NAF-PG-51 "Red Herring"
The Herring is small boat, displacing less than a hundred tonnes. Intended for rapid, high speed attacks in both shallow and ocean waters, it is lightly armored but fairly heavily armed, carrying a gun mount (suitable for an ironcaster) and 4 Wiktor machine guns. It's powered by 3 high power diesel engines, which gives it an enormous speed. A special hull shape, as well as the installation of additional rudders to the side of the main rudder, allow it to use the Lürssen effect to go faster while still being able to turn.
Normal Difficulty: 5The NAF-PG-51 "Red Herring" is our first Patrol Gunboat. It's small, light, and remarkably quick ship. It's remarkably well-armed for its size, with an open-turret 2" Ironcaster emplacement on the bow just ahead of the bridge and multiple NMG emplacements. It has four of these Wictor NMG's mounted around the hull: one above the bridge, one on each side, and one on the bow ahead and below the Ironcaster. The large ammo supply and virtually non-existent armor is a concern, but the ship relies on its high speed and nimbleness to avoid trouble. Two additional rudders on either side of the main rudder have the ability to deflect outward to various degrees to enable the
"Lürssen effect", which pulls the ship deeper into the water and allows it to plow more solidly through larger waves. This makes the Red Herring more functional in the Eastern Seas, but its small size means it will still struggle with accuracy on choppy water. The large armament would normally inhibit speed, but the Red Herring possesses three diesel engines powering three screws, giving it a respectable speed.
The small size of the ship means it does not have much in the way of berthing or messing, and will rely on allied ships for supplies. The Red Herring sits at 99 tons when fully loaded and crewed. 4 Ore, 3 Oil.