Tonkin Gulf Yatch Club, South China Seas (Vietnam)

[Cane Pole]

For those interested in history.

Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

[Don G]

Intrepid & Wasp for me

[Lowellhturner]

Have read extensively on the naval airwar against the North Vietnamese from "Yankee Station'; was surprised to learn that apparently the book and movie "The Flight of the Intruder" was based rather closely upon an actual "incident" where 2 "hung" Mk 82 `Snakeye' high drag bombs "fell off" into a public park crammed fender to fender with close to 300 SA-2 "Guideline" surface to air anti aircraft missiles on trailers right across the street from the North Viet Namese People`s Politobuero Building. This occured 72 hrs before the "Linebacker II" Christmas bombing offensive. LOTS of fireworks that night. Several SAMs flew literally into the building and detonated; bringing the roof down, the resulting fires gutted the remains. Darn faulty multiple ejector racks !

[Cane Pole]

I didn't have to read about it as I was right in the middle of the engagement. Exciting times if you consider general quarters exciting.

[Cane Pole]

Intrepid & Wasp for me

I am reading the history book on the Intrepid. I will send it to you when I finish. Good read. I am with Admiral John McCain now in the South Pacific.

[Barnacle Bill]

Since you are talking history. World War II: After the War - In Focus - The Atlantic
Number 45 is really worth reading.

[Cane Pole]

Since you are talking history. World War II: After the War - In Focus - The Atlantic
Number 45 is really worth reading.

45. I remember this story being on the tv NEWS. Dedicated SOB.

[Lowellhturner]

Woke up once to "General Quarters" at 3:45 AM in the Gulf of Sidera 180 miles off Liyba in 1980. An E-2C "Hawkeye" detected a blip and had an airborne A-7E "Corsair II" go check it out. This guy finds himself in the middle of approx 18-20 heavily armed Liybian MiG 23 "Floggers" escorted by half a dozen MiG 21 "Fishbeds" at close to sea level streaking in towards the carrier task force, the MiG-21s start to line our fearless A-7 driver up, so he cooly pulls right in the middle of their formation while continuosly broadcasting a warning. Needless to say, we scrambled to man up and flung 16 F-14s off the deck very rapidly. Since the gig was up, at 20 miles from the edge of the outer ships, the Libyians as a group turned their heavily armed planes back and were escorted by VF-14 "Tophatters" and VF-32 "Swordsmen" Tomcats most of the way back. We were flabbergasted that the fighters weren`t ALLOWED to "splash" every single 1 of them. AMAZINGLY, there was never a SINGLE word in the news or any paper I could find even mentioning it. The ship relieving us was USS Nimitz, and 1 of her 2 fighter squadrons VF-41 "Jolly Rogers" took down 2 Su-22 "Fitter"Cs that foolishly fired missiles beyond effective range. The F-14s launched "Sidewinders" well within range and blew both opponents apart.

[Cane Pole]

You sure have a vivid memory LT.

We still had prop planes when I was in service. AD6. Bad azz plane.

[Cane Pole]

LT.

VF32 flew F8s, the last gunfighter. Also bad azz.

Barnacle Bill might have been interpreting some of the photos from VFP62, also F8 photo squadron.

This might have been after Bills tour of duty as he was taking snapshots from an air balloon with his Nikon.