USCGC Point Hudson
USCGC Point Hudson (WPB-82322) on her first patrol of the Saigon River 9 March 1966.
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USCGC Point Hudson (WPB-82322) |
Namesake | Point Hudson near Port Townsend, Washington |
Owner | United States Coast Guard |
Builder | Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay, Maryland |
Commissioned | 30 August 1961 |
Decommissioned | 11 December 1969 |
Honors and awards |
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Fate | Transferred to Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Đặng Văn Hoành (HQ-707), 11 December 1969[1] |
General characteristics | |
Type | Patrol Boat (WPB) |
Displacement | 60 tons |
Length | 82 ft 10 in (25.25 m) |
Beam | 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m) max |
Draft | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Propulsion | 2 × 600 hp (447 kW) Cummins diesel engines |
Speed | 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) |
Range |
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Complement |
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Armament |
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USCGC Point Hudson (WPB-82322) was an 82-foot (25 m)
Construction and design details
Point Hudson was built to accommodate an 8-man crew.[6] She was powered by two 600 hp (447 kW) VT600 Cummins diesel main drive engines and had two five-bladed 42 in (1.1 m) propellers. The main drive engines were later replaced by 800 hp (597 kW) VT800 Cummins engines. Water tank capacity was 1,550 U.S. gallons (5,900 L) and fuel tank capacity was 1,840 U.S. gallons (7,000 L) at 95% full.[4][6] Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360-degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment.[7]
The design specifications for Point Hudson included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight. Ease of operation with a small crew size was possible because of the non-manned main drive engine spaces. Controls and alarms located on the
History
After delivery in 1961, Point Hudson was assigned a homeport of Panama City, Florida, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.[4]
At the request of the
Point Hudson was assigned to Division 13 of Squadron One to be based at
While on patrol 22 March 1966 in the Rung Sat Special Zone Point Hudson drew fire from a
On 20 June 1966 Point Hudson along with Point League and Point Slocum assisted with the capture of a burning North Vietnamese trawler loaded with ammunition near the mouth of the Cổ Chiên River. Suppression fire from the mortars and machine guns of the Point Hudson were directed at VC troops firing on the other cutters while they attempted put out the fire and save possible intelligence on board the trawler.[4][19][20] She also replenished Point Slocum with ammunition during the action.[21]
On 1 March 1968, she was one of several Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy
As a part of the Vietnamization Program Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) crewmen were assigned for training purposes beginning in February 1969. Many close relationships developed with the American-Vietnamese crews while training together and an example was the naming of his sixth child by Petty Officer First Class Le Chung. Because he thought so much of his American counterparts, he named his son "Le Hudson" in honor of the Point Hudson.[23]
After the crew of Point Hudson trained an RVNN replacement crew, she was turned over to the RVNN as a part of the Vietnamization Program and recommissioned as RVNS Đặng Văn Hoành (HQ-707) on 11 Dec 1969.[1][4]
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ a b Scotti, p 210
- ^ "Navy Unit Commendation". Mobile Riverine Force Association. Archived from the original on 22 January 2002. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ a b William R. Wells II, The United States Coast Guard's Piggyback 81mm Mortar/.50 cal. machine gun, Vietnam Magazine, August 1997
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Coast Guard Historian website
- ^ a b Scheina, p 72
- ^ a b Scheina, p 71
- ^ a b c Scotti, p 165
- ^ a b c Scotti, p 166
- ^ Scotti, p 10
- ^ Scotti, p 219
- ^ Larzelere, p 72
- ^ Cutler, p 84
- ^ Larzelere, p 21
- ^ Cutler, p 82
- ^ Larzelere, p 15
- ^ Kelley, pp. 5–450
- ^ Larzelere, p. 80
- ^ Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy (November 2006). "United States Naval Operations Vietnam, Highlights; March 1966". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Larzelere, p 70
- ^ Johnson, p 334
- ^ Scotti, p 52
- ^ Tulich p 7
- ^ Scotti, p 198
- Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-55750-196-7.
- Johnson, Robert Irwin (1987). Guardians of the Sea, History of the United States Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. ISBN 978-0-87021-720-3.
- Kelley, Michael P. (2002). Where We Were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press, Central Point, OR. ISBN 978-1-55571-625-7.
- Larzelere, Alex (1997). The Coast Guard at War, Vietnam, 1965–1975. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. ISBN 978-1-55750-529-3.
- Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. "Vietnam Operational Archives". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- Scheina, Robert L. (1990). U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946–1990. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. ISBN 978-0-87021-719-7.
- Scotti, Paul C. (2000). Coast Guard Action in Vietnam: Stories of Those Who Served. Hellgate Press, Central Point, OR. ISBN 978-1-55571-528-1.
- Wells II, William R. (August 1997). "The United States Coast Guard's Piggyback 81mm Mortar/.50 cal. machine gun". Vietnam Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
- Tulich, Eugene N. (1975). "The United States Coast Guard in South East Asia During the Vietnam Conflict". U.S. Coast Guard History Office. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
External links
- "Point" Class 82-foot WPBs Coast Guard Historian's website