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Hornet Engagements
- Thread starter paikea
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vegita1220
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No not the shootdown of the enemy MiG, the identity of Colonel Tomb. Supposedly it was just a local group commander who according to Duke's account was a great pilot, but supposedly the pilot was not an ace or anything.
Col Tomb has been discredited as a myth by the Vietnamese and several US historians. The Vietnamese have actually published a list of their high scoring aces and none of them fit Tomb's description (if you trust them). I saw in one article about it that said a VN ace was killed around the same time and the speculation was that this was the guy Cunningham fought.
This fight is probably the most written about aerial combat in the past 50 years. I have seen many descriptions of it in numerous books. An Eastern European writer claims that Cuningham and Willy Dricoll (his NFO/RIO) were shot down by another MIG and not a SAM as widely accepted on their way back to the carrier after downing their 5th kill. I don't buy that, someone trying to poke holes in one of those arrogant American's story. Whomever they fought, Cunningham and Driscoll did a great job and became the first US aces of the war. I believe Cunningham got the Navy Cross and Driscoll the Silver Star for their actions that day. Cunningham is now a Represenative from California.
If anyone is really into air combat and Vietnam there is an excellent book by the Naval Institute called Clashes. It is a bit technical but it goes into detail about the planes, equipment, training and support for US fighter pilots in Vietnam as well as the actual combat. Shows how the Navy got its act together and cleaned house in the spring of '72.
This fight is probably the most written about aerial combat in the past 50 years. I have seen many descriptions of it in numerous books. An Eastern European writer claims that Cuningham and Willy Dricoll (his NFO/RIO) were shot down by another MIG and not a SAM as widely accepted on their way back to the carrier after downing their 5th kill. I don't buy that, someone trying to poke holes in one of those arrogant American's story. Whomever they fought, Cunningham and Driscoll did a great job and became the first US aces of the war. I believe Cunningham got the Navy Cross and Driscoll the Silver Star for their actions that day. Cunningham is now a Represenative from California.
If anyone is really into air combat and Vietnam there is an excellent book by the Naval Institute called Clashes. It is a bit technical but it goes into detail about the planes, equipment, training and support for US fighter pilots in Vietnam as well as the actual combat. Shows how the Navy got its act together and cleaned house in the spring of '72.
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