Bear Taylor 
COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1973) and honoring the gallant Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crews who carried the war to the heartland of North Vietnam in the years of Operation ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
GOOD MORNING. I have another tale of guts and glory to tell. WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED… #6… USS CORAL SEA (CVA-43) and Attack Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN, in coordination with USS INTREPID (CVS-11) and Attack Carrier Air Wing TEN, go bridge-busting in downtown Haiphong. Precision bombing required and accomplished…
The CORAL SEA/CVW-15 team departed Alameda on 26 July 1967 and returned 6 April 1968, spending 132 days on-the-line at Yankee Station. It was the 3rd of 7 combat deployments to Southeast Asia by “The Ageless Warrior.” During the deployment the air wing lost eighteen aircraft, 15 in combat. Seven pilots were killed-in-action; ten were downed, captured and imprisoned; and, three were killed in operational accidents. There were no easy days or nights…
THE MISSION. On 18 September 1967 Attack Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN embarked in USS CORAL SEA (CVA-43), in coordination with Attack Carrier Air Wing TEN embarked in USS INTREPID (CVS-11), launched a major strike against enemy targets in the port city of Haiphong, North Vietnam. The Alpha Strike was led by Commander V.W. DANIELS, Executive Officer of Attack Squadron ONE FIVE-FIVE. Air Wing FIFTEEN’s assigned targets were two key bridges, the Haiphong Railroad/Highway Bridge and the Haiphong Highway Bridge, both located in the heart of the port city. The Haiphong RR/Hwy Bridge was a 300 by 20 feet steel truss bridge built in two levels, one for vehicles and one for one-meter gauge rail traffic. The highway bridge was 300 by 25 feet, six span, concrete deck, bowspring truss bridge with a vertical lift center span to allow passage by waterway traffic. These two bridges were vital links in the enemy transportation system linking the port with the rail center at Haiduong and the capitol city of Hanoi. Destruction of these logistic arteries, which serve the principle entry and exit route for North Vietnamese imports and exports, would seriously effect the North Vietnamese ability to continue the war. (Source: Author’s notes from 1985 review of CINCPACFLT Vietnam War awards files held at Navy Annex, Suitland, MD)…
NORTH VIETNAMESE DEFENSES. The Haiphong area was defended by 22 surface-to-air missile sites, eight of which were known to be occupied on 18 September. All eight sites had been extremely active as the Task Force 77 strike operations concentrated on targets in the Haiphong area. In addition, 33 active 37mm and 50/57mm antiaircraft artillery guns were placed in the area. Pilot debriefs of strike missions in the area prior to 18 Sept confirmed the proficiency of the gunners operating these guns and sites. Accurate tracking, sector and barrage fire could be expected in defense of the two bridges assigned CVW-15. Enemy MiG opposition was also to be expected due to the fact that Kep Airfield twenty miles northwest of the city was home to a dozen MiGs. The city was also well within range of Phuc Yen Airfield, home to more than twenty more MiGs. The entire air defense system was integrated and tied to radar and communication centers. There were to be no surprise attacks and the gunners would be waiting.
CVW-15 ALPHA STRIKE COMPOSITION. The main battery for the strike would be 14 A-4E bombers, two A-4E Iron Hand aircraft and four F-4B TARCAP aircraft. Additional flak suppression and Iron Hand aircraft would be provided by CVW-10 as the Intrepid Alpha Strike struck railway targets west of Haiphong minutes before the CVW-15 bridge strike. In support, over the Gulf of Tonkin, were four A-1E ResCap aircraft, one E-2A and one EA-1F aircraft. Air Force EB-66 aircraft were also supporting the two Navy air wing attack on targets in the Haiphong area.
THE PLAN. In order to reduce the effectiveness of the enemy defenses it was planned to divide the fire by striking both bridges nearly simultaneously from different directions immediately following an attack by CVW-10 on the railway yards located to the west of the city. Run-in and bomb delivery sectors were restricted due to a hospital area in close proximity to the targets. CVW-10’s attack would precede CVW-15 on target by not more than one-minute and would provide six A-4C SAM suppression aircraft and ten A-4C aircraft for flak suppression, in addition to the dive bombing attack element of ten A-4C aircraft striking the railroad yards. Four of the INTREPID suppressors were to join the CVW-15 strike force enroute to the target and provide close flak support.
EXECUTION. The two carrier air wings rendezvoused over their respective carriers and proceeded independently between multiple cloud layers toward Haiphong. Upon reaching the position of the northern SAR destroyer, the two forces combined, with CVW-15 trailing CVW-10 by five miles. As the 40+ aircraft strike force closed the target area, gunfire control radar and SAM missile tracking radar activity was detected in the cockpits of all striking aircraft. The enemy was ready and tracking the force. At this point the CVW-15 Iron Hand aircraft positioned themselves to counter a SAM site northeast of Haiphong which had fired on strike groups entering the Haiphong complex the previous day. Within seconds after the site began emitting, an Iron Hand air-to-surface missile was fired and observed to impact the site. No further emissions were detected from this site and the Iron hand aircraft proceeded to a position to the north of the city where they provided protection for both strike groups until completion of the attack and post-strike photo reconnaissance.
The CVW-15 attack force split into two elements at coast-in abeam the Do Son Peninsula. The southern element of seven aircraft, led by CDR COLEMAN skirted the southern edge of the city and proceeded to the planned roll-in point for their attack on the northern highway bridge. The formation of seven was immediately taken under attack by enemy 57mm/85mm AAA that continued for the duration of their approach and diving attacks on the bridge. The northern element led by CDR DANIELS, also composed of seven aircraft, arced east of the city to a roll-in point for their north to south attack on the railroad/highway bridge in the center of the city. The flight was opposed by intense 37mm/57mm fire from the area of Cat Bi Airfield and the city throughout their maneuvering to the roll-in point and the diving attack on the target. CDR DANIEL’S seven A-4Es rolled-in just as the last of the seven A-4s of LCDR COLEMAN’s flight completed their attack. The RF-8 photo recce section completed the mission with a successful BDA photo run a few minutes after both air wings were off their respective targets. The photo aircraft reported two SAMs and heavy AAA opposition as they flew over the city at 3,000-feet and 600 knots, obtaining excellent photo coverage of all targets and opposing AAA sites for future reference. All aircraft reported feet wet and none were hit in the wham-bam strike.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. Post-strike photography confirmed pilot reports and showed that two spans of the highway bridge attacked by the LCDR COLEMAN bombers had been dropped, and both approaches to the bridge had been completely destroyed. The previously undamaged south end of the railway/highway bridge was heavily damaged with holes in both decks of the bridge and both approaches were severely damaged by CDR DANIEL’s bombers. The attack by 14 A-4Es put all bombs on the bridges and approaches with no bombs falling off target on nearby civilian buildings, including the city’s major hospital.
BITS OF RIBBON. Five of the striking aviators were recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross: CDR V.W. DANIELS, LCDR R.F. COLEMAN, LCDR D.F. CALLAHAN, LTJG J.I. DIENSTL and LTJG W.P. GRAY. … AIR MEDALS and NAVY COMMENDATION MEDALS with Valor V were recommended for 21 of the 50 aviators who visited Haiphong on 18 September 1967… What a list of great guys this is: CDR Bobbie WILLIARD; LCDR Tom BROWN; LCDR Gordie CORNELL; LCDR Len GUILIANI; LT Gary HOLMES; LT Bill BYERS; LTJG Bill WALTHALL; LCDR Gary JONES; LCDR Alan DUNDON; LT Dick STEARNS; LTJG Ken MIDDLETON; LTJG Dave READ; LTJG Ed RYAN, Jr; LTJG Brad WHITE; LTJG Dick BUTTERFIELD; LTJG Charles GRIFFIN; LTJG Barry COOPER; LCDR Doug CLOWER; LTJG W.”O” ESTES; and LTJG F.J. FORNER…
The probability that most of these recommendations were approved was enhanced by the following “attaboy” message from Commander, SEVENTH FLEET, Admiral John J. HYLAND…
“Key targets in the plan to isolate Haiphong from the hinterland are the Highway and Railroad bridges located in the environs of the port city. It is noted that a significant advance toward the realization of our objectives has been achieved by the CORAL SEA and the sharpshooters of CVW-15 with the dropping of the west span of the Haiphong Highway Bridge and the destruction of the Highway/Railroad bridge. A special note has been taken of the determination and aggressiveness of CTG77.3 forces during operations of 17 and 18 September while striking targets in the heavily defended Haiphong complex on six different occasions. The excellent results achieved are a fitting tribute to your teamwork, dedication and courage. Well done!”….
HUMBLE HOST END NOTE. Recommended Rolling Thunder remembrance reading: OPERATION SPRING HIGH (July 1965):
Read “OPERATION SPRING HIGH: Thuds vs. SAMs” at:
https://www.historynet.com/operation-spring-high-thuds-vs-sams.htm
LCOL Howard PLUNKETT’s great 97-slide presentation of the evolution of the Soviet’s SA-2 Guideline system and how the United States responded to SAMs in both the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Vietnam, including OPERATION SPRING HIGH. Check it out at:
https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/events/presentations/4c-Plunkett.pdf (Excellent presentation)
NEXT POST. Monday, 18 May 2020. NAVAL AVIATION ROARS…#7… USS INTREPID (CVS-11) and Carrier Air Wing TEN wipe out the Ban Yen Nhan Army Barracks and Missile Storage area located seven miles east of Hanoi on 8 July 1967.
Lest we forget… Bear
