Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #274… THE THREE VIETNAM COMBAT CRUISES OF USS MIDWAY… 426 Days on the Line… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR of a day-by-day re-visit of the air war with North Vietnam…
1 DECEMBER 1966… WHAT THE HOME FOLKS WERE READING from the NYT… On a cold and sunny Friday in New York City…
Page 1: “Stronger Europe Urged By Britain’s Prime Minister as offset to U.S. reductions in European basing. Prime Minister Brown seems to be pushing his new approach to membership in the European Union. “Our American friends, because they are friends, will understand when I say that, however much we welcome new American investment here, as in other parts of Europe, there is no one on either side of the channel who wants to see capital investment in Europe involve domination, or in the last resort, subjugation .”… Page 1: “Thant Agreement to Stay Expected after change of much that is reported conditional on peace role and U.N. financial aid. He is expected to remain another five years.”… Page 1: “Orbiter 2 Transmits Spectacular Close-up of Moon (7 column pix on Page 1) Lunar Orbiter 2 an unintended space ship is scouting landing sites for America’s Project Apollo astronauts from 28.4 miles above the moon surface.”… Page 1: “President’s Aides Forecast Budget Near $140 billion for next fiscal year. While estimate is speculative, the rise seems certain and current period is expected to increase to about $127 billion.” … Page 1: “U.S. Prisons Reorganizing to Bolster Rehabilitation Plan. President Johnson says ‘we need to bridge the enormous gap between confinement and eventual freedom in the Federal prison system.'” … Page 1: “U.S. Reviews Cases In Bugging Quest. Justice department seeking any evidence obtained by eavesdropping means.” … Page 3: “Dr. Ludwig Erhard delivers Farewell speech and urges people of West Germany to support his successor as Chancellor Kurt George Kiesinger, who will take over as head of a Christian Democrat–Social Democrat coalition.”
Page 7: “Ban On Soldiers In Politics Is Sought In Saigon as Assembly adopts stand but definitions for next constitution are not made clear. Ban would apply to active duty soldiers who are forbidden to belong to political parties.”… Page 5: “U.S.Troops Step-up Action Near Saigon after a lull in fighting of four days. Troops battle Vietcong 25 miles north of Saigon.”… Page 6: “Nuclear Captain Retires. Captain Edward L. Beach, who commanded the nuclear submarine USS Triton around the world, is retiring. The 36,000 mile around-the-world cruise ended February 16,1960.” … Page 63: “Lake Huron Ship Goes Down. 12 die as freighter Daniel J. Morrell splits open in 25-foot waves of winter storm. At least 12 of Morrell’s crew of 33 died. Search for others goes on.”….
1 DECEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NYT: no copy covering the air war in North Vietnam…”Vietnam: Air Losses: (Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft losses in Southeast Asia on 1 December 1966.”
RIPPLE SALVO… #274… NATIONAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER MONTH GOES ON for RIPPLE SALVO, we have another dozen great ships, their crews and air wings to recognize for their incomparable commitment to the air war nobody remembers (unless you were there)… THE THREE VIETNAM COMBAT CRUISES OF USS MIDWAY. She began her participation in 1965 and was still on duty in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1973. Commissioned in 1945, USS MIDWAY was required to take time-out for a modernization update and was off the line from 1966 to 1970. One tough cruise was logged before the four year yard period. Between 6 March 1965 to 23 November 1965 Midway and Carrier Air Wing 2 spent 144 days on the line with a loss of 22 aircraft and 16 brave warrior aviators, five of whom returned home in 1973 from prison in Hanoi. Modernized, she came out with Carrier Air Wing Five embarked “fit to fight” for her second and third combat cruises. She totaled 426 days at Yankee Station over the course of her three combat deployments from NAS Alameda and would suffer losses in combat and intense operations of 45 aircraft and 34 aviators, 12 of whom were POWs returned home in 1973….
THE FIRST VIETNAM COMBAT CRUISE OF USS MIDWY (CVA-41) and CVW-2 departing from NAS Alameda on 6 March 1965 and returning on 23 November 1965…
Days on the Line: 144
Combat Losses: 17
20 Apr: A-4C of VA-22… LT PHILIP NEAL BUTLER… POW…
8 May: F-8D of VF-111… COMMANDER JAMES DAVID LA HAYE, CO VF-111… KIA…
8 May: RF-8A of VFP-63… LTJG W.B. WILSON… recovered…
27 May: F-8D: of VF-111… COMMANDER DOYLE WILMER LYNN, CO VF-111… KIA…
1 Jun: RF-8A of VFP-63… LTJG M.R. FIELDS… recovered…
2 Jun: A-4E if VA-23… LTJG DAVID MORTON CHRISTIAN… KIA…
2 Jun: EA-1F of VAW-13… LTJG D.M. MICAN, LTJG GERALDM. ROMANO, PO3 WILLIAM H. AMSPACKER, and AN THOMAS L. PLANTS… all four KIA…
2 Jun: A-4E of VA-23… LT JOHN B. McKAMEY… POW
3 Jun: A-4C of VA-22… LT R.PAUL ILG… recovered…
10 Jun: A-1H of VA-25… LTJG CARL LEWIS DOUGHTIE… KIA…
28 Jul: A-4E of VA-23… LT G.R. TOWNSEND… recovered…
7 Aug: A-1H of VA-25… LCDR HAROLD EDWIN GRAY, JR…. KIA…
11 Aug: A-4E of VA-23… LTJG DONALD HUBERT BROWN… KIA…
12 Aug: F-8D of VF-111… LTJG GENE RAYMOND GOLLAHON… KIA…
13 Aug: A-4C of VA-22… LT W.E. NEWMAN… recovered…
24 Aug: F-4B of VF-21… COMMANDER FREDERICK A. FRANKE, CO VF-21 and LCDR ROBERT H. DOREMUS… both POW…
24 Aug: A-4C of VA-22… LTJG RICHARD MARVIN BRUNHAVER… POW…
Operational Losses: 5 (2 A4Cs 1 pilot killed; 1 F-4 both crew recovered; 1 F-8D pilot recovered; 1 A-1H pilot recovered)
HIGHLIGHTS OF COMBAT CRUISE: 3 MIGs Downed…
(1) COMMANDER LOUIS PAGE and LT JOHN C. SMITH of VF-21 shot down a MIG-14 on 17 June 1965…
(2) LT E.D. BATSON, JR. and LCDR ROBERT B. DOREMUS of VF-21 shot down a MIG-17 on 17 June 1965…
(3) LT CHARLES HARTMAN and LT CLINTON B. JOHNSON in a pair of VA-25 A-1Hs shot down a MIG-17…
THE SECOND VIETNAM COMBAT CRUISE OF USS MIDWAY and CVW-5 departing Alameda 16 April 1971 returning 6 November 1971 (6 1/2 mos.)…
Days on the Line: 74
Combat Losses: 0
Operational Losses: 2 (1 E-2B 5 crewmen killed; 1 KA-6D 2 crewmen recovered)…
THE THIRD VIENAM COMBAT CRUISE OF MIDWAY and CVW-5 departing Alameda on 10 April 1972 returning 3 March 1973 (11 mos.)…
Days on the line: 208…
Combat Losses: 15
19 May: A-7B of VA-56… LT AUBREY ALLEN NICOLLS… POW…
23 May: A-7B of VA-93… COMMANDER CHARLES E. BARNETT… KIA…
16 Jun: RF-8G of VFP-63… LT P. RINGWOOD… recovered…
22 Jul: RF-8G of VFP-63… LCDR GORDON C. PAIGE… POW…
23 Jul: A-7B of VA-56… LT GARY LESLIE SHANK… KIA…
23 Jul: A-7B of VA-56… LCDR CLARENCE O. TOLBERT… recovered
6 Aug: A-7B of VA-56… LT MICHAEL GENE PENN… POW..
25 Aug: F-4B of VF-161… LCDR MICHAEL W. DOYLE… KIA and LT JOHN CLYDE ENSCH… POW…
27 Aug: F-4B of VF-151… LT THEODORE W. TRIEBEL and LTJG DAVID A. EVERETT… both POW…
7 Sep: A-7B of VA-93… LCDR DONALD ARTHUR GERSTEL… KIA…
5 Nov: A-7B of VA-56… LCDR CLARENCE O. TOLBERT… KIA…
10 Nov: A-7B of VA-93… LT M.J. COBB… recovered…
10 Nov: A-7B of VA-56… LT W.F. LOTSBERG… recovered…
9 Jan 73: A-6A of VA-115… LT MICHAEL TIMOTHY MCCORMICK and LTJG ROBERT ALLAN CLARK… both KIA…
14 Jan: F-4B of VF-161… LT VICTOR T. KOVALESKI and ENSIGN D.B. PLAUTZ… both recovered…
Operational Losses: 5 (2 F-4Bs 4 crewmen recovered; 2 A-6s 1 killed, 3 recovered; 1 A-7B pilot killed)…
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CRUISE: 5 MIG Kills…
(1) LT HENRY BARTHOLOMAY and LT ORAN R. BROWN of VF-161 shot down a MIG-19 on 18 May 1972…
(2) LT PATRICK E ARWOOD and LT JAMES M. BETH of VF-161 shot down a MIG-19 on 18 May 1972…
(3) & (4) LCDR RONALD (Mugs) McKEOWN and LT JOHN C. ENSCH of VF-161 shot down TWO MIG-17s… oohrah squared…
(5) LT VICTOR T. KOVALESKI and LTJG JAMES A. WISE of VF-161 shot down a MIG-17 on 12 January 1973…
RIPPLE SALVO COMMENT: An 11-month cruise in the South China Sea in a Midway Class carrier was arduous by any standard. All the small and medium sized fossil fuel burning decks from ages past were devoid of comfort. Grin and bear it was the way they cruised in those days when the best hope for contact with a family during a deployment was the MARS radio hook-up. Even that was tricky. The transmissions to the families were heard around the world and the “I Love You” was always attached to the word “over.” The toughest jobs weren’t going feet dry to take your chances with NVN and Russian gunners. The toughest jobs were down in the bowels of the ship where young troopers were standing watches on the upper level of one of Midway’s 12-boilers watching the water level in a water drum. I tried it on Coral Sea a few times. 104-degrees 100% of the time. A #10 can of ice melted in the first ten minutes of an E-2s 30-minute watch. Standing in a weak column of vent air was necessary to survive. Engineers wore asbestos gloves so they could grasp a hand rail as the ship bounced around. Surface temperatures of the metal parts were instantly injurious. The young strokers got a break for an hour then started the cycle over again. Sleep? For a young engineer even his bunk was in 94-degree stale air. Modernization? The addition of great electronics and smart machines upgraded the war-fighting capability of the old World War carriers. Unfortunately, the downside was the need to feed the voracious appetite of all the new air cooled brains a steady flow of cool 70-degree air in order to keep them on the job. The machines got the air and the critters on the upper level in the boiler rooms got #10 cans of ice, when the ice machines were working. Yankee Station was where we ran ’em hard and put ’em away wet from sweat because that’s the best we cold do. And they grinned and “beared” it. It was war. The troops were steel. God bless ’em all, even the phantom FTN artists…
Lest we forget… Bear -30-
