The author of Tour of Duty, Douglas Brinkley, has the five Swift boats skippered by:
John Kerry - PCF 94
Rich McCann - PCF 24
Skip Barker - PCF 3
Don Droz - PCF 23/ (April '69 casualty list has him as skipper of PCF 43)
Larry Thurlow - PCF 53/ (interview in reply 66, preceding, has Thurlow as skipper of PCF 51)
Immediately prior to the first command detonated mine explosion, the boats were in column of two.
The right column, lead boat was PCF 94
The right column boat no. 2 was PCF 24
The left column, lead boat was PCF 3.
The left column, boat no. 2 was PCF 23
The left column, boat no. 3 was PCF 53/51
Larry Thurlow, in the interview in reply 66, defined the columns and the reason; because while they had been up-river, a fishing wier had been set, leaving channels, in effect, along the left and right banks when heading back down-river.
Presumably the channels were set to direct the boats over the pre-positioned command detonating mines, one left and one right.
Larry Thurlow also states in the interview, reply 66, that his boat was PCF 51.
According to the author of Tour of Duty, PCF 24 had some sort of powerplant difficulties on this mission, enough to cause the combat troops and equipment aboard it, to be transferred to PCF 94 prior to all the boats heading up-river, beyond this same point of confict, earlier in the day.
Don Droz died on April 12, 1969 while skipper of PCF 43. (http://www.swiftboats.net/extras/casualties.htm)
That's inteesting. Barker is the only officer supporting Kerry. Unfit for Command has Dick Pease as the commander of PCF 3 when it is hit by the mine. Barker is not mentioned in the book at all nor is McCann. Chenoweth and his gunner Odell played a major role rescuing three of the crewmen from PCF 3. No boat number is mentioned. Sounds like Brinkley must be operating from Kerry's journal.
I posted the text of the action report for March 13 at the thread below, including actions, casualties (names), boat damage, etc.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187560/posts?page=29#29
The combat action report showed the following boats that day:
4. (C) PCFS 94, 51, 23, 43, 3, MSF 1404 DET, UDT DET 12, RF/PF CAI NUOC.