS Pioneer Myth, SS Transcaribbean, SS Aloha On the evening of 17 July 1944, the empty merchant ship SS Quinault Victory was prepared for loading on her maiden voyage. to transport the 434 aircraft and other equipment. Naval and Maritime Chronology 1961-1971. The site is now Liberty State Park, where tourist boats depart to visit the Statue of Liberty. United States Navy ammunition ships carried gunpowder and other munitions, such as shell and/or cannon ball, to ships in the field. From Bullets to Beans: Underway Replenishment. AMC sponsored a viable solution to reducing this excess N.E.W. . For example, a military 1000-pound bomb might weigh 1000 pounds, but it contains only 385 pounds of explosive material. The blast was so intense that other ships in the harbor lost most of their crews and freight cars were blown two miles inland. 0 identification in event of enemy capture. The munitions themselves would be redesigned for safety while loading.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'globalsecurity_org-banner-1','ezslot_7',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-globalsecurity_org-banner-1-0'); The Coast Guard kept accidents in ammunition handling to a minimum during the war. }, Page last modified: As with the other two, it also has it's challenges but not as great. Hit by enemy fire in Qui Nhon harbor while waiting to offload ammunition. Following the armistice, Mount Katmai returned to CONUS for overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Holding the ships for lengthy periods resulted in demurrage charges of from $3,000 to $7,000 per day per ship. Photo from USS Firedrake cruisebook 1965-66. See details for shipping. Although not a handling accident, it served as a reminder of the dangers of this type of cargo.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'globalsecurity_org-box-4','ezslot_5',128,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-globalsecurity_org-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'globalsecurity_org-box-4','ezslot_6',128,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-globalsecurity_org-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-128{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. Bryan detonated in one massive explosion. Squadron One, composed of 17 patrol boats was sealifted to the Philippines It was apparent that additional port facilities would be required in the Saigon area. The ship was laid down on 11 November 1944 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.; launched on 6 January 1945, sponsored by Mrs. A. E. DeMaray; and commissioned on 21 July 1945 at Jacksonville, Florida. Air Force supplies from Oakland, California to Saigon between 1965 and materiel including tanks, airplanes, ammunition, and food -- including merchant mariners in Vietnamese ports at any time. ice cream. As a result, the Command removed all Reserve Fleet ships from operation, and as of December 1, 1970, it reduced the number of break-bulk cargo ships under time charter to 76 representing a total of about 1.1 million measurement tons. The quantity of ammunition moved to Vietnam averaged slightly under 40,000 short tons per month in 1966, approximately 75,000 short tons per month in 1967, and just under 90,000 short tons per month in 1968. These ships are operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. USS Mindanao (ARG-3) was about 350 yards away. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Haas had served on the ammunition ship USS Mount Katmai off the coast of Vietnam during August 1967-April 1969. . Construction began on this fifty million dollar facility in early 1966. Both the MV Carter and MV Page were uploaded and back on station at Diego Garcia by mid-2003. MSTS ships MTMTS provided support for the Vietnam War through cargo operations at its Military Ocean Terminals at Oakland CA, (MOTBA), Bayonne, New Jersey (MOTBY) and Sunny Point, NC (MOTSU) as well as commercial ports. They paid the Supreme Sacrifice while serving Lot integrity was maintained by ships' holds to the maximum extent practicable. During the Vietnam War, USS Pyro supported the Seventh Fleet in combatant missions. Major global commercial seaports that can offload a deep draft ammo container ship are surrounded by ingress and egress shipping lanes which significantly reduces potential portside offloads. It is imperative that the slings, nets and cables used in the cross deck are in a good serviceable condition. Two new depots were established inland at less populated sites near Savanna, Illinois, and Ogden, Utah. ins.style.display = 'block'; Maritime also coordinates all G&J activities performed under the direction of its coast directors--located in New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco--who are responsible for carrying out these activities. combat zones under fire. Kilauea (AE4) was acquired by the Navy 14 November 1940 while building by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., as SS Surprise; delivered to Alabama Drydock & Shipbuilding Co., for conversion; and commissioned 16 May 1941, Capt. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. more. tossed at the ship by terrorists. The biggest challenge is sea state. This process definitely slowed the transfer of ammunition, but again, it did not beat the pallets up. to take disciplinary action against merchant mariners. Yu Chu: 09051524: 108k: On January 1, 1969, the Command was operating 144 Reserve Fleet ships and had 130 break-bulk cargo ships under charter, the latter group representing an estimated 1.7 million measurement tons of cargo space, In fiscal year 1970, military cargo requirements decreased to 26.9 measurement tons, and projections for fiscal year 1971 indicated a further decrease to 19.5 million measurement tons. 92Qi M The best overall way to cross deck munitions is via the LCAC. Located in: Stanhope, New Jersey, United States. Mount Katmai was underway from Subic Bay on 11 March 1968, and arrived San Francisco on 28 March. Crew, Donald I. and Boucek, Robert J. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2 US Military Vietnam Era M1956 Canvas Ammo Magazine Pouch Set at the best online prices at eBay! After an overhaul at Mare Island between 19 October 1959 and 15 January 1960, Firedrake conducted three more tours (April - August 1960; November 1960 - April 1961; October 1961 - April 1962 . Without a Front." Management of ammunition dictated that ammunition be stored and accounted for by lot number. Notably, where the cable stations were set up, was in a confined space that challenged the most seasoned forklift driver. The Saigon Port was a civilian port under the management control of the Republic of Vietnam's governmental port authority. And in celebrating her 30 th anniversary, USS Pyro entered a new era with the addition of female crew members. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1:6 Scale US Vietnam Machine Gun Ammunition Belt at the best online prices at eBay! MSTS carried guns, tanks, trucks, 685 - Original Vietnam era M1956 Small Arms Ammo Case, Magazine Pouch - canvas. If you see substantial portions of this Class 1 materials are further divided into hazard class divisions (1.1, 1.2, etc.) Of all the problems arising from the GAA program -- that is, repairs & procurement of supplies, cargo operations, and crewing --the problem of crew shortages was considered by Maritime as the most serious and troublesome. Headquarters Support Activity Saigon never knew from day to day how many berths or which berths would be made available to them for the unloading of U.S. cargo. and tankers supplying Vietnam, with an average of 75 ships and over 3,000 There were 12 men on the team only 3 (including Jim) survived. The ships were constructed 1968-1972 and were initially commissioned naval ships, carrying a crew of naval personnel. Between 1965 and 1969, MSTS carried 7.6 million tons of supplies for the Air Force, about half going directly to Vietnam, the rest to staging areas in the Pacific. Between 1965 and 1969, MSTS carried 7.6 million tons of supplies for the @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px) { It was up to the consignee to remove the cargo from the port. Sabotage became a national issue. hbbd```b``>"I7it,^"&H G%*`l_"@lUpL"T&3 V{K Communists had already overrun Da Nang, the ships evacuated thousands Heavy weather and faulty cargo stowage by the Bangor Munitions Depot caused bombs to start breaking loose. State, and the SS Ocean Cloud. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); After the explosion, the Navy would institute a number of changes in munitions handling procedure. endstream endobj 864 0 obj <>>>/Lang(en-US)/MarkInfo<>/Metadata 62 0 R/Pages 861 0 R/StructTreeRoot 73 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 865 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 861 0 R/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 866 0 obj <>stream As a means of easing serious congestion and ship delay, The Army's the Military Traffic Management and Terminal Service (MTMTS) in 1966 initiated a practice of sending full shiploads to single ports of debarkation in theater whenever possible. At busy ports with a shortage of available berths, the problem was compounded because not only the ship on berth was delayed by whatever time the terminal was closed but also any ships awaiting berths were delayed. In addition to avoiding civilian infrastructure within that arc, another major impact is proximity to commercial shipping lanes. The Command maintained that newer ships being added to the fleet are not designed, for the most part, to carry breakbulk type cargo. The Con Replenishment, though not as fast as the Vertical Replenishment did not generate any where close to the damage caused by the helicopters. USS Pictor (AF-54) [Auxiliary Stores Ship] entered . Shipping: US $15.00 Standard Shipping. Operating out of Subic, Mount Katmai provided logistical support to the operating forces until late November. must be reduced per ship to < 8.0 million pounds N.E.W.. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; Repeated efforts to get South Vietnam to clear the piers were unsuccessful. In the summer of 1968, the Navy added a new weapon to its Vietnam arsenal, the USS New Jersey (BB-62), the last battleship of the U.S. Navy to see action. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Home, www.USMM.org 1998-2013. are typically defined as explosive arcs around a particular anchorage site. The responsibility for ocean transportation of ammunition was divided between two single-manager agencies -- the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and the Military Traffic Management and Terminal Service (MTMTS). It continued this practice throughout the war. Division 1.5 denotes materials that possess a mass explosion hazard, but are so insensitive that there is little probability of initiating an explosion during normal conditions of transport.var cid = '8870188826'; Military cargo was treated very much as commercial or Agency for International Development cargo, with little emphasis on specialized development of surface or air distribution methods, facilities, or equipment. Status. additional information about action and casualties in Vietnam. lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId + '-asloaded'), { attributes: true }); When requested, Maritime activates vessels from NDRF and operates them through General Agency Agreements (GAAs) for other Government agencies, principally the Department of Defense (DOD), GAAs are made between the National Shipping Authority-- established in 1951 as an integral unit of Maritime --and shipping companies, acting as general agents, to manage and operate Government-owned vessels in accordance with Government directives or with reasonable commercial practices. by cross-leveling amongst three vice two ammo container ships. 38. Vietnam's electric vehicle maker VinFast said on Monday it had shipped a second batch of 1,879 longer-range VF 8 sport utility vehicles (SUVs), as it seeks to expand its foothold in overseas markets. At the end of the month, the South Vietnamese defenders before Saigon gave way in the face of a powerful North Vietnamese offensive. ***Our website URL has changed. Depot issues for 1966-1968 approximated receipts each month, frustrating the attainment of the stockage objective to the extent that the stockage objective was only attained and maintained for two months in early 1968 when the stockage objective was decreased by 74,500 tons. 88 bombers, sank the ammunition-laden 7176-ton liberty ship Robert Rowan (Ship K-40) at Gela, Sicily before being driven off by antiaircraft fire. Korea, merchant mariners in Vietnam were subject to the Uniform Code of The MSC ships, the Seventh Fleet contingent, and a flotilla of 26 Vietnam Navy ships embarking 30,000 Vietnamese sailors and their families then set sail for the Philippines. For example, one ship waited 10 days in Okinawa at an estimated cost of $70,000 to discharge 25 tons of cargo. In planning for fiscal year 1966, the Military Sealift Command based its 13.5 million measurement ton required shipping capability on military cargo projections prepared by the military shipper services. From these ports it was loaded aboard ships or aircraft and moved either to Vietnam directly or to Okinawa which provided backup support. . Some are Missing See details for shipping. container.style.maxHeight = container.style.minHeight + 'px'; by air. ins.style.display = 'block'; With its large payload capacity, physical security, and almost zero damage to ammo while ammo movement is being conducted, it is the choice for cross decking ammunition. By Sea, Air, and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard buoy tenders in the Pacific made periodic trips to Vietnam installing and maintaining buoys. In July 1965, Maritime, at the request of the Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), began to withdraw vessels from NDRF and activate them for use only in support of military activities in Southeast Asia. The pig is heavy and the gun team members would often take turns car Continue Reading 674 12 62 Detonation velocity of division 1.1 material is approximately 10k to 30k feet per second. In response to this emergency, the shipping industry offered a substantial number of ships for charter to the Military Sealift Command for initial periods of 3 to 6 months. This page is not available in other languages. You may quote material on this web page as long as you cite American Merchant It consisted of ten deep draft berths. Six mariner volunteers from the USNS Greenville Victory In addition to providing aircraft ordnance for airstrikes against North Vietnam, the ship also provided ammunition for ships engaged in support and interdiction shore fire missions along the entire Vietnamese coast. Their primary task is replenishment of ammunition at sea, since most warships were fully loaded with munitions prior to initially leaving port. Maritime attempted to alleviate the crew shortage problem although the responsibility for providing the necessary crews is that of the general agents. ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; %%EOF After overhaul in Mare Island Naval Shipyard until 19 July, and type training, the ammunition ship was ready to sail west again. In cases where shore docking did not occur, the evidence must show that the ship operated in Vietnam's close coastal waters for extended periods, that members of the crew went ashore, or that smaller vessels from the ship went . The holds were packed with high explosive and incendiary bombs, depth charges, and ammunition - 4,606 tons of ammunition in all. lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId + '-asloaded'), { attributes: true }); The term "net explosive weight (NEW)" refers to the weight of ONLY the explosive material in a given load, device, or article. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Of the 320 men killed in the explosion, 202 were the African-American enlisted men who were assigned the dangerous duty of loading the ships. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; They brought mail, Hueys, ammunition, food, medical ammunition support provided to the combat elements in Vietnam was the result of intensive management at Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and Theater level, and the dedicated efforts of men in ammunition units in the ammunition depots and supply points in Vietnam. An Ammunition Ship (AE) is a ship designed or fitted out to deliver ammunition and missiles to the fleet while at sea. Until mid-1966, the discharging of ammunition ships in Vietnam was constrained by the fact that ammunition was removed from pallets at Continental U.S. outloading ports and loaded aboard ship by individual boxes and projectiles. ships out of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (mothball fleet), cost of $570 million. US government investigators who inquired into the explosion on the BADGER STATE criticised the procedure used to stow bombs on board. of the Army 1st Cavalry Division went to Vietnam aboard the baby flattops Mount Katmai was involved in normal support operation off the Pacific coast when the Korean War began. Ammunition Ships - AE Ammunition Ships keep the fleet supplied with ammunition and ordnance, independently or with other combat logistic ships. Early in the Vietnam War, troop While this maximized the use of ship bottoms, it created difficulties in Vietnam, because offloading by cargo nets and hooks was required and ammunition lot integrity had to be re-established within the depots. Once more homeward bound, Mount Katmai was underway from Subic Bay on 12 January 1967, arriving San Francisco on 7 February. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); The single most devastating explosion occurred aboard the Coast Guard-manned cargo ship Serpens. At mile 29 while transiting SAigon River en route to SAigon vessel was attached from shore by rockets and small arms. Just as in World War II and There were sixteen rail cars on the pier with another 429 tons. This accounted for most of the casualties. In October 1966 the converted Liberty ship SS Benjamin Chew and The Kilauea class ammunition ship is a class of eight United States Navy cargo vessels designed for underway replenishment of naval warships. A collision was now inevitable. of Vietnam, MSTS evacuated Vietnamese refugees from North to South Vietnam. suffered heavy casualties during the attempted rescue of the 39 seamen This created a dangerous situation that needed to be rectified. USNS Howze was one of many MSTS ships involved in "Passage In 1975 MSTS helped evacuate to be taken by the crew of the SS President Garfield (and other Military Sea Transportation Service had the job of bringing war supplies above and beyond the introduction of a third ship for cross-leveling. By 1967 as troops rotated to Vietnam in small groups or individually, fewer soldiers went by surface; most were airlifted to the theater. of SS Mayaguez by Khmer Rouge forces in May 1975. The rapid development of deepwater ports in Vietnam brought an expanded need of navigational aids for preventing vessel accidents. They should be recognized as veterans. Within six seconds, a deeper explosion erupted as the contents of the E.A. We would appreciate an Army aviation-maintenance battalion, was positioned as necessary along and kept some of its 19 ammunition ships anchored offshore near combat The need to relocate the ammunition stored in the east became apparent after several mishaps. The Mont Blanc's captain attempted to minimize the potential of his cargo exploding by maneuvering his ship so that the forward hold, containing no TNT, would be struck. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. These mariners General Agency Agreement ships are activated from the National Defense Reserve Fleet and operated by civilian crews under agreements between the Maritime Administration and commercial shipping companies. ships) during the particularly hazardous 35 mile river transit to Saigon: [Security for arrival of the In the earlier years of the war MTMTS shipped soldiers by surface from its Western Area (primarily Oakland). Within a few days, she was underway for rearming operations in the South China Sea, servicing the carrier strike groups and combatant ships off Vietnam. There were several major ammunition explosions during World War II. of ships and had charter agreements with commercial shipping firms. Formalized training would be an important element, and certification would be required before a loader was allowed on the docks. She continued to provide ammunition to U.S. and Allied combatants off the coast of Vietnam into 1973. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Black Tom was serving as a major munitions depot. SIRIBACHI deployed numerous times to the "MED", "Carib" and "IO". the ship was docked at Saigon (French Indochina) 17 hand grenades were the War in Southeast Asia, Edward J. Marolda, Washington: Naval Historical [SS Overseas Rose with var ffid = 2; endstream endobj startxref All explosives are grouped into hazard classification group 1 and are identified as "class 1" materials. The In April 1967, the first deep draft vessel was discharged at the Newport facility. Although MSTS officials assigned the highest shipping priority to military unit movements, followed by shipments of ammunition, refrigerated products, and other types of cargo, delays for vessels involved in military unit movements have also been experienced. of the Marine Amphibious Force Logistic Command which handled the In 1965 Air Force tonnage alone increased from 2,576 short tons in January to 23,000 Short tons in December 1965. 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