Vietnam gun boats and amphibs

shorty · Vietnam gun boats and amphibs

i was wondering what gun boats (if any) were used by the US in vietnam. also i was wondring if the US would have used any special landingcraft for crossing rivers in vietnam, or if they just used M113 APCs. finally is there any US gunboats or landing craft used in the vietnam war in 1:72 anywhere.

cheers

shorty

viperstickbomb

models for sale has a revell gunboat in 1/72 at discounted price in the sale section it's the one used by J.F.K during the war

shorty

cheers viper, but i was really looking for something a bit more on the small side. i was looking for a river going boat, and these may have gone up rivers, but not up on ht emountains which is what i was looking for. i did some reaserach and found a boat called a PBR 110, now if there was a 1:72 version of that out there somewhere that would be great.

cheers

shorty

viperstickbomb

ok well i just thought youd be interested as i dont know much about vehicle's used in nam even less about boats more of land and air combatant tahn a sea farer

kitkiddie

Tamiya do a 'Vietnam era Pibber' boat

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/1...omparasion&utm_source=Froogle

And there's a dio gallery here

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/22013

Keiron

shorty

cheers keiron thats exactly yht sort of boat i want but i need it is 1:72, not 1:35.

cheers anyway

shorty

Sgt.Squarehead

Here's a baby one in 1/72:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=CAL72013

Still the best part of £20 though!

HTH & All the best

shorty

cheers sgt., thats just the sort of thing i'm looking for, but at £20 they can take a running jump. i have decided that if nothing comes up i wil have to scratchbuild something, which will be tricky, but i think do-able.

what other boats were used any names, that i can use to get pictures?, i now know of the PBR31, and the LSSC, what else was used.

cheers

shorty

Richard Humm

There was the Swift boat (the type that John Kerry served on), but the only kit of it that I know about is a Monogram one in 1/48 scale.

shorty

cheers richard, i have now found a site with a nice long list and pictures of lopts of differetn patrol and gun boats used in vietnam. it didn't include the swif boat thoug, but that looks a little big. i am aiming for something in the region of 30ft and under, as i would like to keep the model to under 15cm. i will probably go with a LSSC whioch shopuld be ok to build.

one thing that would brillinat if anyones knows of any sources would be any bue prints, plans, crossections of these boat, or if not that just some decent picture, such as directly above, striaght from side styaright from front/back etc. whioch would allow me to take measurements.

cheers

shorty

Sgt.Squarehead

After a bit of an effort, I've found you a proper PBR and a couple of other 'Vietnam Vessels' in the wargaming scale of 20mm (Around 1/76-1/72) for a reasonable price, from Britannia Miniatures:

PBR - £7.50

Motorised Sampan - £4.50

Armoured Troop-Carrier - £12.95

I don't normally like Britannia's stuff too much, but these look pretty good and they seem to be the only game in town.

HTH & All the best
Sgt.S

shorty

cheers sgt. they do look good, but theres something about them that doesn't look right. they almost look too chunky. thanks anyway.

i am now set on building an LSSC, and have decided that easiest wayto make the hull will be to crave/sand it out of wood. could be quite fun.

cheers

shorty

DavidM

The PBR seems to be missing the weapons station just behind the bridge, usually for a Mk19 40mm AGL, but in Apocalpyse Now it was fitted with an M60.

The ATC looks a little odd too. Osprey have a book on Vietnam river boats in their New Vanguard range, but it has some dreadful digital illustrations.

David

Heinkel51

If thinking scratch building there are some drawings around for converted LCM's

shorty

cheers hienkel, but i have now started the shapeing of the hull for an LCCS, and its going quite well. i am using a small lump of wood to get the main shape of the hull and then am about to crave out the passenger setcion inside. i will will then make engine covers, sheilds and otther bits and bobs from plasticard and wire.

cheers

shorty

Heinkel51

Good Luck, any chance of some piccies?

shorty

i will try and pop up some piccies. i have now finished the basic shape, and have started with the cocpit area. i have done the walls, and radar beacon, but still need to do stuff like seat, controls, seats/ammo boxes, gun mounts. then on the rest of the body i need to deatil the engines, make the engine covers, make the grab handles, and other small details.

cheers

shorty

Sgt.Squarehead

tanker221

They obviously used the PBR boats . Monogram used to make those . Also they DID use some LCMs and LCTs . Some of which i have seen relatively recently still working (in civilian hands ) on the rivers around Saigon .

DavidM

Monogram's patrol boat was one of the ex-French STCAN FOM ones, which also appeared in a set released along with the second Rambo film. It was 1/48 scale.

http://www.cocatrez.net/Water/STCAN_RAG_Boat/STCAN_RAG_Boat.html

David

shorty

as asked i now have a couple of pictures of my scratch built lssc so far. its a bit rough and ready and needs a bit of fillng, but i don't think its too bad. i have paitned it just to show up any areas that needed more sanding, that is by no m,eans the final coat:

cheers

shorty

daniel7891

Thats comming along nicely looking forward to seeing it when its finished

Cheers

Daniel

Heinkel51

Nice work

shorty

here we go i have done a bit more to my lssc, i have now done som ecockpit deatil - seat, wheel, dashboard, fuel caps. i have also added some blade like things to the front of the hull - a bit wonky, but hey thet would have been bashed about a bit and also a raised deatil on the bow, also i have made and added some engine hatches with hinges and handles. i just spent a bit of time filling and sanding down some rough bits. still a vbit rough but it considering its a scratch build, i don't think ive done too bad. still to come is rest of cockpit detail (seats, ammo containers, gun mounts, .50 cal for back (2 m60s will also be on the front, but htese are part of some figures i have)) also i still need to do stuff light a wierd light stand at the back, some exhausts, air intakes, rope attachments, and airials. so here are some pics:

cheers

shorty

shorty

here we go then, finished. i have finished the boat off with 6 figures from my italeri vietnam US special forces kit, and also a spare pilot (with a new head). the boat now depicts a reeasonably heavyily armed craft, as it has one shotgun(type unknow), two assault rifles(M16 and M4), two light MGs(M60), and one Heavy MG(browning .50cal).

cheers

shorty

Heinkel51

And very nicely done!

airfixteen

A bit crowded ay Ben ;)

shorty

cheers guys,

and luke it ain't that crowded, the real thing would have carried two crew and 9 seals, ive just got one crew(driver) and 7 seals, these were all i could stuff in, i wanted to give the impression of a crowded craft.

shorty

daniel7891

Lovely build that, impressive scratch build