On a combat flight over Vietnam, an antiaircraft fire hit the RA-5C and caused damage
The striking photo in this post, which was taken on August 18, 1968, depicts a RA-5C Vigilante of Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 5 (RVAH-5) damaged into a barricade on the flight deck of the carrier USS Constellation (CVA 64) after being hit by antiaircraft fire during a combat mission over Vietnam.
RVAH-5 served on the following carriers during the Vietnam War, completing five deployments in the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) and Vietnam and two deployments in the Atlantic and Mediterranean (LANT/MED):
- Aug. 5, 1964 – May 6, 1965, USS Ranger, WESTPAC and Vietnam
- Nov. 30, 1965 – Jul. 10, 1966, USS America, LANT/MED
- Jan. 10 – 20 Sep. 1967, USS America, LANT/MED
- May 29, 1968 – January 31, 1969: USS Constellation, WESTPAC, and Vietnam (RA-5C BuNo 149293 was lost in action on November 25, 1968. The pilot, CDR Ernest Stamm, made a successful ejection, was captured, and passed away as a POW in North Vietnam on January 16, 1969. He was posthumously promoted to CAPT, and his remains were brought back to the United States in March 1974. LTJG Richard Thum, the navigator, was killed in the shootdown, and his remains were brought back to the United States in September 1977.)
- Oct. 14 1969 – Jun. 1 1970, USS Ranger, WESTPAC and Vietnam
- Jun. 11, 1971 – Feb. 12, 1972, USS Enterprise, WESTPAC, and Vietnam
- Nov. 16, 1972 – Jun. 23, 1973, USS Ranger, WESTPAC and Vietnam
North Americans created the carrier-based supersonic bomber known as the A-5 Vigilante for the U.S. Navy. It only had a relatively brief stint doing nuclear strikes (replacing the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior). However, it was extensively used in the Vietnam War in the tactical strike reconnaissance role as the RA-5C.
Risky medium-level reconnaissance missions began to be conducted in August 1964.
Despite the Vigilante’s speed and agility, 18 of these aircraft were destroyed in battle during the Vietnam War: 14 by anti-aircraft fire, three by surface-to-air missiles, and one by a MiG-21. As attrition replacements, 36 further RA-5C aircraft were manufactured from 1968 to 1970 in part as a result of these combat losses. These planes were very different from earlier RA-5Cs. These were worthy of being dubbed RA-5Ds thanks to improved engines, Leading Edge Extensions over the intakes, changed intake geometry, and other upgrades, but the existing moniker was kept. Since the BuNo. for this most recent batch of Vigilantes begins with the number 156, they are known as the 156 Series aircraft (some earlier RA-5Cs were rebuilt to the same standard so there are exceptions).
Photo by U.S. Navy