A-6 Intruder Units of the Vietnam War by Rick Morgan

Author:Rick Morgan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A-6 Intruder Units of the Vietnam War
ISBN: 9781782003281
Publisher: Osprey Publishing Ltd

LOSSES

Returning to frontline flying at unit level, the tempo of operations at Da Nang was frequently frantic, and mishaps did occur. In wet conditions at 0345 hrs on 24 March 1967 Maj Fred Cone commenced his takeoff roll in DT 8 (BuNo 152608), which was fully loaded (16 Mk 82s and six 2.75-in rocket pods). At some point during the jet’s acceleration down the darkened runway 35-right, he and his B/N, 29-year-old CWO Doug Wilson, saw a C-141A from the 62nd Military Airlift Wing crossing the runway in front of them. Unable to stop, they hit the USAF transport, which was carrying acetylene tanks among its cargo. The Intruder slashed through the forward part of the Starlifter, killing all five in the cockpit. The loadmaster, seated further aft, would be the only survivor.

The A-6 flipped over and started to burn. Somehow, both Cone and Wilson survived, although the fire lasted until dawn. DT 8 was the first Intruder to be lost by the Marine Corps in Vietnam, albeit to an operational mishap.

On the night of 17 April 1967 VMA(AW)-242 had 12 aircraft on the mission schedule – four of these would be cancelled due to the lack of serviceable jets, but three were ‘fragged’ under Rolling Thunder to strike the same storage and trans-shipment area on the coast just south of Vinh. The A-6s took off from Da Nang at 2235 hrs in one-minute trail formation due to poor weather. Such conditions were perfect for the Intruder, however, with broken clouds reportedly at 700 ft and ten miles of visibility. An overcast at 26,000 ft would prevent moonlight from aiding ground observation of the Intruders.

The lead aircraft, DT 7, was forced to abort during climb-out when its radar failed. The second jet, DT 9 (BuNo 152609), crewed by Maj Jim McGarvey and B/N Capt Jim Carlton, assumed the lead, and they headed up the coast with the remaining wingman, DT 1, manned by Capt K D Hornbacher and CWO Doug Wilson (who was one of the survivors of the C-141 collision). VMCJ-1 EF-10B ‘Cottonpicker 69’ remained offshore in support of the Intruders.

The flight descended and ‘Dash-2’ slipped back to take up a one-minute trail position behind lead as briefed. DT 1 approached the coast-in point at 500 ft AGL doing 420 knots. Just prior to the beach they made their final course correction and observed a brilliant orange fireball ahead of them, near the target. The B/N acquired the target and the pilot climbed to 1400 ft AGL, where 20 of the 25 Mk 82s they were carrying came off the racks in a straight path attack. Hornbacher immediately turned back to the coast while descending to 500 ft, where they stayed until going feet wet at more than 420 knots. It was there that ‘Cottonpicker’ told them that their lead had not called off target. Attempts to raise their lead on the radio proved fruitless, as did calls to Red Crown. The Marine crew subsequently headed back to Da Nang, but not before jettisoning the five remaining bombs.

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