Nhà Bè Base (also known as Nhà Bè Naval Support Activity or Nhà Bè Logistics Support Base) is a former

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

and

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 f ...

(RVNN) base in Nhà Bè District in

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

(now

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

) of

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

now used as a base by the Vietnam Coast Guard.

History

The base is located in Nhà Bè District approximately south southeast of

at the junction of the Soài Rạp and

Lòng Tàu River Lòng Tàu River, () also known as Lòng Tảo is a river in the Southeast (Vietnam), Southeast of Vietnam. Description Long Tau River is a distributary of the Đồng Nai River, Đồng Nai river that runs through Cần Giờ district and feed ...

s. The base was first established by the US Navy in May 1966 to support Operation Game Warden and particularly patrolling of the Rung Sat Special Zone. Mine Squadron 11, Detachment Alpha equipped with 12 minesweeping boats (MSBs) ( long, wooden-hulled boats) were the first Navy vessels deployed there Construction of the base first involved the dredging of 300,000 cubic yards of sand, filling and compacting of the marshland, following which construction included barracks for 400 men, storage for 3,000 barrels of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL), a storage warehouse of 8,000 square feet, a communications and administration building, ammunition storage, two antenna towers, a mess-hall, a pier, and the required road, water, sewerage and power facilities. The overall construction period took 14 months, however the base began operation as construction was ongoing and by late 1966 Nhà Bè was also the base for three platoons from SEAL Team 1 and was also a

Patrol Boat, River Patrol Boat, River, or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid- hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until 1975. They were deployed in a force that grew to 250 boats, the most common craft in the Ri ...

(PBR) base. By August 1967, a two-helicopter detachment from HA(L)-3 was located at the base. On 2 January 1968 a

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

(VC) 75mm recoilless-rifle attack against on the base wounded two sailors and scored a direct hit on an MSB which was destroyed. In May 1968 Mine Squadron 11, Detachment Alpha became Mine Division 112. From September 1968 on six medium minesweepers (MSMs, formerly LCM(M)s) and four drone minesweepers (MSDs) of the newly created Mine Division 113 were based at Nhà Bè. The base was transferred to the RVNN in April 1972. VA043714 Photograph

Located on the Lòng Tàu River north of the base, the Nhà Bè fuel depot was the largest fuel storage facility in South Vietnam with approximately 80% of the nation's storage capacity. On the night of 3 December 1973 the VC hit the fuel depot with rocket fire destroying or damaging 30 fuel tanks and igniting over 600,000 barrels of fuel. Early in 1975, the RVNN created Riverine Task Force 99 based at Nhà Bè. The base remains in use today by the Vietnam Coast Guard.

References

External links

Footage of the base in 1967
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nha Be Base Buildings and structures in Ho Chi Minh City Military installations of the United States in South Vietnam Naval installations of the Republic of Vietnam Saigon in the Vietnam War