PLAN Type 62 Coastal Defense Boat

by Xinhui

 

 

EARTLY TYPE 62 PRODUCTION:

Displacement, tons: 113 standard; 115 to 125 full load
Dimensions, feet (meters): 127.3 × 17.7 × 5.6 (38.8 × 5.4 × 1.7)

The basic type 62 0111A has an all-metal hull, a single thin wooden deck and was powered by four simply but powerful V-12 Type 180 1200 horse power diesel engines. Its mechanical system was considered very reliable because it was based on very mature existing designs. In addition to built-in redundancy, all its mechanical systems had a manual override. With its easy controllability and high buoyancy, it could operate in most weather and handle rough the waters off the Taiwan Strait.

The basic armament of 0111A remained largely unchanged over time: two type 61 37mm/63 twin cannon capable of firing 180 rounds per minute, two type 61 25mm/60 twin cannon capable of firing 270 rounds per minute, twin Type 56 75mm recoilless rifles mounted forward an 82mm mortar mounted at the rear for nighttime illumination purposes, one smoke generator, and 8 to 10 sea mines. While the twin recoilless rifles were considered standard equipment, but during patrol duties, they were replaced by a powerful searchlight. The Type 62 was considered a heavily armed 100-ton class patrol boat during that period of time.

There were also some major shortcomings of the Type 62. It was a small patrol craft designed and build in China during the 1960s. The first production model offered horrible conditions for its crew it had no air-conditioning, an essential necessity for patrols on the South China Sea . Each crew bunk bed was only 2 square meters and allowed no room for any personal items. Its water tank could only contain 5 tons of fresh water, a crew of 40 could only last a week at sea. Loud engine noise and very limited living space took a great toll on the crew’s endurance.

Other shortcomings included: short operational range; navigation and communication equipment were almost none-existent, and its bridge offered very low visibility. It could not venture far off shore nor stand any chance in actions against large well equipped enemy ships. It is a low-cast patrol boat designed for rapid wartime production; it was no surprise that both the hull and the engine had a very limited lifespan. Its engines were only capable of 300 to 400 operational hours. The design allowed Daling shipyard produce a Type 62 from start to finish in one month.

The production run of 0111A stood at 30 examples from 1962 to 1965, of which 17 were built (including the 3 prototypes) at Dalian , and 13 at Huangpu. The Huangpu copies were coded as 0111N, N stood for “ Nan ” or “South” in Chinese with cabin heating equipment removed.

As the tensions in the Taiwan Strait cooled late 1960s, the requirement for the Type 62 also changed. In the following 0111B model, two of its four V-12 Type 180 1200 horse power diesel engines were replaced by a pair of long-life 300 horse power diesel engines for efficient operation at cruise and patrol speed. However, the new engines greatly reduced the top speed of the 0111B. A total of sixteen 0111B were built.

 

The Type 62 patroling at sea.

 

 

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