Boat – Vietnam Miniatures Game

Posted on January 31, 2018July 19, 2023 by lukegl

Sampan Boats (VPA822) Spotlight

Contains two Sampan boats and two crew figures

Free World forces in the Republic of Vietnam faced the day-to-day paranoia of dealing with a civilian population whose loyalties could not be guessed. Any man, woman, or child of the local populace could be working for the resistance, reporting on troop movements, providing false information, or sniping at the enemy.

Check out the Local Resistance in the online store here…

Sampan Boats

Sampans were shallow-draft boats generally used for transportation of goods or people, usually in rivers or coastal areas. It was unusual for a sampan to sail far from land as they did not have the means to survive rough weather. They strived in areas normal boats couldn’t easily sail in.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Chris Townley

Contents

Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.

Assembling the Sampan Boats (VPA822)
When assembling your sampan boats you have the option of using a rower or an engine operator. Below I will show you how to add either one. Rower. Glue the feet of the rower to the back right of your Sampan boat as shown below.
Tip: When assembling your models it’s always a good idea to dry fit your parts before glueing.

Engine operator. Glue the bottom the the engine operator to the back of the boat. Don’t forget to dry fit!

Posted on December 3, 2017April 16, 2018 by

ASPB (Assault Support Patrol Boat) Assembly

Assembling the ASPB
Follow this guide to correctly assemble your ASPB. For metal and resin models like this one, we recommend you use cyanoacrylate ‘Super Glue’.GF9 Super Glue is available in the online store…

Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.

The contents for the ASPB Box Set

Step 1. Begin assembly by glueing the guns to the turrets. Make sure they are facing the correct way.		Step 2. Glue the gunner to the 81mm mortar.

Below. Gunner glued correctly.	Step 3. Glue the radar dome into the hole in front of the boat’s pilot house.

Step 4. Add all the pieces you’ve just assembled into their respective places as seen below.

And you’re done! Happy modelling.

Posted on December 3, 2017July 19, 2023 by christo

Assault Support Patrol Boat (VUSBX15) Spotlight

ASPB (Assault Support Patrol Boat) (VUSBX15)

Includes one Assault Support Patrol Boat boat.

The Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPB) were known as Alpha boats, owing to the A-designation on their hull numbers. They were the only boat in the MRF purpose built for the riverine mission.

Check out the Assault Support Patrol Boat in the online store here…

The Alpha boat entered service in September 1967 and became known as the Brown Water Navy’s “destroyer”. It was lighter and faster than the Monitor, the MRF’s “river battleship”, but it still packed quite a punch, with two .50-calibre heavy machine guns, 20mm cannon and multipurpose 81mm mortar for indirect fire. Each river division could rely on eight ASPBs to lead patrols upriver.

The Assault Support Patrol Boat

Length:	50’ 1” (15m)
Beam:	15’ 2” (4.6m)
Draft:	3’ 6” (1m)
Displacement:	58,500lb (26.5 tonnes)
Speed:	16 knots (30km/h)
Crew:	6

The Assault Support Patrol Boat in ‘Nam

Posted on December 3, 2017April 16, 2018 by

US Monitor Boat Assembly

Assembling the Monitor

Follow this guide to correctly assemble your Monitor. For metal and resin models like this one, we recommend you use cyanoacrylate ‘Super Glue’.GF9 Super Glue is available in the online store…

Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.

The contents for the Monitor Box Set

Step 1. Add the bow to the hull (you don’t have to use glue for this part).	Step 2.Glue the pilot’s deck to the hull.	Below. Hull assembled correctly.

Step 3. Glue the guns into their turrets as shown below. (Make sure you don’t glue the 40mm gun into the 20mm gun turrets).		Step 4. Glue the hatch cover to each of the the Zippo Flamethrowers.

Step 5. Next place the Flamethrower onto the gun mount (Ensure you do not glue this part so you can rotate the guns in game.)	Step 6. Glue the gunner to the 81mm mortar.

For your 20mm turrets you have the option of choosing the M2 .50cal turret or the 40mm Grenade turret.	The Monitor has three different variants. The CCB Monitor, Zippo Monitor and the Monitor with MK 2 81mm mortar. Look below to see the placement for each variant.

Happy Modelling!

Posted on December 3, 2017July 19, 2023 by christo

US Monitor Boat (VUSBX13) Spotlight

Includes one Monitor boat with optional zippo turrets and command tent .

The Monitor was based on the ATC, but the boat’s ramp was replaced with a blunt-shaped bow and the forecastle extended. Known as the MRF’s “battleship”, it could carry a large number of weapons. A river division had up to three available for operations to provide serious firepower to patrols.

Check out the Monitor in the online store here…

Monitors were heavily armored, and normally mounted the largest guns of all riverine warships. The name originated from the US Navy’s USS Monitor, which made her first appearance in the American Civil War, and being distinguished by the use of revolving gun turrets.

The Monitor could call on some formidable weaponry, including a powerful turret-mounted 40mm gun, three 20mm cannon, and a multipurpose 81mm mortar. And that’s not even mentioning the Zippo variant, with two fearsome flame-throwers.

The Monitor

Length:	61’ (18.5m)
Beam:	17’ 6” (5.3m)
Draft:	3’ 6” (1m)
Displacement:	169,000lb (76 tonnes)
Speed:	8.5 knots (16km/h)
Crew:	11

The Monitor in ‘Nam

Posted on December 3, 2017April 16, 2018 by

PBR (Patrol Boat, River x2) Assembly

Step 1. Begin assembly of the Patrol Boat by gluing the radar dome into the hole in front of the boat’s pilot house.

Tip: We recommend that you use good quality Super Glue to assemble resin and metal vehicles.

Step 2. Add the Twin M2 .50cal gun to the front deck turret.	The front deck turret goes in the hole shown below. Do not glue it into place, so it can rotate to face toward its target.

Step 3. Next, add the upright armored shields in the slots located in the back of the boat. Make sure the rounded corners face upwards.

Step 4. Begin assembly of the rear deck turret by adding the M2 .50cal to the gunner. Make sure the pin that holds the gun into place on the boat faces downwards.

Step 5. Once the bond has cured, place the gunner into the notch that holds the gun as shown below.

The fully assembled PBR

PBR (Patrol Boat, Riverine x2) (VUSBX12)

I hope you found this article helpful while assembling your PBR. Happy modelling!

~ George.

Posted on December 3, 2017July 19, 2023 by christo

Patrol Boat (VUSBX12) Spotlight

The Patrol Boat, River or PBR, was a small rigid-hulled patrol boat that was the mainstay of Operation Game Warden. PBRs did not usually operate with the Mobile Riverine Force; their mission was to interdict illicit waterway traffic and provide intelligence to the navy. Occasionally, this mission would overlap with the Mobile Riverine Force’s mission and the two would cooperate.

Check out the Patrol Boat in the online store here…

The PBR was usually manned by a 4-man crew. Typically, a First Class Petty Officer served as boat captain, with a gunner’s mate, an engineman and a seaman on board. Each crewman was cross-trained in each other’s job in case one became unable to carry out his duties. Generally, PBRs operated in pairs under the command of a patrol officer, who rode on one of the boats.

PBR (Patrol Boat, Riverine x2) (VUSBX12)

The PBR (Patrol Boat, River) Mk II

Length:	31’ 11” (9.8m)
Beam:	11’ 7” (3.5m)
Draft:	2’ (60cm)
Displacement:	16000lb (7.25tonnes)
Speed:	28 knots (52km/h)
Crew:	4

The PBR in ‘Nam

With a shallow-draught fibreglass hull and water jet drive, the PBR could operate in the shallow, weed-choked rivers of the Mekong Delta. The dual 180hp pump-jet drives, which could be pivoted to reverse direction, made the boat extremely fast and nimble. PBRs did not have much in the way of armour protection – just some shielding for the .50-cal machine guns and upright steel armour plates in the midships. Instead, the boats were designed to rely on acceleration and maneuverability to get out of trouble.

Contents of the PBR box

Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.

Posted on December 3, 2017April 16, 2018 by

Assembling the ATC(H) (VUSBX14)

Follow this guide to correctly assemble your ATC(H). For metal and resin models like this one, we recommend you use cyanoacrylate ‘Super Glue’.

GF9 Super Glue is available in the online store…

Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.

Step 1. Add the bow to the hull (you don’t have to glue this part).	Step 2. Glue the pilot’s deck to the hull.	Below. Hull assembled correctly.

Step 3. Glue the guns into their turrets.	You have the option of replacing one of your Mk 16 20mm guns with a Mk 19 40mm Grenade MG, so four turrets are provided.

Below. Fully assembled ATC(H)

Happy modelling!

Posted on December 3, 2017July 19, 2023 by christo

Armored Troop Carrier (H) (VUSBX14) Spotlight

Includes one Armored Troop Carrier boat, with options for the ATC(H) and ATC(H) Aid Boat.

The ATC boats converted from LCM-6 landing craft developed in the 1950s for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore use. The converted LCM designs added 0.25 inch armor plating in many areas to protect the superstructure from critical damage caused by rockets.

Check out the ATC(H) in the online store here…

The upgraded armored ATC made up about half of the river craft deployed by the United States during the Vietnam War, in effect making the ATC the “workhorse” of the river war. Some ATCs had helicopter decks added and became ATC(H).

The ATC

Length:	56’ 1” (17m)
Beam:	17’ 6” (5.3m)
Draft:	3’ 6” (1m)
Displacement:	155,000lb (70 tonnes)
Speed:	8.5 knots (16km/h)
Crew:	7

The Armored Troop Carrier (H) in ‘Nam

ATC Tent plug-in Special Order (VSO112)
The ATC(H) includes the helipad bow piece, giving you the versatility to field it as a transport in either a Combat Platoon or a Weapons Platoon (as an Aid Boat) role.If you want to field a ‘rag-top’ ATC, you can replace the helipad piece with the ATC Tent special order piece (VSO112) available here from the web store…