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The USMC aircrew of AH-1W and UH-1Y, who managed to take off amid the Taliban attack on Camp Bastion, provided the airfield defenders CAS

by Till Daisd April 1, 2024

Taliban attack on Camp Bastion

In response to the 9/11 attacks by Al Qaida, US and British forces invaded Afghanistan in late 2001, supported by air power. Ten years later, what started as a small-scale operation involving 2,500 troops and the specific goal of destroying Al Qaida had grown to involve nearly 100,000 troops.

To support those troops, aviation forces from the US and NATO were dispatched. The skies over Afghanistan saw combat from F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, A-10, Mirage, Tornado, and Harrier aircraft, as well as CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

The US Marine Corps (USMC) AV-8Bs experienced the greatest loss of US airpower in a single incident since the Vietnam War, when eight of the aircraft were destroyed or seriously damaged by a Taliban raid on Camp Bastion in Helmand province in September 2012, despite the essential role the Harrier played in maintaining peace in the country.

The AV-8B Harriers of VMA-211 redeployed from Kandahar to Camp Leatherneck (adjacent to Camp Bastion, the main British military base in Afghanistan) in July 2012, putting them at the same airfield as the USMC helicopter force, according to Michael Napier’s narrative in the book Afghan Air Wars Soviet, US and NATO operations, 1979–2021.

But even after NATO said that combat operations would soon come to an end, the Taliban remained very much engaged in hostilities against US and ISAF forces. Around 22:00hrs on September 14, fifteen heavily armed Taliban insurgents wearing US Army uniforms broke through Camp Bastion’s perimeter wire, destroying six USMC AV-8Bs from VMA-211 and seriously damaging two more, as well as a C-130E. Lt. Col. Chris Raible, VMA-211’s commanding officer, was killed by the attackers during the assault.

Providing CAS to Camp Bastion defenders

Amidst the chaos of the assault, two UH-1Y Venom Hueys and an AH-1W piloted by Maj. Robert Weingart of VMLAH-469 took off to provide CAS to the airfield defenders. Weingart was unable to identify the enemy amidst the smoke from the conflict, despite four intruders being cornered within the cryogenics facility.

Lt. Col. Stephen Lightfoot, the commanding officer of HMLA-469, explained:

‘Usually, we respond to TICs for other units. However, everyone acted instinctively, got to the aircraft, and got the alert aircraft launched despite taking fire on the flightline … It was a very dark night. There was no moon. However, on the flightline, there were multiple aircraft on fire, and a couple of other areas were on fire as well, so it was extremely bright. There were 50-to-100-feet-high flames and a lot of thick smoke … We knew we had a lot of friendly [forces] on the ground. We wanted to make sure we did no harm to them or to their positions … The pilots were danger-close to friendly positions but were able to use the information received to engage the enemy without endangering friendly forces; they used the information to engage the enemy from approximately 200 feet in the air and were able to eliminate the threat.’

USMC AH-1W and UH-1Y crews who were able to take off during the Taliban attack on Camp Bastion recall providing CAS to the airfield defenders — US Marines Corps pilots return to Camp Bastion in their AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter following a routine mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Nov. 28, 2013.

A hard blow to the Marines

Weingart later recalled:

‘I asked if [the Marines on the ground) could concentrate their automatic weapons’ fire on the point of origin, so I could [identify] it and get maneuvered to where we could engage it for them. They saw where the friendly vehicle was engaging at the [enemy], and then they started opening up with the [M-240 machine gun] from the vicinity of our compound. The combination of seeing the rounds from the vehicles and seeing our marines from the northeast gave us a pretty good pinpoint location of where the bad guys were.’

The insurgents, with support from the helicopters, were tracked down and killed, but they had delivered a hard blow to the Marines.

Afghan Air Wars Soviet, US and NATO operations, 1979–2021 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Sgt. Bobby Yarbrough and Sgt. Keonaona Paulo / U.S. Marine Corps

Former Marine relives September 2012 raid on Camp Bastion

April 1, 2024 0 comment

History

Jefferson DeBlanc shot down five Japanese aircraft before abandoning his downed Wildcat due to fuel shortage

by Till Daisd March 31, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F4F Wildcat

When the US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC) went to war in December 1941, their primary carrier fighter was the tubby Wildcat, the first of Grumman’s famous “cats,” built by the company. Despite the F4F’s inferior performance compared to the Japanese Zero-sen, its sturdy construction and ample armament allowed the Wildcat pilots to hold their own against some of the world’s best naval aviators during air battles between the US Navy/USMC and the IJN.

Jefferson DeBlanc, USMC F4F Wildcat “ace in a day” pilot

A claim confirmed by the action on Jan. 31, 1943, that saw 2Lt Jefferson DeBlanc, a USMC pilot from VMF-112, argue two Type 0 Observation seaplanes and three Zero-sens shot down over Vella Gulf while protecting a flight of SBD dive-bombers. An “ace in a day” feat that earned him the Medal of Honor.

In his book F4F Wildcat South Pacific 1942–43, Edward M. Young explains that at 1500 hours on that day, VMF–112 sent off two divisions of Wildcats to escort SBDs and TBFs on a mission to attack Japanese shipping in the Vella Gulf, which is located between the Kolombangara Islands and Vella Lavella Islands to the north of Guadalcanal. Six aircraft took off in two flights, with two aircraft climbing to offer high cover and DeBlanc leading four as close escort while two F4Fs were forced to turn back.

The Type 0 Observation seaplanes attacked the dive-bombers as they were finishing their runs and regrouping for the return flight. DeBlanc observed two “Petes” flying in trail and closing in on the SBDs. DeBlanc saw two “Petes,” flying in trail, closing in on the SBDs. With his wingman, SSgt. James Feliton, providing cover, DeBlanc attacked the trailing floatplane, coming in from the “six o’clock” position and setting it on fire. DeBlanc then went after the lead “Pete,” again from behind. After his initial burst, he noticed flames trailing from his target. The floatplane then turned slowly to the right, climbed slowly, and exploded.

Medal of Honor

DeBlanc and Feliton stayed with the SBDs, fighting off Zero-sens strikes even though they were running low on fuel. DeBlanc stated that before having to bail out his severely damaged fighter, three of the fighters were shot down. Feliton had to use his parachute as well. After thirteen days, both DeBlanc and Feliton made their way back to Guadalcanal with the help of coastwatchers and the Solomon Islands police force. DeBlanc received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

F4F Wildcat South Pacific 1942–43 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Gareth Hector via Osprey and NARA

The story of Jefferson DeBlanc, the USMC F4F pilot that with his Wildcat low on fuel escorted SBDs and TBFs and shot down 5 Japanese aircraft before bailing out of his stricken F4F — In early November 1942, VMF-112 arrived on Guadalcanal from Nouméa. One of the young aviators in the squadron was 2Lt. Jefferson DeBlanc, who went into combat with fewer than the normal 40 hours of flying time considered it necessary for a pilot to become
familiar with the Wildcat. Unfazed by this, DeBlanc claimed two “Betty” bombers
shot down on Nov. 12 on only his second combat mission. On Jan. 31, he claimed
five aircraft destroyed while defending USMC SBDs and TBFs. The latter feat earned DeBlanc the Medal of Honor. (DM-SD-03-09572, NARA)

March 31, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The eight Time-to-Climb World Records that the F-15 Streak Eagle broke

by Till Daisd March 30, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-15 Streak Eagle was designed to break the time-to-climb records held by the F-4 and MiG-25 by setting new ones

The F-15 proved to be a highly useful testbed aircraft in addition to being developed to be the greatest air superiority fighter in the world. The 19th pre-production aircraft, airframe 72-0119, was involved in one of the most fascinating experimental programs of the Eagle.

How the F-15 Streak Eagle broke eight time-to-climb world records — *Streak Eagle Drivers: Maj. Roger Smith, Maj. Dave W. Peterson, and Maj. William R. “Mack” MacFarlane*

The name “Streak Eagle” perfectly described the type of flights this F-15A would have performed; in fact, its goal was to break the time-to-climb records held by the F-4 and MiG-25 by setting new ones. The Streak Eagle was heavily modified, with as much of its weight as possible reduced, to carry out this mission.

According to Steve Markman and Bill Holder’s book “One Of A Kind Research Aircraft: A History Of In Flight Simulators, Testbeds & Prototypes,” all superfluous parts of this F-15 were taken out, including the speed brake actuators, radar, cannons, tail hooks, one generator, utility hydraulic system, flap, and missiles. Furthermore, the aircraft gained an additional 40 pounds by not being painted.

The aircraft also had several instruments installed, including a restraint device that took the place of the tail hook and a nose boom equipped with alpha and beta probes to measure sideslip and angle of attack in addition to unique battery packs and controls. Additional special tools included a camera mounted over the shoulder, a G-meter, a backup attitude gyro, altitude verification equipment, and ballast.

With these modifications, the Streak Eagle saved 2,800 pounds, while the fuel carried in each record attempt varied from 3,000 to 6,000 pounds.

Three USAF F-15 pilots, Maj. Roger Smith, Maj. W.R. Macfarlane, and Maj. Dave Peterson, flew the Streak Eagle from January 16 to February 1, 1975, setting eight new altitudes and times records.

3,000 meters (9,843 feet) 27.57 seconds

6,000 meters (19,685 feet) 39.33 seconds

9,000 meters (29,685 feet) 48.86 seconds

12,000 meters (39,370 feet) 59.38 seconds

15,000 meters (49,212 feet) 77.02 seconds

20,000 meters (65,617 feet) 122.94 seconds

25,000 meters (82,021 feet) 161.02 seconds

30,000 meters (98,425 feet) 207.80 seconds

When compared to the upward numbers, the Streak Eagle reached 9,000 meters in less than a minute, but a Boeing 727 takes more than 15 minutes.

The National Museum of the US Air Force currently has the F-15 Streak Eagle on display. The following video tells the story of F-15 Streak Eagle record flights.

One-of-a-kind Research Aircraft A History Of In Flight Simulators, Testbeds & Prototypes is published by Schiffer Military and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 30, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

An SR-71 pilot denied an F-15 pilot an easy simulated kill during a training sortie

by Till Daisd March 29, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘The next pass was different. I said to Jim that our F-15 jockeys are the best in the world, let’s give them a challenge,’ Former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, Capt. Steve “Griz” Grzebiniak

The SR-71 Blackbird gathered intelligence in some of the world’s most dangerous environments during its 24 years of operation. The Blackbird is still the only US Air Force (USAF) aircraft to have never lost a crew member, either in the air or on the ground, having successfully avoided all 4,000 missiles fired at it.

The Blackbird was built to operate at extremely high altitudes and speeds; from 80,000 feet, it could cover 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour. It was therefore very difficult for any hostile fighter to get a radar lock on it. However, according to former Blackbird driver Col. Richard H. Graham, USAF (Ret.) two fighters could achieve (simulated) SR-71 kills, but only under certain conditions.

‘Don Emmons and I, as well as many other Habus, had flown numerous at “Tomcat Chase” and “Eagle Bait” sorties against our best fighters—the Navy’s F-14s and the Air Force’s F-15s,’ says Richard H. Graham, former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, in his book SR-71 Revealed The Inside Story. ‘We flew the SR to provide the fighters practice at finding, tracking, locking on, intercepting, and simulated firing of their sophisticated F-14 “Phoenix” missile and the F-15 ‘s AIM-7M “Sparrow” at a high-altitude, high-speed target. The “Tomcat Chase” missions were flown over the Pacific Ocean and the “Eagle Bait” missions the Nellis AFB training area.’

The AIM-7 Sparrow, the only all-weather missile deployed by the US Air Force (USAF), required the aircraft’s radar to continue tracking the SR-71 long after the missiles were launched. This was before the newest generation of air-to-air missiles (the AMRAAM, a fire-and-forget missile with an initial range of roughly 35 miles) was developed. The Sparrow had to remain locked on to the SR-71 for its Fire Control System (FCS) to relay tracking information back to the missile, so it could make appropriate corrections, racing towards the target. When the SR-71 aircrew activated their Defensive systems (DEF, pronounced “deaf”), they could easily prevent the F-15 aircraft from receiving any useful radar data to direct their missiles.

Graham continues;

‘All I ever heard on the radios from the fighters as they sped underneath us was, “Ah damn it, we’re too late!” We tried for years to get SAC Headquarters approval to practice the same intercepts with Det 1’s SR-71s against Kadena’s F-15s. Every Det 1 Commander, particularly Col. Lee Shelton, pushed to get the practice intercepts approved because they believed a lot could be learned by both aircraft. Eventually, SAC gave in to Colonel Shelton’s repeated requests and approved the practice intercepts. In order to get high enough to take a reasonable shot at us, F-15 crews were given special permission to do a zoom-climb to 50,000 to 55,000 feet before a simulated AIM-7 launch against the SR-71. They had permission to be above 50,000 feet for a maximum time of 90 seconds without wearing a pressure suit.’

Former SR-71 pilot, Capt. Steve “Griz” Grzebiniak, writes about the Kadena intercepts in Graham’s book SR-71 Revealed The Inside Story.

‘We flew the HABU as a high-altitude target for the F-15’s only on our infrequently scheduled “DEBBIE” training sorties. We were the fighter’s “training aid,” but it provided us with some valuable training and insight as well. I think it’s common knowledge that our aircraft and pilots are the finest in the world and if anyone could shoot down an SR-71, it would be one of our own.

‘Our pre-briefed mission required us to fly a specific track, at Mach 2.8 and no higher than 70,000 feet. In addition, we were required to fly over a designated point in space (the IP) and call our time out from the IP in one-minute intervals starting five minutes back. If that wasn’t enough, we would dump some fuel at the IP to help the fighters get a visual “tally” on us. After each mission, we would debrief by phone, and the F-15 drivers would report “four AIM-7s launched, four kills on the HABU.”

‘The next target sortie Jim and I flew had a different outcome. We were scheduled to make two passes over the intercept track. The F-15 guys were excited to have another chance to “smoke” the HABU. On the next pass, Jim and I flew the plan as briefed. One minute calls from the IP, on course, on altitude, Mach 2.8, “Here’s some fuel dump guys, come and get us.” The next pass was different. I said to Jim that our F-15 jockeys are the best in the world, let’s give them a challenge. Jim and I knew that we were flying our favorite jet, tail number 962—she never let us down. We came down the track to the IP, making our one-minute calls, but there was no fuel to dump because we were at 86,000 feet and Mach 3.2. The inlet doors were slammed shut and the jet was purring like a kitten. I made a shallow 10-degree bank turn, not so much to foil the F-15 ‘s intercept, but to allow Jim to see the contrails flailing below us.

‘In the phone debrief after the mission, the F-15 flight lead reported “four shots and four kills” on the first pass and mumbled something about radar problems and no kills on the second pass. Even with the world’s best planes, pilots, and missiles, it would take “a golden BB” [a lucky blind shot by the enemy] to bring down a HABU.’

Photo by MASTER SGT. Bill Thompson U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin

March 29, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

USA could have achieved the same defense level with 170 F-14s as with 290 F-15s, but went with the latter

by Till Daisd March 28, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Eagle’s AIM-7 Sparrow missile was significantly less powerful than the Phoenix missile system. Research revealed that 170 F-14 Tomcats could equal 290 F-15 Eagles in terms of defense

The development of Soviet long-range patrol and bomber aircraft during the Cold War required a fleet defense fighter capable of engaging high-altitude bombers that were well beyond visual range. Grumman’s response was the famous F-14 Tomcat. Equipped with the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, F-14s were able to engage enemy targets more than 90 miles away. Grumman created the F-14’s highly effective variable-sweep wing, which allowed it to fly at a variety of airspeeds, in response to the need for an interceptor able to go at a high speed while carrying this heavy armament.

Following Grumman’s tradition of naming its aircraft after cats, the new “Tomcat” flew for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after a series of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 assigned to crew training.

In the same year, the F-14 was also offered to the US Air Force, as the photos in this post show.

The interesting photos in this post, taken at the Grumman Calverton test facility in the summer of 1972, depict the mock-up of the so-called “ADCOM F-14,” which Grumman built in response to a proposal from the US Air Force (USAF) to replace the Convair F-106 Delta Dart as an interceptor for the Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) in the 1970s. Note the presence of the Aerospace Defense Command livery and emblem on the tail, as well as the mock “Buzz Code.”

In response to this requirement, Grumman created another version of the F-14B Tomcat Interceptor, of which a single mock-up was produced in 1972. The project quickly fizzled out due to a lack of interest, despite the upgrades, including adjustments to the missile launchers and an increase in internal fuel capacity.

The USAF tested the F-14, but the USAF opted to purchase more F-15 Eagles. As told by David F. Brown in his book Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, when comparing the air defense capabilities of both, the purchase of the F-15 seemed foolish. The Phoenix missile system alone was far more capable than the Eagle’s AIM-7 Sparrow. Studies indicated 170 Tomcats could provide the same level of defense as 290 F-15 Eagles. General Daniel `Chappie’ James, the former Commander of NORAD, personally evaluated the Tomcat. He recommended that it be purchased by the USAF.

After testing the F-14, the USAF decided to buy more F-15 Eagles. According to David F. Brown’s narrative in Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the F-15 acquisition seems senseless when comparing their air defense capability. The Phoenix missile system was significantly more powerful than the AIM-7 Sparrow aboard the Eagle. Research showed that 170 Tomcats could defend at the same level as 290 F-15 Eagles. The Tomcat was assessed in person by former NORAD Commander General Daniel “Chappie” James, who recommended that the USAF buy it.

Today, it is the F-15 Eagle that guards the sky over the continental United States; the F-14 was defeated by interservice rivalry, by politics, and… its high cost.

Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat is published by Schiffer Military and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy

March 28, 2024 0 comment

History

When 18 MiG-15s prevented TARZON-loaded B-29s to destroy two bridges over the Yalu River

by Till Daisd March 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

After WWII B-29 saw military service again in Korea between 1950 and 1953, battling new adversaries: the Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighters

When the huge VB-13 TARZON was first designed in 1946, it had far more devastating power than the VB-3 RAZON.

The British 12,000-pound Tall Boy bomb, known as the VB-13, was largely equipped with control surfaces on its forward and rear shrouds, allowing for bomb control in both azimuth and range. The bombardier controlled it by radio while it was visually tracked with a tail flare. The name “TARZON” came from a combination of Tall Boy and RAZON (RAnge and AZimuy ONly).

The bomb was still in the development stage when World War II ended, and the program was halted. However, in 1950, it was reorganized for testing using B-29 and B-36 aircraft.

Although the bomb bay of the B-29 had to be modified in order to accommodate one VB-13, there are reports that eighteen Convair B-36 Peacemaker heavy bombers were modified to carry two TARZONs apiece.

The first TARZON strike in Korea occurred in December 1950, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. By the end of January, B-29s from the 19th Bomb Group had cut spans out of four bridges.

However, bridges were never easy to destroy, not only because they were difficult to hit but also because on their way to the target, Superfortresses had to battle new adversaries, in the form of the Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighters, as the beautiful artwork by Mads Bangsø of a head-on view of a B-29 (serial number 45-21745) of the 19th Bombardment Group at 15,000ft on a clear day over North Korea featured in this post shows.

As explained by Michael Napier in his book Korea 1950–53 B-29s, Thunderjets and Skyraiders fight the strategic bombing campaign. The bomber has just released a 12,000lb TARZON radio-guided bomb, aimed at the bridge across the Yalu River at Sinuiju, and is itself under attack from a Soviet MiG-15 fighter. B-29 Superfortresses from the 19th and 307th BGs were assigned to attack the Yalu River bridges at Manpojin and Sinanju on March 29, 1951. Three 19th BG B-29s with TARZON loads were en route to the strategically significant Sinuiju bridges, while the main force was moving toward Manpojin. Because of bad weather in their intended area, the main force struck the Pyongyang airfield, which was their alternate objective.

The TARZON formation continued, however, but one aircraft had to return to base early due to a broken engine oil pipe, forcing it to cancel the mission. Then, eighteen MiG-15s attacked the two remaining aircraft in the target area.

These Soviet fighters were from the 28th and 72nd GvIAP led by Lt. Col. N.L. Trofimov. The B-29 (45-21749) piloted by Lt. Col. Payne Jennings was hit by the MiG-15s so hard during the engagement that two of its engines had to be shut down, forcing the aircraft to abort the mission. The aircraft crashed into the sea as it tried to return to base, killing every member of the crew. The last surviving B-29, shown above, fired its TARZON, but it missed the target and the aircraft was damaged so badly by the MiG-15s that it had to divert to a different base.

TARZONs remained in short supply, however, and after a B-29 was believed to have been lost attempting to jettison one, the Air Force canceled the TARZON in August 1951. Eleven of the thirty TARZON bombs unleashed on Korea struck their targets, demolishing six bridges and seriously injuring another.

Korea 1950–53 B-29s, Thunderjets, and Skyraiders fight the strategic bombing campaign is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Artwork: Mads Bangsø and Osprey Publishing

March 27, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The first U-2 pilot remembers how, after almost biting his lethal cyanide pill in half, the only U-2 pilot to fly above Moscow almost died and crashed into Red Square

by Till Daisd March 26, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Who could blame Vito, when approaching Moscow for the first time, felt his throat dry. Consequently, he reached into his pocket for a cough drop, but instead, he took out the cyanide pill and popped it into his mouth

From the beginning, the CIA and the US Air Force (USAF) collaborated to manage U-2 development, testing, and operations. However, the CIA hired citizens to fly overflights over the USSR. USAF Reserve fighter pilots left the service voluntarily to become CIA pilots because President Dwight D. Eisenhower thought that flying military pilots over the USSR would be interpreted as an act of war. They were test pilots for Lockheed, officially.

On July 4, 1956, the first U-2 mission over the USSR was conducted, and the aircraft returned with photos of the shipyards in Leningrad. Following that, there were a few more flights, and the images they provided helped the US determine that, contrary to popular belief, there was no “missile gap” or “bomber gap” favoring the Soviets. In the end, the CIA conducted 24 U-2 flights over the USSR in addition to multiple flights over other communist nations.

According to Ben Rich’s book, “Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed”, Marty Knutson, the first pilot chosen to fly the U-2, recalls:

‘I was the first pilot selected to fly in the U-2 program and made the third flight over the Soviet Union on the morning of July 8, 1956. I was a twenty-six-year-old with a thousand hours of fighter time. Now here I was flying over Russia in a fragile little airplane with a wingspan as long as the Brooklyn Bridge—and below I could see three hundred miles in every direction. This was enemy territory, big time. In those days especially, I had a very basic attitude about the Soviet Union —man, it was an evil empire, a forbidding, alien place and I sure as hell didn’t want to crash-land in the middle of it. I had to pinch myself that I was actually flying over the Soviet Union.

‘I began the day by eating a high-protein breakfast, steak and eggs, then put on the bulky pressure suit and the heavy helmet and had to lie down in a contour chair for two hours before taking off and breathe pure oxygen. The object was to purge the nitrogen out of my system to avoid getting the bends if I had to come down quick from altitude.

‘I knew from being briefed by the two other guys who flew these missions ahead of me to expect a lot of Soviet air activity. They tracked me from the minute I took off, which was an unpleasant surprise. We thought we would be invisible to their radar at such heights. No dice. Through my drift sight, I saw fifteen Russian MiGs following me from about fifteen thousand feet below.

‘The day before, Carmine Vito had followed the railroad tracks right into Moscow and actually saw two MiGs collide and crash while attempting to climb to his altitude.

‘Vito had a close call. The ground crew had put his poison cyanide pill in the wrong pocket. We were issued the pill in case of capture and torture and all that good stuff, but given the option whether to use it or not.

‘But Carmine didn’t know the cyanide was in the right breast pocket of his coveralls when he dropped in a fistful of lemon-flavored cough drops. The cyanide pill was supposed to be in an inside pocket. Vito felt his throat go dry as he approached Moscow for the first time—who could blame him? So, he fished in his pocket for a cough drop, and grabbed the cyanide pill instead, and popped it into his mouth.

‘He started to suck on it. Luckily, he realized his mistake in a split second and spit it out in horror before it could take effect. Had he bit down, he would have died instantly and crashed right into Red Square. Just imagine the international uproar!

‘I kept my cyanide pill in an inside pocket and prayed that I would not have an engine flameout.’

Check out the Habubrats SR-71 Twitter profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 26, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A rare aluminum gun was included in the survival kit for the SR-71 Blackbird crew members

by Till Daisd March 25, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The survival kit carried by Blackbird’s pilots and RSOs included a few unconventional items, even though no SR-71 was ever shot down

The Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft were the basis for the development of the long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft known as the SR-71, or “Blackbird,” as it was informally called. The 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the first SR-71 to begin service in January 1966. The first SR-71 flight occurred on December 22, 1964.

Nothing that had come before the Blackbird could compare to it.“Everything had to be invented. Everything,” in an interesting article that surfaced on the Lockheed Martin website, renowned aircraft designer Kelly Johnson of Skunk Works recalled.

During its service, the SR-71 Blackbird gathered intelligence in some of the most dangerous environments on Earth. Blackbird’s pilots and RSOs carried a survival kit that included a few unconventional items, even though no SR-71 was ever shot down.

SR-71-Survival-Kit-1 — SR-71 Blackbird Pilots Survival Kit

The inclusion of an extremely uncommon aluminum gun in the Blackbird’s survival kit is quite interesting! Aluminum was used to make the gun lightweight. Rodney Miller was informed about the gun for protection by his former SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), Col. Richard (Butch) Sheffield.

According to Last Stand On Zombie Island, one long-standing joke/urban legend was that the SR-71’s survival kit contained: “One low-power 38 revolver; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.”

However, as former Blackbird’s pilot Richard Graham explains in his book SR-71 Revealed the Inside History, “the survival kit contained standard Air Force survival items: a one-man life raft, day/night flares, desalinization kit, emergency UHF radio with spare batteries, first aid kit, thermal blanket, fishing gear, survival manual, and maps. Tethered between you and the survival kit was the inflated one-man life raft, ready for a water landing.”

An additional item carried in the pressure suite (not in the survival kit located in the ejection seat) was a sealed envelope containing instructions for the SR-71 crew members to present to anyone causing them trouble. Butch Sheffield gave the sealed envelope to the base commander in South Korea when they were upset about having an SR-71 land on their tiny base. We are not sure what was in that envelope or what it said but the base commander smiled and then was compatible and willing to do anything to make the crew comfortable.

Check out the Habubrats SR-71 and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Linda Sheffield Miller

March 25, 2024 0 comment

History

Zero-sen ace Saburo Sakai describes the combat in which he was injured by US Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers

by Till Daisd March 24, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The SBD rear gunners fired as Saburo Sakai and his wingman closed the range. It was the high-scoring ace’s most harrowing and memorable combat of the war

The US Navy was able to adopt a more offensive stance as a result of their victory at Midway. The Americans swiftly turned their attention to the Japanese airfield being built on Guadalcanal to take the lead. The 1st Marine Division touched down nearby on August 7, encountering little resistance. The carriers Enterprise, Saratoga, and USS Wasp provided support.

According to Donald Nijboer’s description in his book SBD Dauntless Vs. A6M Zero-sen, Pacific Theater 1941–44, the invasion fleet was assaulted by IJNAF fighters and bombers based in Rabaul, who reacted swiftly. Although there was little damage, it did lead to the most well-known air-to-air combat of the war between SBDs and Zero sens. As F4Fs tore into the Japanese formations, a single SBD from Wasp, flown by Lt. Dudley Adams of VS 71, managed to surprise four Zero sens from above and behind. Adams broke off and headed for cloud cover as soon as he scored hits on the lead fighter.

Sadly for Adams, Tainan Kokutai ace FPO1c Saburo Sakai, who wrote about the experience in his memoir Samurai!, flew the Zero sen he struck;

‘We flew through broken clouds, unable to find any hostile planes. No sooner had we emerged from one cloud than, for the first time in all my years of combat, an enemy plane caught me unawares. I felt a heavy thud, the scream of a bullet, and a hole two inches across appeared through the cockpit glass to my left, only inches away from my face.

‘I still had not seen any other planes in the air. It might have been ground fire which hit me. Then I caught a glimpse of an enemy bomber – not a fighter! – which had caught me napping. The Dauntless hung on its wing, racing for cloud cover. The audacity of the enemy pilot was amazing; he had deliberately jumped four Zero fighters in a slow and lightly armed dive bomber.

‘In a moment I was on his tail. The Dauntless jerked up and down several times, then dove suddenly into a cloud. I wasn’t giving up that easily; I went right after him. For a few seconds I saw only white as we raced through the billowing mass. Then we were through, in the clear. I closed in rapidly and fired. The rear gunner flung up his hands and collapsed over his gun. I pulled back easily on the stick and the shells walked up to the engine. The SBD rolled repeatedly to the left, then dropped into a wild dive. [FPO2c Masayoshi] Yonekawa saw the pilot bail out. It was my 60th victory.’

Saburo-Sakai — Japanese fighter ace Saburo Sakai

A few minutes later, Sakai spotted a formation of what he thought to be eight F4Fs when he was flying at 13,000 feet over the Guadalcanal coast. They were SBDs from VB 6 and VS 5 led by Lt Carl Horenburger, the aircraft circling over Tulagi awaiting orders to attack a target. As Sakai and his wingman closed the range, the SBD rear gunners opened fire. For the high-scoring ace, it was his most memorable and harrowing combat of the war:

‘I was in a trap! The enemy planes were not fighters, but bombers, the Avenger [they were SBDs] torpedo planes, types I had never seen before. From the rear, they looked exactly like Wildcats, but now their extra size was visible.

‘There was no turning back now. If I turned or looped, the enemy gunners would have a clear shot at the exposed belly of the Zero. There was only one thing to do – keep going, and open up with everything I had. I jammed down on the firing button. Almost at the same moment every gun in the Avenger formation opened up. The planes were only 20 yards in front of me when flames spurted from two bombers. That was all I saw. A violent explosion smashed at my body. I felt as though knives had been thrust savagely into my ears; the world burst into flaming red and I went blind.’

After receiving many 0.30 cal. hits to his cockpit, Sakai was severely injured. He descended from 8,000 feet to nearly sea level before pulling out. He nursed his wounded fighter back more than 550 miles to Rabaul in one of the war’s epic flights. Sakai would spend 18 months in hospital recovering from his clash with the SBDs.

SBD Dauntless Vs A6M Zero-sen, Pacific Theater 1941-44 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Jim Laurier, Gareth Hector via Osprey and PD-JAPAN

March 24, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

When Air Traffic Controllers asked an F-14 pilot to buzz the tower so see for themselves a Navy Tomcat

by Till Daisd March 23, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘Iowa the Air Traffic Controllers could not believe that they had an F-14 Tomcat under their control and so very low…500ft/152m,’ John Chesire, former US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot

The development of Soviet long-range patrol and bomber aircraft during the Cold War required a fleet defense fighter capable of engaging high-altitude bombers that were well beyond visual range. Grumman’s response was the iconic F-14 Tomcat. With the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles equipped on them, F-14s were able to engage enemy targets more than 90 miles distant. Grumman created the F-14’s highly effective variable-sweep wing, which allowed it to fly at a variety of airspeeds, in response to the need for an interceptor to be able to go at a high speed while carrying heavy ordnance.

The new “Tomcat,” named for Grumman’s tradition of naming its aircraft after cats, flew for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after a series of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 assigned to crew training. The new aircraft were first flown by operational squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 on the West Coast and by Atlantic fleet Tomcat squadrons VF-14 and VF-32 on the East Coast.

Through its encounters with Libyan aircraft in the 1980s and its appearance on screen in the very successful movie Top Gun—which included a memorable scene in which an F-14 piloted by Maverick and Goose buzzed the tower—the Tomcat came to represent a period of history.

During former F-14 Tomcat pilot John Chesire’s career, something similar occurred.

As he recalls on Quora, the event took place in the skies over Iowa.

‘I once flew across the plains of Iowa, low and slow, on my way to an airshow in Cedar Rapids. Growing up as a kid on a farm in Iowa, I figured that some farm kid and their parents might enjoy seeing an F-14 for the first time, flying low over their farm. When near Waterloo, Iowa, the Air Traffic Controllers could not believe that they had an F-14 under their control and so very low… 500ft/152m. They asked me to turn around and circle them so that they could come outside their control room and see for themselves a Navy F-14 Tomcat.

‘While I did stay relatively slow, I was at 500ft AGL. I swept the wings back to 68 degrees from their full forward position and briefly lit the afterburners. I may have cycled both the wings and ABs a couple of times for them. The ATC guys apparently really liked it and thanked me profusely as I continued on to my destination.’

Photo by Paramount

March 23, 2024 0 comment

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