United States Nasty-class patrol boat

Class overview
Builders:

Westermoen Båtbyggeri, Mandal, Norway

John Trumpy & Sons, Annapolis, Maryland
Operators:  United States Navy
Built: 1962–1968
In commission: 1962–1981
Completed: 20
General characteristics [1]
Type: Patrol boat
Displacement: 80 long tons (81 t)
Length: 80 ft 4 in (24.49 m)
Beam: 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m)
Draft: 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m)
Propulsion: 2 × Napier Deltic Turboblown diesel engines, 6,200 bhp (4,623 kW)
Speed: 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph)
Complement: 17 men
Armament:

For other ship classes of the same name see Nasty-type patrol boat

The Nasty class of fast patrol boats were a set of 20 vessels built for the United States Navy to a Norwegian design and purchased in the 1960s for "unorthodox operations" during the Vietnam War. Following the conflict they remained in service until the early 1980s.

Construction

Following World War II the US Navy had little use for fast attack craft, and most of her PT boats were disposed of shortly after VJ Day. With the involvement in the Vietnam War the Navy saw a renewed need for small combatant craft for "brown water" operations, and they approached the Norwegian Westermoen company, which had built a prototype fast attack boat, the Nasty, and was currently building a set of 12 vessels (the Tjeld-class patrol boats) for the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The USN ordered two vessels, which were delivered in 1962 and were designated PTF 3 and PTF 4. This was followed in 1966 with an order for 14 more (PTF's 5-16), with an agreement for a further six to be built under licence by Trumpy of Annapolis. Trumpy's had been a major contributor to the USN's PT fleet in World War II, and had been one of just four yards asked post-war to build a prototype PT boat to consolidate wartime experience and the lessons learned.

The Norwegian boats were delivered in 1964, and the Trumpy boats three years later.[1]

Service history

All vessels of the class saw action during the war in Vietnam, being employed by Special Forces for clandestine operations along the coast of North Vietnam. During these operations six boats were lost; one (PTF 4) in 1964 and five more in 1966. In 1966 four boats were transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy, though they were returned and re-commissioned in 1970.

With the end of the conflict the need for these boats evaporated, and the high maintenance costs of such vessels militated against retaining them. Most were disposed of in the 1970s and all were gone by 1981.[1]

List of vessels

Number Date of acquisition Builder Notes[1]
PTF 3 December 1962 Westermoen Transferred to South Vietnamese Navy January 1966, returned 1970. Stricken 1977
PTF 4 December 1962 Westermoen Sunk 1964
PTF 5 March 1964 Westermoen Transferred to South Vietnamese Navy January 1966, returned 1970. Stricken 1981
PTF 6 March 1964 Westermoen Transferred to South Vietnamese Navy January 1966, returned 1970. Stricken 1977
PTF 7 March 1964 Westermoen Transferred to South Vietnamese Navy January 1966, returned 1970. Stricken 1977
PTF 8 March 1964 Westermoen Sunk 1966
PTF 9 September 1964 Westermoen Sunk 1966
PTF 10 September 1964 Westermoen Stricken 1981
PTF 11 September 1964 Westermoen Stricken 1981
PTF 12 September 1964 Westermoen Stricken 1977
PTF 13 September 1964 Westermoen Stricken 1981
PTF 14 September 1964 Westermoen Sunk 1966
PTF 15 September 1964 Westermoen Sunk 1966
PTF 16 September 1964 Westermoen Sunk 1966
PTF 17 1967 Trumpy Stricken 1981
PTF 18 1967 Trumpy Stricken 1980
PTF 19 1967 Trumpy Stricken 1980
PTF 20 1967 Trumpy Stricken 1981
PTF 21 1968 Trumpy Stricken 1981
PTF 22 1968 Trumpy Stricken 1981

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Conway p623
  2. ↑ William R. Wells II, The United States Coast Guard's Piggyback 81mm Mortar/.50 cal. machine gun, Vietnam Magazine, August 1997

References

External links

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