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The first military airlift in aviation history was carried out using Italian Caproni and S.V.A. aircraft

by Till Daisd March 15, 2023

These missions amply demonstrated the opportunities provided by transport aircraft

Italian North Africa was the name given to the territory that would eventually become modern-day Libya by Europeans from 1912 to 1927. Idris al-Mahdi al-Sanussi (later known as King Idris I of Libya) and Umar Mukhtar were two of the most well-known figures in the Libyan resistance at this time (eponymous hero of the film Omar Mukhtar, Lion of the Desert in which his character was played by Oliver Reed). Both were based in the eastern province of Cyrenaica, rather than the western province of Tripolitania. The southern province of Fezzan, meanwhile, didn’t become well-known until the latter phases of this conflict.

In Tripolitania, an independent state was proclaimed practically immediately after the Great War, according to Air Vice Marshal Gabr Ali Gabr and Dr. David Nicolle in their book Air Power and the Arab World 1909-1955 Volume 3 Colonial Skies 1918-1936. The new state, which went by the name Al-Jumhurya al-Trabulsiya (The Republic of Tripolitania) and had its capital in Aziziya, was established informally during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 after being declared by a number of local leaders.

But, these Libyan authorities did not envision the expulsion of all Italians from their nation. They desired the establishment of Italian commercial domination as opposed to the Italian occupation. The Republic of Tripolitania is frequently said to as the Arab World’s first modern republic. Sadly, the Republic of Tripolitiania received little support from nations other than Libya and was brutally suppressed by Italian forces.

Once Giuseppe Volpi, a politician, and businessman took over as governor on July 16, 1921, and succeeded Luigi Mercatelli, Tripolitania was finally reclaimed. Volpi would later receive the title of Count of Misratah as recompense. Moreover, he established the famed Venice Biennale Arts Festival. In Libya, however, Giuseppe Volpi’s first task was to revive the sagging morale of sometimes poorly supplied Italian garrisons. A quick offensive then occurred, evidently taking the possibly complacent Libyan resistance by surprise.

Early on January 26, 1922, a mixed force made up of police, Italian, Eritrean, and local troops landed on the coast outside of Misratah, which they then captured. Tripoli and its outlying settlements were firmly back under Italian control in little more than a year, and between 1923 and 1925 also the coast and northern lowlands. Next, Italian forces seized control of the deep desert and the central semi-desert areas. By the end of the 1920s, this offensive had brought Italian forces close to the Fezzan border.

Italian Air Force aircraft participated in practically every phase of this campaign, but the most impressive deployment of air power came from a circumstance where Italy might have lost just a fortnight after its initial success at Misratah. On February 9, 1922, when so-called “rebels” cut the railway connection, the 10th Battalion Eritrean Askari was under siege at Aziziya. On March 19, the supporters of resistance leader Farad Bey took over Zuwarah, and the railway line connecting Tripoli and Zuwarah was also destroyed.

A few Caproni tri-motors, originally built as long-range bombers during the First World War, transported fresh troops to the outpost while also evacuating civilians and injured soldiers. With no other means of communication remaining between the roughly 1,000 troops in Aziziya and the main Italian forces in Tripoli. They received help from a few smaller machines for this. Due to the number of participants, this was the first real military airlift in aviation history.

How Italian Caproni and S.V.A. First World War aircraft performed the first real military airlift in the history of aviation — Caproni Ca.33

Col. Siciliani, Col. Riccardo Moizo, and General Commander of the Italian Air Force General Pietro Badoglio, Chief of the Italian General Staff, arrived in Tripoli on April 26 to assess the situation. During the initial Italian invasion of Libya in 1912, Moizo had been shot down and taken prisoner.

Notwithstanding how amazing this airlift was, it was evident that it was unable to provide the Aziziya garrison with what it required to survive a protracted siege. There were simply too few and little of planes available. Three Caproni Ca.33 aircraft and a dozen smaller Ansaldo S.V.A. single- and two-seaters flew daily flights during this emergency. The Capronis usually carried sacks of flour, some of which were placed between the fuel tanks, others between fuel tanks and the center of the Caproni’s three engines, and also in the front observer cockpit. A Caproni could theoretically transport up to 1,200 kg of supplies or a number of passengers by reducing the three-person crew to just two pilots and by carrying half the quantity of fuel that is typically carried.

The Ansaldo S.V.A. 5 single seater, on the other hand, could carry six bags of flour (120kg) strapped to the fuselage where the removed machine guns had been without the aeroplane becoming unbalanced. Yet as Squadron Commander Lieutenant R. Armellini discovered when flour spilled into his cockpit from a shattered sack, flying a plane in this state was anything but simple. He had to land quickly as a result, which hurt his S.V.A. One Caproni pilot, Sergente Zagni, was killed when two engines failed simultaneously, while another S.V.A. was injured while landing on a rocky track adjacent to al-Aziziya fort.

In addition to carrying injured Eritrean soldiers and those whose term of enlistment had expired back to Tripoli, these Capronis also transported a number of civilians, including women and children. A new company of Eritreans, together with its officials, took its place.

This amazing airlift lasted until April 10 when it was put on hold while an Italian Army column led by Colonel Rodolfo Graziani, a 39-year-old enthusiastic fascist, arrived. By that point, the Capronis and S.V.A.s had flown 335 times, delivering 278 soldiers, 213 reinforcements from Tripoli to Aziziya, 42 tons of food, 3 tons of other materials, and 53 civilians. Forty wounded members of Graziani’s force were also transported back to Tripoli after his column relieved the siege. These missions taught a lesson that future European imperial powers would not overlook regarding the potential of transport aircraft, particularly in colonial battles.

Air Power and the Arab World 1909-1955 Volume 3 Colonial Skies 1918-1936 is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

Photo by Unknown

March 15, 2023 0 comment

History

How the F-15C Eagles of the United States Air Force scored the first aerial kills in Operation Desert Storm

by Till Daisd March 14, 2023

written by Till Daisd

During Operation Desert Storm, the F-15C Eagle fighters were responsible for 34 of the 37 USAF air-to-air wins

The F-15 Eagle is a tactical fighter designed to allow the United States Air Force (USAF) to gain and maintain air superiority over the battlefield in all weather conditions.

In support of Operation Desert Storm (ODS), the F-15C and D variants were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991, demonstrating their greater combat capability. The F-15C aircraft were responsible for 34 of the USAF’s 37 air-to-air victories.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, seeking to grab the country’s vast oil reserves, President George H. W. Bush dispatched ground, sea, and air forces to the region to stabilize the situation and urge Saddam Hussein to withdraw his invasion force.

Shortly after the invasion, Lt. Col. William Thiel, commander of the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), received word that his unit would be called to deploy.

“We were going to deploy to a base… next to the Red Sea,” Thiel said. “The mission to get over there was nonstop, about 15 hours in the air. That’s a long time to be sitting down. We almost needed a crane to get us out of the cockpit, because we’re all kind of stiffed up.”

With 769 men and 24 F-15C Eagles, the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) began flying Operation Desert Shield sorties from northwest Saudi Arabia in late August.

Airmen familiarized themselves with desert terrain and took part in combined training with aircrews from the US Navy and the Royal Saudi Air Force during this operation. According to Security Council Resolution 661, the United States’ goal was to stop Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait and restore Kuwait’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Before they deployed, the 58th TFS underwent two combat training exercises, Red Flag in Las Vegas and Maple Leaf in Canada, which replicated wartime aviation tactics, according to Thiel.

“[Deploying] was a bit scary because you’re always worried about a lot of things but we were very well prepared,” said Thiel.

The Nomads initiated Operation Desert Storm with a surprise attack over Baghdad at 12 a.m. on January 17, 1991. They aimed to clear the skies over Bagdad of hostile aircraft and create a “corridor” for a second group to strike.

Capt. Jon Kelk, a 58th TFS pilot, scored the war’s first aerial kill, destroying a MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jet with an AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missile during the initial strike. Capt. Robert Graeter, a 58th TFS pilot, shot down two Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1s shortly after for the war’s second and third kills.

Capt. Rhory Draeger, 58th TFS pilot, and Capt. Charles Magill, 33rd USMC exchange officer, intercepted and destroyed two MiG-29s west of Baghdad later that day.

Capt. Larry Pitts, a 58th TFS pilot who flew in these flights, claimed his comrades met him and other aircrew members with relief and joy after the first sortie in a post-deployment interview with Air Force Public Affairs.

“Everyone was pretty excited, even more so because we were able to bring everyone back home,” said Pitts. “It was our first combat sortie and we actually expected a pretty sophisticated threat from the [enemy]. Everyone was glad all of us came home.”

Until President Bush issued the cease-fire order on February 27, 1991, nomads continued to have an impact on the battle. The Gulf War came to an end on March 3rd.

The 58th TFS had the most aerial victories (twelve) and the most pilots with multiple wins (four) in a single squadron. In direct support of US objectives, they flew 1,182 sorties and clocked almost 7,000 combat hours.

The most memorable part of the battle for Thiel, however, was returning home with the same number of people and planes they deployed with – no deaths.

“War is a terrible thing, but if you have to go to war it’s nice to go to one where you’re well prepared. You can do your job and bring everybody home,” Thiel said. “We so overmatched the enemy, which made it less frightening, and we were able to do a great job and be very effective.”

The Nomads have a long history of air dominance, with their exploits in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm securing the Gulf War’s initial aerial wins.

Source: Nomad’s legacy in Desert Storm, by Senior Airman Andrea Posey, 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs and U.S. Air Force; Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 14, 2023 0 comment

History

The former B-52 Stratofortress pilot who completed 25 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm

by Till Daisd March 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Bowles views Desert Storm to be a career-defining event, having conducted 25 combat missions in ten weeks

Jim Bowles, a former US Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress Commander and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) program analyst, deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1990. Senior Airman Benjamin Raughton, 2nd Bomb Wing, recalls his participation in the Gulf War 26 years ago in this article from a USAF news release.

“Pilot, we have a lock-on,” the B-52 Stratofortress electronic warfare officer called out in surprise.

Capt. Jim Bowles, a B-52 Stratofortress instructor pilot (IP) at the time, clenched his teeth and peered down to see an SA-6 surface-to-air missile launched in his way.

For most people, getting shot down by a missile over enemy territory isn’t a danger they expect to face, but for Bowles and his crew, it’s a possibility flying toward them in the black night of Iraqi skies.

Minutes flew by, each one seeming to last an eternity. Bowles took a deep breath and held it.

“This is it, this could be it,” he thought.

He was able to see the missile. He couldn’t see the jammer systems that were protecting him and his crew. The jamming worked flawlessly, sending the rocket on a different path. While supporting Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, Bowles narrowly dodged a rocket that night.

His training and family were continuously on his mind during the preparation and deployment.

Bowles, his wife, and their children had a family vacation and visited relatives before the deployment. He was obligated to phone and check in with his unit on Barksdale every afternoon at 2 p.m., and in the meantime, he was planning a duty station move to Castle Air Force Base, California.

His plans were thrown off by a phone call he received shortly after returning from vacation.

“It was about 11:30 at night and the phone rings,” he said. “My wife and I looked at each other and said, ‘oh no.’ I picked up the phone and was told to report to Barksdale.”

In December 1990, the situation in the Persian Gulf worsened.

“While I’m doing Christmas decorations, I’m also packing my bags for deployment to do combat operations,” he said. “It’s a unique experience when you think about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, and I may have to bring combat to my enemy.”

Jim Bowles, Air Force Global Strike Command program analyst, poses for a photograph at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 20, 2016. Bowles deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1990.

Bowles was sent to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for a two-week training exercise called Desert Flag after arriving at the airfield in January.

“The ramp was full of every type of aircraft,” he said. “Desert Flag was a Red Flag [exercise] on steroids. By Wednesday of the exercise, we saw aircraft leaving the base, and by Thursday, the airfield was a quarter empty.”

“Where’s everybody going? We all knew,” he said.

Bowles boarded a bus after the drill to receive a final round of immunization before heading to Saudi Arabia to perform combat operations against Saddam Hussein’s soldiers.

“While there was some apprehension about going into combat and the potential for not coming home, there was also a confidence because we knew we could do our mission,” Bowles said. “We’d trained together, and we’d do the jobs we were assigned to do.”

He said the first few sorties went off without a hitch. They went reasonably smoothly, and weapons were fired at strategic targets.

Bowles and his team would often fly “Taco Bell” missions, named after a 1980s advertising campaign.

“There were mine-breaching missions where we released our bomb-release lines just a few miles short of the Saudi Arabian-Kuwaiti border, and because of height and time of fall, those weapons would fall into the minefields that Saddam Hussein had sewn,” Bowles said. “We called those our Taco Bell runs because they were our runs for the border.”

Hussein dispatched three armored troops into the village of Khafji at one time. Bowles and his crew were just given a piece of paper with coordinates on it.

“At that time, Saddam’s armored columns were exposed and we laid down the fire on him with two aircraft full of Mk-82s and one aircraft full of cluster bombs,” Bowles said. “After we landed, we received a report saying we’d stopped them in their tracks.”

Throughout the countless combat missions, the B-52 Stratofortress consistently established itself as a deadly and unparalleled weapons delivery system to both allied and hostile troops.

“The B-52 has such a high capacity magazine that you can drop a very large number of munitions,” Bowles said. “We would get reports of enemy prisoners of war that surrendered because of the threat of B-52 attacks. They’d cross the Saudi border and surrender to the Saudis, surrender to our troops and even to our photographers because they didn’t want to experience the onslaught of the cluster bomb units we were carrying.”

Bowles views Desert Storm to be a career-defining event, having conducted 25 combat missions in ten weeks.

Photo by Senior Airman Benjamin Raughton / U.S. Air Force

March 13, 2023 0 comment

History

A-10 pilot who was killed in his Hog during Operation Desert Storm while helping his wingman

by Till Daisd March 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Brigadier General Jim Demarest, an F-15 pilot and the Chief of Staff of the Florida Air National Guard, launched a campaign to honor the late Capt. Stephen Phillis with the Medal of Honor

According to Alert5, Brigadier General Jim Demarest, the chief of staff of the Florida Air National Guard, launched a campaign to honor the late Capt. Stephen Phillis with the Medal of Honor. At the academy, Jim first encountered Stephen Phillis. Given that they were both left-handed boxers or southpaws, they bonded over the sport.

“Steve and I trained a lot together,” explains Demarest to Fox 4 Now. “He ended up being my corner man in a championship bout in about 1980 and that started a friendship that went a bit of a different way. We both went to pilot training. Steve decided he wanted to fly the A-10, I elected to fly the F-15 and so our aviation career paths diverged. Yet, we shared a lot of common experiences in pilot training and the fighter weapons school. Then Steve was activated in August 1990 to kick off Desert Shield and later served in Desert Storm.”

Demarest claims that on February 15, 1991, Steve Phillis and his brand-new wingman Lt. Rob Sweet were assigned the mission of attacking Saddam Hussein’s elite Republican Guards Division. After executing several successful passes, Sweet’s A-10 was targeted by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). To get away from it, he deployed flares. A second SAM struck him, causing him to lose a piece of his wing and send his aircraft into a steep spiral. After ejecting, Sweet was left hanging over the elite Iraqi armored division he had just finished bombing when his parachute opened.

Steve flew an orbit over the Republican Guard Division to deflect fire from Sweet’s descent. He fired flares to attract attention, making his A-10 a potential target. He realized he would not be returning at that very moment.

“He keys the microphone and using the codeword for the day, transmits ‘Enfield 3-7 is bagged as well,’” says Demarest. “And it’s the last radio transmission he makes, unbeknownst to his family, his fiancée, his friends, his fellow fighter pilots. Moments later he is engaged, shot down, and killed by another Iraqi surface-to-air missile system.”

At that moment, “He didn’t have to stay there,” said Demarest. “He didn’t have to drop flares and make himself a target. He didn’t have to stand over those 10,000 angry troops now emboldened by their success. Yet, the thought of leaving never crossed his mind.”

Steve Phillis made the choice to put the life of his wingman above his own. His heroic deed in his final moments.

“When you look at bravery above and beyond the call of duty, to save a fellow airman, to me- that checks all the boxes that we look for in our Medal of Honor recipients,” Demarest remarks.

The last time a pilot received the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious and highest military medal, was during the Vietnam War.

“So far, there have been no Medals of Honor for any combat bravery for Desert Storm,” says Demarest. “I think it’s time for us to re-look at that and I can think of no more fitting case than that of Captain Steve Phillis.”

It’s a task that Demarest has set for himself to complete, as he explains in the video below. A mission with the desire that Steve’s story endures.

“We’re going to start with a grassroots campaign and see where it goes,” says Demarest. “But I have high hopes that as the word of his heroics gets out, it will get interested from a lot of different outlets and different forms of media to help get the story out to the millions of people who need to hear it.”

Steve’s story is currently being turned into a book by Demarest. Visit his website right here to find out more about his endeavor.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 13, 2023 0 comment

History

The Hainan incident and the last flight of Lt. Cdr. Wang Wei

by Till Daisd March 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Lt. Cmdr. Wang Wei, the pilot of the Chinese J-8 interceptor, and the aircraft were lost, while the damaged US Navy EP-3 made an emergency landing on Hainan Island

A People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) J-8II interceptor and a US Navy EP-3E Aries II (BuNo 156511), both assigned to VQ-1, collided over the South China Sea 110 kilometers off the island of Hainan on April 1, 2001. When the damaged US aircraft made an emergency landing on Hainan Island, the Chinese jet and its pilot, Lieutenant Commander Wang Wei, perished. Before landing, the crew destroyed as much sensitive information as they could.

This incident would turn out to be both Wang Wei’s final flight and the beginning of the mythic figure he would become.

Wang, a squadron leader in the 22nd Regiment of the 8th PLA Naval Air Force Wing stationed in Lingshui, was described in an article published in Air Force Magazine on July 1, 2001. He was believed to be 33 years old.

As seen by a video of an aerial encounter that happened on January 24, 2001, and was made public in Washington, Wang was no stranger to intercepts. His J-8 was seen flying within 20 feet of another EP-3E during the mission and reducing its speed to the point where it was finding it difficult to fly alongside the EP-3E. The Chinese military also supported the US claim that Wang and a different pilot were in control of the two J-8s involved in the incident on January 24.

On April 1, 2001, while US Navy Lt. Shane Osborn had his plane on autopilot and was flying level at a speed of about 180 knots, the 23 crew members of the EP-3E carried out their duty, with the majority of them doing electronic vacuum cleaning of all communications along China’s coast.

“We were obviously being intercepted,” said Osborn, “and the [Chinese] aircraft was approaching much closer than normal, about three to five feet off our wing. So, I was just guarding the autopilot, listening to the reports from the back end and from my other pilot, Lt. [Patrick] Honeck, who was in the window watching the aircraft approach.”

Osborn went on, “The aircraft made two close approaches, [with the pilot] making gestures. And then, on the third one, his closure rate was too high, and he impacted the No. 1 propeller, which caused a violent shaking in the aircraft. And then, his nose impacted our nose, and our nosecone flew off, and the airplane immediately snap-rolled to about 130 degrees in the low bank and became uncontrollable.”

Osborn told CNN he had had “eyeball-to-eyeball” contact with Wang: “I did on the second time he joined up on us. He came out a little bit front and was making gestures, and we could all see him.” What kind of gestures? “I don’t care to comment on that,” Osborn said.

He later recalled, “He had his oxygen mask off and was waving us away and mouthing some words.” However, he could not tell what Wang was saying.

Lt. John Comerford, the EP-3E crew member who got the best look at Wang’s deadly flying, told CNN. “I was actually out of my seat and kind of down on my haunches, looking out of the port side, left side, over-wing exit window at the fighter as it approached. I was taking notes on a clipboard about the condition of the flight and things like that and was watching the approaches that he was making to our plane.” After the impact, Comerford was knocked backward and trapped to the ground as the plane overturned.

China gave a very different account. Wang’s co-pilot in the F-8, Zhao Yu, provided the following testimony to Liberation Army Daily:

“I saw the head and left wing of the US plane bump into Wang Wei’s plane. At the same time, the outside propeller of the US plane’s left wing smashed the vertical tail wing of the plane piloted by Wang Wei into pieces. I reminded Wang Wei, ‘Your plane’s vertical tail has been struck off. Pay attention to remain in condition, pay attention to remain in condition.’ Wang Wei replied, ‘Roger.’ About 30 seconds later, I found Wang Wei’s plane rolling to the right side and plunging. The plane was out of control. Wang Wei requested to parachute. I replied: ‘Permission granted.’ Afterward, I lost contact with Wang Wei.”

The Chinese government claimed that the EP-3E slowed down, making it difficult for the jets to fly alongside and shake the intercepting aircraft. Liberation Army Daily also stated that the surveillance aircraft would make sudden movements. “The wild and arrogant planes also often jumped up and down and suddenly turned steep left and right to provoke the pilots of our side again and again with extremely dangerous actions.”

A Chinese F-8 flies near a Navy aircraft on Jan. 24, 2001.

Osborn denied China’s assertion that the EP-3E abruptly turned and hit Wang’s aircraft.“It’s not very common for a big, slow-moving aircraft to ram into a high-performance jet fighter,” he said. “And we definitely made a sharp left turn. That was called uncontrolled flight-inverted in a dive after he impacted my propeller and my nose.”

Wang was getting ready to “thump” the EP-3E by passing in front of the slower plane and activating his jet’s afterburners, according to Osborn and other Pentagon officials. The action is a hostile gesture intended to disrupt the target aircraft’s flight. But because the planes collided, he was unable to perform any thumping. Osborn’s first response to the crash was matter-of-fact. “The first thing I thought was, ‘This guy just killed us,’ ” he recounted later, noting that he remembered looking up and “seeing water” close up-an unhappy sight for any pilot.

“He was joining up on us and had too high of a closing rate, and instead of going low, he went up,” Osborn said in an interview while speaking of the ordeal and the encounter with Wang. “He could have shot underneath us and never hit anything.”

Zhao Yu claimed he came within 9,000 feet of the sea while flying and saw Wang’s airplane wreckage, as well as a stabilizing parachute for the flight seat and a rescue parachute that was “floating in the air.” Zhao touched down at Lingshui at 9:30, and the damaged EP-3 showed up around 9:40.

Both US and Chinese versions described a significant search effort by the Chinese government. Almost 52,000 square miles of water were covered during the roughly 10-day effort. Together with more than 55,000 participants, there were about 110 planes, more than 100 ships, and at least 1,000 more ships, including fishing boats, civilian boats, and salvage ships.

The U.S. was forced to pay to have the plane disassembled and moved when the Chinese refused to let it be flown off the island. The Chinese also demanded $34,567.89 from the United States to cover the cost of the 24 crew members’ lodging and food for 11 days.

Instead, the Communist regime in Beijing capitalized on Wang’s passing by launching a propaganda effort to glorify the fallen fighter pilot and castigate the US on the pretext of combating “hegemonism,” the term Beijing used to refer to US strength and influence in the Pacific.

Photo by U.S. Navy

March 12, 2023 0 comment

History

A photograph of a disassembled US Navy EP-3 Aries II on the 20th anniversary of the Hainan incident

by Till Daisd March 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Chinese Marine Corps posted the main image of this post on April 1, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the infamous Hainan Incident

The main photograph of this article, which was first spotted by Scramble Magazine, was issued by the Chinese Marine Corps on April 1, 2021, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the infamous Hainan Incident. It features a group of marines in front of a dismantled US Navy EP-3 Aries II.

After colliding with a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) J-8II interceptor over the South China Sea on April 1, 2001, this US Navy EP-3E Aries II ((BuNo 156511), assigned to VQ-1 “World Watchers,” made an emergency landing at Lingshui Airbase, Hainan Province, China. When the damaged US aircraft made an emergency landing on Hainan Island, the Chinese jet and its pilot, Lieutenant Commander Wang Wei, perished. Before landing, the crew destroyed as much classified info as they could.

The next image, however, is a unique historical record whose numbers, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency, unmistakably show the parts of the EP-3E ARIES II surveillance plane damaged during the incident. The broken propeller tip on the plane’s far right, as well as the missing radome (nose), are all clearly visible to the reader in this photograph of the damage to the aircraft.

Chinese Marine Corps releases photo of a group of marines in front of a dismantled US Navy EP-3 Aries II on 20th anniversary of the Hainan Incident

Photo by Chinese Marine Corps and Lockheed Martin

March 11, 2023 0 comment

History

The first CSAR missions and the story of “Sandy”

by Till Daisd March 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“With over 150 holes in the airplane – one in the right-wing big enough to jump through – he was fortunate to be able to get the Skyraider back to Udorn. But we all survived,” Glen Mackey, A-1 pilot with 1st ACS

The Douglas AD Skyraider, which was created for the U.S. Navy during World War II, nearly disappeared before it had a chance to shine during the Vietnam War when it proved to be an excellent choice for providing close air support (CAS) to ground forces.

But, the Skyraider’s greatest contribution to the war was its support of search and rescue (SAR) missions. The fact that lone helicopters were too vulnerable to carry out combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations actually became starkly obvious early in the conflict. Due to this, a SAR task force decided in 1965 that rescue helicopters would operate in pairs and that Skyraiders would offer rescue escorts.

Initially, American Navy A-1s were used to carry out missions of this nature, but by the middle of August 1965, the 1st Air Commando Squadron (ACS) had dispatched a flight of A-1Es to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB), Thailand, to cover F-105 air strikes into high-threat areas. The U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) sophisticated CSAR program officially began with this action.

The first CSAR missions and the story of how the A-1 Skyraider became known as — A single-seat A-1H from the 6th Special Operations Squadron providing close air support in 1968.

The legendary callsign “Sandy” was created in late 1965 by Capt. J.W. “Doc” George during an A-1 replacement flight to one of the numerous A-1 groups that rotated through Udorn, as detailed by Wayne Mutza in his book The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam. Actually, it was George’s Bine Hoa departure callsign. He was asked what call sign he would like to use while in Udorn after landing there. “Sandy,” was George’s response. In addition to George’s replacement keeping the callsign, any Skyraider assigned to the SAR mission also adopted it.

Glen Mackey, an A-1 pilot with 1st ACS at the time, tells Mutza about the early stages of the Sandy operation. On September 20, 1965, Mackey and Maj. Lou Gang, who was in charge of a flight of Skyraiders from the 602nd Fighter Squadron (Commando) at the time, got the opportunity to fly in support of a SAR mission. The mission’s objective was to save the F-105’s downed pilot. “We arrived on the scene in the afternoon, in good weather, guided to the site by three remaining F-105s, who were circling at about 12,000 feet. The Air Force rescue helicopter capability at that time consisted mostly of HH-43 ‘Huskies’ positioned at NKP [Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base]. We were advised that two were on the way. We picked up the survival radio beeper almost immediately and circled over the area, which was hilly and completely covered with trees. The HH-43s arrived shortly thereafter.”

As Mackey recalls, Makckey and Gang circled the area once more while homing on the survival radio. “The survivors noted the helicopter and popped red smoke; the HH-43 went into a hover and started to lower the sling. I remember thinking, ‘This is really a smooth operation.’ Suddenly, the rescue helicopter was shot down, crashing almost on top of the survivor. We had seen no ground fire until then. It happened so fast that I didn’t actually see the crash. We called in Huskie number two, who started taking fire immediately on arrival in the area. He shortly called an abort, stating he had a crew member hit and was leaking fuel in the cabin.”

To give the fighters a chance to reach the downed crews, Mackey and Gang called all the local fighters and started launching airstrikes around the crash site. “We stayed in the area for about two hours until dark, trying to give the survivors the best shot at evading. One of the helicopter crew almost made it to the Thai border before being captured. When we got back to Udorn we counted about a dozen holes in the aircraft. A score of the day: one F-105 and one HH-43 down; one HH-43 and two A-1Es damaged; and no rescues. […] I thought, ‘This is going to be a very interesting month’.”

Later that month, Mackey’s flight was able to cover the successful retrieval of an F-105 pilot who had been down near Dien Bien Phu, but they also experienced two incredibly difficult and unsuccessful missions involving an F-105 and an F-4C. “Capt. Doyle Ruff took major damage from a large gun he ran across near Route 6 west if Hanoi while we were looking for the F-105 pilot in poor weather. With over 150 holes in the airplane – one in the right-wing big enough to jump through – he was fortunate to be able to get the ship back to Udorn. But we all survived.”

The video that follows, which is actually a fantastic aerial sequence from the film Flight of the Intruder, will give you an idea of what a Sandy sortie looked like.

The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

March 10, 2023 0 comment

Military

The first employment of de Havilland B Mk IV Mosquito

by Till Daisd March 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The groundbreaking new de Havilland B Mk IV Mosquito was ultimately delivered to the Blenheim-equipped No 105 Sqn of No 2 Group at Swanton Morley airfield in Norfolk in November 1941, making them the RAF Bomber Command’s first unit to use it. The bomber/photo-reconnaissance (PR) prototype (W4050), which had taken to the air on November 25, 1940, was the only one in use by 1941. A lengthy and occasionally unpleasant development phase preceded the start of production, and at one point the project was almost completely abandoned. Before it had left the drawing board, de Havilland executives at Hatfield believed that their two-crew, unarmed, wooden bomber design, which relied solely on speed to outrun opposing fighters, was a winner.

Nonetheless, unarmed bombers were a sin in London at this time. On December 30, 1940, de Havilland finally obtained a contract for 150 Mosquitoes, but it was unclear how many would be fighters, how many photo-reconnaissance models, or even how many would-be bombers. The fighter variant received approval in June 1941. The Air Ministry was only convinced to order a wooden, unarmed bomber version the next month after de Havilland made a concerted effort, particularly when the Mosquito was observed to perform as the company had promised.

The prototype, which had Merlin 21 engines with two-speed, single-stage superchargers, had attained 255 mph during testing in December 1940. W4050 tested at 6000 feet on January 16th, 1941, then at 28,500 feet in July (this time powered by Merlin 61s), the aircraft reached 433 mph! After ultimately approving the bomber type, the Air Ministry placed an order for 50 aircraft, each of which could carry four 250-lb bombs. Also, it was stated that the final 10 of the 19 PR Mosquitoes that were contracted should be finished as unarmed bombers.

The B IV Series I was the name given to this aircraft, which kept the early variants’ short nacelles. The B IV bomber prototype, W4072, made its first flight on September 8th, 1941. The 27 B IV Series II bombers that were later converted into PR Mk IVs had longer nacelles, which set them apart from the 292 B IV Series II bombers that followed. These bombers could also carry two 50-gallon droppable wing tanks in addition to a 2000-lb bomb load by simply shortening the tail stabilizer of each bomb. De Havilland Chief Test Pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. flew over the airfield in W4064 on November 15, 1941, leaving No 105 Sqn’s OC, Wg Cdr P H A Simmons DFC, and his crews in awe.

In terms of performance and power, the “wooden wonder” was a far cry from the Blenheim, and Geoffrey de Havilland gave the group a magnificent display of flying by racing low across the grass airport at a low altitude of 500 feet while traveling at a speed of about 300 mph. The Mosquito was then placed into a vertical bank by the Hatfield test pilot at a height of around 3000 feet before being brought into a tight circle that left vapor trails from the wing tips. The only crew members who weren’t impressed were the air gunners, who were no longer needed on the Mosquito while the navigators would need to learn how to use the radio.

On 17 November W4066- the first Mosquito bomber to enter RAF service was received at Swanton Morley by the AOC No 2 Group, AVM d’Albiac, and his staff. Horsham St. Faith, a suburb of Norwich, became the new home of No. 105 Sqn in December. Due to the necessity to create the 500-pound bomb with a shortened vane, which would let the Mosquito to carry four of them instead of only one 250-pound bomb, deliveries of the new aircraft were delayed.

Only eight Mk.IVs were in service by the middle of May 1942, and one of them (DK286) was equipped with the new Mk XIV bomb sight for operational testing. Another had the Lorenz beam approach equipment.

The de Havilland bomber made its combat debut at daybreak on May 31, 1942, in the wake of the RAF’s first-ever “Thousand Bomber” mission, which had attacked Cologne. No 2 Group was eager to dispatch Mosquitoes on operations as soon as possible. Four Mk IVs took off from Sc Faith equipped with 500-lb bombs and F.24 cameras and dropped their ordnance on the recently destroyed city; the first Mk IV was piloted by Sqn Ldr AR Oakeshott DFC.

The outcomes of Operation Millennium were then swiftly captured on camera before they headed back to base. Oakeshott was the first to arrive at the target location, flying above Cologne at a height of 24,000 feet and dropping his four bombs. The squadron leader’s photo run was impeded by smoke that had by this point settled at 14,000 ft from the “Thousand Bomber” raid. While two other Mosquitoes (flown by Pit Offs W. D. Kennard and E. R. Johnson) were shot down by anti-aircraft fire above the target area, Oakeshott dutifully made it back to Norfolk.

The following day, just after noon, two crews—Plt Off Costello Bowen and Wt Off Tommy Broom, as well as Flt Lt J E Houlston and Flt Sgt J L Armitage—again bombed Cologne from a great height, but this time they both made it back without injury. Later that afternoon, Sqn Ldr R J Channer DFC took off and flew through a dense cloud to a distance of just 60 miles from the city before descending quickly to a low level at approximately 380 mph to capture more pictures. Two more Mosquito B Mk IVs left for Cologne that evening, but just one made it back.

The second “Thousand Bomber” raid, which was conducted against Essen on June 1/2, and the third and final raid, which was launched against Bremen on June 25–26, both employed the same tactics by the Mosquitoes at Horsham Sc Faith. Flg Off and Flt Lt D A “George” Parry Victor Robson made a solo, two-hour, five-minute flight to Essen and dropped their four 500-16 bombs on the target, but once more, smoke prevented photos.

No 105 Sqn B Mk IVs conducted bombing and photo-recce sorties on June 25–26, both during and following the third “Thousand Bomber” operation. For the upcoming operations, experience from these initial sorties was beneficial. No. 139 Sqn was established at Horsham Sr Faith on June 8th, in between these historic Bomber Command operations. The unit, commanded by Wg Cdr Peter Shand DFC, was made up of crews and a few Mosquito Mk IVs from No 105 Sqn. The U-boat yards at Flensburg were attacked by four aircraft from No. 105 Squadron at a low altitude on July 2 while two Mosquitoes from No. 139 Squadron bombed the same target from a higher altitude.

The U-boat yards at Flensburg were the target of the two units’ first combined attack on July 2, when four aircraft from No. 105 Sqn attacked from a low altitude while two Mosquitoes from No. 139 Sqn bombed the same target from a high altitude.

Two Mosquitoes were destroyed by German fighters, with Gp Capt J C MacDonald being made a PoW and the recently-promoted Wg Cdr AR Oakeshott DFC being killed, along with his navigator Fig OffV F E Treherne DFM. While Flt Lt GP Hughes was being pursued by two more Fw 190s after being hit by flak, Sqn Ldr Jack Houlsron was coming off the yards being followed by three Fw 190s. By hugging the wave tops and using +12 lbs of boost, both pilots successfully made their getaway and outran their pursuer.

As a distraction for 44 Lancasters deployed to bomb the U-boat yards at Danzig, six Mosquitoes from No 105 Sqn bombed the Flensburg yards once more on July 11. Flt Lt G P Hughes and Fig Off T A Gabe were killed when their Mosquito crashed, presumably as a result of flying too low. Plt Off Laston returned with part of his fin torn away by flak. Sgt. Peter W. R. Rowland, on the other hand, had a bit better luck because DK296’s nose was still filled with chimney pot fragments when he returned to Horsham!

The remainder of July witnessed a variety of daylight operations against targets at Ijmuiden, in Holland, and cities throughout Germany, including low- and high-level bombing as well as bombing employing cloud cover. The main goal of these operations was to activate the air raid sirens, which caused the greatest amount of interruption to German industry.

The book “Mosquito bomber/fighter-bomber units 1942-45” by Martin Bowman is available to purchase here.

March 9, 2023 0 comment

History

Why the KC-135 Stratotanker is still impressive 60 years later

by Till Daisd March 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A considerable avionics upgrade provides the KC-135 Stratotanker with an additional 25 years of service.

At the Air National Guard base in Sioux City, Iowa, despite being built 60 years ago, many automobiles such as the 1956 Chevy and aircraft such as the KC-135 Stratotanker are still flying down the road and in the air today thanks to proper maintenance.

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which celebrated its 60th birthday on Oct. 10, 2016, was developed in response to the need for a new mid-air refueling aircraft to keep up with jet-powered aircraft like the B-52 Stratofortress and was first introduced as a replacement for the aging propeller-powered KC-97 refueling aircraft used by the United States Air Force (USAF).

The American automobile industry, enamored by the smooth lines and curves found in aviation, reproduced them with each new design at the time of the first KC-135 — called “The City of Renton” — (which actually took place in 1956). Automobiles were faster than ever before, and features taken from aviation such as wrap-around windows, wings, turbines, and even afterburner tail lights were added to cars in the 1950s merely for decoration.

During the ten-year production run of the Stratotanker, unlike the constantly changing auto designs of the day, the KC-135 remained virtually unchanged from when it initially arrived in 1956.

Despite this, regular maintenance and periodic modifications have kept the KC-135 in continuous service as the USAF’s primary midair refueling aircraft for the past six decades, and it’s tough to believe the aircraft first flew 60 years ago.

“It’s a proven airframe and it hinges on maintenance, from training at the local level to all the work that’s done at the depot level,” said Iowa National Guard Lt. Col. Kurt Kindschuh, 185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Maintenance Group Commander in Sioux City, Iowa. He noted that when the KC-135 was first introduced in the early part of the Cold War, it didn’t have a lot of flight hours. Even though it was the only tanker employed by the Strategic Air Command (SAC) for 15 years, the KC-135 spent much of its time on alert.

The Stratotanker, on the other hand, saw action during the Vietnam War, when KC-135s performed 813,000 aerial refuelings of combat aircraft and 18,700 hookups and transferred 278 million pounds (126 million kilograms) of fuel during Operation Desert Storm (the campaign to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion). Then, in the early 1990s, when the KC-135 fleet was transferred to Air Mobility Command (AMC), it became the primary means for the US Air Force to project broad power on a global scale, and the Stratotanker is now tasked with refueling long-range bombers, as well as transport and fighter aircraft, all over the world.

The KC-135 has its problems, just like keeping a classic vehicle, but as Master Sgt. Brad Thorpe, 185th ARW Flight Line Supervisor, explains, that it is a well-designed aircraft with strong construction and strict maintenance schedules, ensuring the aircraft can continue to do its duty for years to come.

The fact that a major avionics update is set to begin next year to ensure the KC-135R lasts into the next generation of pilots and maintainers backs up this argument. That’s why the new “Block 45” avionics update is predicted to extend the Stratotanker’s life by at least 25 years.

Source: Maintenance key to veteran aircraft 60 years’ service by Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard; Photo by Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot 185 ARW Wing PA / U.S. Air National Guard

March 9, 2023 0 comment

History

When A-10 Tank Busters shot down 2 Iraqi helicopters during Operation Desert Storm

by Till Daisd March 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“I put another 100 rounds down, and the helicopter jinked right into the last burst; the helicopter looked like it had been hit by a bomb,” Capt. Robert “Swaino” Swain, A-10 pilot

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II was built for quick-response support against enemy ground forces, close air support (CAS) of friendly ground forces, and attacking tanks and armored vehicles. It was the only production-built aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) that was created specifically for CAS, and it entered service in 1976. By guiding other aircraft in strikes on ground targets, it supports forward air controllers airborne (FAC-A). OA-10 is the designation for aircraft used primarily in this role.

During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the A-10 saw its first employment in actual combat, resulting in the destruction of more than 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 other military vehicles, and 1,200 pieces of artillery. With their powerful GAU-8/A Avenger cannon, the A-10s also brought down two Iraqi helicopters during the campaign.

Capt. Robert “Swaino” Swain of the 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) shot down an Iraqi Bo-105 helicopter while flying the A-10A No. 77-0205 on February 6. This was the first A-10 air-to-air victory. As explained by Donald J. McCarthy, Jr. in his book “The Raptors All F-15 and F-16 aerial combat victories,” Swain (call-sign SAVAGE 01) had just attacked two Iraqi tanks with Maverick missiles in central Kuwait when he observed strange movement some distance from his position. He recalls: “They weren’t putting up any dust and were moving fast over the desert.”

BRRRRRRTTTTTT!!!! How USAF A-10 tank busters shot down two Iraqi helicopters during Operation Desert Storm — Munitions specialists from the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, England Air Force Base, La., load 30mm rounds of ammunition into an A-10A Thunderbolt II attack aircraft for its GAU-8/A Avenger cannon prior to a sortie in support of Operation Desert Storm.

White phosphorus (WP) rocket was used by one of the coalition’s FAC-As to mark the ground, which assisted everyone else to focus on the targets.

In Craig Brown’s book Debrief: a complete history of U.S. aerial engagements 1981 to the present, Swain describes how the air engagement occurred: “I decided to get a close look, and tried to get a visual identification by over-flying the two helicopters at 5-6,000 feet. They must have seen me because then they split up and started taking evasive maneuvers. The one helicopter to the north broke away and headed to a known Iraqi police station/camp, while the other continued southwest. Once it was determined that there were no known friendlies in the area and that one of the helicopters flew to a known enemy site, I determined that the remaining flying helicopter was also a bandit, and decided to destroy it. I gave the first shot to my wingman, Lt White, but his slant range was beyond two miles, and he misjudged his shot and missed. I then decided that, since I was overhead the target, I would take a shot. I armed my gun but also un-caged my AIM-9 heat-seeking missile. I was fairly steep (65-70 degrees), and tried to lock up the helicopter twice, but the missile kept breaking the lock because of the size of the target, distance away, and the surrounding terrain. Prior to pulling off the target I decided to also shoot the gun and put about 75 rounds out, but thought I had missed. I then extended away from the target and tried a second pass. I noticed that the helicopter was flying erratically, but I still managed to miss to the left with my first burst of 100 rounds, retook aim, fired another 100 rounds, and missed right. Knowing I was pressing the minimum altitude for the kill box, I put another 100 rounds down, and the helicopter jinked right into the last burst; the helicopter looked like it had been hit by a bomb.”

A-10A No. 81-0964 pilot Capt. Todd “Shanghai” Sheehy of the 511th TFS repeated this on February 15 when he used his Avenger to bring down a Mi-8. McCarthy claims that Sheehy (call-sign SPRINGFIELD 27) discovered the “Hip” in his operational area while flying his twenty-seventh combat sortie close to the highly protected city of Karbala. Shanghai responded swiftly and used his 30 mike-mikes to engage the Iraqi aircraft.

Sheehy describes to Brown the way he handled the engagement: “Things were happening fast; the helicopter moving quickly across my canopy, the altimeter unwinding and approaching 8,000 feet, and the potential threat all distracting me as I settled the gun cross out in front of the target.

No friendly helos would be in this area, I thought.

What about the AIM-9? No, the desert sand is probably hotter than the target-it’s good gunshot.

I can see it pretty clearly now… Man, that IS an enemy helicopter-looks like a Mi-8 “Hip” with rocket pods… Pull the trigger!

As my heart pounded in my chest and all these thoughts surged through my mind I was pulling the trigger. The gun was firing, but it seemed distant. Suddenly the distortion of time and space stopped, and I fully realized what was happening; the altitude in the HUD was rapidly passing five thousand feet as I came off the trigger and pulled and jinked to the right, away from the big guns [Sheehy had been shot in the same area two days before by 23, 37, and 57mm AAA].

‘Looks like the second half of the burst got it,” Jay [First Lieutenant Jay Keller of the 76th TFS, who was Sheehy wingman for that mission] reported excitedly, as I jinked for all I was worthwhile aware of all the small white ‘clouds’ of exploding AAA around my canopy.

[…] I quickly asked COUGAR [the AWACS call sign) if he had any further contacts, to which he answered me negative. I then told him I had found the contact, as I got my first look at the target since rolling in and pulling the trigger. Through the smoke and dust, it appeared to still be intact and flying, although more slowly than before, and trailing thin white smoke.

‘Was that a helicopter?” Jay asked. ‘Ya,’ I answered curtly, realizing I needed to attack again quickly before I got behind a battery of 23mm guns whose revetments and muzzle flashes I could see clearly from my relatively low altitude. ‘One’s back in,’ I transmitted, rolling in from 8,000 feet. ‘Last pass,’ I added […].

As I rolled in again, I was keenly aware of my low altitude and my proximity to the threat. I rolled out quickly and took aim, leading the helicopter more than during the last pass. I squeezed the trigger again, and as I watched the helicopter fly through the bullets I realized the ground was coming up fast. As I took in the altitude readout on the HUD, the gun suddenly stopped.

Did I let off the trigger? I briefly wondered. Er!! 4,000 feet… Climb now!!

Again, I pulled hard and rolled to the right. Jinking. I climbed. My lungs were straining to pull in enough air as I labored to breathe under the G forces, which pulled at every part of me. I climbed away to the west, twisting and slipping my jet through the sky with the 23mm AAA airbursts trailing behind. Somewhere in the distance, I heard Jay proclaim ‘Great hits!!’ 8,000 feet, I eased off the G and looked over my shoulder at the target. It was gone. In its place a ball of flame and thick, black smoke. Many emotions went through me that instant: excitement, pain, fear, relief, and pride all at once.

[…] I had just become only the second A-10 pilot in history to score an air-to-air kill, and one of the very few pilots in modern history to do so with a gun rather than missiles.”

This marks not just the final A-10 air-to-air kill, but also the final gun kill by US forces.

Debrief: a complete history of U.S. aerial engagements 1981 to the present is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 9, 2023 0 comment

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