VB 76-class Small Armored Boat: Compact and Capable!

JamesPond1200 · January 30, 2025, 6:29pm

Would you like the VB 76-class to be added to the game?

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How should it be added?

Tech Tree
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What BR should it have?

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VB 76-class Small Armored Boat: Compact and Capable!

History:

Upon entering the Soviet sphere of influence, Romania’s military expanded thanks to an influx of Soviet equipment. Guns, artillery, tanks, aircraft, and ships all were donated to fill Romania’s empty ranks following WWII. This is not to say that Romania didn’t produce their own material. Due to the fact that Nicolae Ceausescu did not always see eye-to-eye with the USSR, Romania often found itself needing or preferring to develop their own arms and armor instead of using Soviet hand-me-downs. Such was the case for the VB 76-class of small armored boats.

The Romanian Danube Fleet has long been famous for its strength, frequently having the most powerful riverine craft in Europe. Known especially for their river monitors, Romania found itself using older Soviet BKA-series armored river boats after the war. These boats, while acceptable during WWII, began to show their age as time went on. By the 1970s they were seriously outdated, and due to souring relationships between the Romanian and Russian communist regimes, a domestic boat was requested. The shipbuilding company Şantierul Naval 2 Mai of the Mangalia Shipyards was tasked with constructing a class of small armored river gunboats which could carry marines/naval infantry and provide appropriate fire support upon landing. The result was the VB 76-class, constructed between 1973-1977. 18 ships of the class were built, equipping the 88th River Patrol Boat Divizion “Amiral Gheorghe Sandu”. These ships served with the Romanian Danube Fleet until the early 2000s, with all 18 being stricken by May of 2004.

Description:

Being river monitors, the VB 76-class was classically long and wide but with an extremely shallow draft. They have a length of 32 m (104 ft 11 in), a width of 4.8 m (15 ft 8 in), and a draft of only 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in), coming in for a total displacement of 127 long tons. They are of steel construction, being protected against shall splinters and small arms fire (exact armor values are currently unknown – will update if found). The armor can be found protecting all parts of the ship, but primarily around the gun turrets, wheelhouse, and center of the ship. They carry a crew complement of 25, with the ability to transport additional soldiers as needed.

In terms of propulsion, it is powered by a pair of 850 HP diesel engines driving two shafts for a total 1700 HP. This pushes the boat along at a leisurely 17 kts (20 mph).

When it comes to the armament of the VB 76-class, the selection is wide and varied. The primary armament is a single turret on the bow housing a 76.2mm ZiS-3 field gun. Long since being outdated in the land warfare role but still effective at fire support for river combat, these WWII-era Soviet artillery pieces found a new home as the primary armament of this new class of gunboats. One advantage the ZiS-3 has for this role is its wide selection of ammunition. Simply looking at the choices for the SU-76M can show several HE, AP, HEAT, APCR, and even shrapnel ammunition options, with more possible additions not yet in the game.

Ammunition Table (From Wikipedia)

Smoke shells not included, as they are not relevant.

As a secondary/anti-aircraft armament, the VB 76-class is equipped with two MR2N twin 14.5mm heavy machine gun mounts. These use the Soviet KPV heavy machine gun but are a Romanian design. One twin mount is placed atop the wheelhouse while the other is at the stern of the ship, similar to the Pr. 191. The difference here is that the MR2N mount is not fully enclosed and thus vulnerable to bullets and shrapnel. There is an armored shield which surrounds the mount on all sides, but the top is wide open.

Spoiler

Finally there are two tertiary armaments. The first is a pair of 82mm M1977 mortars set side by side just behind the wheelhouse. These can be fired from the ship to provide offshore fire support or can be dismounted and used on land by the infantry upon landing. Lastly there are a pair of mine rails at the back, though I’m not sure how many mines can be carried.

Spoiler