The List 6144 TGB
Good Wednesday Morning June 29
A BIT OF HISTORY AND SOME NEW AVIATION ENTERTAINMENT
Regards,
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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History
June 29
1860
The steamer USS Mystic, commanded by William E. LeRoy, captures the slaver, Thomas Achorn at Kabenda, Africa and sends her to New York.
1862
During the Civil War, the steam sloop USS Susquehanna, commanded by Cmdr. R.B. Hitchcock, captures the blockade-running British steamer HMS Anna near Mobile, Ala.
1871
Capt. Charles F. Hall's arctic expedition sails from New York on USS Polaris. Aiming for the North Pole, USS Polaris reaches 82X 11 N, 61X W. latitude, then the furthest point north reached by a vessel.
1950
USS Juneau (CLAA 119) and USS De Haven (DD 727) fire the first naval shore bombardment of the Korean War in the vicinity of Samchock, Korea.
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Today in History: June 29
1236 Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon take Cordoba in Spain.
1652 Massachusetts declares itself an independent commonwealth.
1767 The British parliament passes the Townshend Revenue Act, levying taxes on America.
1862 Union forces, falling back from Richmond, fight at the Battle of Savage's Station.
1880 France annexes Tahiti.
1888 Professor Frederick Treves performs the first appendectomy in England.
1903 The British government officially protests Belgian atrocities in the Congo.
1905 Russian troops intervene as riots erupt in ports all over the country, leaving many ships looted.
1917 The Ukraine proclaims independence from Russia.
1925 An earthquake ravages Santa Barbara, California.
1926 Fascists in Rome add an hour to the work day in an economic efficiency measure.
1932 Siam's army seizes Bangkok and announces an end to the absolute monarchy.
1938 Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, and Olympic National Park, Washington, are founded.
1950 President Harry S. Truman authorizes a sea blockade of Korea.
1951 The United States invites the Soviet Union to the Korean peace talks on a ship in Wonsan Harbor.
1955 The Soviet Union sends tanks to Poznan, Poland, to put down anti-Communist demonstrations.
1966 The U.S. Air Force bombs fuel storage facilities near Hanoi, North Vietnam.
1967 Israel removes barricades, re-unifying Jerusalem.
1970 U.S. troops pull out of Cambodia.
1982 Israel invades Lebanon.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
… For The List for Wednesday, 29 June 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 29 June 1967… Will the truth ever be known?
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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, https://www.history.navy.mil/ is still the way to access all he H-Grams and many other Navy items from NHHC (Navy History and Heritage Command)
Another great H-Gram from Admiral Cox and the Naval History and Heritage Command
H-Gram 050: 70th Anniversary of the Korean War—The Initial Naval Actions
25 June 2020
This H-gram covers the first two month of naval action in the Korean War, which started on 25 June 1950. Sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten War," I plan to give it pretty thorough treatment because some of the amazing U.S. Navy action has indeed largely been forgotten.
Before dawn on Sunday morning, 25 June 1950, Communist North Korea launched a massive surprise attack across the border into South Korea, smashing through the inadequate South Korean defenses. Within three days, the North Korean People's Army (NKPA) had captured the South Korean capital of Seoul and kept on going south, with little to stop it, while also overrunning the airfields that might have been of use to the U.S. Air Force. The attack not only took the South Koreans by surprise, it caught the United States unprepared for war.
To the extent that the United States was planning for war in 1950, it was almost exclusively focused on a potential Soviet invasion of Europe, which was to be deterred or won (on the cheap, relatively) by U.S. Air Force intercontinental bombers armed with atomic bombs. The U.S. Navy had repeatedly lost the budget and service roles and missions battles of the late 1940s; the size, capability, and readiness of the Navy was a pale shadow of what it had been at the Japanese surrender only five years before.
As it turned out, the U.S. Army was in even worse shape than the Navy, and the first combat actions between the U.S. Army and the NKPA were humiliating defeats for the Americans, with several thousand U.S. soldiers killed and captured as they were steam-rollered by superior NKPA armored forces and sheer numbers. It was also apparent that the massive U.S. Air Force investment in long-range nuclear bombers was useless in a war in which the object was to stop North Korean aggression, without getting into a full-scale war with the Soviet Union—i.e., a "limited war." And, without airfields in Korea, the ability of Air Force tactical aircraft to affect the battle from bases in Japan was severely constrained.
The U.S. Navy presence in the Western Pacific in 1950 had been reduced to one aircraft carrier (Valley Forge, CV-45), two cruisers, and a handful of destroyers, which were severely short of ammunition and underway logistics support. Nevertheless, it was this naval force, augmented by a smaller British carrier (HMS Triumph) and other Allied ships under a (U.S.-led) United Nations command structure that played a key role in establishing command of the air and of the sea that prevented the U.S. Army from being thrown out of Korea. Without control of the vital sea lanes, there is little doubt that, by August 1950, the North Koreans would have been in possession of the entire Korean peninsula. It was U.S. Navy amphibious capability—as enfeebled as it was by budget cuts—that got a well-trained U.S. Marine brigade into Korea just in time to stiffen the defense of the Pusan Perimeter and prevent the last UN toehold in South Korea from being overrun.
The miniscule Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) acquitted itself well, particularly in a small battle with major strategic consequences, when the largest warship in the ROKN (a submarine chaser) sank a North Korean transport with 600 troops embarked that were attempting a surprise seizure of the port of Pusan on 26 June 1950.
The U.S. and Allied navies were in the action almost immediately, with two U.S. destroyers covering the evacuation of U.S. and friendly foreign nationals from Seoul on only the second day of the war. On 2 July 1950, light cruiser Juneau (CL-119) and two Allied ships sank three of four North Korean PT-boats and two of two motor gunboats in the Battle of Chumonchin Chan. This was the first and last surface engagement between the U.S. and North Korean navies, as it convinced the North Koreans to never try that again (at least until the Pueblo—AGER-2—incident in 1968).
On 3 July, Valley Forge and Triumph (both in Task Force 77) caught the North Koreans by surprise with a strike from the Yellow Sea right into their capital of Pyongyang. The action that resulted in the first air-to-air kill by a U.S. Navy jet fighter, when an F9F Panther flown by Lieutenant (j.g.) Leonard Plog downed a piston-engine North Korean Yak-9 fighter. This was also the combat debut of the Panther and the new AD-4 Skyraider attack aircraft. Although hampered by lack of underway ammunition resupply and refueling, the two carriers bounced back and forth between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, so the North Koreans could never be sure from which direction they would be hit.
U.S. Navy aircraft played a critical role in interdicting North Korean troop movements and supply lines, which became increasingly vulnerable the farther the NKPA advanced. This forced increased North Korean resupply via small coastal craft, which the ROKN (beefed up with several more sub-chasers) proved very adept at catching and destroying. On the other hand, close air support procedures between the .U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Army proved to be completely bolloxed up, in need of urgent fixing.
Bombardment by Allied ships on the west coast (especially challenging given the extreme tidal conditions) and by (primarily) U.S. ships on the east coast made the North Koreans pay a heavy price for their advance. Naval gunfire on the east coast became even more effective when the heavy cruisers Helena (CA-75) and Toledo (CA-133), with their 8-inch guns, arrived within a month to augment Rochester (CA-124). U.S. surface ships ranged far to the north along the Korean coast shelling key North Korean ports. The destroyer Mansfield (DD-728) put a raiding party ashore in North Korea to blow a key tunnel on the railroad bringing supplies in from Vladivostok, Soviet Union. This was followed by submarine transport Perch (ASSP-313) putting a British commando party ashore in a similar operation. U.S. and UN warships played a key role in keeping the northern end of the Pusan Perimeter from collapsing.
The arrival of a second U.S. carrier (Philippine Sea, CV-47) enabled near-continuous carrier strikes on North Korean targets. The arrival of two escort carriers, Badoeng Strait (CVE-118) and Sicily (CVE-116), each with a Marine Corsair squadron embarked, provided critical air support that enabled the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to repel North Korean breakthroughs of U.S. Army divisions attempting to hold the hard-pressed Pusan perimeter.
Compared to the massive casualties being suffered by the U.S. and ROK armies, the cost to the U.S. Navy in the first months of the war was relatively light, with only a handful of aircraft shot down (and even more lost to operational causes than the enemy). However, the first Navy Cross went posthumously to Commander Raymond Vogel, the commander of Air Group 11 (CVG-11), who was shot down while dropping a span on the Han River Bridge in Seoul on 19 August 1950.
Although Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps aircraft inflicted massive losses to North Korean troops, tanks, and supply lines, the North Koreans just kept attacking. At the end of August 1950, the issue was still very much in doubt as to whether the Pusan Perimeter would hold.
That the U.S. Navy accomplished anything at all was a testament to the leaders and sailors who hadn't forgotten how to win, despite shortfalls in just about everything. In 1949, the general consensus in the new unified Department of Defense was that the Navy was obsolete, and the Secretary of Defense cancelled the next-generation aircraft carrier (United States, CVA-58) and gave orders to reduce the number of operational fleet carriers from eight to four. An additional draconian budget cut in mid-1949, if implemented, would have meant putting every aircraft carrier into mothballs, along with the last battleship that wasn't already in reserve. Upon the outbreak of the Korean War, the Truman administration suddenly discovered that a navy really truly can come in handy, and can do things that strategic bombers and atomic weapons can't. So, in some respect, the U.S. Navy can thank Kim Il-sung (grandfather of today's "Dear Leader") for showing the rest of the Defense Department the error of their ways.
For more on the U.S. Navy's role in the first months of the Korean War, please see attachment H-050-1.
As always, you are welcome to forward H-grams in order to spread these stories of U.S. Navy valor and sacrifice. Back issues of H-grams enhanced with photos may be found here.
Published: Fri Jun 26 08:20:47 EDT 2020
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Thanks to Gay
"I NEVER CARED"
I believe more and more people are starting to feel this way.
I never cared if you were "gay" or whatever acronym you chose to call yourself, until you started shoving it down my throat.
I never cared what color you were, until you started blaming me for your problems.
I never cared about your political affiliation, until you started to condemn me for mine.
I never cared where you were from in this great Republic, until you began condemning people based on where they were born and the history that makes them who they are.
I have never cared if you were well off or poor, because I've been both . . . until you started calling me names for working hard and bettering myself.
I've never cared if your beliefs are different than mine - until you said my beliefs are wrong.
I've never cared if you don't like guns, until you tried to take my guns away.
Now . . . I care. I've given all the tolerance I have to give. This is no longer my problem. It's your problem. You can still fix it. It's not too late. But it needs to be soon.
I'm a very patient person. But I'm out of patience. There are literally Tens of Millions of people just like me that are sick of all your Anti-American crap !
I've always cared about life, and all lives, but now you try to force the notion on me and my other fellow citizens and patriots that certain lives matter more than others. You protest, riot, attack, burn and loot. Your so-called "movement" has become a radical out-of-control bunch of thugs, criminals and anarchists who are destroying our Country.
We have had enough ! America is the greatest country on Earth, and if you don't like America then you can leave. We are done caring about your misguided "feelings".
You don't have the right to enjoy American freedoms if you are trying to take that right away from other Americans.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
-- Winston Churchill
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Thanks to Todd S. ...
VIGGEN Vs BLACKBIRD: HOW SWEDISH AIR FORCE JA-37 FIGHTER PILOTS WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE RADAR LOCK ON THE LEGENDARY SR-71 MACH 3 SPY PLANE
"In total I have five hot intercepts against the SR-71 to my credit. All can be described as successful," Per-Olof Eldh, Swedish Air Force JA-37 Viggen pilot
At the height of the Cold War, when East-West tensions were at their greatest, Swedish JA-37 Jaktviggen (or fighter Viggen) fighter pilots were scrambled on 400-500 live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions per year to intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Swedish airspace.
QRA targets came from both Warsaw and NATO nations, and were usually flying close to Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea or the Gulf of Bothnia.
No doubt the most challenging QRA targets were the U.S. Air Force's Lockheed SR-71As, that often passed very close to Swedish airspace on their regular 'Baltic Express' missions.
The SR-71's awesome performance capabilities provided a unique opportunity for Swedish fighter controllers and JA-37 fighter pilots to evaluate various intercept solutions against a high-speed, high-altitude threat, as Rolf Jonsson, a retired Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) fighter controller recalls in Paul F Crickmore book Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions. "The most spectacular alerts in the Swedish Air Force during the eighties occurred about once a week, when the Blackbird was operating in the Baltic. These were also probably the most frustrating events of the entire Cold War, with our fighters trying to reach the same altitude and position as this high-speed, high altitude target, efforts which, if successful, would allow the fortunate pilot to catch a brief glimpse of the fantastic SR-71 at quite close quarters. When the SR-71 first began operating in Europe our air force was equipped with the Saab J-35F Draken and although intercept attempts were made, the aircraft's performance wasn't up to the task. However, one point was clear – the method that offered the greatest opportunity of success was a frontal attack, with both aircraft exactly on a 180° divergent heading – always assuming of course that the SR-71 didn't turn! Other very important factors to try to determine when planning an intercept were the high altitude air temperature and the SR-71 altitude.
When the Saab JA-37 Viggen entered service, suddenly the mix was right; the aircraft's performance and avionics capabilities combined with the eagerness of its pilots and a high degree of teamwork with the air command and control centres, including the radar tracker (a conscript), the intercept controller and the pilots.
For everything to work, the pilot needed to reach the speed and altitude that corresponded with information derived from the data tracker system in the Air Operator Centre (AOC). This data determined exactly where and when the pilot needed to initiate a pull-up from cruising altitude to acquire a radar contact. If the pilot failed to lock his radar on first time that was it, the opportunity was gone – at least for another week. On some occasions our pilots had problems locking-on because the SR-71 crew activated their defensive countermeasures systems, but pilots soon learned how to avoid triggering such systems. Also, an electronic counter-countermeasures system was built into the JA-37.
Another high performance aircraft operating from bases around the Baltic was the MiG-25 Foxbat; this has a speed advantage on the JA-37 Viggen, but the latter had a superior weapon system and, from 1981, was already using an information dissemination system similar to the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System the U.S. deployed later on tactical aircraft including the F-15 Eagle.
The most difficult phase on the intercept for pilots was during the steep climb, since they had to monitor their engine instruments to ensure they remained within the Volvo Flygmotor RM8B turbofan's EGT limits, and also scan their radar screens. During this phase the pilot tilted his radar scan angle down, on its maximum of -15°. The radar then had just a few seconds to locate and then lock on to the target before the two aircraft passed one another with a combined speed closing speed of Mach 5; it was an extremely impressive spectacle to watch on radar from the ground! The intercept window was incredibly tight, and all the SR-71 pilot needed to do during the fighter's final climb phase was manoeuvre just slightly and the intercept solution changed and failed. One of the main problems facing our Viggen pilots was that one of the rules in their Orders for Safe Flights stipulated that flight above 16,000m was prohibited without the use of a full pressure suit and these weren't available, so our pilots needed to be careful or they would be grounded by their divisional commanders.
The SR-71 "Baltic Express" flights were usually known about an hour before the aircraft entered the area. The Blackbird always entered the Baltic Sea over a reporting point named "Codan", located about 80km south of Copenhaghen and on a heading of about 090°. This usually triggered a scramble by a pair of JA-37s that were kept on alert at either F10 Ängelholm, F17 Ronneby or F13 Norrkšping, although sometimes even temporary bases like Visby were used. The best base for an SR-71 intercept, however, was F17 Ronneby, because this was best positioned for the acceleration and climb phase, about 30-50km southeast of Gotland and Öland.
The SR-71 Baltic Flight path remained the same throughout the time it operated in Europe and consisted of a singe anticlockwise loop that took about 30 minutes to complete. It remained in international airspace and first flew off the Polish coast, then just before the Bay of Gdánsk, well inside the Kaliningrad enclave, the aircraft muted turned left, onto a heading of about 015°. With the Blackbird now flying at 21-24.000m only the Su-15 Flagons based at Vainode, in Latvia, had a chance of making an intercept, and it's doubtful that any of them were actually successful. Certainly the MiG-21 Fishbeds and MiG-23 Floggers based at Pamu, Haapsalu and Tapa in Estonia had no chance; their trails on our radar screens in Sweden were so harmless it was painful to witness!
The SR-71 then proceeded to a point about 60km west of the Estonian island of Saaremaa, where it began a long, programmed left turn, taking it onto a southerly heading of about 190°, rolling southeast of Stockholm. It then passed between the islands of Gotland and Öland, and this always impressed us because the corridor of international airspace between the two islands is only 3km wide; the Blackbird only violated our airspace once (this was the only time that it became necessary for the Swedish foreign department to protest about an airspace violation) when an SR-71 was forced to interrupt its high speed left turn, reduce speed and descent from its position in the north of its route due to an inflight emergency. [On that occasion, the SR-71 was forced to fly directly over Gotland – at this point AJ-37 strike Viggen pilots took hand-held photos of the Blackbird and it is clear to see from these that the aircraft was flying on one engine]. It was in this area that our JA-37 pilots carried out their practice intercepts. Once 56-74km southeast of Gotland and Öland, the "Baltic Express" turned onto a heading of about 265° and exited the area over the same point that it had entered.
Almost every time the SR-71 was about to leave the Baltic, a lone MiG-25 Foxbat belonging to the 787th IAP at Finow-Eberwalde in the German Democratic Republic was scrambled. […] Arriving at its exit point, the "Baltic Express" was flying at about 22km and the lone MiG would reach about 19km in a left turn before rolling out and always completing its stern attack 3km behind its target. We were always impressed by this precision; it was always 22km and 3 km behind the SR-71. [this would seem to suggest that these were the parameters necessary for its weapons system to effect a successful intercept if the order to fire was ever given.] This is interesting, since US Air Force intelligence specialists and SR-71 crewmembers believed that the only possibility of an interceptor successful engaging a Blackbird would be head on, a position given further credence by the fact that the DEF systems designed to tackle an airborne threat operating within the X-band (DEF A2) was forward-facing]. When the SR-71 detachment at Mildellhall was deactivated, the 787th IAP re-equipped with new MiG-29 Fulcrum, but even after the withdrawal, we believe that at least three Foxbats remained behind at Finow-Eberswalde, just in case the "Baltic Express" returned!" This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 "Skunkworks"
According to Crickmore, the key to JA-37's successes was the integration of a highly sophisticated datalink, which, until relatively recently, remained highly classified. The Swedish Air Force gained significant expertise in the datalink field with a system installed in the J-35F back in the 1956. However, the system installed in the JA-37 was far more capable than that of the Draken. It entered service in 1982 and it had the capability to upload and download data to four active aircraft of the same link; it was also capable of downlinking data from an airborne JA-37 to others still on the ground. Datalink information was displayed on the Horizontal Situation Display (HSD) and a tactical display, the latter using link symbology that could be overlaid with an electronic map on a multifunction display (MFD). As an integral part of the STRIL-60 command-and-control system that was built around it, the JA-37 could take off, attack, land refuel and rearm, then re-engage, with little or no voice communication, while enduring heavy jamming.
As told by Crickmore, the first successful intercept of an SR-71 over the Baltic was carried out by Per-Olof Eldh, who recalls the incident: "In the 1980, I joined the 2nd Squadron "Blue Marlins" of Fighter Wing 13, equipped with the JA-37 fighter Viggen and based at Bravalla, just outside the town of Norrkšping, on the Baltic coast. Our mission was to conduct operational task and evaluation focused on air defence and air superiority. We were already equipped with a datalink from the air defence network; the next step was to establish it between fighters and we achieved this in 1981. Integrating this with the PS-46 air-to-air pulse-Doppler radar and the Skyflash missile provided the JA-37 with a significant enhanced capability. Looking at the map display on the MFD, the pilot could see other friendlies, the enemy, SAM sites, etc, and this information was constantly updated via the datalink by fighter controllers and other JA-37s, giving the pilot unprecedented levels of situational awareness. In fact, the system was so good that we could employ the same tactics – line abreast, box formations or scissors maneuvers – day or night in VFR or IFR [visual flight rules or instrument flight rules] conditions.
When i conducted the first Swedish Air Force intercept of an SR-71, the target had completed its north-bound pass of the Soviet coastline, and had turned west, south of the Finnish island of Aland, and was tracking south of a heading that would take it between Gotland and Öland. The datalink from the fighter controller was on, and I lined up for a head-on attack with a target angle of 180°. From my altitude of 8.000m I accelerated to Mach 1.35 then pulled up, very gently, continuing to accelerate to between Mach 1.7 and Mach 2.0, topping out at between 18.500 and 20.000m. All the target data was on my map display, including radar detection of the target at maximum range, which then locked on immediately afterwards. I simulated missile launches – the closing velocity was very high, between Mach 4.5 and 5.0; the SR-71 was flying at Mach 2.98 and 21.500m.
I had visual contact.
In total I have five hot intercepts against the SR-71 to my credit. All can be described as successful. I was visual three times; on a couple of occasions the SR-71 was contrailing, which was very useful because you could do a visual check to ensure you ended up in the right spot!
When we began conducting these SR-71 intercepts, the squadron began a special air safety program and we all underwent an intense series of emergency procedure checks in the simulator, because we were flying at the outer edges of the envelope and at higher risk.
On January 1986, while leading a JA-37 three-ship in aircraft tail number "38", we received target data immediately after take-off from Bravalla. We flew in trail, receiving updated target information over the link from both the fighter controller and the other fighters in the formation. All three of us carried out successful intercepts between 13:14 hours and 13:25 hours, about 50km west of the town of Visby, on the island of Gotland. Major Moller was number two, in tail number "60", and Captain Ulf Johansson number three in tail number "53".
I remember that the SR-71 was flying at an altitude of 22.000m and a speed of Mach 2.9. Ulf had some difficulties coming back to earth – he actually reached the target's altitude and passed the SR-71 head-on at the same altitude with some side separation, but suffered a high temperature engine stall! A cartoon drawn by SAS Captain Stefan Lofren to commemorate this event was used as a poster in our briefing room."
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin, Flygvapenmuseum, U.S. Air Force, Swedish Air Force, Dmitriy Pichugin, Steve Fitzgerald and Mike Freer – Touchdown-aviation via Wikipedia
Dario Leone
Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of "The Aviation Geek Club" one of the world's most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 29
1502 – Christopher Columbus arrived at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, on his 4th voyage to the new world. He requested harbor and advised Gov. Nicolas de Ovando of an approaching hurricane. Ovando denied the request and dispatched a treasure fleet to Spain. 20 ships sank in the storm, 9 returned to port and one made it to Spain.
1835 – Determined to win independence for the Mexican State of Texas, William Travis raises a volunteer army of 25 soldiers and prepares to liberate the city of Anahuac. Born in South Carolina and raised in Alabama, William Travis moved to Mexican-controlled Texas in 1831 at the age of 22. He established a legal practice in Anahuac, a small frontier town about 40 miles east of Houston. From the start, Travis disliked Mexicans personally and resented Mexican rule of Texas politically. In 1832, he clashed with local Mexican officials and was jailed for a month. When he was released, the growing Texan independence movement hailed him as a hero, strengthening his resolve to break away from Mexico by whatever means necessary. Early in 1835, the Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna overthrew the republican government and proclaimed himself dictator. Rightly fearing that some Texans would rebel as a result, Santa Anna quickly moved to reinforce Mexican control and dispatched troops to Anahuac, among other areas. Accustomed to enjoying a large degree of autonomy, some Texans resented the presence of Santa Anna's troops, and they turned to Travis for leadership. On this day in 1835, Travis raised a company of 25 volunteer soldiers. The next day, the small army easily captured Captain Antonio Tenorio, the leader of Santa Anna's forces in Anahuac, and forced the troops to surrender. More radical Texans again proclaimed Travis a hero, but others condemned him for trying to foment war and maintained that Santa Anna could still be dealt with short of revolution. By the fall of 1835, however, conflict had become inevitable, and Texans prepared to fight a war of independence. As soon as the rebels had formed an army, Travis was made a lieutenant colonel in command of the regular troops at San Antonio. On February 23, 1836, Travis joined forces with Jim Bowie's army of volunteers to occupy an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo. The following day, Santa Anna and about 4,000 of his men laid siege to the Alamo. With less than 200 soldiers, Travis and Bowie were able to hold off the Mexicans for 13 days. On March 6, Santa Anna's soldiers stormed the Alamo and killed nearly every Texan defender, including Travis. In the months that followed, "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying cry as the Texans successfully drove the Mexican forces from their borders. By April, Texas had won its independence. Travis, who first hastened the war of independence and then became a martyr to the cause, became an enduring symbol of Texan courage and defiance.
1945 – President Truman approves the plan, devised by the joint chiefs of staff, to invade Japan. The plan calls for 5 million troops, mostly Americans. Kyushu is to be invaded on November 1st with some 13 divisions (Operation Olympic) and Honshu is to be invaded on March 1, 1946 with some 23 divisions (Operation Coronet), including forces of the US 1st Army from Europe. The British will deploy a very long range bomber force in support of the invasion.
1950 – While defending Suwon Airfield, Air Force Lieutenant Orrin R. Fox, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, scored two Yak-9 kills and Lieutenants Richard J. Burns, 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and Harry T. Sandlin, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, each shot down a Yak fighter. These were the first aerial victories made by F-51 Mustang pilots in the Korean War. Interestingly, General MacArthur witnessed the air battle while conferring with Syngman Rhee.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WHITAKER, EDWARD W.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company E, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At Reams Station, Va., 29 June 1864. Entered service at: Ashford, Conn. Born: 15 June 1841, Killingly, Conn. Date of issue: 2 April 1898. Citation: While acting as an aide voluntarily carried dispatches from the commanding general to Gen. Meade, forcing his way with a single troop of Cavalry, through an Infantry division of the enemy in the most distinguished manner, though he lost half his escort.
SALE, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Santa Maria River, Ariz., 29 June 1869. Entered service at:——. Birth: Broome County, N.Y. Date of issue: 3 March 1870. Citation: Gallantry in killing an Indian warrior and capturing pony and effects.
*BENNETT, STEVEN L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force. 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pacific Air Forces. Place and date: Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1972. Entered service at: Lafayette, La. Born: 22 April 1946, Palestine, Tex. Citation: Capt. Bennett was the pilot of a light aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily defended segment of route structure. A large concentration of enemy troops was massing for an attack on a friendly unit. Capt. Bennett requested tactical air support but was advised that none was available. He also requested artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of friendly troops to the target. Capt. Bennett was determined to aid the endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions. After 4 such passes, the enemy force began to retreat. Capt. Bennett continued the attack, but, as he completed his fifth strafing pass, his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile, which severely damaged the left engine and the left main landing gear. As fire spread in the left engine, Capt. Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was impossible. He instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection, but was informed by the observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting missile. Although Capt. Bennett had a good parachute, he knew that if he ejected, the observer would have no chance of survival. With complete disregard for his own life, Capt. Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into the Gulf of Tonkin, even though he realized that a pilot of this type aircraft had never survived a ditching. The ensuing impact upon the water caused the aircraft to cartwheel and severely damaged the front cockpit, making escape for Capt. Bennett impossible. The observer successfully made his way out of the aircraft and was rescued. Capt. Bennett's unparalleled concern for his companion, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
HERDA, FRANK A.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Near Dak To, Quang Trang Province, Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1968. Entered service at: Cleveland, Ohio. Born: 13 September 1947, Cleveland, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Herda (then Pfc.) distinguished himself while serving as a grenadier with Company A. Company A was part of a battalion-size night defensive perimeter when a large enemy force initiated an attack on the friendly units. While other enemy elements provided diversionary fire and indirect weapons fire to the west, a sapper force of approximately 30 men armed with hand grenades and small charges attacked Company A's perimeter from the east. As the sappers were making a last, violent assault, 5 of them charged the position defended by Sp4c. Herda and 2 comrades, 1 of whom was wounded and lay helpless in the bottom of the foxhole. Sp4c. Herda fired at the aggressors until they were within 10 feet of his position and 1 of their grenades landed in the foxhole. He fired 1 last round from his grenade launcher, hitting 1 of the enemy soldiers in the head, and then, with no concern for his safety, Sp4c. Herda immediately covered the blast of the grenade with his body. The explosion wounded him grievously, but his selfless action prevented his 2 comrades from being seriously injured or killed and enabled the remaining defender to kill the other sappers. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Sp4c. Herda has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
MORRIS, CHARLES B.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sgt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1966. Entered service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 29 December 1931, Carroll County, Va. C.O. No.: 51, 14 December 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Seeing indications of the enemy's presence in the area, S/Sgt. Morris deployed his squad and continued forward alone to make a reconnaissance. He unknowingly crawled within 20 meters of an enemy machinegun, whereupon the gunner fired, wounding him in the chest. S/Sgt. Morris instantly returned the fire and killed the gunner. Continuing to crawl within a few feet of the gun, he hurled a grenade and killed the remainder of the enemy crew. Although in pain and bleeding profusely, S/Sgt. Morris continued his reconnaissance. Returning to the platoon area, he reported the results of his reconnaissance to the platoon leader. As he spoke, the platoon came under heavy fire. Refusing medical attention for himself, he deployed his men in better firing positions confronting the entrenched enemy to his front. Then for 8 hours the platoon engaged the numerically superior enemy force. Withdrawal was impossible without abandoning many wounded and dead. Finding the platoon medic dead, S/Sgt. Morris administered first aid to himself and was returning to treat the wounded members of his squad with the medic's first aid kit when he was again wounded. Knocked down and stunned, he regained consciousness and continued to treat the wounded, reposition his men, and inspire and encourage their efforts. Wounded again when an enemy grenade shattered his left hand, nonetheless he personally took up the fight and armed and threw several grenades which killed a number of enemy soldiers. Seeing that an enemy machinegun had maneuvered behind his platoon and was delivering the fire upon his men, S/Sgt. Morris and another man crawled toward the gun to knock it out. His comrade was killed and S/Sgt. Morris sustained another wound, but, firing his rifle with 1 hand, he silenced the enemy machinegun. Returning to the platoon, he courageously exposed himself to the devastating enemy fire to drag the wounded to a protected area, and with utter disregard for his personal safety and the pain he suffered, he continued to lead and direct the efforts of his men until relief arrived. Upon termination of the battle, important documents were found among the enemy dead revealing a planned ambush of a Republic of Vietnam battalion. Use of this information prevented the ambush and saved many lives. S/Sgt. Morris' gallantry was instrumental in the successful defeat of the enemy, saved many lives, and was in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 29, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
29 June
1909: With Orville Wright at the controls, the first Army airplane began trial flights at Fort Myer, Va. (12) (24)
1927: Through 1 July, Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd, Lt George O. Noville, Bert Acosta, and Bernt Balchen, set a record four-passenger flight in their airplane, the America. They flew from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., to Ver-Sur-Mer, France (about 125 miles from Paris), and covered the 3,477 miles in 46 hours 6 minutes. (9) (24)
1928: John H. Mears and Capt C. B. D. Collyer flew around the world from New York and back in 23 days 15 hours 21 minutes to establish an FAI record. (9)
1936: Maj Gen Frank M. Andrews, along with Maj John Whiteley and crew, set a world's distance record for amphibians in a Douglas YOA-5. Two Wright Cyclone 800 HP engines pulled the aircraft 1,429.7 miles from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Langley Field. (24)
1940: A program to build over 12,000 airplanes by 1 April 1942 approved as the "Army's first aviation objective for training, organization, and procurement. (12)
1950: KOREAN WAR. President Truman authorized General MacArthur to dispatch air forces against targets in North Korea. Later that day, the 3 BG launched 18 B-26s to attack Heijo Airfield near Pyongyang, North Korea. (21) KOREAN WAR. General MacArthur directed General Stratemeyer to concentrate air attacks on the Han River bridges and North Korean troops massing north of the river. B-26s attacked the bridges, and Fifth Air Force F-80s patrolled the Han River area. F-82s from the 86 FAWS, using jettisonable fuel tanks, attacked with napalm for the first time. The 35 FBS and 80 FBS shot down five North Korean airplanes that were attacking Suwon Airfield, while eight 19 BG B-29s attacked enemy-held Kimpo Airfield and the Seoul railroad station, reportedly killing a large number of enemy troops. As the B-29s turned toward Kadena AB, enemy aircraft attacked the formation, enabling B-29 gunners to shoot down an enemy airplane for the first time. (28) KOREAN WAR. General MacArthur authorized FEAF attacks against North Korean airfields. In the first USAF attack, eighteen 3 BG B-26s attacked Heijo airfield near Pyongyang, claiming up to 25 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. The 8 TRS began photographing North Korean airfields. Using RB-29 aircraft, the 31 SRS (Photographic) also started operations over Korea from Yokota. (28)
1955: The first Boeing B-52B Stratofortress (serial number 52-8711) entered operational service with SAC at Castle AFB and the 93 BMW. (1) (12)
1956: An Aerobee-Hi rocket, built by Aerojet General Corporation, attained an altitude of 163 miles in a launching from White Sands Proving Ground. (24)
1961: The US Navy's Transit IV-A navigational satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral on a Thor-Able-Star booster, became the first satellite equipped with a nuclear power generator. A radio-isotope-powered battery of the Snap series provided its power. Two other satellites, the Injun and Greb III, mounted "piggyback" on the Transit IV-A failed to separate and function. (24)
1962: The first Minuteman to be launched by an USAF crew was fired from an underground silo at Cape Canaveral to a target area some 2,300 miles away. (16) (24) In an offensive operation against the Viet Cong about 20 miles northwest of Saigon, 16 Mule Train C-123s and 10 Vietnamese AF C-47s dropped over 1,000 Vietnamese paratroopers. (17)
1965: Capt Joseph Engle qualified as a military astronaut by flying the X-15 No. 3 to 280,600 feet at 3,432 MPH (Mach 4.94). By exceeding 264,000 feet (50 miles), Engle became the third USAF and youngest astronaut. (3)
1972: MEDAL OF HONOR. Capt Steven L. Bennett, a forward air controller, and his observer found enemy troops attacking a friendly unit. He then strafed the enemy forces into retreating. After a surface-to-air missile hit and crippled his OV-10 Bronco and shredded his observer's parachute, Bennett ditched his OV-10 into the Gulf of Tonkin even though he knew the OV-10 was not likely to survive the ditching. He died, but his observer survived. For his heroic sacrifice, Bennett received the Medal of Honor posthumously. (21)
1982: Lockheed delivered the last C-141B to the USAF. The program cost $489.6 million, an impressive $193.3 million below the 1978 estimate. (18)
1984: The HH-60D completed its first air refueling from an HC-130 tanker. (3)
1985: The 60 BMS, 43 SW, at Andersen AFB became the second B-52G Stratofortress unit to be equipped with the Harpoon antiship missile. This event gave the weapon system full operating capability. (16) (26)
1993: Wright-Patterson AFB successfully tested the OC-135B Open Skies reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft performed surveillance over signature nations to the Open Skies Treaty. (16) (26)
1998: At Edwards AFB, the DarkStar 2 high altitude UAV made its successful first flight, flying for 44 minutes and completing pre-programmed flight maneuvers at up to 5000 feet. (3)
2007: The 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., celebrated the 30th anniversary of the E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System. The first E-3 Sentry arrived at Tinker on 23 March 1977, and since then it served in almost every U. S. military operation. The wing also honored the crewmembers lost in an accident on 22 September 1995, the only E-3 lost in the airframe's 30-year history. (AFNEWS, "Airmen Honor 30 Years of AWACS," 3 Jul 2007.)
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World News for 29 June thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Competition Heats Up For Space Force Launches Breaking Defense | 06/29/2022 Lobbying has kicked off as space launch providers seek to win contracts for the next round of national security space launches, reports Breaking Defense. Space Force has begun planning for the third phase of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, covering launch missions after 2027. The command intends to open bidding for Phase 3 in fiscal 2024. The anticipated competition has potential bidders lobbying lawmakers to win advantages. For example, 25 lawmakers have signed a draft letter written by United Launch Alliance and circulated by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) urging Space Force to "continue requiring launch providers meet all critical mission requirements," effectively limiting the competition to companies that can provide high-energy rockets capable of reaching geosynchronous orbit (about 22,370 miles, 36,000 km in altitude). This would cut out providers with rockets only capable of reaching low Earth orbit (60-1,200 miles, 100-2,000 km) even for missions that only need to reach those lower zones, according to unnamed industry sources. Meanwhile, the House Armed Services Committee has urged Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to consider a larger pool of commercial providers for the launch mission and different acquisition models, such as indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts and block buys. Space Force has urged the Defense Dept. to grant maximum flexibility for future launch services and integration so that it can obtain tailored launch services for various emerging missions.
USA—Sikorsky Wins Another Multiyear Black Hawk Helo Contract Defense News | 06/29/2022 The U.S. Army has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, a new multiyear contract for utility helicopters, reports Defense News. The five-year, $2.3 billion contract covers 120 UH-60M helicopters with options for another 135 aircraft for the Army and Foreign Military Sales customers, the Pentagon said. If all options are exercised, the deal could have a total value of $4.4 billion, the Army said on Monday. The Army expects to save $387 million, about 14.5 percent, for the base order compared to the total cost had the procurement been carried out under annual contracts, the service told the newspaper. The multiyear agreement also permits the service "to meet current and future capability needs through upgrades, remanufacturing, replacement and technology insertions," Col. Calvin Lane, the Army's utility helicopters project manager, said in a statement. Deliveries under the deal are slated to begin in July and continue through 2027.
NATO—Turkey Drops Veto On Finnish, Swedish Membership Nato Press Release | 06/29/2022 The Turkish government has dropped its veto of Finnish and Swedish membership in NATO after signing a trilateral agreement on security cooperation, with a focus on Kurdish militants, reports the alliance. On Tuesday, representatives of the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding in which Finland and Sweden agreed to fully support Turkey against national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group, Kurdish groups in Syria and the Gulen Movement, which Ankara considers a terrorist group. Turkey had blocked the accession of the Nordic countries, accusing them of harboring Kurdish militants. Finland and Sweden also agreed to consider pending deportation or extradition requests from Turkey for alleged terror suspects and to investigate PKK activity and enforce anti-terror and disinformation laws against the group as appropriate. The three countries also confirmed that there were no national arms embargos among them. Sweden said that it was changing its national regulatory framework for arms exports to NATO allies. Finally, Turkey confirmed that it would support the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become NATO members during this week's summit in Madrid.
Afghanistan—Taliban, U.S. Officials Meet To Discuss Humanitarian Aid Ariana | 06/29/2022 Taliban officials are scheduled to meet with their U.S. counterparts this week in Qatar to discuss the release of assets to support humanitarian efforts following a deadly earthquake last week, reports the Ariana News (Afghanistan). Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is leading a delegation with five officials from the ministry of finance and central bank to meet with the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and officials from the US Treasury Dept. in Doha. The talks are expected to cover political, economic and banking issues, including the release of US$9 billion in Afghan central bank reserves held overseas. The funds were frozen after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government in Kabul in August 2021. Sanctions have made bank transfers into Afghanistan very difficult, hindering aid work and the payment of government salaries. On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that U.S. officials were working with the Taliban government on a mechanism that would permit Kabul to use central bank reserves to deal with severe hunger crisis and avert a humanitarian crisis.
Fiji—Moratorium Sought On Deep-Sea Mining Pacific Island News Service | 06/29/2022 The Pacific island countries of Fiji and Palau launched a new alliance against deep-sea mining during the U.N. Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, reports the Pacific Island News Service (Suva, Fiji). On Monday, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. expressed strong opposition to deep-sea mining, citing the lack of understanding of the risks and the potential environmental damage during a side event at the conference. The Pacific countries argued that the heavy machinery used to vacuum rocks from the ocean floor "increases the vulnerability of the seabed floor and marine life," reported Reuters. The move comes as the U.N.'s International Seabed Authority (ISA) works on regulations for deep-seabed mining in areas outside any national jurisdiction. Until global rules are in place, such mining is prohibited. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, which supports a moratorium, said that the ISA would meet in July and in August to push through regulations that, if adopted, would see licenses issued that could enable deep-sea mining to begin as soon as July 2023. Last month, the G7 countries agreed that deep-sea mining needed strong environmental regulations and said that they would only consent to such projects if they did not seriously harm the marine environment. Meanwhile, China is a proponent of deep-sea mining and other Pacific countries, such as Nauru, have sought to speed the development of regulations.
Nigeria—New Pipeline In The Works With Algeria, Niger To Bring Gas To Europe Business Post | 06/29/2022 Algeria, Niger and Nigeria are working on a new gas pipeline to bring gas to Europe, reports the Business Post (Lagos). Last week, the oil ministers of the three countries and head of the national oil companies met in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, to discuss the implementation of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project. The proposed US$13 billion pipeline would run from Warri in Nigeria through Niger to Hassi R'Mel in Algeria, totaling about 2,565 miles (4,128 km) in length and connecting Nigerian and Algerian gas fields to European markets. The TGSP would support the trading of up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually, officials said. The pipeline would enhance regional cooperation and increase exports to Europe as well as create jobs and increase investment in the Nigerian energy sector. During the meeting in Abuja, the ministers established a task force to oversee the development of the TSGP. The group is scheduled to meet at the end of July to discuss the feasibility of the project.
Norway—Russia Protests After Food Shipments To Svalbard Blocked Independent Barents Observer | 06/29/2022 Russia has complained to the Norwegian government after it denied the transit of Russian goods through its borders, reports the Independent Barents Observer (Norway). Two containers of food were sent by truck to Tromso in northern Norway where they were slated to be transported to the Russian Barentsburg mining settlement on Svalbard. The truck was stopped at the Storskog land checkpoint as part of Norway's enforcement of European Union sanctions on Russia in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Under the Svalbard Treaty, which entered force in 1925, the archipelago is under Norwegian sovereignty but it must permit 46 countries to access resources in the area on equal footing. At Barentsburg, 370 Russians and Ukrainians mine coal at a settlement established under the Soviet Union. Analysts noted that Russia could have transported the goods by sea from Murmansk directly to Barentsburg but elected to try to send them through Norway. Russian officials have complained that the Norwegian move could prevent food shipments to Svalbard and create a humanitarian crisis, reported Russia's state-run Tass news agency. Sergei Gustshin, the Russian consul general in Barentsburg, emphasized that there was no shortage of food at the moment. Other officials have expressed concern that the border blockage could hinder preparations for winter.
Sudan—Ethiopian Ambassador Summoned Over Alleged Cross-Border Executions All Africa | 06/29/2022 The Sudanese government has summoned the Ethiopian ambassador in response to reports that the Ethiopian military seized and executed seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian in a disputed border area, reports All Africa. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said that the eight people had been seized on Sudanese territory on June 22 and were killed after being taken to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Defense Ministry has denied the accusation. On Monday, the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the Sudanese troops were killed during a skirmish with a local militia and pledged to conduct an investigation into the incident, reported the Addis Standard. A defense ministry spokesman said that Ethiopian military forces were not present at the time and that Sudanese forces had entered Ethiopian territory and fought with local militias. He also accused Sudan of covertly invading Ethiopian territory during its conflict in the northern Tigray region and demanded that Sudanese forces return to their positions as of November 2020.
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