'l AF in the Vietnam War
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATORS PETER DAVIES is based in Bristol and has written or co-written nine books on modern American combat aircraft, including the standard reference work on US Navy and Marine Corps Phantom II operations, Gray Ghosts. This is his first title for the Duel series.
GARETH HECTOR is a digital artist of international standing as well as an aviation history enthusiast. Gareth completed the battlescene artwork and cover artwork for this volume.
JIM LAURIER is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974-78, and since he
F-4 PHANTOM II
MiG-21 USAF 8c VPAF in the Vietnam War
graduated with honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon. Jim completed the cockpit artwork for this volume.
TOM TULLIS has illustrated a number of books in Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft series. Tom completed the three-view artwork and armament views for this volume.
PETER DAVIES
F-4C Phanwm II cover an I Lts Ralph Wetterhahn and Jerry Sharp of the 555th TFSI 8th TFW shot down a 921 St FR MiG-21 during Operation Bolo on January 2, 1967. Formarions of F-4Cs simulated an F-I 05 strike, and as four "Fishbeds" popped up out of a dense cloud base, Col Robin Olds fired an First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Bodey, Oxford 0X2 OPH, UK 443 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, USA
AJM-9 Sidewinder at one of them, but his missiles failed to guide correctly. I Lt Wetterhahn, flying as Col Olds'
wingman in F-4C 63-7589, shot off an AIM-7 Sparrow
at it instead, and he later recalled, "Both my back-seater
E-mail:
[email protected] Sharp and I, as well as the
© 2008 Osprey Publishing Ltd.
tWO
pilots in the No 3 aircraft
(Hicks and Brune), saw the missile go all the way and
AJI rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for rhe purpose of private sflIdy. research, criticism or review, as permined under the Copyright, Designs and Parcnrs Act, 1988. no parr of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, electrical, chemica\, mechanical, optical, phorocopying, recording
impact the jet, sawing its tail clean off", This was the first
of seven MiG-21 kills during the brief, but decisive, 8010 battle. No Phamom lIs were lost in return. (Artwork by
4
Chronology
6
Design and Development
8
Technical Specifications
21
The Strategic Situation
32
The Combatants
41
Combat
50
Statistics and Analysis
70
Aftermath
75
Further Reading
78
Index
80
M iG-21 PFM cover art
be addressed ro the Publishers.
Nguyen Tien Sam and his wingman, Nguyen Van Nghia, A CI P catalogue record for rhis book is available from rhe British Library
of the 927th FR were vectored ro an attack on "Bass" flight of the 34th TFS/388rh TFW on July 5. 1972. The
ISBN: 978 1 846033162
Phantom I Is were part of a 16-aircraft strike (equipped with laser-guided bombs) sent
Edited by Tony Holmes
to
attack a target near Kep
airfield. Tien Sam and Van Nghia climbed our of [hick
Cockpit artwork by Jim L1urier
by Gareth Hecror
clouds JUSt long enough
to
fire one "Atoll" missile each.
Three-views and armamenr scrap views by Tom Tullis
Nguyen Tien Sam's missile family damaged rhe F-4E flown
Page layouts by Myriam Bell Design, France
by Capr William Spencer and I Lt Brian Seek (67-0296
Index by Alan Thatcher
"Bass 02"). Seconds later, another of the F-4Es (67-0339),
Typeset in Adobe Garamond and ITC Conduit
flown by Maj William Elander and I Lt Don Logan, was
Maps by Bounford.com, Hunringdon, UK
also hit. All four Phantom II aircrew became PaWs. (Artwork by Gareth HectOr)
riginated by PDQ Digital Media Solutions Printed in
Introduction
Gareth HectOr)
or otherwise, without rhe prior written permission of the copyright o\.vner. Enquiries should
Cover artwork, banlesccnc and gunsighr view
CONTENTS
hina through Bookbuilders
Oft Ol) 10 II 12
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Acknowledgments I would like to thank the following individuals for their
assistance with this book - Dr Isrvan Toperczer, Attila Mares (Czech Air Force), Ben Backes, Larry Hatcher, Chris Hobson, Maj Gen Don Logeman, USAF (Rer.),
enter,
Capt M. A. Marshall, USAF (Ret), Col Bill McDonald, USAF (Re[), Capr Fred Olmsted, USAF (Ret), Maj Gen Dick Pascoe, USAF (Ret.), Perer Schinkelshoek, Lt Col Fred Shemer, USAF (Rer), Col James T. Talley, USAF (Ret),
4(lU,Ulndt
