PBR Mark II River Patrol Boat

The Mark II River Patrol Boat was designed for combat use in shallow inland waterways. Built with a fiberglass hull, it measured 31 feet 11 inches long with a beam of 11 feet 8 inches, weighed 18,000 pounds, could make 35 knots, and was powered by two Detroit V350 marine diesel engines and two Jacuzzi jet pumps rated at 10,000 gallons per minute. Its armament included forward twin .50 caliber machine guns, a center-mounted M60 7.62 caliber weapon and a 30 millimeter grenade launcher, an aft .50 caliber machine gun, and other weapons including M16, M79, .38 caliber, and .45 caliber pistols. These small but heavily armed boats were used to interdict supplies and troops from North Vietnam. Their crews were all volunteers, and these units had the highest naval casualty rate and were also the most decorated naval units in the war.

Hackensack, New Jersey · United States