The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Mayaguez Incident (May 12-16, 1975)

When U.S. troops were pulled out of Southeast Asia in early 1975, Vietnamese communist troops began capturing one city after another, with Hue, Da Nang and Ban Me Thuot in March, Xuan Loc in April, and Saigon on April 30. In Cambodia, communist Khmer Rouge had captured the capital city of Phnom Penh on April 17. The last Americans were evacuated from Saigon during "Option IV", with U.S. Ambassador Martin departing on April 29. The war, according to President Ford, "was finished."

2Lt. Richard VandeGeer, assigned to the 21st Special Ops Squadron at NKP, had participated in the evacuation of Saigon, where helicopter pilots were required to fly from the decks of the 7th fleet carriers stationed some 500 miles offshore, fly over armed enemy-held territory, collect American and allied personnel and return to the carriers via the same hazardous route, heavily loaded with passengers. VandeGeer wrote to a friend "We pulled out close to 2,000 people. We couldn't pull out any more because it was beyond human endurance to go any more..."

Marine searching the decks of the Mayaguez during the retaking of the ship Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

At 2:14 p.m. on May 12, the U.S. merchant ship MAYAGUEZ was seized by the Khmer Rouge in the Gulf of Siam about 60 miles from the Cambodian coastline and 8 miles from the Poulo Wai. The ship, owned by Sea-Land Corporation, was en route to Sattahip, Thailand from Hong-Kong, carrying a non-arms cargo for military bases in Thailand.

Capt. Charles T.Miller, a veteran of more than 40 years at sea, was on the bridge. He had steered the ship within the boundaries of international waters, but the Cambodians had recently claimed territorial waters 90 miles from the coast of Cambodia. The 40 seamen aboard were taken prisoner.

President Ford ordered the aircraft carrier USS CORAL SEA, the guided missile destroyer USS HENRY B.WILSON and the USS HOLT to the area of seizure. By night, a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft located the MAYAGUEZ at anchor off Pou lo Wal Island. Plans were made to rescue the crew. A battalion landing team of 1100 Marines was ordered flown from bases in Okinawa and the Philippines to assemble at Utapao,Thailand in preparation for the assault.

The first casualties of the effort to free the MAYAGUEZ are recorded on May 13 when a helicopter carrying Air Force security team personnel crashed en route to Utapao, killing all 23 aboard.

Marines raised the American flag [U.S. Navy photo from Sealift]

Early in the morning of May 13, the MAYAGUEZ was ordered to head for Koh Tang Island. Its crew was loaded aboard a Thai fishing boat and was taken first to Koh Tang, then to the mainland city of Kompong Song, then to Rong Sam Lem Island. U.S.intelligence had observed a cove with considerable activity on the Island of Koh Tang, a small 4.5 mile long island about 35 miles off the coast of Cambodia southwest of the city of Sihanoukvulle (Kampong Saom), and believed that some of the crew might be held there. They also knew of the Thai fishing boat, and had observed what appeared to be caucasians aboard it, but it could not be determined if some of all of the crew was aboard.

The USS HOLT was ordered to move the Mayaguez...or incapacitate it by blasting the propellar off, or to sink it. Marines were to land on the island and rescue any of the crew. Navy jets from the USS CORAL SEA were to make 4 strikes on military installments on the Cambodian mainland.

On May 15, the first wave of 179 Marines headed for the island aboard 8 Air Force "Jolly Green Giant" helicopters. 3 Air Force helicopters unloaded Marines from the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines onto the landing pad of the USS HOLT and then headed back to Utapao to pick up the second wave of Marines. Planes dropped tear gas on the MAYAGUEZ, and the USS HOLT pulled up along side the vessel and the Marines stormed aboard. The MAYAGUEZ was deserted.

Marines on the West Beach of Koh Tan Island Photo courtesy of Les McNemar

Simultaneously, the Marines of the 2/9 were making their landings on two other areas of the island. The eastern landing zone was on the cove side where the Cambodian compound was located. The western landing zone was a narrow split of beach about 500 feet behind the compound on the other side of the island. The Marines hoped to surround the compound.

As the first troops began to unload on both beaches, the Cambodians opened fire. On the western beach, one helicopter was hit and flew off crippled to ditch in the ocean about 1 mile away. The pilot had just disembarked his passengers, and was rescued at sea.

Meanwhile, the eastern landing zone had become a disaster. The first two heliopters landing were met by enemy fire. Ground Commander,(now) Col. Randall W.Austin had been told to expect between 20 and 40 Khmer Rouge soldiers on the island. Instead, between 150 and 200 were encountered. Lt.John Schramm's helicopter tore apart and crashed into the surf after the rotor system was hit. All aboard made a dash for the tree line on the beach.

One CH-53 helicopter was flown by U.S.Air Force Major Howard Corson and 2Lt. Richard VandeGeer and carrying 23 U.S. Marines and 2 U.S. Navy Corpsman, all from the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. As the helicopter approached the island, it was caught in a cross fire and hit by a rocket. The severely damaged helicopter crashed into the sea just off the coast of the island and exploded. To avoid enemy fire, survivors were forced to swim out to sea for rescue. Twelve aboard, including Major Corson, were rescued. Those missing from the helicopter were 2Lt. Richard VandeGeer, PFC Daniel Benedett, PFC Lynn Blessing, PFC Walter Boyd, Lcpl.Gregory Copenhaver, Lcpl. Andres Garcia, PFC Antonio Sandoval, PFC Kelton Turner...all U.S.Marines. Also missing were HM1 Bernard Gause Jr. and HM Ronald Manning, both U.S.Navy Corpsman.

Aerial surveillance of USS Holt during the retaking of the SS Mayaguez Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

Other helicopters were more successful in landing their passengers. One CH53A, however was not. SSgt. Elwood Rumbaugh's aircraft was near the coastline when it was shot down. Rumbaugh is the only missing man from the aircraft. The passengers were safely extracted. (It is not known whether the passengers went down with the aircraft or whether they were rescued from the island.)

By midmorning, when the Cambodians on the mainland began receiving reports of the assault, they ordered the crew of the MAYAGUEZ on a Thai boat, and then left. The MAYAGUEZ crew was recovered by the USS Wilson before the second wave of Marines was deployed, but the second wave was ordered to attack anyway.

Late in the afternoon, the assault force had consolidated its position on the western landng zone and the eastern landing zone was evacuated at 6:00 p.m. By the end of the 14-hour operation, most of the Marines were extracted from the island safely, with 50 wounded. Lcpl. Ashton Loney had been killed when he stepped on mine.

Protecting the perimeter during the final evacuation was the machine squad of PFC Gary Hall, Lcpl. Joseph Hargrove and Pvt. Danny Marshall. They had run out of ammunition and were ordered to evacuate on the last helicopter. It was their last contact. Maj. McNemar and Maj. James Davis made a final sweep of the beach before boarding the helicopter and were unable to locate them. They were declared Missing in Action. In 1998 a former Khmer medical officer and eyewitness to the battle aftermath claimed to have seen four (4) American prisoners taken off the island to the mainland. The Joint Task Force for Full Accounting can only speculate as to who the fourth prisoner could have been.

Aerial of two helicopters shot down on the East Beach of Koh Tang Island Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

The 18 men missing from the MAYAGUEZ incident are listed among the missing from the Vietnam war. Although authorities believe that there are perhaps hundreds of American prisoners still alive in Southeast Asia from the war, most are pessimistic about the fates of those captured by the Khmer Rouge.

In 1988, the communist government of Kampuchea (Cambodia) announced that it wished to return the remains of several dozen Americans to the United States. (In fact, the number was higher than the official number of Americans missing in Cambodia.) Because the U.S. does not officially recognize the Cambodian goverment, it has refused to respond directly to the Cambodians regarding the remains. Cambodia, wishing a direct acknowledgment from the U.S. Government, still holds the remains.

What makes a hero ?
- perhaps it is being in the right place at the wrong time...and a lot more -

AF SSgt John D. Harston was a flight mechanic aboard Maj. Howard Corson's CH-53 helicopter, one of two that attempted the first landings on Koh Tang's now infamous east beach. They were still about 40 feet in the air when groundfire ripped their aircraft apart. It exploded and fell in flames into the shallow water.

Shot in the leg and dazed by the crash, Sergeant Harston barely managed to get out of the burning Super Jolly Green helicopter. The survivors outside were under heavy small arms fire from the beach, so he reentered the plane to get his M-16 rifle. Inside, he found some Marines still trapped. Harston led them through the flames to safety.

The first thing Major Corson remembers seeing after the crash was Harston standing outside in chest-deep water trying to open Carston's jammed side-door exit. They realized at the same time it wasn't necessary -- there was no aircraft ahead of the major's seat. It had been blown away. He just stepped forward into the water.

Ignoring the hail of bullets all around them, Harston went around to the other side to free the body of his copilot. The flames drove him back.

As the survivors edged out to sea, Harston stayed back to provide covering fire with his M-16 and pistol. Soon out of ammunition, he picked up the only remaining Marine and headed for deeper water. They were 40 yards offshore when they heard the cries of one more seriously injured, blinded Marine struggling alone near the wreckage.

Sergeant Harston, with the first Marine hanging onto his webbing, went back to help. In the process, one side of his life preserver was shot away and he was stunned by another bullet that hit his helmet. Neither Marine had a life preserver.

In spite of his leg wound, Sergeant Harston managed to swim out to deeper water, tugging the two injured Marines along. Among 10 other survivors, they were eventually rescued by a Navy destroyer.

SSgt. Harston was awarded the Air Force Cross - as were Lt. Richard C. Brims ( Pilot of Knife 51 ) Capt. Roland W. Purser ( pilot of Jolly 43 ), and Lt. Donald R. Backlund ( pilot of the "last train out of town" from Koh Tangs beseiged east beach, Jolly 11 ).

Additionally, the following recieved the Silver Star that day:

A1C Brad Marx, Sgt Thomas Bateson, Sgt Randy Hoffmaster, SSgt Joseph Stanaland, SSgt Harry Cash, TSgt Wayne Fisk, MSgt John Eldridge, Lt Robert Blough, Lt Thomas Cooper, Lt. Dennis Danielson, Lt Robert Grandle, Lt Charles Greer, Lt Michael Lackey, Lt John Lucas, Lt Philip Pacini, Lt John Schramm, Lt Gary Weikel, Capt Barry Walls, Capt Terry Ohlemeier, Maj Howard Corson, Maj Robert Undorf, Lt Col John Denham.

01 OCT 2000:
From DPMO - MIA SERVICEMEN IDENTIFIED FROM MAYAGUEZ INCIDENT

Nine servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been accounted for and their remains returned to their families for burial in the United States. They are identified as Lcpl. Gregory S.Copenhaver, Lcpl. Andres Garcia, Pfc. Walter Boyd, PFC Lynn Blessing, PFC Antonio Sandoval, PFC Kelton R. Turner, all U.S.Marines. Also accounted-for is HN Ronald J. Manning and HM1 Bernard Gause, both Navy Corpsmen and 2Lt. Richard VandeGeer USAF.

On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the SS Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. The vessel was taken to Koh [island] Tang. Alerted to the capture, U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. After efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces were ordered to undertake a rescue mission. Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, six Air Force helicopters were dispatched to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire as it approached the eastern beach of the island. The aircraft crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Half were rescued at sea, leaving 13 unaccounted-for. The United States, Cambodian and Vietnamese government efforts to resolve the cases of these unaccounted-for servicemen was massive.

This photograph was taken minutes before the helicopter departed, bound for Utapeo. It crashed shortly after takeoff.

Between 1991-99, U.S. and Cambodian investigators conducted seven joint investigations, led by the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting. Additionally, on three occasions Cambodian authorities unilaterally turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In October and November 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located numerous remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. The USS Brunswick, a Navy salvage vessel, enabled the specialists to conduct their excavation off shore. In addition to the support provided by the Cambodian government, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam also interviewed two Vietnamese informants in Ho Chi Minh City who turned over remains that were later positively identified. Analysis of the remains and other evidence was made by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii, which also conducted all the remains recovery operations. The CILHI made extensive use of mitochondrial DNA as one of the forensic identification tools to establish the identity of these men.

Additional Sources:

members.tripod.com/~GranzowMissingLinks/POW_MIA.html
www.geocities.com/Pentagon/3227/maya.htm
www.henninger.com
afsf.lackland.af.mil

Today's classic warship, USS Pensacola (CA-24)

Pensacola class heavy cruiser
Displacement: 9,100 t.
Length: 585’8”
Beam: 65’3”
Draft: 15’2”
Speed: 32 k.
Complement: 653
Armament: 10 8”; 4 5”; 6 21” torpedo tubes

The USS PENSACOLA (CA-24) was laid down by the New York Navy Yard 27 October 1926; launched 25 April 1929; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph L. Seligman; and commissioned 6 February 1930, Capt. Alfred G Howe in command.

PENSACOLA departed New York 24 March 1930 transited the Panama Canal to Callao, Peru, and Valparaiso Chile, before returning to New York 5 June. For the next four years she operated along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean Sea, several times transiting the Panama Canal for combined Fleet battle practice ranging from California to Hawaii.

PENSACOLA departed Norfolk 15 January 1935 to join the Pacific Fleet arriving San Diego, her new home port, 30 January. Fleet problems ranged to Hawaii, one cruise took her to Alaska, and combined fleet maneuvers returned her briefly to the Caribbean Sea before she sailed 5 October 1939 to base at Pearl Harbor, arriving the 12th. Maneuvers frequently found the cruiser off Midway and French Frigate Shoals, and she made one voyage to Guam.

PENSACOLA departed Pearl Harbor 29 November 1941 with a convoy bound for Manila in the Philippines. After the infamous raid on Pearl Harbor, the convoy was diverted to Australia, entering Brisbane Harbor 7 January 1942. PENSACOLA returned to Pearl Harbor 19 January and put to sea 5 February to patrol the approaches to the Samoan Islands. On 17 February 1942, she rendezvoused off Samoa with Carrier Task Force 11, built around the aircraft carrier LEXINGTON (CV-2).

Near Bougainville, Solomons, PENSACOLA's gunners helped repel two waves of Japanese bombers, 20 February. Not a ship of the carrier task force was damaged. Antiaircraft fire and LEXINGTON Combat Air Patrol planes shot down 17 of the 18 attackers. One pilot, Lt. Edward H. O'Hare, destroyed five enemy planes in a gallant fight that made him the first Ace of the Navy in World War II and won him the Medal of Honor.

PENSACOLA continued to help guard LEXINGTON on offensive patrol in the Coral Sea until carrier YORKTOWN (CV-5) joined the task force 6 March. The American ships steamed for the Gulf of Papua where, 10 March, LEXINGTON launched planes for a surprise strike over the Owen Stanley mountains at Japanese shipping and installations at Salamaua and Lae. A complete surprise, the raid caused heavy damage. The task force then turned toward Noumea, New Caledonia, to replenish. PENSACOLA patrolled with the YORKTOWN carrier task force until 8 April, then headed, via Samoa, for Pearl Harbor, arriving 21 April. She carried Marine Fighting Squadron 212 to Efate in the New Hebrides Islands and returned to Pearl Harbor with famed carrier ENTERPRISE (CV-6) 26 May.

PENSACOLA departed Pearl Harbor 28 May with the ENTERPRISE task force for a rendezvous 2 June northeast of Midway with units of Task Force 17. Two days later, 4 June, when the Japanese armada came within range of the American carriers, the decisive Battle of Midway commenced.

Adm. Spruance's torpedo planes and dive-bombers attacked the Japanese carriers. AKAGI and KAGA went up in flames, and SORYU was badly damaged. A fourth enemy carrier, HIRYU, still at large, launched strikes at YORKTOWN and the American flattops struck back, leaving the enemy carrier hit many times, in a mass of flames. Meanwhile, gallant YORKTOWN, hit by three bombs, was fighting for her life. PENSACOLA raced from the ENTERPRISE screen to aid the stricken carrier. YORKTOWN was dead in the water when PENSACOLA arrived, and the cruiser assisted in shooting down four enemy torpedo bombers during a second attack.

Despite all that could be done, YORKTOWN received two torpedo hits amidships and had to be abandoned. PENSACOLA rejoined the screen of ENTERPRISE to pursue the retiring Japanese.

PENSACOLA returned to Pearl Harbor 13 June and, with ENTERPRISE, again put to sea 22 June carrying 1,157 marines of Marine Aircraft Group 22 to Midway. She patrolled and trained in Hawaiian waters until 7 August. As Marines stormed the shores of Guadalcanal, the cruiser set course for the Solomons in the screen of carriers SARATOGA (CV-3), HORNET (CV-8) and WASP (CV-7) to support the leathernecks in that bitter campaign. In submarine infested waters, torpedoes damaged SARATOGA 31 August and sank WASP 15 September.

PENSACOLA arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, 26 September and departed with carrier HORNET 2 October to strike the enemy in the Santa Isabel-Guadalcanal area. On 24 October, HORNET’s carrier task group joined ENTERPRISE and the combined force steamed to intercept enemy warships approaching the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area.

On 26 October 1942, search planes located a Japanese carrier and battleship formation, beginning the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands which was fought without contact being made between surface ships of the opposing forces. Air strikes inflicted severe bomb damage to Japanese carriers ZUIHO and SHOKAKU, and sank Japanese light cruiser YURA. Bomb hits damaged battleship KIRISHIMA and other enemy ships.

PENSACOLA helped fight off a coordinated dive bombing and torpedo plane raid which damaged HORNET so severely that she had to be abandoned. Within minutes of the attack on HORNET, 24 dive bombers dropped 23 bombs in a run on ENTERPRISE. Despite damage, the famed "Fighting Lady" launched a large number of planes from abandoned HORNET besides her own.

PENSACOLA received 55 officers and 133 men--survivors from HORNET whom she debarked at Noumea, 30 October 1942. The Task Force had turned back a Japanese attempt to regain Guadalcanal, sunk cruiser YURA(?), and damaged a number of enemy capital ships. Japanese carriers had lost 123 planes.

PENSACOLA departed Noumea 2 November 1942 to guard transports landing Marine reinforcements, and supplies, at Aola Bay, Guadalcanal. She helped guard ENTERPRISE during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 12-13 November 1942. Planes from ENTERPRISE assisted in the sinking of battleship HIEI, one cruiser, three destroyers, and eleven auxiliaries and the damaging of four Japanese cruisers and four destroyers.

PENSACOLA returned to Espiritu Santo to join cruiser-destroyer Task Force 67 under Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright. On 29 November, the task force sailed to intercept a Japanese destroyer-transport force expected off Guadalcanal the next night. Just before midnight of the 30th, the American ships transited Lengo Channel and headed past Henderson Field on Guadalcanal as the Japanese task group steamed on a southerly course west of Savo Island to enter "Ironbottom Sound."

The two opposing task forces clashed in the Battle of Tassafaronga. American destroyers launched torpedoes as the enemy range came within five miles of PENSACOLA's cruiser formation. Now gun flashes, tracers, and star shell candles stained the inky darkness. Japanese destroyer TAKANAMI, hit many times, was afire and exploding. American flagship MINNEAPOLIS (CA-36) took two torpedo hits that blasted her bow downward like an immense scoop and left her forecastle deck awash, but she continued to fight on. NEW ORLEANS (CA-32) next astern, closed the disabled MINNEAPOLIS and ran into the track of a torpedo that ripped off the forward part of the warship.

PENSACOLA turned left to prevent collision with two damaged American ships ahead of her. Silhouetted by the burning American cruisers, she came in the Japanese line of fire. One of 18 torpedoes launched by Japanese destroyers hit her below the mainmast on the portside. Her engine room flooded, three gun turrets went out of commission, and her oil tanks ruptured to make a soaked torch of her mast. Meantime, HONOLULU (CL-48) maneuvered radically at 30 knots, her guns continuing their rapid fire as she escaped the trap. But the last American cruiser in column, NORTHAMPTON (CA-26), took two torpedo hits to duplicate on a larger scale the havoc inflicted on PENSACOLA.

The oil-fed flames engulfed PENSACOLA's main deck aft where torpedoes and machine gun ammunition exploded. Only supreme effort and skillful damage control by her gallant men saved the ship. The fire, punctuated by the frightful explosion of 8-inch projectiles in her Number 3 turret, gradually subsided. PENSACOLA made steady progress towards Tulagi. She arrived there still aflame. After twelve hours the last fire was quenched. Her dead numbered 7 officers and 118 men. One officer and 67 men were injured.

Camouflaged as part of the island, PENSACOLA made repairs in Tulagi Harbor that enabled her to steam to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Island. She arrived there 6 December for emergency repairs by repair ship VESTAL (AR-4) until she sailed 7 January 1943 via Samoa to Pearl Harbor, arriving 27 January.

Alongside USS Vestal (AR-4), undergoing repair of torpedo damage received during the Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal on 30 November 1942. Note the hole in her side below the mainmast, and the extensive fire damage in the area of that mast and the number three eight-inch gun turret. Photographed at Espirito Santo, New Hebrides, on 17 December 1942.

On 8 November, PENSACOLA sailed from Pearl Harbor in the screen of Southern Attack Force aircraft carriers. On 19 November, PENSACOLA made bombardment runs on Betio and Tarawa. She rained 600 projectiles to put coast defense guns out of action, and destroyed enemy beach defenses and numerous buildings. As troops stormed ashore on Tarawa 20 November, the cruiser screened carriers launching air strikes supporting the landings. That night she fought off Japanese torpedo bombers and assisted torpedo-damaged carrier INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22) into Funafuti, Ellice Islands.

For the next two months, she ranged out of that base to screen carriers covering the movement of reinforcements and supplies to the Gilberts. On 29 January 1944, she began strikes and bombardments to destroy Japanese air power and shipping in the Marshall Islands. That night, PENSACOLA helped bombard Tarao in the Eastern Marshalls. She then slammed shells into airfield runways, seaplane ramps, ammunition stowage areas and buildings on Wotje. She continued pounding these targets as Marines and Army troops landed 31 January to seize Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls. Invasion of the Marshall Islands continued 1 February as Marines occupied Roi and Namur Islands. PENSACOLA continued to hit hard at Tarao, Maloelap Atoll through 18 February, destroying coastal defenses and air bases of the enemy in the eastern Marshalls. Operating from Majuro and Kwajalein, she continued to patrol in approaches of the Marshalls. She again served in the screen of fast carriers conducting raids in the Carolines 30 March-1 April, against Japanese defenses at Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai.

PENSACOLA departed Majuro 25 April sailing via Pearl Harbor and Mare Island for duty in the Northern Pacific, arriving in Kulak Bay 27 May. On 13 June, she joined her cruiser-destroyer task force in raining destruction on the airfields of Matsuwa, Kuriles. In the early morning of 26 June, she fired 300 8-inch projectiles to destroy shipping, airfields and installations at Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiru To, Kuriles, returning to Kulak Bay 28 June. PENSACOLA continued patrol in Alaskan waters until departing Kulak Bay 8 August for Hawaii.

PENSACOLA arrived Pearl Harbor 13 August and put to sea the 29th. Enroute to the Marianas 3 September, she joined an air-sea bombardment of Wake Island. On 9 October, she pounded the main radio station and installations on Marcus Island. She and her sister cruisers and destroyers stirred up a fire melee in their "impersonation" of Halsey's 3rd Fleet to lead the Japanese into thinking the ladder of islands to the Bonins was next on the American timetable for invasion. Meanwhile, Adm. Halsey's units advanced on the Philippines while Fast Carriers rained destruction on the enemy air and Fleet bases at Okinawa and Formosa.

PENSACOLA made rendezvous with the units of the Fast Carrier Task Force retiring from the great air battles over Formosa. After protecting battle damaged cruisers CANBERRA (CA-70) and HOUSTON (CL-81) to Ulithi, she joined a Fast Carrier Task Group, including WASP (CV-18), 16 October. The following day, troops supported by the 7th Fleet, began the liberation of the Philippine Islands.

PENSACOLA screened fast aircraft carriers striking Luzon and directly supported the invasion of Leyte beginning 20 October. She raced north to aid in the destruction of the enemy carrier force in the Battle of Cape Engano 25 October, then turned south as the fast carriers launched planes to aid the gallant escort carriers.

PENSACOLA bombarded Iwo Jima the night of 11-12 November and returned to Ulithi the 14th. As she was about to depart for Saipan 20 November, she spotted a periscope about 1,200 yards to starboard. As she maneuvered clear, destroyer CASE (DD-370) rammed the enemy. Four minutes later, her men witnessed the flaming explosion that destroyed fleet oiler MISSISSINEWA (AO-59), victim of a Japanese midget submarine.

PENSACOLA arrived Saipan 22 November to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima. Five nights later, she helped splash several attacking Japanese aircraft. She departed Saipan 6 December, plastered Iwo Jima with 500 8-inch projectiles on the 8th. She returned to Iwo Jima on the 24th and the 27th, pounding mountain gun positions north of Suribachi Mountain. She hit defenses on Chichi Jima and Haha Jima as well as Iwo Jima on 5 and 24 January 1945.

At Ulithi, 27 January, PENSACOLA formed with a battleship-cruiser-destroyer gunstrike task force under Rear Admiral B. J. Rodgers. Six battleships, four cruisers and a destroyer screen comprised the bombardment force which sailed 10 February via Tinian to Iwo Jima.

On 16 February, PENSACOLA opened fire on the northwest sector of Iwo Jima to prepare for the landings. That afternoon Lt. (j.g.) Douglas W. Gandy, USNR piloting one of PENSACOLA's gun-spotter scout planes, shot down a Japanese fighter. The next morning, PENSACOLA took six hits from enemy shore batteries as her guns covered operations of the minesweepers close inshore. Three of her officers and 14 men were killed. Another five officers and 114 men were injured.

PENSACOLA fired back as she retired for temporary repairs then returned to her bombardment station. The morning of 19 February she commenced harassing and counter-battery fire in direct support of the invasion landings. Her deadly guns fought day and night into 1 March when she silenced enemy shore batteries which had hit destroyer TERRY (DD-513) amidships. After helping TERRY’s wounded, she resumed direct bombardment support to advancing Marines that continued into 3 March.

She arrived in Ulithi 5 March and put to sea on the 20th to support the invasion and capture of Okinawa, the "last stepping stone" to Japan.

On 25 March, PENSACOLA bombarded enemy defenses and covered the operations of minesweepers preparing the way for the Okinawa invasion landings. On 27 March, she spotted a torpedo wake on her port quarter. A second "fish" streaked towards the ship from dead astern. As her 40mm gunners opened fire on the torpedoes, PENSACOLA went hard left then hard right to parallel the deadly missiles. The first torpedo missed her starboard quarter by less than twenty feet. The second passed some twenty yards along the port side of the cruiser as her gunners opened with automatic weapons on a submarine periscope.

PENSACOLA gave direct bombardment support to the initial invasion of Okinawa 1 April and continued to blast at enemy targets until the 15th. She then sailed via Guam and Pearl Harbor for home. She arrived at Mare Island 7 May for overhaul.

She sailed 3 August for Adak, Alaska and was there when hostilities ended. On the 31st, she sailed with units of Cruiser Division Five enroute to Ominato, Northern Honshu, Japan. She anchored in the outer harbor of Ominato 8 September.

PENSACOLA departed Ominato 14 November to embark 200 veterans at Iwo Jima, then touched Pearl Harbor enroute to San Francisco, Calif., arriving 3 December. Five days later, she put to sea for Apra Harbor, Guam, where she embarked nearly 700 veterans for transport to San Diego, arriving 9 January 1946.

PENSACOLA departed San Pedro 29 April to stage with units of Joint Task Force One at Pearl Harbor in preparation for operation "Crossroads," the atomic bomb experiments at Bikini Atoll. She stood out of Pearl Harbor 20 May and reached Bikini the 29th to serve as a target ship. She survived the tests of 1 July and 25 July 1946. On 24 August 1946 she was taken in tow for Kwajalein where she decommissioned 26 August 1946. Her hulk was turned over to the custody of Joint Task Force One for radiological and structural studies. On completion of these studies, her hulk was sunk 10 November 1948.

View on the ship's afterdeck, looking forward, showing damage inflicted during the Operation "Crossroads" atomic bomb tests at Bikini, in July 1946. Men in the foreground are examining the remains of equipment placed on her deck to test the effects of the bomb explosion. Note the caution signs painted on her after eight-inch gun turret, presumably to reduce fire risks and prevent the taking of radioactive items as souvenirs.

PENSACOLA received thirteen battle stars for World War II service.

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on June 12:
1519 Cosmos de Medici art patron (Accademia del Disegno)
1771 Patrick Gass Falling Springs PA, sgt of Lewis & Clark Expedition
1819 Charles Kingsley England, clergyman/novelist (Westward Ho!)
1829 Johanna Spyri Switzerland, writer (Heidi)
1851 Oliver Joseph Lodge England, early radio pioneer
1885 Werner Josten Elberfeld Germany, composer (Jungle)
1897 Alexandre Tansman Lodz Poland, composer (Dyptique)
1897 Anthony Eden Earl of Avon (C), British PM (1955-57)
1909 Archie Bleyer Corona NY, orch leader (Arthur Godfrey)
1912 Russell "Lucky" Hayden Chico Calif, actor (Judge Roy Bean)
1914 William Lundigan Syracuse NY, actor (Climax)
1915 David Rockefeller banker, international power broker
1916 Irwin Allen disaster-movie producer (Towering Inferno)
1917 Priscilla Lane US, actress (Arsenic & Old Lace)
1919 Uta Hagen Germany, actres (Boys From Brazil)/teaches acting
1919 Vera Hruba Ralston actress (Dakota, Accused of Murder)
1920 Peter Jones England, actor (From a Bird's Eye View)
1921 James Houston Toronto, author/filmmaker (Tikta'Liktak)
1924 George Herbert Walker Bush (R) 43rd VP (1981-89) 41st Pres (1989- )
1927 Henry Slesar Brooklyn NY, headwriter (Edge of Night)
1928 Vic Damone [Vito Farinola], Bkln, singer (the Street Where You Live)
1929 Anne Frank Holland, diarist/Nazi victim
1930 Barbara Harris famous African
1932 Jim Nabors Sylacauga Al, actor/singer (Gomer Pyle)
1932 Rona Jaffe novelist (Mazes & Monsters)
1941 Chick Corea Chelsea Mass, jazz musician (Delhpi I, Toy Dance)
1941 Roy Harper Manchester, rocker (Folkjokeopus)
1943 Marv Albert NYC, "Yes!" sportscaster (NBC-TV)
1943 Reg Presley rock vocalist (Troggs-Wild Thing)
1944 Linda Foster Lancaster England, actress (Doris-Hank)
1951 Brad Delp guitarist (Boston-More Than a Feeling)
1952 Ben E Carlos drummer (Cheap Trick-Dream Police)
1952 Dale Krantz singer (Crossings-Collis Band)
1952 Oliver Knussen Glasgow Scotland, composer (Chicara)
1952 Seigfried Brietzke German DR, coxless rower (Oly-gold-1972, 76, 80)
1953 Grace Jones Kingston Jamacia (she claims but actually 5/19/48)
1953 Rebecca Holden Austin Tx, actress (April-Knight Rider)
1953 Rocky Burnette Memphis, rocker (Towing the Line)
1957 Jim Morris impressionist/comedian (Ronald Reagan, George Bush)
1957 Timothy Busfield East Lansing Mich, actor (Elliot-30 Something)
1959 Jenilee Harrison Glendale Calif, actress (Cindy-3's Company, Dallas)
1962 Michael Link Provo Utah, actor (Earl-Julia)

Deaths which occurred on June 12:
1963 Medgar Evers NAACP official, murdered in Jackson, Miss at 37
1972 Saul David Alinsky radical writer (John L Lewis), dies at 63
1980 Milburn Stone actor (Doc-Gunsmoke), dies at 75
1983 Norma Shearer Academy Award-winner, dies at 80
1986 Tony Desimone combo leader (Ernie in Kovacsland), dies at 66
2003 David Brinkley (newsman)

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 HOLLAND LAWRENCE T. ALHAMBRA CA.
[EJECTED KILLED IN SHOOTOUT]
1966 HARRIS GREGORY J. SYRACUSE NY.
[USG RECORDS SAY TOLEDO OH FAMILY SAYS NY]
1972 ANGUS WILLIAM K. GOLDEN CO.
[03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1972 WILEY RICHARD D. DECATUR IL.
["EXPLODE, NO PARA,BEEPERS"]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
816 St Leo III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1665 English rename New Amsterdam, New York, after Dutch pull out
1701 Act of Settlement gives English crown to Sophia, Princess of Hanover
1775 1st naval battle of Revolution-Unity (Am) captures Margaretta (Br)
1776 Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights
1787 Law passes providing a senator must be at least 30 years old
1792 George Vancouver discovers site of Vancouver, BC
1812 Napoleon's invasion of Russia begins
1838 Hopkins Observatory, dedicated in Williamstown, Mass
1838 Territory of Iowa organized
1839 1st baseball game played in America
1845 George Abernethy becomes 1st governor of Oregon Country
1849 Gas mask patented by Lewis Haslett, Louisville, Ky
1859 Comstock Silver Lode in Nevada discovered
1867 Austro-Hungarian Empire forms
1880 1st baseball perfect game-John Richmond of Worcester beats Cleve
1885 Roof collapse kills 30 at murder trial in France
1889 Single tornado kills 119, injures 146 (New Richmond Wisc)
1897 Possibly most severe quake in history strikes Assam India. Shock
waves felt over an area size of Europe. Negligible death toll
1898 Philippine nationalists declares independence from Spain to US control
1900 German Navy Law calls for massive increase in sea power
1903 Niagara Falls, Ontario incorporated as a city
1907 Yanks commit 11 errors & lose 14-6 to the Tigers
1913 "The Dachshund" by Pathe Freres, early animated cartoon, released
1917 Secret Service extends protection of president to his family
1918 1st airplane bombing raid by an American unit, France
1920 Farmer Labor Party organized (Chicago)
1922 St Louis gets record 10 hits in a row & beats Phillies 14-8
1923 Harry Houdini frees himself from a straitjacket while suspended
upside down, 40 feet (12 m) above the ground in NYC
1925 William DeHart Hubbard of US, sets long jump record at 25' 10 3/4"
1934 Black-McKeller Bill passes causes Bill Boeing empire to break up
into Boeing United Aircraft [Technologies] & United Air Lines
1935 Chaco War ends between Bolivia & Paraguay [?]
1936 1st 50 KW US radio station (Pittsburgh Pa)
1936 C Jackson discovers asteroid #1394 Algoa
1937 USSR executes 8 army leaders as Stalin's purge continued
1939 Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown NY
1942 Tornado kills 35 in Oklahoma City
1947 Babe Didrikson is 1st American to win Br Women's Amateur Golf Champ
1948 Eddie Arcaro becomes 1st jockey to win the triple crown twice
1952 420th kitten (record) born to cat named Dusty, Bonham, TX
1954 Milwaukee Braves Jim Wilson no-hits Phillies, 2-0
1957 Paul Anderson of US back-lifts a record 2850 kg (6,270 lbs)
1959 SF Giants Mike McCormick no-hits Phillies, 3-0 in 5 inning game
1962 USAF Maj Robert M White takes X-15 to 56,270 m
1964 South Africa sentences Nelson Mandela to life imprisonment
1965 Rolling Stones release "Satisfaction"
1965 The Beatles are awarded the MBE
1967 Israel wins 6 day war
1967 Race riot in Cincinnati Ohio (300 arrested)
1967 Supreme Court unanimously ends laws against interracial marriages
1967 USSR launches Venera 4 for parachute landing on Venus
1967 Wash Senators beat Chic White Sox, 6-5, in 22 innings
1970 Pitts Pirate Dock Ellis no-hits San Diego Padres, 2-0
1971 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2216 Kerch
1971 Tricia Nixon & Edward F Cox marry at White House
1972 John Lennon's political "Sometime in NYC" released including "Woman is the Nigger of the World" "Attica State" & "Luck of the Irish"
1973 Yanks trade wife swapper Mike Kekich for Lowell Palmer
1977 Ground-breaking ceremonies for Pres Kennedy library
1978 David Berkowitz sentenced in NY Supreme Court to 25 yrs to life
1979 Bryan Allen flew man-powered Gossamer Albatross over English Channel in a human-powered aircraft; flight took 2 hrs, 49 min
1979 Kevin St Onge throws a playing card a record 185'
1980 Reagan said he would submit to periodic medical tests
1981 Baseball players begin a 50 day strike, their 3rd strike
1982 750,000 anti-nuclear demonstrators, rally in Central Park NYC
1986 P W Botha declares South African national emergency
1989 Ben Johnson, Canadian Olympian, admits using steroids
1990 NY Yankee reliever Dave Righetti becomes 9th to record 200 saves
1990 Oakland A's Rickey Henderson becomes 2nd to steal 900 bases
1990 NY Mets beat Chicago Cubs 19-8 at Wrigley Field, Cubs outfielder Doug Dazcenzo pitched a scoreless 9th inning

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Finland : Helsinki Day (1550)
Phillipines : Independence Day (1898)
Turk & Cacios Island : Constitution Day
Massachusett : Children's Day - - - - - ( Sunday )
Paraguay : Chaco Peace Day (1935) - - - - - ( Sunday )
Shelby, Mich : National Asparagus Festival - - - - - ( Thursday )
Great Britain : Queen's official birthday (National Day) - - - - - ( Saturday )

Religious Observances
Buddhist-Bhutan : Buddha's Ascension
Christian : Feast of Bl Guy of Cortona
RC : Commem of SS Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, Nazarius, martyrs
RC : Commemoration of St John of San Facondo, confessor

Religious History
1458 In England, the College of St. Mary Magdalen was founded at Oxford University.
1720 Birth of Isaac Pinto, translator of the first Jewish prayerbook published in America.
1744 David Brainerd, 26, was ordained a missionary to the Indians in Colonial New England by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
1914 The first edition of A.T. Robertson's monumental 'Grammar of the Greek New Testament' was released. Its 1400+ pages make it the largest systematic analysis of the original New Testament language ever published.
1950 American missionary martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'Earthly blessing is no sign of heavenly favor. Behold how many wicked prosper.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Death and taxes may always be with us, But at least death doesn't get any worse."

Here we go, another repost but a good one anyways. :)
I'm also on vacation for 10 days (Rushmore & yellowstone here we come),
so if someone wants to post planes in my absence that would be great, otherwise Air Power will return June 23rd.

Air Power
Vought A-7 Corsair II

The A-7 is a modern, sophisticated, integrated, highly versatile airborne weapon system capable of performing a variety of search, surveillance and attack missions. Often called the SLUFF (short little ugly fat fellow), it was called many other names, but beautiful isn't one of them. It is capable of carrying four external wing-mounted 300 gallon fuel tanks, coupled with a variety of ordnance on remaining stations. The A-7 can also conduct in-flight refueling operations and is capable of transferring over 12,000 pounds of fuel. The A-7 has a fully integrated digital navigation/weapon delivery system, and the integration technique is common to all current US Navy and US Air Force attack aircraft. The avionics system, based on state-of-the-art electronics, digital computing techniques, and an automation philosophy, provide unparalleled mission effectiveness and flexibility. With its Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) capability, the A-7's night attack accuracy is equivalent to its day attack accuracy

As applied to an aircraft, the name Corsair has its origins in a series of famous biplanes built for the Navy by the Vought Corporation between World Wars I and II. Later, the name was applied to the famous Vought F4U series of fighters flown by Navy and Marine pilots during World War II. The modern-day descendant of these historic aircraft is the Vought A-7 Corsair II.

Compared with the F-8, the A-7A had a shorter fuselage with less sweepback on the wing, and without that F-8 Crusader’s adjustable wing incidence. Outboard ailerons were introduced on the A-7 wing, and the structure was strengthened to allow the wings and fuselage to carry a total ordnance load of 15,000 lbs on eight stations (two fuselage each with 500 lb capacity, two inboard on the wings with 2,500 lb capacity each, and four on the outer wings with 3,500 lb capacity each) for more than 200 combinations of different stores. The A-7A incorporated the 11,350 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbo-fan engine which had been developed for the F-111. The engine for the A-7, however, was not to have an after-burner.

That the lineage of the A-7 can be traced directly to the Vought F-8 Crusader fighter is obvious. Like the F-8, the configuration of the A-7 is characterized by a high wing, low horizontal tail, chin inlet, and short landing-gear legs that retract into the fuselage. Since the A-7 is a subsonic aircraft, however, no area ruling is incorporated in the fuselage, which is also shorter and deeper than that of the supersonic F-8. Because of the larger mass flow of the turbofan engine employed in the A-7, the size of the chin inlet is somewhat larger than that of the turbojet-powered F-8. These differences make the A-7 appear shorter and more stubby than the earlier fighter. The A-7 is sometimes unofficially called the SLUF (Short Little Ugly Fella) USAF crews.

The wing of the A-7 is closely related in geometry and physical size to that of the F-8. Leading flaps and single-slotted trailing-edge flaps are fitted to the wing, as are upper surface spoilers located ahead of the flaps. Not used on the A-7 is the unique variable-incidence feature of the F-8 wing. The shorter length of the fuselage together with the slight "upsweep" of the underside of the afterbody allow the A-7 to be rotated to a significantly higher pitch angle on takeoff and landing, without tail scrape, than was possible for the F-8. The higher available ground pitch attitude, together with the good augmentation capability of the high-lift system, no doubt played a large part in obviating the need for a variable-incidence capability in the wing. Speed brakes are located on the bottom of the fuselage about midway between the nose and the tail. A braking chute is provided for use in shore-based operations. The A-7A began Vietnam combat operations in December 1967, and proved to be one of the most effective Navy close support and strike aircraft in that conflict. A-7E Corsair IIs were part of the two-carrier battle group that conducted a joint strike on selected Libyan terrorist-related targets in 1986. Together with carrier-based F/A-18s, A-7s used anti-radiation missiles to neutralize Libyan air defenses. During Desert Storm, the A-7 demonstrated over 95% operational readiness and did not miss a single combat sortie.

The A-7 is one of those aircraft with a demonstrated capability of performing well in a wide variety of missions. Other aircraft are faster or have a greater range-payload capability or have a faster rate of climb; sometimes, certain of these characteristics is deemed so important that it dominates the entire design. What results is a "point design" aircraft that can perform one mission extremely well but is relatively much less effective in any other mission. The design parameters of the A-7 were chosen so that the aircraft has great mission versatility. It was successfully employed in just about every conceivable attack role during the Vietnam conflict where it first saw action in 1967.

Contractor: Ling-Temco-Vought (Prime, now Northrop Grumman Corp.)
Power Plant: Single Allison/Rolls Royce TF41-A-400 non-afterburning turbofan engine with a static thrust rating of 15,000 pounds
Accommodations: A-7E Pilot only
TA-7C Two seats
Performance: (A-7E/TA/7C) Maximum speed at 20,000 feet Mach .94

Range: greater than 1,900 nautical miles

External Dimensions:
Wing Span: 11.8m/ 38.73 ft
Length: overall 14.06m/ 46.13 ft
Height: overall 4.90m/ 16.06 ft

Weight: (with TF41-A-2 engine):
Combat (Clean A/P) 25,834 lbs
Maximum takeoff (Overload) 42,000 lbs
Maximum takeoff (Normal) 37,279 lbs
Maximum landing (Carrier) 25,300 lbs

Avionics & Countermeasures:
ALQ-119 ECM [Westinghouse]
ALQ-131 ECM [Westinghouse]
ALQ-123 IR countermeasures [Xerox]
ALQ-126 DECM [Sanders]
ALQ-162 tactical communications jammer [Eaton AIL]
ALQ-162 radar jammer Northrup

Armament: (A-7E/TA-7C) One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six barrel cannon
Six wing pylons
Two fuselage launch stations
Pylons can carry a large single weapon, multiple racks capable of six weapons per rack, or triple racks with three weapons per rack.
Can carry 15,000 pounds of payload
Compatible with practically all first line ordnance used by the U.S./USAF/NATO.

Mission and Capabilities: Modern, sophisticated, integrated, highly versatile airborne weapon system platform
Capable of performing a variety of search, surveillance, and attack missions
Can carry four externally wing-mounted 300 gallon fuel tanks, coupled with a variety of ordnance on remaining stations.
Can conduct in-flight refueling operations
Capable of transferring more than 12,000 pounds of fuel
Fully integrated digital navigation/weapon delivery system is common to all current USN/USAF attack aircraft.

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Hey Boys! Meet Daisy.