The Strange U.S. Navy Hovercraft Gunboat
Racing through Vietcong-held territories toward the untamed Plain of Reeds, Mike Vincent’s squad emerged as an unstoppable force. Mounted on some of the strangest battle vehicles ever seen in warfare, they carved their path through rivers, mangrove swamps, and sawgrass hummocks at a staggering 70 miles per hour, their Air Cushion Vehicles defying terrain that even helicopters couldn’t land on. With menacing shark’s teeth painted across their bows, these hovercrafts bore down on the enemy like nightmarish land-and-sea metal sharks. Suddenly, a chilling report crackled over the radio from the last hovercraft in line: they had just hit a landmine. Alarms went off, yet the situation left them no choice but to barrel forward. Halting meant becoming easy prey for lurking enemy patrols. Despite the circumstances, they pressed on. Upon finally securing a moment to assess the damage, Vincent’s astonishment was palpable. The craft bore a few superficial holes. He later reflected on the incident: (QUOTE) “it takes more than that to stop a skimmer at 60 knots.” From the beginning, Vincent believed fiercely in the capabilities of these hovercrafts, envisioning them as the ultimate tanks of the Vietnam War, unparalleled in speed and versatility. (QUOTE): “As long as the engine keeps running, there isn’t anything you can’t do with the craft.” – As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. – Credit to : Dark Docs