Embedded Files
Constellation's role in Rolling Thunder began in earnest as the summer of 1967 arrived in the Tonkin Gulf. This meant multiple "alpha strikes" conducted daily. Each alpha strike consisted of a mission by the bulk of the air wing's aircraft agasinst a valuable NVN asset, such as a power plant, bridge, or marshaling area. The mission chronicled below is representative of RVAH-12 participation in these strikes.
0700- There was no formal reveille for aircrew on the schedule for the alpha strike. After dressing and eating breakfast (usually in Wardroom One, forward or on the 03 Level, welcoming to aircrew in flight suits). It was usual to hang around the ready room prior to the the first scheduled event, the pre-strike briefing at 0900.
0900- Alpha stike briefing was attended by all participating aircrew and was held in the Integrated Operational Intelligence Center, which had a suitably large briefing room. Usually there were perhaps 30-40 aviators and flight officers in attendance. The strike leader, usually the CO or XO of one of the attack or fighter squadrons, gave the briefing, which included planned routes of entry, flak suppression tactics, target combat air patrol assignments, and egress route. Communications and procedures for any rescue attempts were also noted. We were interested in these plans, but we often used other routes both in and out, which we were authorized to do.
We returned to the ready room following the briefing. There we coordinated with our F-4 escort crew. The F-4 Phantom II was a high performance fighter, in this case armed with only air to air missiles for escort duty. Still, the A-5 was considerably faster so we generally arranged for the F-4 to cut corners on turns to catch up. In addition to defending against attacks from NVN MiGs, the escort was responsible for watching for tracking antiaircraft fire, and letting us know.
1100 We manned aircraft a half hour before launch. By this time we had donned our equipment for a combat mission over the most heavily defended region of plante earth. Details depended on the preferences of the individual flyer. I mentioned elsewhere my roommate carried a .22 semi auto pistol. Another flyer carried a .357 magnum revolver, of Dirty Harry fame.
I was dressed in Marine fatigues. Olive coloered nomex flight suits were not yeat available, and the bright orange flights suits issused at that time were not suited for evasion. Other equiupment included a anti-g suit, which increased one's tolerance for g-forces in turns. This garment was worn around the waist and legs, and contained bladders hooked up the aircraft, which inflated during high g. Mine had been modifed with pocket above the ankle, which used to carred one or two water bottles. We had been told that one of the first physiological impacts following ejection was extreme thirst.
We were issued a Mark3 C toso harness, which included integrated inflatable life preserver. We had two packages carried in a vest-type garment. On the left side were items to assist in survival. These included water bladders, signaling mirrors, etc. the second package contain dressings, torniquets and other medical supplies. Most of us carried a pocket flare gun in an external pocket on the vest. Finally, one or more survival radios were generally carried. These were crucial in communicating with inbound rescue helicopters. I carried two; my pilot carried none. His opinion was that we were flying is such a highly populated area that we would be picked up immediately rescue was impossible. Fortunately, we didn't find out which of us was right!
Lastly, I carried a S&W .38 Special revolver. I loaded it with no cartridge under the hammer, and alternate tracer and ball ammunition otherwise. My theory is that I could use it for both self defense and rescue alerting purposes.
This all was quite a load, and we were grateful for the use of the escalator from the ready room to the flight deck.
The Navy prides itself on its precise operations, and this definitely incldudes launching an alpha strike. We aviators waiting in the Ready Room received the word to man aircraft over a teleype. It wa a long haul from the second deck (below the hangar deck) to the fight deck;. Fortunately, an escalator was available for all but the last few steps.
The maintenance crew had been busy getting the aircraft ready for combat. The proper camera configuration had been set up and film loaded. We use a LOT of 5” wide film- hundreds of feet for framing cameras, thousands for the panoramic. Technicians began the alignment process for the inertial navigation system. So the A-5 had the appearance of a pre-surgical patient with multiple leads (power, cooling air, and a connecton to the Ships's inertial system), and the “Huffer” start up unit.
Arriving on the flight deck, we dropped our helmets and nav bags below our respective cockpits. We each did our own walk around. I was mainly interested in the condition of the installed cameras and other sensors.
Then it was time to man up. The ladder to the cockpit on a A-5 is quite high. The cockpit is large and easy to get settled in. The PC made the connections: belt and shoulder harness, oxygen, g-suit, and communcations (mike in the oxygen mask and helmet headphones). At this point I attach my mask and go on 100% oxygen. I would leave the mask on until we a are "feet wet," safely over the ocean after cmpleting out mission.
I closed my canopy and began to pre-flight the equipment. The first thing to do was to check the progress of the alignment of the intertial nav system. This was a key piece of equipment. If all worked properly, it would encode position and other flight information on the film, machine readible on the devices in IOIC.
I brought up the remaining equipment: cameras, side looking radar, and navigation radar. I was careful to keep the radar in dummy load mode, to avoid the possibility of a spurious ignition. There was a lot of ordinance nearby!
Power was already on the aircraft as we strapped in, so the radios were operating. Once set to tower frequency we heard some routine calls. One common one was "Say Fox Corpen." This is a goood (or bad) example of the use of brevity code in aviation. Taking it word by work ("Say="please tell me" "Fox"= flight operations, "Corpen"= course to be taken). Thus, "tell me the course we willl be on when we are launching aircaft." Simple, no?
We soon heard the word to "launch all go aircraft." The ship began its tur into the wind and the complex ballet of 40 or 50 aircraft menauvering in a confined space began. This was directed by the "yellow shirts" plane directors, under the command of the flight deck officer. Feeding the aircraft to the four catapults in a coordinated way is complex business and comes only with experience. Uusally the first strike aircraft would be launched on the stroke of the hour as planned. Typically, one aircraft could be launched every 15 seconds from the four catapults, launching the entire strike in 10 minutes or so.
Soon it would be our turn. We go to "hot mike" as the plane director gives us taxiing commands through a complex set of arm motions. Soon we arrive at the bow catapults. Constellation had the capability of launching the heavy RA-5C from any of the four catpults. Mostly we went off the bow cats, but sometimes off the waist. Maneuvering the to the waist cats often involved taxiing very close to the deck edge, with the forward part of the aircraft extending out over the ocean. It was disconcerting to look into my viewfinder and see nothing but water. Still, there were no accidents, at least during this cruise.e
Taxiing onto the catapult itself involved a slight bump as the nose wheel rode over the catapult head. Yellow shirts attached a bridle to it, and a holdback cable. Behind the aircraft, jet blast deflectors were raised. The Catapult Officer gave the signal and the pilot advances the throttles to military power. The cat officer gives the afterburner "twirling fingers" signal for mililary power and then closing and opeing his raised fist, and the pilot cuts in maximum afterburner. At this point the two J-79 turbojets are burning about 3 gallons of jet fuel per second. The supersonic exhaust burned white hot against the deflectors. The pilot checks the engine instruments, lets me know we're about to go, and salutes the cat officer, who returns it. Meanwhile I switch on the radar and radar altimeter. The cat officer takes a quick look around and if all is clear, drops to one knee and touches the deck. The catapult operator, who has been at his deck edge post with arms raised (to guard against inadvertant launching), drops his arm and triggers the catapult.
The cockpits descend lightly as the landing gear oleos compress, then begins accelerating down the cat track. You're forced back against the seatback and your eyes defocus slightly. With a bang at the end of the cat track, you are airborne. Less then three sedonds has elapsed.
You check the radar altimeter to ensure we've stablished a positive climb rate. Once established, the pilot sets military power, which shuts off the afterburners. We begin our climb to our initial altitude, typically 20,000 feet, where he reduces power to cruise while the air group assembles. Our F-4 escort joins up at this time. We follow the strike group at a distance. As the plane climbs, I check out the equipment: Side looking radar operation, intertial navigator, flight instruments, cameras, etc. As we turn toward land, I confirm our postion with the radar.
If we're on a Rolling Thunder battle damage assessment mission, we go in last. The pilot, who has been at cruise power so far, advances the throttles to Minimum Afterburner. This has the advantage of giving us a boost in thrust and reduction of the smoke trail, but without the colossal fuel expenditure of maximum afterburner. We nose over as well and we quickly accelerate though Mach 1. We contact Red Crown for clearance to go feet dry. Red Crown is a Navy heavy missile cruiser responsible for anti air operations in the Gulf. Red Crown checks all aircraft in as the head for North Vietnam, then again on the way out.
If we are equipped with the 18 inch panoramic camera, my obtaining good photos of the target is easier because of thier very large field of regard. In any case, I keep an eye on the viewfinder to track the target though the scribed camera field of view markings. The viewfinder also displays the ground speed the system is using to ensure proper image motion compensation.
In the absence of enemy action, most camera runs are completed in a matter of minutes. We turn toward the sea, contact RED CROWN that we are going feet wet (back over the Gulf). Usually we have some time before it's out turn to recover. Daytime landings with highly experienced pilots are not a problem and usually go smoothly. We fly over the carrier along its course, make a 180 degree turn and prepare for landing by lowering the landing gear, flaps and droops (leading edge flaps). Flying past abeam, we turn left on the base leg, then turn again back to the carrier's course. Approaching the carrier, the pilot tells me he's got the ball, refering to the optical reference of the Fresnel lens optical landing system. I call the Landing Signal Officer, "Speartip 123, Vigilante ball, auto, State 3.3." Translating, squadron and aircraft number; aircraft ype and ball acknowledgement, using approach power compensation, and 3300 pounds of fuel on board. The LSO responds "Roger, ball."
The remainder of the approach can be very quiet or the quite the opposite. Quiet is good, since it means that the LSO is satisfied with the progress of the approach. If not, one might hear, "attitude....atitude... power...power...POWER...WAVE OFF!" Pilots joke that they would eject on the third power call. At least I think they were joking.
It's a relief to be be back on board again. We're not quite done yet, though. First a trip to the maintenance spaces to report any issues with the aircraft, then to IOIC to debrief. Photographs are quickly processed and critqued. Then to the Ready Room to put our feet up and relax. We ask the duty officer, "what's the movie tonight?"
USS Constellation Cruise Chronology
USS Constellation Cruise Chronology
See logbook50.com for additional details
29 Apr- Depart NS San Diego
29 Apr- Depart NS San Diego
15 May- In- Chop
15 May- In- Chop
28 May- First line period begins
Strike Kep airfield
11 Jun First line period ends
19 Jun- Second line period begins
June 19 loss 670619- F4B Phantom to AAA, crew recovered
28 June loss 670628- F4B to AAA, crew captured
30 June loss 670630- A4C Skyhawk to AAA, pilot captured
24 Jul- Second line period ends
2 Aug- Third line period begins
August 10 victory 670810 MiG-21 Shot Down by VF-142 F-4B
August 13 loss 670813- RA-5C to AAA; crew captured
17 Aug 670817- RA-5C LOST TO UNKNOWN CAUSES- BOTH CREWMEMBERS KIA
21 Aug 670821- F4B Lost to AAA
23 Aug. 670821- F4B Lost to AAA
3 Sep- Third line period ends
26 Sep- Fourth line period begins
13 Oct- Fourth line period ends
24 Oct- Fifth line period begins
671103- KA-3B lost in catapult accident
11 Nov- Fifth line period ends
26 Nov- Out- CHOP
4 Dec- Return to NS San Diego
4 Dec- Return to NS San Diego
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