AC70088 SET OF VIETNAM WAR PATROL BOATS

Pibber (also known as Patrol Boat, Riverine, or PBR) is a type of post-war American river patrol boat. In the Mk. II, a single boat was 9.8 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. The drive was provided by two Detroit Diesel engines with a total power of 360 HP, allowing a maximum speed of 28-29 knots. The armaments consisted of 7.62 and 12.7 mm Browning machine guns and a single Mk. 18 cal. 40 mm. Pibber patrol boats from the very beginning were designed to serve in the shallow waters of the rivers of Indochina and therefore had a low draft, as well as received a propulsion that made it much easier for them to navigate the rivers. Units of this type served primarily during the Vietnam War in the period from March 1966 to the end of 1971 on the Mekong River. They performed patrol tasks, close support for own troops, but also for the transport of special forces. In the course of production, two types of boats of this type were created: the first (Mk. I) was the basic version, the second (Mk. II) was longer, wider than its predecessor and had slight changes in the hull structure. In total, about 250 Pibber boats were built.