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Before Operation Iraqi Freedom began, Saddam Hussein buried Iraqi Air Force fighter jets in the desert

by Till Daisd April 16, 2024

No opposition from the Iraqi Air Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom

Preemptive attacks against the presidential palace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and specific military targets marked the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on March 20, 2003. About 67,700 “boots on the ground” and 15,000 Navy personnel on ships in the region followed the initial attack. Iraq was judged to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1441, which “prohibits stockpiling and importing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs),” prompting the authorization of OIF.

Five weeks after the invasion started, Baghdad fell due to the swift defeat of Iraqi forces. There was no opposition from the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF) to the US and coalition forces during the invasion of Iraq.

Remembering the Iraqi Air Force fighter jets found buried in the desert by American Forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom — Several MiG-25 interceptors and Su-25 ground attack jets have been found buried at Al-Taqqadum air field west of Baghdad.

Why?

When Iran and Iraq ended a brutal 8-year war in 1988, the IrAF had fought well.

As Daniel L. Haulman, PhD Air Force Historical Research Agency, explained in his document What Happened to the Iraqi Air Force? “By 1991, it was one of the largest air forces in southwestern Asia, with well over 700 fixed-wing combat aircraft. Iraq had purchased new and very capable fighter aircraft, including MiG-29s from the Soviet Union and Mirage F-1s from France. The country had also improved its air bases, increasing the size and number of their runways and taxiways and constructing hundreds of hardened aircraft shelters to protect aircraft on the ground. Yet twelve years later, when the United States and coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003 [during Operation Iraqi Freedom], they faced no Iraqi Air Force opposition. Not one Iraqi warplane attacked the invaders as they proceeded toward Baghdad.”

37 Iraqi Air Force airplanes shot down during Operation Desert Storm

Iraqi Air Force fighter jets were buried in the desert by Saddam Hussein before Operation Iraqi Freedom started. Here’s why. — “Iraqi FOD” is a 34-by-48-inch oil painting. It depicts the wreckage of an Iraqi MiG 23 and its engine at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, in April 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The artwork is among 200 pieces being donated to the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force painting by Harley Copic)

“During the Gulf War or Operation DESERT STORM, between January and March 1991, USAF pilots shot down 37 Iraqi airplanes, including 32 fixed-wing airplanes and 5 helicopters. The lost Iraqi airplanes included eight MiG-23s, six F-1s jets, five MiG-29s, four SU-22s, two SU-25s, two MiG-25s, two MiG-21s, one PC-9, one IL-76, one SU-7, and five helicopters, including two MI-8s, one MI-24, and two that were not identified. In December 1992 and January 1993, two USAF F-16 pilots each shot down two additional Iraqi aircraft, including a MiG-23 and a MiG-25.”

Haulman continues;

“When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi Air Force did not show up. It did not generate a single sortie. Allied air and ground forces operated without any aerial opposition. The absence of Iraqi Air Force opposition allowed the United States Air Force to use aircraft more vulnerable than fighters and bombers, such as helicopters, transports, and drones, with less fear of having them shot down over enemy territory. Of course, the failure of Iraq to launch any aircraft to oppose the invasion was partly deliberate. The Iraqi leadership realized that challenging the United States and coalition air forces would be futile, in light of the 1991 campaign.”

Thus, as the photos in this post show, Saddam Hussein buried Iraq’s air force in the desert.

Iraqi Air Force Russian fighter jets buried in the Iraqi desert

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stated in a press briefing on August 5, 2003, that American forces had discovered IrAF Russian fighter jets buried in the Iraqi desert, as reported by Kathleen T. Rhem of the American Forces Press Service in the article “American forces unearth hidden aircraft in Iraq.”

“We’d heard a great many things had been buried, but we had not known where they were, and we’d been operating in that immediate vicinity for weeks and weeks and weeks… 12, 13 weeks, and didn’t know they were (there),” Rumsfeld said.

The secretary said he wasn’t sure how many such aircraft had been found, but noted, “It wasn’t one or two.”

“Something as big as an airplane that’s within… a stone’s throw of where you’re functioning, and you don’t know it’s there because you don’t run around digging into everything on a discovery process,” Rumsfeld explained. “So until you find somebody who tells you where to look, or until nature clears some sand away and exposes something over time, we’re simply not going to know.

“But, as we all know,” he added, “the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

Photo by Master Sgt. T. Collins / U.S. Air Force

April 16, 2024 0 comment

History

Seafire Vs Corsair Vs Sea Fury

by Till Daisd April 15, 2024

written by Till Daisd

A navalised version of the well-known Spitfire designed for use on aircraft carriers was the Supermarine Seafire

2646 Seafires were built and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy from November 1942 to the early 1950s, following the end of the Korean War.

It saw action on D-Day, during the Allied invasions of Sicily and Italy, during Operation Dragoon in southern France, and during the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch). With the Pacific fleet, the Seafire demonstrated its ability to intercept and destroy the dreaded Japanese kamikaze attack aircraft.

Seafire Vs Corsair Vs Sea Fury

A remarkable consensus amongst pilots describes how the Spitfire flew: beautifully responsive and maneuverable in the air, but difficult to handle on the ground and land, especially on an aircraft carrier, according to Naval aviation historian Matthew Willis in his book Supermarine Seafire. The over-light elevators and the over-heavy ailerons are usually the subject of complaints.

The comments that follow, from two pilots (one modern, the other contemporary), provide some flavor and also draw comparisons with the Vought Corsair and Hawker Sea Fury, two of the Seafire’s competitors during and after the war.

Commander R ‘Mike’ Crosley DSC (former CO of 880 and 887 NAS)

“Once the tail was raised – by prop slipstream over the tail and a small push on the stick – and the pilot could see where he was going, the true enjoyment began. The acceleration was like a racing car. Once airborne, the Seafire responded with the sensitivity of a polo pony to nearly all our ignorant demands upon it. It behaved in its normal habitat with such unselfish grace and with such rapid response and power, that we knew we were being allowed to fly a thoroughbred.

“We had several interesting dogfights with the much larger and more powerful F4U Corsair. In turning dogfights, the Corsairs were unable to get a bead on us if we saw them first. However, they could, like an Fw 190, out-dive us… Also, above 15,000 feet they were faster than Seafire L IIIs. However, the F III with its two-speed, uncropped supercharger, could easily keep up with the Corsair at 20,000 feet and above.

Seafire Vs Corsair Vs Sea Fury: Seafire pilots offer a comparison with some of the competitors of the navalised version of the famous Spitfire — Seafire

“The Corsair could not out-turn a Seafire I, II, or III as has been claimed. However, if the Corsair slowed down to about 90 knots and then the pilot selected half-flap —provided it was down to its last 50 gallons of fuel — it could hold a Seafire LIII at this speed and configuration at heights above 10,000 feet.”

Lieutenant-Commander Chris Götke AFM (former CO Royal Navy Historic Flight)

“You can see the progression from a Seafire versus a Sea Fury. The Seafire [F 17] has got a short-block Griffon VI with about 2,000 hp. When you’re in the Seafire, it’s incredibly noisy compared with a Centaurus, because you have all the exhausts and they come out down by your feet, pointing at you. The Centaurus engine is very good at lower rpm, so when we go cruising on it we’re down at 1,500 rpm which gives you about 220, 230 knots. The Griffon is complaining by the time you get it down to 1,800. For the pilot, one of the things you don’t want is to overboost an engine.

“The Sea Fury was one of the first that you can’t overboost. In a Sea Fury, as you go up on the boost, the rpm automatically rises. So, if you’re in combat and you’re just holding on, and then you get bounced, you can just slam the Centaurus open and it will go up to 2,700 and plus nine boost. You can’t do that with the Griffon in the Seafire.

Corsair Sea Fury — Sea Fury, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat

In display, both the Seafire and the Sea Fury are lovely aircraft

“Regarding the handling and maneuvering, if you were doing 300-plus knots in the Seafire, you’d be getting very heavy ailerons, but in the Sea Fury you could do 100 knots or 400 knots, and it’s the same feel. It’s a very well-harmonized system in that aircraft. The Seafire is very, very light in pitch, so is quite manoeuvre-unstable. You can get maneuvering very quickly, but if you hit turbulence as you’re pulling up, you almost have to unload, it’s so light in maneuver.

The Sea Fury has 183 gallons internally, plus it had another tank which took it to about 200. That’s almost twice what you could get inside a Seafire, and the Seafire uses fuel at about the same rate. Actually, with the Centaurus, you can happily get down to 40 gallons an hour. In display, though, both are lovely aircraft.”

Supermarine Seafire is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by Imperial War Museum via Wikipedia

April 15, 2024 0 comment

History

The Speed Spitfire’s Racing Merlin led to the development of the Merlin III

by Till Daisd April 14, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Speed Spitfire

The “Speed Spitfire” was designed to break the world speed record shortly before World War II broke out. It started as a standard Spitfire Mk I, K9834, which Supermarine took from the production line and rebuilt to make it competitive with the German Messerschmitt and Heinkel contenders.

In his book, The Secret Horsepower Race: Western Front Fighter Engine Development, Calum E. Douglas explains how, on April 26, 1939, Germany broke its own speed record with the Messerschmitt Bf 209, a highly specialized bespoke race aircraft. Supermarine and Rolls-Royce were intimidated by the development work now required to convincingly defeat the Bf 209 by a good margin—the new record set at an astonishing 469mph—even though the companies had made great progress in Southampton in plotting Britain’s record attempt.

Accurately estimating that squeezing the required power from the 27-liter Merlin would probably take longer than anticipated, they backed out.

How the Speed Spitfire’s Racing Merlin led to the development of the Merlin III powered by 100-octane fuel, the engine fitted to Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain — Speed Spitfire

Racing Merlin engine

Despite the efforts made at Derby, RAE engineers had learned a great deal about enhancing the power of the Merlin and had managed to boost it to almost 1800bhp. Ironically, they did this by using special racing sparkplugs that were developed from a German Auto Union racing car because no other sparkplugs could withstand the heat.

On May 30, after the Speed Spitfire underwent a test flight, the chief of Farnborough’s engine department, Muir, informed the chief of aerodynamics, Jennings, that 408 mph had been reached at ground level. This was really near to Jennings’ estimate from March 6, according to Muir.

Additional testing was done to find out how the special racing Merlin engine affected the aircraft’s speed. On June 7, the results showed that the only way to raise the aircraft’s speed from 312 mph to 400 mph at 3000 feet was to increase the supercharger boost from +6.25 to +23.5 lb/sq inch.

The Merlin III, which would have been installed in the majority of Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain, was the version that was being developed to take advantage of 100-octane fuel. On May 16, 1939, the following letter was sent to Farren at the Air Ministry, highlighting the close connection between the work being done on the Speed Spitfire project (which was abandoned, with K9834 being later adapted for various applications) and the real aircraft about to be employed in battle. In order to completely open the Merlin throttles below their rated altitude of 15,500 feet, which would have the effect of significantly increasing engine power at low altitudes, Farren wanted to know what fuel octane numbers were needed.

Fully opening the Merlin throttles

“Dear Farren,
At 5000ft the octane number of the fuel would be 120 (on the BMEP scale), which may be obtained by using 30% D.T.D.224 + 60% benzol + 20% methanol + 4ccs tetraethyl lead. This is what is called the racing fuel, and I should imagine that reasonable quantities of this are available. An alternative fuel is the 100-octane fuel supplies as such + 6ccs tetraethyl lead. This, also, I would imagine would be reasonably available.
Question 2. What octane fuel is required to enable the Merlin II engine in Hurricane or Spitfire aircraft to be opened up to, say 1400bhp at 5000ft?
Answer. At 5000ft the octane number required would be 106 on the BMEP scale. Alternative fuels are: –
D.T.D. 230 + water. This, however, means operating the bi-fuel system…
Question 3. What will the aircraft speeds and the engine rpm be compared with the standard aircraft at various heights from 5000ft upwards?
Answer. These are tabulated below.”

The Secret Horsepower Race Western Front Fighter Engine Development is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by Unknown

April 14, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The French Aéronavale retired the legendary crusader in proper style, according to a US Navy F-8 pilot

by Till Daisd April 13, 2024

written by Till Daisd

French Aéronavale F-8 Crusader

One term for the Vought F-8 Crusader was “fighter pilot’s fighter.” Although flying the jet was difficult, particularly during carrier landings, Crusader pilots had a great affection for it. The F-8 service in the US Navy fighter squadron came to an end in 1976, but the RF-8, or photo-reconnaissance derivative, continued to operate until 1987.

According to Larry Durbin, who spent 7 years as a US Navy fighter pilot and then 33 years with United Airlines, “The French also flew the Crusader, but they do things differently, and in the case of retiring the legendary fighter, I think they did it better”.

US Navy F-8 Pilot Says the French Aéronavale Retired the Legendary Crusader in Proper Style — During combined operations with the US Navy, an Aéronavale F-8E(FN) lands on the USS Eisenhower in 1983. The French fighter is painted light gray and carries a Matra “Magic” missile. (US Navy photo)

The F-8E(FN)

“The French Crusader story begins in the early 1960s, when, seeking a fighter for the new carriers Clemenceau and Foch (commissioned 1961 and 1963, respectively), the Aéronavale (French Naval Aviation) selected a slightly modified version of the F-8E that is often designated F-8E(FN). The aircraft commenced operations in 1964. Known by French pilots as “Le Crouze,” they participated in routine deployments and combat operations for 35 years. Modifications and refurbishments maintained their effectiveness until they could be replaced by the Rafale.”

“Aéronavale leaders waited until the end of the century, December 1999, for retirement. The last squadron did not expect a crowd to come to a small base in western France in December. They were wrong. They received so many acknowledgments that they asked the American Crusader Association for help. I was the secretary of the association, so that meant me. Making arrangements for sixty senior citizens to get to Landivisiau, France, was an interesting and fun challenge. Thanks to Bruce Boland we even threw in a dinner in Paris sponsored by the American Embassy (Bruce was a former F-8 pilot in VF-13 with me in the 1960s and retired as a 2-star).”

French Aéronavale F-8 Crusader retirement

“At the big event, the French put on a small air show for the guests with four F-8s. Remember, this is December: it’s cold and windy. Standing outside the chain link fence by the taxiway are about sixty old, cold Americans waiting to see relics fly again. I looked at the group and I was so very proud to have been part of this scene. I hadn’t seen a Crusader fly in more than thirty years. For some in the group, it had been even longer. Then we heard a distinctive whine as four J57 engines started up. They went through their procedures, and four wings were raised (the F-8 had that novel ‘variable incidence’ feature to reduce speed on approach to landing). Soon they started to taxi from our left, across in front of us, and onto the runway. I turned around to shoot a few pictures of the group, and looked again: grown men were in tears. Tough, seasoned fighter pilots were unabashedly allowing tears to come out of their eagle eyes. All I could think of was, ‘I have done a very good thing.'”

The last American to raise the wing

“Towards the end of the festivities, the squadron skipper, Antoine Guillot, asked me to come to the ready room. He then asked me to get into full flight gear. As we walked out to a waiting Crusader, he said the government did not allow any money for a gift for my efforts. Instead, he wanted me to start an F-8 and go through the full startup procedure. That would involve raising the wing. He continued, ‘I want you to be the last American to raise the wing.’ No expensive gift would have meant more to me.”

April 13, 2024 0 comment

History

During the Yom Kippur War, an Israeli Air Force F-4 Navigator remembers using an AIM-7 Sparrow to attack an Egyptian warship

by Till Daisd April 12, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-4 Kurnass

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) relied mostly on the Mirage III and Nesher delta fighters; therefore, the Phantom II was used primarily in its air-to-ground role, even though the American-manufactured F-4 was equally capable of performing both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

Since the Israel Defense Force (IDF) only had a limited presence in this area—mainly second-line units—protection from the air was prioritized during the night of October 6–7, 1973, in the sector extending from Ras Sudar to Ophir along the east coast of the Gulf of Suez during the Yom Kippur War. The Ras Sudar to Ophir region was extremely vulnerable to an Egyptian air or seaborne attack before the first-line reserve forces arrived.

During the first night of the war, Kurnass crews were left to defend the Ras Sudar to Ophir sector as the IAF’s nighttime interception force. From Day 1 to Day 2, CAP crews were stationed over the Ras Sudar to Ophir sector by Squadron 107, the fourth Israel Air Force (IAF) Kurnass Squadron. This squadron had previously defended Ophir at noon and Ras Sudar at dusk. In the book Ghosts of Atonement, Israeli F-4 Phantom Operations during the Yom Kippur War, written by Shlomo Aloni, Kurnass navigator Micha Oren recalled:

The Story of the College Student that scored the first ever Gun Kill for an Israeli F-4 Phantom II

Attacking an Egyptian ship with an AIM-7 Sparrow

“We flew a CAP over the Gulf of Suez when we were ordered to attack an Egyptian ship that shelled Ophir. Trouble was, we were in air-to-air configuration and had no bombs. We flew there—scary pitch-black night—and we saw the ship shelling. What kind of ship was it? Was it armed with SAM? Nobody knew.

“We hesitated to get closer, but then I remembered that I once read in Aviation Week that during the Vietnam War, Americans utilized an AIM-7 to sink a ship. The aircraft was armed with Lavid [IAF name for AIM-7 Sparrow, pronounced la-vid, translation: Plywood], so I suggested to Gordon that we give it a shot.

“We leveled at 20,000 feet and dropped the nose down. Over land, echo from the ground would have blinded radar, but over sea, the returned echo was weaker and we acquired the ship on our radar screen. I was afraid the missile would home on the echo of the sea so I planned dive angle and speed in such a way that the missile would lock onto the ship. We flew two or three practice passes, decided that we were ready, then entered another pass and launched a missile.

The missile hits the water

“The missile hit the water some ten to fifteen miles from the ship; maybe we scared a shark, but the ship panicked, or maybe not, and turned away, so we felt like heroes—like a dog chasing a running cat—and started to pursue the ship, strafing it from long range.

“While we were playing with the ship, RCU notified us that an unidentified radar contact was crossing the Gulf of Suez from west to east, in the north sector of the gulf. We rushed over there really quick and I managed to spot on radar an echo of a slow-flying object: a light aircraft or a helicopter. I requested permission to open fire, but RCU hesitated and by the time permission was granted, the flying object had completed the crossing of the Gulf of Suez and entered Sinai.

“For as long as it flew over water, we had a fair chance to shoot it down, but once it was over land, the prospects of a successful interception were slim. Still, somehow I managed to accomplish a radar lock and we flew five, maybe six passes, but during all passes the missile did not launch; luckily for all involved because it was an Israeli helicopter.”

Ghosts of Atonement, Israeli F-4 Phantom Operations during the Yom Kippur War is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Israeli Air Force, Bukvoed and AHMED XIV own work via Wikipedia

April 12, 2024 0 comment

History

The Apple TV+ series “Masters of the Air,” is about the WWII “Mighty Eighth” Air Force

by Till Daisd April 11, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Masters of the Air

The first images for Apple TV+’s upcoming World War II drama, “Masters of the Air,” were released on October 5, 2023. The announcement stated that the nine-episode limited series would have its global premiere on Friday, January 26, 2024. The action-packed drama “Masters of the Air,” which reunites the award-winning team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman—who previously produced “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”—tells the true story of an American bomber group during World War II. Two episodes of the series debuted on Apple TV+, and as of March 15, 2024, a new episode is released every Friday.

With an impressive ensemble cast that includes Academy Award nominees Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa, the series is executive produced by Spielberg, Hanks, and Goetzman.

‘Masters of the Air,’ the New Apple TV+ Series About ‘Mighty Eighth’ Air Force in WWII, to premiere globally Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 — Anthony Boyle in “Masters of the Air”

In 2020, Goetzman produced “Greyhound,” a movie that Apple TV+ distributed and starred Tom Hanks as a destroyer commander in the US Navy during World War II who was escorting a convoy across the Atlantic.

Masters of the Air: a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force

“‘Masters of the Air’ is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II,” said executive producer Gary Goetzman in an Apple TV+ press release. “Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this ‘singular event in the history of warfare.’ We’re thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story.”

New Apple TV+ Series About ‘Mighty Eighth’ Air Force in WWII, to premiere globally Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 — Rafferty Law in “Masters of the Air”

“Masters of the Air,” which is based on the same-titled book by Donald L. Miller and was written by John Orloff, follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group, also known as the “Bloody Hundredth,” as they engage in dangerous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and deal with the extreme cold, oxygen shortage, and sheer terror of combat at 25,000 feet in the air. The central theme of “Masters of the Air” is the psychological and emotional cost these young men endured while helping to bring an end to the tragedy of Hitler’s Third Reich. Some were wounded or killed, while others were shot down and captured. And a few were lucky enough to return home. Whatever each person’s achievement, a cost was imposed on them all.

The 100th Bomb Group

“Masters of the Air” highlighted the intense aerial combat of the war. More than 26,000 soldiers of the “Mighty Eighth” Air Force lost their lives during the bombing campaign, which is around 30% higher than the total number of Marines who died during World War II, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“Masters of the Air” is a true cinematic masterpiece, vast in scope and scale, and it depicts a unique and significant period in world history. Its locations range from the picturesque fields and villages of southeast England to the harsh restrictions of a German prisoner-of-war camp.

B-17 crew member — Austin Butler in “Masters of the Air”

The 100th Bomb Group lives on today as the 100th Air Refueling Wing, a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker unit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. The unit still sports the iconic ‘Square D’ badge first used on B-17 Flying Fortress bombers during World War II.

This article features promotional images of the show released by Apple.

April 11, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The KC-135 Stratotanker pilot who went into a 20-degree dive to refuel a flamed-out F-105 Thunderchief

by Till Daisd April 10, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The KC-135 Stratotanker

The Boeing Company’s model 367-80 served as the basic design for both the KC-135A Stratotanker and the commercial 707 passenger aircraft. The Air Force acquired the first 29 aircraft of its 732-plane fleet in 1954. The first Stratotanker went into production and was delivered to Castle Air Force Base in California in June 1957. The first aircraft took to the air in August 1956. The Air Force received the final KC-135 delivery in 1965.

The KC-135 was particularly important during the Vietnam War, where the Stratotanker not only allowed heavy fighter-bombers to reach North Vietnamese targets and return but also towed them back to their bases when they were badly damaged by enemy action.

KC-135 Stratotanker into dive to refuel an F-105 Thunderchief

Even so, one Stratotanker went into a dive to save two F-105s running short on fuel. According to an interesting article published in Air & Space Forces Magazine by Walter J. Boyne, in May 1967, Maj. Alvin L. Lewis’s KC-135 was piloted through intense thunderstorms in order to locate two severely low-fuel F-105s.

After having found the F-105s in a clear area, Lewis put his tanker into a 20-degree dive to position himself in front of the first fighter, which had already flamed out. The Thud was gliding earthward, its pilot preparing to eject, when the diving Stratotanker passed in front to a refueling position.

F-105s safely RTB

All checklists and preliminaries were forgotten as the F-105 hooked up and took on enough fuel to air-start the engine. The tanker transferred a little fuel and then increased its dive angle to 30 degrees to get enough air through the intake of the fighter to spool it up to starting RPM. Lewis then refueled the second F-105, which was about to flame out. Both 105s made it home.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

April 10, 2024 0 comment

History

The US Army UH-60 pilot who tricked Bagram Tower by pretending to be a Russian Mi-8 pilot

by Till Daisd April 9, 2024

written by Till Daisd

US Army UH-60 Blackhawk in Afghanistan

In 2009, the most crucial year of Operation Enduring Freedom, US Army UH-60 Blackhawk pilot Joshua Havill wrote the book War and Coffee. It is a first-person narrative of his deployment to Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division’s “Screaming Eagles.”

Havill returned to the military in 2002 to further his passion for aviation, bringing with him a perspective on the Cold War gained from his nine years of US Navy Submarine Service and a civilian interlude. In War and Coffee, he says that this checkered military career concluded with a year of flying Blackhawks out of Bagram Air Base;

‘In the middle of winter, there were occasional days of fog or rainy mornings, which left the helicopters grounded. When the weather was good, there were a lot of quick trips down to Kabul or JBAD [Jalalabad], moving people back and forth. So it went; days and nights went by, more of the same, often just the daily routine with no significant activity to speak of. The quietness seemed to report that there were no benchmarks to hit, and no tactical goals, only a requirement for basic sustainment. There was no advertised measure of progress, only the abstract requirement to be there until we were supposed to leave. Very often the missions we flew were milk runs, just moving people, normal commerce.

Mi-8 helicopters

‘On at least one such flight, a moment of levity ensued that would be repeated time and time again for much-needed comic value: Large white Russian Mi-8 helicopters with the NATO reporting name of “Hip” had several missions in Afghanistan. I don’t know if it was mostly cargo or people, but they flew often, huge white orbs in the sky, with Russian pilots. They spoke with a heavy accent, and their call sign was Vodka. The way it came across in deep, broken English, was oo-odd-kah. “Kabool Towah, zees eez Wodka. Pay-mishy-own to lond on vunway.” Then the tower would clear them to land on runway 29.

‘You could never miss them, neither the accent on the radio nor the blatant white beast, guzzling barrels of kerosene to lumber across the sky. For the tower controllers, they would have been unmistakable. No other helicopter was that visible, practically a mechanical cloud floating by.

‘Despite the irony that Russia had its own long and bloody affair with Afghanistan throughout most of the 1980s, we were then decades removed; Russia manned at least one proper hospital in Kabul and a field hospital outside the city in support of coalition effort, as well as providing limited generic logistical support. The Russian pilots were very friendly, of course. At combined stops, once everyone was shut down, they were just as eager to host a tour of these magnificent, tanklike machines as they were to sit in the cockpit of the Blackhawk. The cockpit of the Hip was extremely roomy, the gauges were easy to read, and classic Cold War-era faded green paint was a pleasant background color on the dashboard.

UH-60 Pilot pretending to be a Russian Mi-8 pilot

‘Blackhawk assault pilot Pete Latham was especially amused by the Russian aircraft. On descent into Bagram one day, he decided to play a joke on the tower. Achieving a masterful, heavy Russian accent, he called in with a comically loud voice, “BAGUDUM TOWAH! ZEES EEZ WODKA! LONDING VUNWAY TAH-DEE!!” The tower controller, looking toward the end of runway 3, didn’t see any massive white helicopters, just a pair of Blackhawks coming up from the south.

‘”Uuuh, Roger, Vodka; say again your position?”

‘With something surely premeditated, and to the delight of every pilot listening to the frequency, Pete came back on the radio and famously replied, “Bagudum Towah, zees eez Wodka . . . ZOOPRISE!!! I AM IN BLACKHAWK!!”’

Havill concludes;

‘Pete would forever be endeared in my heart for this level of wartime bravery. It became instant radio folklore, with enough copycat Vodkas calling international control towers with worse and worse accents that within days the joke grew tedious. That first one was magical, though.’

War & Coffee: Confessions of an American Blackhawk Pilot in Afghanistan is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Pinterest and Sgt Travis Zielinski / U.S. Army

Call Sign Vodka: the US Army UH-60 Pilot who played a prank on Bagram Tower when by using heavy Russian accent he pretended to be a Russian Mi-8 pilot requesting to land

April 9, 2024 0 comment

History

The Lightning pilots’ defense prevented the Luftwaffe Bf 109s from shooting down a single bomber despite their assault on USAAF P-38s escorting 72 B-25s

by Till Daisd April 8, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Luftwaffe Bf 109s Vs USAAF P-38s

Following Operation Torch in 1942, USAAF fighter pilots encountered a baptism of fire while flying the highly sophisticated P-38 Lightning over North Africa. Their adversaries were battle-hardened jagdflieger from the Jadgwaffe, operating the reliable Bf 109 in its most recent Gustav version.

The P-38 squadrons in North Africa had to develop efficient strategies to protect the bombers from attacks by Luftwaffe fighters, as their primary duty was to escort USAAF bombers while they targeted Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia.

After defeating the Axis in Tunisia, the Allied air forces turned their attention to disrupting the lines of communication in Sicily and southern Italy and to neutralizing Axis air power before the invasion of Sicily. The primary objective of the three P-38 fighter groups (1st, 14th, and 82nd FGs) assigned to the Twelfth Air Force bombers was to escort the bombers. On the other hand, the Luftwaffe, and more especially the Bf 109-equipped Jagdgruppen (Fighter Groups) of Luftflotte (Air Fleet) 2, was mostly responsible for defending these crucial sites against Allied air strikes.

Luftwaffe Bf 109s attack USAAF P-38s

In a fierce conflict with Bf 109s from IV./JG 3, II. and III./JG 53 and I./JG 77 on September 2, 1943, the 82nd FG (95th, 96th and 97th FSs) suffered its greatest casualties of the war, according to a story written by Edward M. Young in his book P-38 Lightning vs. Bf 109 North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942–1943.

That day, the 82nd was escorting 72 B-25s targeting the marshaling yards at Cancello, north of Naples. For some reason, the formation was not intercepted by Axis fighters until after the bombers had reached their target and turned towards the coast. The 96th FS turned in to the attacking fighters and was soon engaged in an intense dogfight. The 95th FS turned back to help and also became heavily involved as the combat dropped down to 4,000ft over the Bay of Naples. Not too long afterward, the 97th FS broke from the bomber formation and began racing for safety in order to support its fellow squadrons. The conflict continued up to 75 miles off the coast of Italy.

By the time the German fighters broke off their attacks, ten 82nd FG pilots were missing in action, with the 96th FS losing seven P-38s. Twenty-three enemy fighters were shot down by the three squadrons, including fifteen Bf 109s; 2Lt Fred Selle reported three destroyed and two damaged. The Bf 109 Gruppen lost six aircraft in combat with the P-38s, three of them from JG 53. Amongst those killed was Franz Schiess, who had been awarded a Knight’s Cross in June and recently promoted to hauptmann. Schiess was last seen pursuing the P-38s well out to sea.

Axis fighters failed to shoot down a single bomber

The P-38 pilots mounted a resolute defense that prevented the Axis fighters from downing a single bomber. Similar to what happened to the 1st FG on August 30, the 82nd FG pilots received a DUC for their extraordinary commitment to protecting the bombers, even at a high cost to themselves.

This operation turned out to be the final major engagement between P-38s and Bf 109s before the Lightning groups were transferred to a new battlefield due to organizational changes.

P-38 Lightning vs Bf 109 North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942–43 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Gareth Hector via Osprey

April 8, 2024 0 comment

History

Why the Wolf Pack F-16 has a unique tail flash in honor of Robin Olds’s F-4C Phantom II

by Till Daisd April 7, 2024

written by Till Daisd

F-16 honoring Robin Olds

This post has an intriguing photo that was taken on September 17, 2023, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. It shows an F-16C Fighting Falcon 89-2060 assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing taxiing across the runway during Beverly Pack 23-3. 8th FW F-16s at Kunsan AB start regular operations after five months of runway reconstruction. This includes routine training like Beverly Pack 23-3, which focuses on strengthening the wing’s rapid response capabilities.

The F-16 has a unique tail flash to honor Colonel Robin Olds’ F-4C Phantom II 64-0829, shown in the photo.

The story behind the Wolf Pack F-16 sporting a special tail flash honoring Robin Olds’ F-4C Phantom II — F-16C 89-2060 featuring a special paint scheme honoring the legendary triple ace Robin Olds

“Tail flashes are [part of the] unit pride and heritage all across the Air Force,” explained Shaun Chauta, 8th MXS director of operations, in the article That’s so Metal; Corrosion Wraps Fourth and Final Flash by Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Spalding, 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, appeared last year on DVIDS. “It helps the maintainers, who repair these aircraft, as well as the pilots who fly them, connect with their heritage and show pride in their unit. It’s a way to link our current aircraft to previous generations of aircraft, pilots, and warfighters.”

F-16 89-2060

F-16C 89-2060 was delivered to the US Air Force (USAF) in late 1990, serving the 68th TFS. After joining the 35th Fighter Squadron (FS) in 2001, 89-2060 received a unique paint scheme in 2021 in remembrance of the triple ace Robin Olds, who led the previous 8th FW and helped shape the unit into the disciplined and respected unit it is today.

Robin Olds and SCAT XXVII

In addition to the tail flash, the Viper’s ventral fins display the words “SCAT XXVII.” When Olds flew his own F-4C with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, he called it SCAT XXVII. The US Air Force National Museum has this aircraft on exhibit. Olds named all of his aircraft after his roommate at West Point, Scat Davis, who could not become a military pilot due to poor eyesight.

On May 20, 1967, Flying 64-0829 Olds along with the weapons system officer, Lt. Stephen Croker, shot down two North Vietnamese MiG-17s in one day.

The Wolf Pack

As part of the 8th FW, the 35th FS arrived in Kunsan AB, South Korea, in 1972. With the arrival of the first F-16s in 1981, the squadron was now equipped with F-4 Phantom II aircraft. The first units outside of the United States to transition to the F-16 Fighting Falcon were the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) and its sister squadron, the 80th TFS. On January 31, 1992, the Air Force underwent a reorganization that resulted in the removal of the term “tactical” from its unit names.

The 35th Fighter Squadron got its first Block 40 F-16s on November 17, 2000. The aircraft are equipped with LANTIRN (Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pods. The combination of LANTIRN and night-vision goggles allows the Wolf Pack to take the fight into the night. The conversion was finished by the 35th in February 2001.

The “Pantons” of the 35th FS provide combat-ready F-16 C/D fighter aircraft to conduct air operations throughout the Pacific theater as tasked by United States and coalition combatant commanders. The squadron carries out force application, air and space control, counterair, strategic attack, interdiction, and close-air support missions. It uses the most recent, cutting-edge precision weapons in any weather condition, day or night.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Earick / U.S. Air Force

April 7, 2024 0 comment

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