
Afloat Bases (APBs) MRF in Vietnam
Altogether, eight World War 2 barracks ships (all ex-LST type ships),
were de-mothballed, but only the Benewah (APB-35), Colleton (APB-36), Mercer (APB-39), and
Nueces (APB-40), went into active service in the Vietnam War----the other APBs, the
Echols, Dorchester, Kingman, and Vandenburg were held in reserve in the USA. The
Benewah and Colleton were officially recommissioned on 28 January 1967 for service in
Vietnam. The Mercer and Nueces were recommissioned in 1968. However the
Colleton was decommissioned in 1969 as were the Mercer and Nueces as the strength of Task
Force 117 was reduced in line with the commencement of the wind-down of US forces in
Vietnam after the TET Offensive. In view of the U.S. and South Vietnam Air Forces' control
of the skies over South Vietnam, and the coastal naval zones, the mother ships were
virtually immune from air attack, as was the case with other allied naval vessels
operating in the Mekong Delta, or in the South China Sea. The APBs were, however, attacked
(unsuccessfully) on several occasions by enemy naval frogmen, (or sapper swimmers).
The APBs displayed an armament of two 3-inch guns, eight 40mm guns (two
quad mounts), ten .30 and eight .50 caliber machine guns with an assortment of small arms
onboard. The complement of each barracks ship was twelve officers and 186 enlisted
men and the billeting capacity for 900 men, which represented the 2nd Brigade battalion on
active rotation and the navy crews who handled the riverine assault boats TF-117 (MRF).
For the troops and boat crews the barracks ships represented the 'Hiltons' of base
facilities in an operational war zone. The living and most working places were
air-conditioned. Messing facilities were sumptuous, particularly when compared with those
in the field. Welfare facilities included rest rooms, a cinema, chapel, laundry, library,
tailor shop and ship's store.
Evaporators produced up to 40,000 gallons of fresh water per day. A sixteen- bed
hospital with X-ray room, a dental room and pharmacy were installed. In addition, there
was a bacteriological laboratory for analytical research.
APBs:
Displacement: 2.189 (light) tons, 4.080 full load.
Length: 328 ft (99.7m)
Beam: 50 ft (15.2m)
Draft: 11 ft (3.3m)
Main: engines: diesels (General Motors) 1,600 to 1,800 bhp, two shafts
Speed: 10 knots
