Subs in Vietnam War

While subs are not my area, could friendly foriegn navies have used former US sub's or could "sanitized" older US subs been used? 

First, to answer Walt's question: Perch Base, Phoenix,AZ

 Because of other things going on, we didn't have a big turn out, this Saturday. But it seems the last of the gun slingers disappeared during the 60s. Probably, the last one went out. or had its' guns removed, around 65. But that's just a consensus, no real research, or documentation.

Mike K.

Thanks for the info and no conversion plans here.  Hard enough to find some time and now space to put it.

Mike what Base are you a member of? I'm a Life member of the Groton Base of course.. I get down for meetings almost every month it's a 75 mile haul each way. I was on the the Bang SS385 for about 5mos waiting for a nuke assignment after getting out of subschool.. I was a Riverine Vet EN3 that volled for boats to avoid re deployment.. (sound familar?) after we gave her to Spain I was sent to the 601 and asked to change rate to MM.  I did not qual on Bang(almost)  but did so on the 601 and 616.. I got out in 75 never lookin back until 2000 when I discovered the USSVI through a shipmate at my local VFW. Good club lots of fun. I am a car modeler and plank on frame builder by origin but I have done a few YMW SSNs and SSBNs for shipmates who have neither the time or interest in building but want a model of their boat. So now I'm hooked. I am into my 7th YMW Guppie now and have plans to do 4 more before I give this a break for a while and get back to "wood"  Hardy har and shiver me timbers...

Typical of the light weapons we had on Boomers were Thompsons, M14s and 2 M60s as well as several Colt Pistols... I had a tour of the Virginia  and they have all modern weapons aboard now.. Not the 2 war hand me downs we had...for the $$ she cost they should have lazers and ray guns.

As for the Vietnam DBFs My friend was lead Corpsman on the Queenfish.( SSN ). he did several "COIN" ops with DBFs in Vietnam and he may remember if  deck mounts were used.  I for one never saw a submarine during my Tour in VN .. Lots of riverine craft but no boats.

Hey Mike... "I had it now you got it"... Keep in touch.

I was on Diesel Boats from 63 to late 74. No 40s, they weren't portable and would have presented too much water resistance. The resistance would have defeated the whole purpose of the Guppy program.

Maybe a 20mm, but they require a fixed mount, and I don't remember seeing such a mount on a Guppy, or among the pictures on Navsource.

50 Cals are possible, but also needs a solidly mounted post. All the Boats, I knew, had portable lifeline stanchions. They're no good for a 50 mount.

The Boats I was on had a couple of Thompsons, <>20 M-1s and 10 or 12 45s. A couple of M-60 would have been nice, but none of my boats had them.

All the Diesel Boat skippers I knew hated to be on the surface, within 5 or 10 miles of a hostile shore. For specops, they used, either, a lock-in / lock-out procedure (close to shore, quick in and out ops) or dive-and-tow for LRPG ops. No surface, no need for deck guns, let the Riverine boys handle searches.

I have a Sub Vets meeting this weekend, I'll ask around.

Mike K.

 

I do know most Guppies had ability to portably deck mount machine guns. On the Bang we carried 2 M-60s. Several Guppies did specops work in Vietnam and I'm sure a few may have had 50 Cal or 20 to 40 MM mounts for topside uses.. a very easy set up to do. I will look further into this. I know several old DBFers who may have the answer, I'll ask this weekend.. We have to keep in mind that many of their operations there were classified. But again this may be a old WW2 photo. If it's a fleet boat it's a WW2 or Korea photo.. No fleet boats were operational post early 60s unless it was in guppy reconfiguration.

USS Grayback (SSG-574) was a one ship class, designed to carry Regulus missiles. She never had deck guns. The original USS Grayback (SS-208) was sunk with the lose of 77 men during W.W.II

I can think of no Guppys, who hadn't lost their deck armament, by 65. With few exceptions, guns came off during the Guppy conversion.

The picture was, probably, of a US Fleet Boat checking out a sampan, or junk, towards the end of W.W.II. Possibly in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Mike K.

 

I remember seeing the USS Greyback in Subic Bay in 1972-1973. I am pretty sure she was used for covert ops in Vietnam. I think she was a Guppy but don't recall any deck guns of any type on her.

Yes yes and yes...

As for deck guns I can't think of any of the gun slingers by name but I do know that a few Guppy boats had  guns mounted.. I don't think they were bigger than 40mm but I do know a few did mount them up.. SSNs and a few SSBNs with ( SEAL) shelter containers mounted on their turtle decks did see Specop duty in the Tonkin Gulf . A few better known boats I do know that did these ops were the Queenfish, Bluefish, & others I can't recall right now , and several Guppies because of their  shallower draft and non-nuclear power plants the guppies were very well suited for covert ops in the gulf.. SSNs and spec op SSBNs did not mount deck guns.

FYI a Guppy conversion from a stock Gato or Balao is a major conversion and much reserch is needed depending on what Guppy is to be modeled.

Someday someone should do a book on this topic... ummmm