Khmer National Navy

The Royal Khmer Navy (, MRK) was officially established on 1 March 1954, to provide limited patrolling of Cambodia's maritime coastline and territorial waters, monitoring the security of its main deep-water ports and major waterways. The MRK was formed with an initial strength of just 600 officers and enlisted men placed under the authority of Captain () Pierre Coedes, a naval officer of mixed French-Cambodian origin, who acted as Chief of Naval Operations (). They crewed a handful of World War II-vintage ex-French Navy vessels transferred to Cambodia at the end of the First Indochina War: British-made Harbour Defence Motor Launches (), U.S.-made Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) and LCM (6) Landing Crafts. Most of the MRK's naval assets and personnel, together with its administrative headquarters, were harboured at the former French colonial riverine station situated in the Chrui Chhangwar Peninsula () across the Tonle Sap river from Phnom Penh. However, the tiny facilities proved so inadequate that the Navy HQ was allocated aboard an old French-made riverine vessel named La Payotte, permanently moored at Chrui Chhangwar base. Early expansion phase 1955–1964 Closely modelled after the Naval and riverine component of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO), the MRK received training, technical and material assistance primarily from France and the United States. At first, the Cambodian naval service continued to expand rapidly under French auspices between 1955 and 1957 – at this stage, a French Military Mission in Cambodia helped in the renovation or construction of new harbour facilities, provided technical assistance and training programs, and supervised equipment deliveries. The MRK also began to receive additional assistance from the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (U.S. MAAG) aid program, established since June 1955 at Phnom Penh. The cramped Chrui Chhangwar base was modernized and enlarged to accommodate a new dock designed for large-sized riverine vessels and a Naval Training School (), established in January 1955 to train ship crews and other specialized personnel. The MRK had no naval academy at the time, so Khmer officer candidate students ( – EOM) were sent to France, in order to attend advanced Officer courses at the French Naval Academy in Brest. A new coastal naval base was constructed at Ream in Kampot Province, near the newly built port city of Sihanoukville (rechristened Kampong Som in 1970), equipped with a floating dock whilst the Cambodian Navy's tiny surface fleet was augmented at the time by the addition of fifteen sea and river crafts of British and U.S. origin donated by the French government. Deprived of further American support, the MRK continued to rely on the French military mission to provide both vital basic and technical training for its own naval personnel, receiving thereafter some aid from China and Yugoslavia. Between 1965 and 1969, these latter countries delivered three s and two TC-101 torpedo boats (the latter soon rendered unserviceable due to accidents and natural disasters), whilst France provided an EDIC III-class Landing craft tank (LCT) for coastal transport duties. As with the other branches of the then FARK, the Cambodian Navy's own military capabilities in the late 1960s remained low and the missions that they performed mirrored those of a peacetime River Police force or Coast Guard rather than a true Navy. Therefore, MRK activities were restricted to inland patrols on the Bassac River, the Mekong, and the Tonle Sap River in the vicinity of the namesake Great Lake whilst high seas operations were limited to routine inshore patrolling in the Gulf of Thailand. Pre-1970 fleet organization MRK strength in February 1970 stood at about 1,600 Ratings and seamen under the command of Captain Vong Sarendy, who crewed a small fleet comprising two flotillas (one sea and one riverine) and a training squadron. Reorganization 1970–1972 Re-designated Khmer National Navy ( – MNK) on 9 October 1970, the Cambodian Navy and its fleet were given responsibility for escorting supply convoys on the lower Mekong-Bassac corridors. Such operations were carried out in conjunction with the Khmer Air Force (KAF), which began to provide since mid-1971 air cover to MNK convoys with their Douglas AC-47D Spooky gunships and later AU-24A Stallion mini-gunships. In addition, the Navy also provided logistic support (including troop transport and casualty evacuation) for the FANK ground forces. Shortly after the March 1970 coup, however, the French military mission suspended all the cooperation with the Cambodian armed forces, thus depriving the new MNK of vital training and technical assistance. During this phase, the MNK was assisted in its new roles by the South Vietnamese Navy, which lent extensive convoy protection to riverine commercial shipping and helped patrol the Cambodian coastline to prevent North Vietnamese infiltration attempts. The MNK underwent a major reorganization program in late 1970, with the creation of two operational zones: a Riverine Region ( or RegFlu) headquartered at Chrui Chhangwar and a Maritime Region ( or RegMar) headquartered at Ream; a Mekong Special Zone ( – ZSM; later 12th Tactical Zone or Zone Tactique 12), also headquartered at Chrui Chhangwar was created in mid-1971 at Kandal Province, situated between the Cambodian Capital and the South Vietnamese border. The Sea Patrol Force and the Training Squadron remained untouched by these changes, though the Riverine Patrol Force was re-organized into three squadrons – the river patrol craft under the Riverine Patrol Division ( – DPF), the landing craft under the Assault Division () and the transport vessels under the Logistics Support Group ( – GSL). These new formations, together with the Naval Infantry battalions, were under the direct command of Captain (promoted to Commodore in December 1971) Vong Sarendy, who in turn reported directly to the FANK Chief-of-Staff for operational orders. As the newly restructured MNK had gained by late 1971 enough experience to commence its own escort and combat patrol operations, an expansion of its naval assets and support facilities, and training establishments was therefore deemed necessary. The two pre-existing Naval Bases were once again upgraded, while another two riverine stations were established on the lower Mekong corridor at Neak Leung in Kandal Province, and at the provincial capital of Kampong Chhnang, on the Tonle Sap River. By January 1972 the MNK had expanded to 5,500 men, this number including 430 officers, although only 23 of them held the rank of Lieutenant commander or higher, and these were showing signs of fatigue due to over-work. To alleviate this problem, an input of 14 Cambodian officers were sent to the United States to attend advanced courses at various U.S. naval training institutions. Eight students attended the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland, whilst two senior officers went to the Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island and the Navy Supply Corps School (NSCS) in Athens, Georgia; four other students attended the small boat tactics school at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) and the adjacent Naval Inshore Operations Center at Vallejo, California. Harbour defense and special operations Following several attacks against merchant vessels anchored at Chrui Chhangwar Naval Base in early 1972, the MNK Fleet Command created a regimental-sized Harbour Defense Unit, the "Strike Commandos" () comprising two rifle battalions, to patrol its major port facilities and provide VIP protection, equipped with an assortment of outdated and modern U.S. and captured Soviet or Chinese small-arms. The 1st Strike Commando Battalion ( – 1 BCC) and 2nd Strike Commando Battalion ( – 2 BCC), based respectively at Chrui Chhangwar and Ream, were supported on their duties by the Naval Infantry, who performed active riverbank patrolling. An American-trained SEAL unit was raised in mid-1973, being employed on reconnaissance missions along the banks of the Mekong and as shock troops on amphibious operations, and was subordinated to the MNK Amphibious Operations Command (French: Commandement des opérations amphibies – COA). Fleet Command Emulating its South Vietnamese parent organization, the Cambodian Navy's Fleet Command was placed under the authority of the MNK Chief of Naval Operations, who was responsible for the readiness of all sea and river craft. The Fleet Commander assigned and scheduled vessels to operate on the Riverine and Maritime Regions, and the Mekong Special Zone, the latter turned over to the Cambodian Army Command in February 1975, which were home ported in Chrui Chhangwar and Ream naval bases and normally returned there after concluding their assignments. On the field, the two regional and zone commanders assumed control of all naval or amphibious operations on their respective Regions, and the vessels under their command operated from the following interland or coastal ports: • Maritime Region – Ream/Kampong Som/Krong Koh Kong/Krong Kep • Riverine Region – Chrui Chhangwar/Kampong Chhnang/Kampong Cham • Mekong Special Zone – Phnom Penh/Neak Leung Expansion 1973–74 In 1970 the Cambodian Navy had only eleven vessels in serviceable condition, including two ageing PC-461-class Patrol Craft, three LSSLs, one LSIL, one LCI, one LCT and a few armed fishing junks to patrol both the coastline and its waterways. The remaining 10,000 or so sailors and ratings crewed a surface fleet of 178 vessels of various types, though consisting mostly of patrol, coastal, and amphibious crafts. ==Shipyards and repair facilities==

The MRK/MNK's major repair and resupply facilities were centered at the main riverine base at Chrui Chhangwar, with most vessel maintenance being accomplished at the Fleet Repair Facility, though they apparently experienced some difficulties in repairing heavily damaged vessels. In April 1972, an LCI assigned to the Riverine Region severely hit by enemy fire had to be sent to Singapore for a major overhaul. Most shore-based naval supplies were handled by the Chrui Chhangwar base's naval warehouses; lesser activities were carried out at some of the smaller coastal and river stations, Whereas the Chrui Chhangwar base was able to maintain the smaller vessels, the Ream Naval Base was in a run-down condition by 1972. Built by the French in the late 1950s, it had only one small pier in decrepit condition, its internal repair capabilities were very limited and lacked an effective logistical support system. Plans were laid out by the MNK Fleet Command in early 1974 to renovate and enlarge Ream's naval facilities, and the measures implemented included the procurement of a newly overhauled floating drydock, the substantial upgrade of the base's own Repair Facility equipments, the installation of an effective supply support system, the construction of a modern pier facility and support complex, and the construction of a new electric power plant, although the three latter projects were still to be completed by the time of the collapse of the Khmer Republic in April 1975. ==Equipment==

Escort and combat patrol craft • Three PC-461 class Patrol Craft • 64 PBR Mk 1 and 2 river patrol boats (a.k.a. "Bibber") • Seven Monitors (MON, heavily gunned riverine crafts, a.k.a. "River Battleships" or "Mike boats") – out of this number six were the Monitor (H) Howitzer version armed with 40 mm cannons and M49 105 mm howitzers • Two LSIL/LCIs • Four LCU/YFUs • 18 Armored Troop Carriers (ATC, a.k.a. "Tango boats"), including three ATC refuelers and one ATC recharger • 30 Landing Craft Mechanized Mk 6 Mod 1-LCM (6) Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) • Five LCM (8) LCUs • Two Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs) Support craft • Two Command and Communications Boats (CCB, a.k.a. "Charlie boats") • Five Minesweeper River boats (MSR/MSM) • One Combat Salvage Boat (CSB) • Three Yard Tug Light (YTL) • Two Mobile Support Bases (MSB) • One Floating Crane (YD) • One Drydock ==Combat history==

Being an all-volunteer, technically proficient service, the Khmer National Navy was regarded as the most efficient branch of the Cambodian armed forces, despite being plagued by shortages of officers and experienced NCOs in the early stages of the war. However, unlike the Cambodian Army and the Khmer Air Force, the MNK was not seriously handicapped by corruption – despite the fact that Lieutenant General Sosthène Fernandez, the FANK Chief-of-Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the ANK, did use the Navy to collect protection money for guarding river transport services in which his family had investments –, constant changes in command, or military incompetence, though it did faced severe budgetary restraints after U.S. financial aid was slashed in 1973. Under the command of Counter admiral (Rear Admiral) Vong Sarendy, the MNK generally maintained high levels of efficiency, discipline and morale – mainly due to sufficient rice rations, good leadership in the field and prompt payment of wages. Sea operations 1970–75 For the first three years of the war, the small and ill-equipped MNK Sea Patrol Force based at Ream proved unable to protect effectively the 400 kilometers (248.55 miles) of Cambodian coastline from North Vietnamese infiltration attempts. Due to the shortage of assets, protection of Ream Naval Base and the deep water port of Kampong Som was largely neglected, which rendered them vulnerable to enemy frogman attacks – on the night of 20–21 January 1973 North Vietnamese frogmen managed to inflict slight damage on a cargo ship anchored at Kampong Som harbour. • During the Battle of Kampong Cham in September 1973, the MNK Fleet Command launched Operation "Castor 21", in which the Navy ran some twenty convoys between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham. They conducted a successful combined amphibious assault by the Marines, SEALs and the Cambodian Army's 80th Infantry Brigade into the enemy-held half of the city, although the inept use of the landing crafts led to heavy losses as the boats on the river were exposed for six hours to enemy fire from the riverbanks. • In January 1974, during Operation "Castor 41" a task-force of nine river Monitors and landing crafts supported three Marine companies in a small-scale amphibious assault to clear Khmer Rouge forces out from the Peam Reang island in the southern Mekong. • In March 1974, two small operations, "Castor 45" and "Castor 46", were organized in support of Marine and Army units deployed around Dei Doh, on both banks of the Mekong. In addition to amphibious assault operations, during the early part of 1973 the MNK riverine forces were also encharged of the defense of the waterborne approaches to Phnom Penh and its environs. This included providing protection to vital areas such as the FANK's main fuel reserve facility located at Prek Phnou in Kampong Speu province. intended at blocking the passage of the supply convoys that allowed the beleaguered Khmer Republic to receive much-needed munitions, fuel and non-lethal aid (including food and medical supplies) transported upriver from South Vietnam to Phnom Penh. but never at such a scale. Although the MNK did possess minesweeping capabilities, its five river MSR/MSM minesweepers lacked the proper equipment that would allow their crews to carry out the task successfully. In addition, the Khmer Rouge control of the riverbanks rendered any mine-sweeping operations virtually impossible or, at best, extremely costly. On 18 January 1975, the MNK riverine forces and the Marines conducted their last joint amphibious assault, Operation "Sailor", in an effort to clear Khmer Rouge units from some strategic islands in the Mekong close to Phnom Penh. By 17 February, the MNK Fleet Command was forced to abandon any attempts to re-open the lower Mekong and Bassac corridors, and all convoy escort operations were suspended. With the loss of the two remaining Government-held enclaves located south of Phnom Penh of Ban Am (callsign "Sierra One") and Neak Leung, along with its respective river station (callsign "Sierra Two") in the lower Mekong on 1 April, all Cambodian Navy river assets were pulled out from the area to help defend Phnom Penh, thus completing the strangulation of the Cambodian capital. This move however, rendered useless the entire MNK riverine flotilla which remained bottled-up mainly at Chrui Chhangwar base, with a small number of other vessels being withheld at Kampong Chhnang riverine station and Kampong Cham fluvial harbour during the final weeks of the war. whilst the three PCFs, overloaded with 625 refugees, arrived on 22 April at Kelantan, Malaysia; as for the E-312, P-111 and P-112 vessels, they arrived on 9 May at Subic Bay in the Philippines with 750 passengers. In addition, four PBRs, two Monitor (H) Howitzers and one Assault Support Patrol Boat were impounded by the South Vietnamese authorities at Tân An, Long An Province in South Vietnam, which prevented their destruction or capture by the Khmer Rouge. ==Aftermath==

By the end of the war in 1975, total Cambodian Navy losses amounted to a quarter of its ships The rest of the MNK personnel that were unable to leave Cambodia – ranging from Petty Officers, enlisted men and the female clerical staff to Marines, Nageurs de Combat, SEALs and the Commandos de Choc (who defended both the Ream and Chrui Chhangwar naval bases until the very end) – had no other choice but to surrender. Most of them ended up being shot by Khmer Rouge firing squads, with their bodies dumped into shallow graves dug in forest areas close to naval facilities; others were sent to be "re-educated" in labour camps (known as the "Killing Fields"), where they remained until the Cambodian–Vietnamese War of 1978–79. Later unconfirmed reports claim that a small number of qualified naval personnel escaped this fate by being pressed into service of the new Khmer Rouge regime in order to operate and maintain the remaining U.S.-made sea and river craft left behind, and to help train ship crews. Many naval officers were also executed, including Counter admiral Vong Sarendy, who missed several opportunities to leave Phnom Penh and was reportedly arrested and killed by the Khmer Rouge while trying belatedly to escape by boat to the Tonle Sap lake the day Phnom Penh fell, though other sources state that he actually committed suicide when the insurgents were about to enter his office at the MNK Fleet Command Headquarters in the Chrui Chhangwar Naval Base. Of the 103 ratings that graduated from the Naval Academy in 1973, only three are known to have survived the Khmer Rouge's massive purges. The Khmer Rouge was able to salvage one PC-461 class patrol craft, 13 coastal patrol "Swift boats", 40 PBR Mk 1 and 2 "Bibber" river patrol boats and five LCM (8) LCUs for the Navy of the Kampuchea Revolutionary Army (NKRA) of the new Democratic Kampuchea Regime; the other sea and river vessels were found damaged beyond economic repair, either sunk by enemy fire or scuttled by their own crews. and the other six were either completely destroyed or severely damaged by U.S. Navy A-6A Intruder and A-7E Corsair II attack jets. Despite maintenance problems and spare parts' shortages, the remaining nine coastal patrol "Swift boats", the PBR river patrol boats and the LCUs were kept serviceable at Ream and Chrui Chhangwar naval bases until February 1979, when the NKRA was neutralized by the People's Army of Vietnam during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War of 1978–79. ==MRK and MNK Commaders==

Chiefs of Naval Operations • Captain Pierre Coedes (1954–1969) • Counter admiral Vong Sarendy (1969–1975) Naval junior commanders • Captain Pok Som Im • Captain Som Sary • Captain Vong Sophano • Captain Srey Doeun • Commander Thuon Tyro • Commander Nguon Binh ==Naval uniforms and insignia==

The Royal Cambodian Navy owed its origin and traditions to the French Far East Naval Forces ( – FMEO) of the First Indochina War, and even after the United States took the role as the main foreign sponsor for the Khmer National Armed Forces at the beginning of the 1970s, French military influence was still perceptible in their uniforms and insignia. Service dress and field uniforms The basic Royal Cambodian Navy (MRK) work uniform for all-ranks was a local version of the French Navy's tropical working dress, consisting of a Pale Stone (a shade of grey so pale that is sometimes referred to as "pale khaki" due to its similarity to the latter colour) cotton shirt and pants modelled after the WWII U.S. Army tropical "Chino" khaki working dress. The shirt was short-sleeved and came in two variants: the first model was based on the French M1949 tropical shirt () and had two patch breast pockets closed by clip-cornered straight flaps whilst the second model resembled the French M1946 light shirt () and featured instead two pleated breast pockets closed by pointed flaps; both shirts had a six-buttoned front and were provided with shoulder straps (). They were worn with matching Pale Stone slacks styled after the French M1945/52 or M1948 pants, which featured two pleats at the front hips, side slashed pockets and an internal pocket at the back, on the right side; Pale Stone shorts () were also issued and worn according to weather conditions. A white cotton version of the MRK work uniform also existed, being worn as a service dress by officers on informal occasions and for walking-out. Enlisted personnel also received a white cotton service uniform or Sailor suit, consisting of a Navy jumper (or pullover shirt) with dark blue flap collar and matching trousers flared as "bell bottoms". MRK senior officers and petty officers adopted a Navy Blue overseas service uniform, which consisted of a double-breasted reefer jacket () with open collar and lapels, and featuring two internal skirt pockets with external flaps. The jacket had a narrow double row of four gilt metal anchor motif buttons, and was worn with a white shirt and black tie, completed with matching blue trousers. This uniform was seldom seen in Cambodia, being worn only by officers or officer candidate students attending courses overseas, e.g. when in France or in the United States. Instead, MRK Officers serving in-country received the standard FARK summer dress uniform in white cotton, which was patterned after the French Army M1946/56 khaki dress uniform (). For parades and honor guards, Naval Infantry officers and enlisted men were given a special full dress white cotton uniform, which consisted of a tunic with standing collar featuring a five-buttoned front secured by gilt buttons, worn with matching white slacks. Like their Army and Air Force counterparts, in 1970–72 all naval combat and support personnel – officer candidate students (EOMs) attending courses at the Naval Academy, clerical staff, ship crews, Naval Infantry, Nageurs de Combat and later the Commandos de Choc security battalions – were issued U.S. jungle OG 107 utilities and M1967 Jungle Utility Uniforms whilst the Cambodian Navy SEALs commandos formed in 1973 received "Highland" (ERDL 1948 Leaf pattern or "Woodland") and Tigerstripe camouflage fatigues from the United States, Thailand (Thai Tadpole), and South Vietnam (Tadpole Sparse). Olive green U.S. M-1951 field jackets were also issued to all-ranks. Headgear MRK officers and petty officers received a Pale Stone service peaked cap with the standard gilt metal FARK cap badge, based on the French M1927 pattern () but with a longer, lacquered black leather extended peak; a white summer top version was worn with both the white service dress and the full dress uniform. After March 1970, the MNK replaced the royal insignia on their peaked caps by a gold wreathed fouled anchor embroidered on black, A white Sailor cap with an inscribed black silk ribbon (tally) tied around the base bearing the "Khmer National Navy" title in Khmer script, was worn with the white service uniform by enlisted ranks. In the field, MRK sailors and naval infantrymen frequently wore a mixture of French M1946 light khaki tropical berets (French: Bérét de toile kaki clair Mle 1946), French M1946 and M1957 light khaki sidecaps ( and Bonnet de police de toile kaki clair Mle 1957), and French M1949 bush hats () in Khaki or OG cotton cloth. During the Republic, a wide range of OG Boonie hats and baseball caps from the United States, South Vietnam and Thailand were adopted by MNK personnel. Officer candidate students at the Naval Academy received a Navy Blue baseball-style cap with the standard MNK cap badge whilst white and Pale Stone baseball-style caps, with stiffened peak and standard MNK cap badge inserted on a square-shaped Navy Blue background patch placed on the front panel, were worn by female personnel with their white summer dress and working Pale Stone uniforms. On parade, the marines were issued white-painted M-1 helmet liners with the standard FARK cap badge stencilled at the front and colour bars painted at the sides, worn with a white chinstrap; after 1970, a FANK cap badge stencil replaced the earlier royal arms. Footwear MRK footwear was diverse. Ratings and sailors were issued black, brown, and whitened leather low laced shoes matching the dress uniforms worn on active service, walking-out or formal occasions. For parades, Marine officers and enlisted men were turned out in French black leather M1952 ankle boots () and white French-style half-gaiters with side-lacing and a spat covering the top of the boot; Naval Academy cadets favoured white American-style long gaiters upon the adoption of their blue full dress in 1974. On the field, both seamen and naval infantrymen wore brown leather U.S. M-1943 Combat Service Boots and French M1953 "Rangers" (French: Rangers modéle 1953) or French Pataugas olive canvas-and-rubber jungle boots, white low tennis shoes, flip-flops and leather peasant sandals. After 1970, the MNK retained the earlier regulation footwear although American M-1967 black leather boots with DMS "ripple" pattern rubbler sole and Jungle boots, soon replaced the older combat models. Navy ranks The MRK used the same standard FARK/FANK French-style rank chart as the Army and the Khmer Air Force, though the nomenclature was different. Flag, senior and junior officers () – including their counterparts in the Naval Infantry – and petty officers' () ranks were worn on various coloured removable shoulder boards (with gold laurel-like leaf embroidery on the outer edge for Admirals) or shoulder strap slides identical to the Army pattern, with the addition of a miniature royal coat-of-arms featuring a combined crown-and-anchor device on the inner end. Enlisted men and Marine NCOs () wore chevrons on both upper sleeves. In 1970 the MNK changed the colours of their shoulder boards and shoulder strap slides to a standardized Navy Blue or black with a simple fouled anchor on the inner end, which replaced the earlier royal crest. Naval and marine officers and NCOs adopted rank chest tabs to wear with the U.S.-supplied OG jungle fatigues, Rank insignia Insignia There were no arm-of-service designations as such in the Khmer National Navy, although when wearing U.S. OG jungle fatigues, naval personnel skills and trades were identified by collar badges, in either metal pin-on or cloth embroidered versions. These were worn on the left collar only by ratings and on both collars by enlisted ranks: • Navigator (Manuvrier) – pair of binoculars superimposed upon crossed signal flags • Helmsman (Timonier) – six-spoked helm wheel • Radio operator (Telegrafiste) – lightning bolt superimposed upon a flying spinning wheel or cutter • Gunner (Canonier) – crossed cannons • Armourer (Armurier) – cannon superimposed upon a cogwheel • Machinist (Mechanicien) – boat propeller inserted on a cogwheel • Electrician (Electricien) – dynamo with six lightning bolts • Quartermaster (Fourrier/Fourrière) – five-pointed leaf • Clerk (Secretaire) – crossed writing plumes • Shipyard Artificer (Ouvrier naval) – crossed axes • Steward/Stewardess (''Maître d'Hotel/Maîtresse d'Hotel'') – laurel-leaf wreath over a three-wave line • Commissary/Storekeeper (Commissaire) – lotus flower • Civil Engineer (Ingénieur Civile) – Buddhist temple tower and anchor inserted on a cogwheel • Marine Rifleman/Naval Infantry (Fusilier-Marin) – crossed rifles MNK personnel after 1970 wore over the left pocket of their Pale Stone working or service dress white shirts a cloth embroidered badge featuring two crossed anchors inserted on a wreath surmounted by three stars, all in yellow outlined black on a Pale Stone or white background. A subdued version was worn with the OG jungle fatigues. All Naval Infantry battalions (BFMs) wore the same shoulder insignia, consisting of a combined yellow crossed rifles and anchor device embroidered on a shield-shaped patch patterned after the Khmer Republic flag. In addition to their battalion insignia, Marine riflemen serving in the BFMs were entitled to wear collar tabs featuring two yellow crossed rifles embroidered on a Navy Blue cloth background. SEALs cloth embroidered parachutist wings, consisting of a combined winged Scuba set, leaves and anchor device, were displayed above the right breast pocket, whilst foreign airborne qualification badges went over the left pocket as per in the Army. MNK personnel assigned to a specific Maritime or Riverine Region wore the correspondent insignia on the upper right sleeve, whilst MNK Headquarters insignia also went to the right shoulder. MNK officers were entitled to wear on the right pocket of their working uniforms and jungle fatigues a full-colour cloth embroidered Navy Blue round patch with two white crossed anchors set on a yellow wreath. This patch came in two versions: one with a yellow star superimposed on the crossed anchors was worn by line officers (former officer cadets that had undergone training for the command of a vessel at the Khmer Naval Academy) whereas those without the star were given to non-line officers. When sent for training overseas, MNK officers wore on the upper left sleeve of their Navy Blue overseas jackets and Pale Stone working shirts a Cambodian national emblem with "Marine Nationale Khmère" tab, or a simple rectangular flash bearing "Khmer Republic" inscribed in either French or Khmer script on a Cambodian national flag background. ==See also==