Three minute introduction only. WP limits videos to 32mB

This movie, The Small Boat Navy, was sent to me by a shipmate in 2013. It appears to be a very well done documentary, post 1968, regarding Vietnam Naval Coastal Surveillance and Riverine Warfare. There is a section devoted to minesweeping the Long Tau Shipping Channel (Saigon River Complex)using 57′ Mine Sweeping Boats – MSB’s. Nothing is mentioned regarding the 36′ Mine Sweeping Launches – MSL’s of Mine Division – 33 transported by the USS Epping Forest MCS-7 Who arrived in July 1964 for the  check sweeping of Cam Ranh Bay, Nha Trang Harbor, and Da Nang Harbor. The EF MCS-7 transported our ten MSL’s to Vietnam eighteen times through 1968. Our XO of MinDiv – 33 said he attended a meeting in early 1966 in Saigon, where MACV was considering our 36′ Mine Sweeping Launches for the Long Tau Shipping Channel minesweeping effort. MSL’s were eliminated in favor of the 57′ MSB’s due to the MSB’s larger size, pilot house, bunk arrangements, head facilities, and general sea worthiness. Also, the MSB was fitted with ceramic armor, and had a small crane for deploying oropesa minesweeping gear, and the newly designed chain drag sweep gear, for clearing command detonated mine wires from river shorelines to mines planted in the river.

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Edward Sinclair