Armored Troop Carriers (ATC), often called ''Tangos'' from the phonetic alphabet for ''T'', were

LCM-6 The landing craft mechanized (LCM) is a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults. Variants There was no ...

landing craft modified for riverine patrol missions. They were used by the

Mobile Riverine Force In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) (after May 1967), initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the brown-water n ...

(MRF) of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. They were also used by

Republic of Vietnam Navy The Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN; ; ''HQVNCH'') was the naval branch of the South Vietnamese military, the official armed forces of the former Republic of Vietnam (or South Vietnam) from 1955 to 1975. The early fleet consisted of boats fro ...

(RVNN) and

Khmer National Navy The Khmer National Navy ( km, កងទ័ពជើងទឹកជាតិខ្មែរ; french: Marine nationale khmère, MNK) was the naval component of the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK), the official military of the Khmer Republic d ...

History

The MRF began to be organised in late 1966 with the arrival of the 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division at Vung Tau on 19 December 1966. The Navy contribution would be RIVFLOT 1, comprising two river assault squadrons (RAS 9 and RAS 11), each with two river assault divisions under them. The basic mission of RIVFLOT 1 was to transport Army troops to battle zones and support them in battle. The craft the Navy acquired for this task was the ATC, a modified LCM-6. Like its World War II ancestor, it had a large well deck for transporting troops and a drop-down ramp for landing soldiers on a hostile beach. The RVNN had been using LCM variants in its river assault groups for many years, so the craft had a proven track record on the rivers. The U.S. Army, however, wanted more than a simple landing craft; it desired a craft capable of patrolling rivers, providing fire support for troops and minesweeping. The boat ultimately developed was equal parts assault craft and troop transporter. The Tango was long with a beam and a draft. Displacing , it could achieve a top speed of knots with its twin Gray Marine 225-hp diesel engines, however armor and weapons reduced the effective speed to 4-7 knots. At with a full fuel load of of diesel, the Tango could travel without refueling. High-hardness XAR-30-type steel and bar armor provided ballistic protection for the crew from rounds up to .50-caliber in size and offered some protection against high explosive antitank rounds up to 57mm. Below-waterline hull blisters provided added hull protection, minimized draft, and increased stability. The Tango’s armor, however, generally could not withstand the full force of a B40 rocket. Armament on the Tango usually consisted of one 20mm cannon, two .50-caliber and four .30-caliber machine guns, two Mk 18 grenade launchers and various personal weapons (

M16 Rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-ro ...

s, shotguns and M79 grenade launchers). The ATC carried a Navy crew of seven and could accommodate a platoon of 40 soldiers, an M113 armored personnel carrier, or a 105mm howitzer with a prime mover. By the end of 1967 each river assault squadron contained 26 ATCs, 16 Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPBs), five Monitors, two command and control boats (CCBs) and one refueller (a modified LCM).

Operators

* - U.S. Navy * -

* -

References

Bibliography

*Gordon L. Rottman and Hugh Johnson, ''Vietnam Riverine Craft 1962-75'', New Vanguard series 128, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2006.

External links

*http://www.warboats.org/ATC.htm *http://www.rivervet.com/tango.htm *https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=Armored-Troop-Carrier-ATC {{DEFAULTSORT:Armored Troop Carrier (LCM) Military equipment of the Vietnam War Patrol boats

History

Operators

See also

References

Bibliography

External links