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"There I was" stories from a Vietnam era A-4 Driver
- Thread starter BusyBee604
- Start date
ZekeBathory
Doe-eyed Hopeful
Agreed. What a fox.
Baker Boy 427
*Attached is a photo of the late 604 taken at NAS Atsugi, Japan on 7 May 1966, just 7 weeks prior to the incident.
Derf, welcome aboard! I am always amazed how you guys remember particular aircraft by modex number (40 yrs. ago). It's almost like each bird has it's own "planesonality"! They're supposed to be identical, but each one seems to sing it's own little song. Sweet music....BzB"Steve, I'm on line now looking over your posts. Just read the one about 604 and his bail out over Nam. Also his pics, I remember 427 he is sitting in because it always reminded me of 427 Chevys. Also got me a pharachute bag made by a rigger that I took on all of my TAD's. i gave it to my son when he was in a Helo Squadron in Mayport."
PM'd to me by, Fred (Derf). Hugh, 427 is famous!
Steve
*Attached is a photo of the late 604 taken at NAS Atsugi, Japan on 7 May 1966, just 7 weeks prior to the incident.
Attachments
Great story, well told!
But I have one comment:
But I have one comment:
Yes, as you say, Phantoms "were greater fighter aircraft." 
.....But "horrible 'fuel sucker's?" 
:icon_rage
Naw, let's just say they were "massive fuel burners."
Now doesn't that sound better?
And thank you for your extraordinary service. .....But "horrible 'fuel sucker's?" :icon_rageNaw, let's just say they were "massive fuel burners."
Now doesn't that sound better?
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
I just printed out the story. Can't wait to read this over Locke homework tonight!
No Surprise At Bai Thuong. By, BusyBee604
Another story by, Busybee604, enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Surprise At Bai Thuong.
It was March 1966 in the early days of "Rolling Thunder". My squadron VA-146, embarked in USS RANGER (CVA-61) as part of Air Wing 14, had recently finished our "spring training" at Dixie Station. After a rocky first two days (our CO, CDR Hugh Loheed, was lost 1 February, our first day on the line at Yankee Station), then several weeks of road recce in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam, we had finally been cleared to participate in our first Alfa Strike. The target was the Bai Thuong airfield in the vicinity of Thanh Hoa. VA-146's skipper was CDR (later CAPT) Al Schaufelberger, and CDR (VADM) Bob Dunn had just reported aboard as our new XO.
As was typical for us in the early stages of the air war up north, VA-146's pilots were highly trained, well motivated and eager, but very naive regarding NVN air defense capabilities.
I had seen Bai Thuong airfield from a distance while on a recce some days earlier. It was far from operational, still under construction. The runways were not paved, buildings were ramshackle, construction equipment littered the site, there were no aircraft based there and defenses were not visible.
For our first Alfa Strike, a 30-plane gaggle of our A-4Cs, VA-55 A-4es. VF-142 and -143 F4Bs as well as three VAH-2 Det F A-3Bs, planning and briefings were elaborate. We were going to really surprise them with an initial feint, a deceptive circuitous route, and max low-level to avoid radar detection. Because of the routing, a three-plus hour double-cycle was required with all strike aircraft to be topped off enroute.
The weather for the strike was great. We launched, rendezvoused and headed southwest, descending and tanking from our trusty Whales. The A-4 "Charlie" was a real dog at this point; full fuel and full load of 500-pounders. Tanking completed, we turned to the east descending to 500 ft. AGL and coasted in south of the DMZ, confident that, as we disappeared off the enemy radar scopes, they would dismiss us as another mass gaggle headed for close air support south of the DMZ. About 40 miles inland the strike group wheeled north hugging the deck up through southern and central Laos circumnavigating the "hot" Plain of Jars. A piece of cake, no flak, no missile warnings, no nothin'! I remember the feeling well, "just like a low-level out of Lemoore with a drop at Fallon. Nothing to this attack business if you use your head."
Bai Thuong was masked by the Annam mountains to the west and, well north of the Mu Gia Pass we turned to the east and clawed our way upward to the top of the ridges, remaining as low as possible. The strike continued on, fast closing the relatively short distance to the pull-up point. The first indication that something was amiss was the bright twinkling flashes all around the airfield just prior to pull-up. The climb to roll-in altitude was a real struggle for our Charlies, made worse by the white, gray and black flak puffs which now blanketed the area.
We were lucky on that first Alfa. Some planned runs were altered somewhat by the cluttered roll-in point, but the bombs hit all over the non-operational MIG base. The earthen runways were cratered, construction equipment was rearranged and none of the strike group was hit. I am sure Bai Thuong was back in gear in two days or less. It was only Bai Thuong, but to us at that time, it was Phuc Yen or Kep!
During the short, scattered escape to "feet wet" over the friendly confines of the Gulf, I wondered again: Did they really know we were coming? How did they react so fast? Later I realized that the enemy had an excellent air defense system and there followed an admiration for a smart and perhaps a well trained and equipped foe. Our opponents probably had been laughing and scratching and rolling on their dirt floors as they tracked us throughout our supposed deception.
Most of us learned a valuable lesson that day at Bai Thuong, one that would stand us in good stead during the rest of the 1966 cruise and the even tougher one that followed in '67: Better to overestimate the enemy and receive a pleasant surprise than to underestimate and be terrified - or perhaps dead!
Written by:
CDR F. Hugh Magee, USN (Ret.)
Another story by, Busybee604, enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Surprise At Bai Thuong.
It was March 1966 in the early days of "Rolling Thunder". My squadron VA-146, embarked in USS RANGER (CVA-61) as part of Air Wing 14, had recently finished our "spring training" at Dixie Station. After a rocky first two days (our CO, CDR Hugh Loheed, was lost 1 February, our first day on the line at Yankee Station), then several weeks of road recce in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam, we had finally been cleared to participate in our first Alfa Strike. The target was the Bai Thuong airfield in the vicinity of Thanh Hoa. VA-146's skipper was CDR (later CAPT) Al Schaufelberger, and CDR (VADM) Bob Dunn had just reported aboard as our new XO.
As was typical for us in the early stages of the air war up north, VA-146's pilots were highly trained, well motivated and eager, but very naive regarding NVN air defense capabilities.
I had seen Bai Thuong airfield from a distance while on a recce some days earlier. It was far from operational, still under construction. The runways were not paved, buildings were ramshackle, construction equipment littered the site, there were no aircraft based there and defenses were not visible.
For our first Alfa Strike, a 30-plane gaggle of our A-4Cs, VA-55 A-4es. VF-142 and -143 F4Bs as well as three VAH-2 Det F A-3Bs, planning and briefings were elaborate. We were going to really surprise them with an initial feint, a deceptive circuitous route, and max low-level to avoid radar detection. Because of the routing, a three-plus hour double-cycle was required with all strike aircraft to be topped off enroute.
The weather for the strike was great. We launched, rendezvoused and headed southwest, descending and tanking from our trusty Whales. The A-4 "Charlie" was a real dog at this point; full fuel and full load of 500-pounders. Tanking completed, we turned to the east descending to 500 ft. AGL and coasted in south of the DMZ, confident that, as we disappeared off the enemy radar scopes, they would dismiss us as another mass gaggle headed for close air support south of the DMZ. About 40 miles inland the strike group wheeled north hugging the deck up through southern and central Laos circumnavigating the "hot" Plain of Jars. A piece of cake, no flak, no missile warnings, no nothin'! I remember the feeling well, "just like a low-level out of Lemoore with a drop at Fallon. Nothing to this attack business if you use your head."
Bai Thuong was masked by the Annam mountains to the west and, well north of the Mu Gia Pass we turned to the east and clawed our way upward to the top of the ridges, remaining as low as possible. The strike continued on, fast closing the relatively short distance to the pull-up point. The first indication that something was amiss was the bright twinkling flashes all around the airfield just prior to pull-up. The climb to roll-in altitude was a real struggle for our Charlies, made worse by the white, gray and black flak puffs which now blanketed the area.
We were lucky on that first Alfa. Some planned runs were altered somewhat by the cluttered roll-in point, but the bombs hit all over the non-operational MIG base. The earthen runways were cratered, construction equipment was rearranged and none of the strike group was hit. I am sure Bai Thuong was back in gear in two days or less. It was only Bai Thuong, but to us at that time, it was Phuc Yen or Kep!
During the short, scattered escape to "feet wet" over the friendly confines of the Gulf, I wondered again: Did they really know we were coming? How did they react so fast? Later I realized that the enemy had an excellent air defense system and there followed an admiration for a smart and perhaps a well trained and equipped foe. Our opponents probably had been laughing and scratching and rolling on their dirt floors as they tracked us throughout our supposed deception.
Most of us learned a valuable lesson that day at Bai Thuong, one that would stand us in good stead during the rest of the 1966 cruise and the even tougher one that followed in '67: Better to overestimate the enemy and receive a pleasant surprise than to underestimate and be terrified - or perhaps dead!
Written by:
CDR F. Hugh Magee, USN (Ret.)
Hugh asked for a bit of help in posting, I'm glad to do it for him. He deserves the credit not me, it's his story. I just wish I had his "credentials."
Steve
Great story, very interesting to contrast the way things were done then and now. A lot of differences but a lot of similarities too.
Curiosity question, I know A-3's were used early on in their original bombing role, was that the case in your air wing?
Thanks again for posting guys!
Curiosity question, I know A-3's were used early on in their original bombing role, was that the case in your air wing?
Thanks again for posting guys!
Brownshoe. Good read. Well written. I was on CV's 11, 14, 19, 34, 43, 61, 63, 64 and Forestall (cannot remember hull #). As well as CLG-6, CLG-8 and a couple of AGTR's.
A3's indeed. Rode the A3, B model as I recall. Was on the Connie during that time. doing "spook" stuff. Amazing when you look back on it. Those "aviators" used to scare the *&&^&^& out of me, on purpose.
Who was the A4 driver that dropped his ord in a restricted area when he was pounced upon by a couple of MIGs that were out of Vinh? Wish I could remember.
And the time our Terriers got an inbound MIG-15 into PIRAZ. We hoisted remains of that bad boy aboard, after we found in fact it was an USAF drone. Got a photo of the somewhere inspite of good efforts of others to confiscate all film of the incident.
A3's indeed. Rode the A3, B model as I recall. Was on the Connie during that time. doing "spook" stuff. Amazing when you look back on it. Those "aviators" used to scare the *&&^&^& out of me, on purpose.
Who was the A4 driver that dropped his ord in a restricted area when he was pounced upon by a couple of MIGs that were out of Vinh? Wish I could remember.
And the time our Terriers got an inbound MIG-15 into PIRAZ. We hoisted remains of that bad boy aboard, after we found in fact it was an USAF drone. Got a photo of the somewhere inspite of good efforts of others to confiscate all film of the incident.
You're gonna have to talk with Hugh, I just posted the story for him.
Steve
PS. Hugh?