To All,
Good Friday morning January 20, 2023.
I hope that your week has been going well
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
January 20
1903 President Theodore Roosevelt issues an Executive Order placing Midway Islands under the jurisdiction of the Navy Department due to recurring complaints of Japanese squatters and poachers.
1909 Ship Fitter First Class George H. Wheeler and Boatswains Mate William H. Gowan display bravery and extraordinary heroism while fighting a fire and keeping it from spreading in Coquimbo, Chile. For their actions on this occasion, both men are awarded the Medal of Honor.
1914
The aviation unit from Annapolis, Md., under Lt. John H. Towers, as Officer in Charge, arrived at Pensacola, Fla., to set up a flying school.
1943 USS Brennan (DE 13) is commissioned. Originally launched as British destroyer escort Bentinck (BDE-13), she is reallocated to the United States and serves as a training ship in the Miami, Fla., area for student officers and prospective crews of destroyer escorts.
1944 USS Batfish (SS 310) and USS Gar (SS 206) attack Japanese convoys and sink transport Hidaka Maru south of Shiono Misaki and army cargo ship Koyo Maru about 50 miles south-southwest of Palau.
2017 By a 98-1 vote, the Senate confirms retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be the 26th secretary of defense. He is sworn in shortly afterward. Mattis is the first retired general officer to hold the position since General of the Army George C. Marshall in the early 1950s.
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This Day in History 20 January
1327 Edward II of England is deposed by his eldest son, Edward III.
1616 The French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrives to winter in a Huron Indian village after being wounded in a battle with Iroquois in New France.
1783 Britain signs a peace agreement with France and Spain, who allied against it in the American War of Independence.
1908 The Sullivan Ordinance bars women from smoking in public facilities in the United States.
1930 Charles Lindbergh arrives in New York, setting a cross country flying record of 14.75 hours.
1935 Belgium arrests some Nazi agitators who urge for a return to the Reich.
1941 Hitler meets with Mussolini and offers aid in Albania and Greece.
1942 Nazi officials meet in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to decide the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question."
1944 Allied forces in Italy begin unsuccessful operations to cross the Rapido River and seize Cassino.
1945 The Allies sign a truce with the Hungarians.
1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated for his fourth term.
1946 France's Charles DeGaulle hands in his resignation.
1952 British troops occupy Ismalia, Egypt.
1954 Over 22,000 anti-Communist prisoners are turned over to UN forces in Korea.
1977 President Jimmy Carter is sworn in and then surprises the nation as he walks from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
1981 Ronald Reagan is sworn in as president at the same time 52 American hostages are released from their captors in Tehran, Iran.
January 20
Iran Hostage Crisis ends
Minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.
On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. government had allowed the ousted shah of Iran to travel to New York City for medical treatment, seized the U.S. embassy in Teheran. The Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran's political and religious leader, took over the hostage situation, refusing all appeals to release the hostages, even after the U.N. Security Council demanded an end to the crisis in an unanimous vote. However, two weeks after the storming of the embassy, the Ayatollah began to release all non-U.S. captives, and all female and minority Americans, citing these groups as among the people oppressed by the government of the United States. The remaining 52 captives remained at the mercy of the Ayatollah for the next 14 months.
President Jimmy Carter was unable to diplomatically resolve the crisis, and on April 24, 1980, he ordered a disastrous rescue mission in which eight U.S. military personnel were killed and no hostages rescued. Three months later, the former shah died of cancer in Egypt, but the crisis continued. In November 1980, Carter lost the presidential election to Republican Ronald Reagan. Soon after, with the assistance of Algerian intermediaries, successful negotiations began between the United States and Iran. On the day of Reagan's inauguration, the United States freed almost $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and the hostages were released after 444 days. The next day, Jimmy Carter flew to West Germany to greet the Americans on their way home.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Skip … For The List for Friday, 20 January 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 20 January 1968… A voice of experience…
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.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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Thanks to Harry …. And Dr.Rich
[At least he lost both of them at the same time .. we had a small bull walk up our driveway, stop for a second, and dropped one of his antlers … and then walked on a little crooked headed!! - RS]
Hardly an Earth-Shaking event but an event seen by few nonetheless ...........
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-moose-sheds-antlers-1.6716287
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Thanks to Dr.Richandcowboyh for finding the url…skip the adds
Bugatti's 300 mph 'sports car' …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuS_bXJNync
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NIGHT WITCHES: THE FEMALE PILOTS WHO STRUCK FEAR INTO THE NAZIS.
On June 22, 1941, ignoring a nonaggression pact between Stalin and Hitler, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Air Force, caught off guard was nearly destroyed. The German forces pushed into the Soviet Union using the largest invading force in the history of warfare. About four million troops waded into Russia from the west. By November, the Germany Army was within 19 miles of Moscow. Some three million Russians were taken prisoners and a large part of the Red Army was wiped out.
As the Soviet Union struggled to stop the German advance, on October 8th, 1941, Stalin ordered the formation of three all-women air force units based upon the recommendation of Marina Raskova. Raskova was an aviation heroine and considered the "Amelia Earhart" of the Soviet Union. She was the first female navigator in the Soviet Air Force.
Flying was popular in the 1930s and thousands of women belonged to flying clubs. But when Germany invaded Russia, Russian women weren't allowed in the Soviet Air Force even though they were allowed on the front lines in the army. Raskova received hundreds of letters from women protesting the prohibition. After all, if women were allowed to fight alongside men on the ground, why not in the air too? Raskova convinced Stalin that women needed to get involved in the fight. Women were to be the equal of their male counterparts in everything from being deck hands to flying airplanes.
While two of the units, the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Bomber Regiment, inevitably became mixed-gendered, the 588th Night Bomber Regiment remained exclusively women for the entirety of its existence. Stalin could be considered progressive in 1941, long before it become popular, since the Soviet Union became the very first country to allow women to fly combat missions. Nearly 1,000 women, near the end of the war had flown missions in every type of Soviet aircraft. For years this was one of the best kept secrets of World War II and many would say helped turn the tide of the war.
Over 2,000 women applied and approximately 400 women, ranging in age from 17 to 25, were selected. They were trained in the small town of Engels north of Stalingrad at the Engels School of Aviation. They underwent a highly intense education—expected to learn in a few months what it took most soldiers several years to grasp. Each recruit had to train and perform as pilots, navigators, maintenance and ground crew.
These pilots were nicknamed the Nächthexen, or Night Witches, by their enemies. The only warning the enemy had before the bombs hit was an ominous whooshing sound. The "whoosh" sound was due to the fact that the women would cut the planes' engines as they approached, gliding in stealthily before dropping their bombs.They were so feared that any German who downed one of their planes was automatically awarded the prestigious Iron Cross medal.
These women embraced their nickname, and it emboldened them to continue their dangerous and often deadly missions. Night Witches was a badge of pride. Their missions, across the Eastern Front, were incredibly dangerous, especially considering how the women were equipped.
They were issued hand-me-down men's uniforms. Men's size 42 boots and had to tear up bedding to stuff into the end to make them fit properly. Officially, the women were treated just like their male counterparts – except they were given more soap! Many in the Soviet military still found the idea of women flying in combat to be laughable, despite their clear ability. Undeterred by the lack of faith from many of their male counterparts, the women embraced their identities. To show how confident and proud they were they celebrated their womanhood by drawing flowers on the sides of their planes and painted their lips with navigational pencils.
The 588th Night Bomber Regiment were given the obsolete two-seater Polikarpov PO-2 biplanes. The aircraft, made of wood and fabric, were slow and cumbersome. These planes were crop dusters from the 1920s and typically only used for training purposes. The planes' top speed was just 90 mph, and the weight of the bombs and crew they carried meant they had to fly low. If they were hit with a tracer bullet it could easily cause the plane to burst into flames. Some of the women would refer to their aircraft as "a coffin with wings." The aircraft offered no protection from the elements, and at night, the pilots had to endure sub-zero temperatures, freezing winds, and the risk of frostbite. During the harsh Soviet winters, just touching the icy plane carried the risk of having your skin torn right off.
They had no radar, no machine guns, no radios, and no parachutes. If they needed to bail out, they just hoped they were close enough to the ground to survive. All they had onboard was a map, a compass, rulers, stopwatches, flashlights, and pencils. In terms of defense munitions on board, there was little to none. Many pilots would have only a loaded pistol, typically leaving the last bullet for themselves, as suicide was preferable to being captured.
The regiment flew under the cover of darkness. Each night, a pilot and navigator looked for small fires or other flickering lights that gave away enemy camps. Then they'd throttle their engine to idle, quietly glide over the target and drop their bombs taking out the troops' encampments, storage depots and supply lines. Their gliding speed was so slow that they traveled at half the speed of a parachutist. And on the ground, the Germans had little warning except for the sound of the planes in "stealth" mode as they glided above their target.
At the peak of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment's strength, it had as many as 40 two-person crews, flying multiple bombing runs as soon as the sky darkened, taking part in as many as 18 in a single night. They would go out in groups of three, with two planes acting as decoys to draw the German searchlights and flack gun attacks away from the third. The one advantage the small, slow biplanes had was maneuverability, so they relied on fancy flying to create a diversion. When the navigator of the third plane tapped the pilot on the shoulder, she would kill the engine and silently swoop in for the bomb drop. The three planes would each take turns in this manner until all three planes had dropped their payloads.
From June 1942 to October 1943, they flew more than 23,000 combat sorties, collectively logging over 28,000 flight hours and dropping more than 3,000 tons of bombs and 26,000 incendiary shells on Nazi targets. Their bombing raids wreaked havoc on river crossings, railways, warehouses, fuel depots, armored cars, firing positions and other valuable logistical targets. They also made 155 food and ammunition supply drops to other Soviet armed forces. The 588th Regiment was highly decorated; of the 89 Soviet women who received the Hero of the Soviet Union award—the country's highest honor in WWII—22 were Night Witches.
The Night Witches utilized their slow speed to their advantage because it gave them greater ease of maneuverability. Furthermore, the planes sent against them were flying at much faster speeds. Thus the Germans only had a very small window of time to return fire before they had to make a wide turn to return for another run. The Night Witches took advantage of this interim to escape into the darkness.
Not all escaped. During the war, the Night Witches lost 32 pilots, including Colonel Marina Raskova when she was sent to the front line. When Raskova died, she was celebrated with the first state funeral of World War II and her ashes were buried in the Kremlin.
Twenty Three pilots were awarded the prestigious title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
These daring pilots were women of incredible skill and immeasurable courage. They cemented their place in history by accomplishing some of the most remarkable feats ever seen in aerial combat.
The Night Witches didn't have great planes, or superior bombs, or even very much support for their unit, but they nonetheless became one of the most remarkable fighting forces of World War II. No sorcery needed. They were simply Bad Ass!
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST!
THURSDAY, January 19, 6pm CDT / 7pm EDT
"Night Witches"
THE FEMALE PILOTS WHO STRUCK FEAR INTO THE NAZIS
Watch on these Websites and Socials:
Warbirds of America Website
https://www.facebook.com/EAAWarbirds
Air2AirTV.com
https://www.facebook.com/sleepingdogtv/
https://www.youtube.com/user/sleepingdogtv/
https://www.twitch.tv/sleepingdogtv
https://www.instagram.com/stevewittman9/
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(This article exposes the facts about the amazing amount of environmental destruction that is required for production of the BEV batteries!)
For every single electric car battery weighing about 1,000 pounds, some 500,000 pounds of earth need to be extracted and processed. And for every 1,000 pounds of lithium produced for BEVs, 500,000 pounds of water must be used for processing in some of the most arid regions of the world. Yet politicians turn a blind eye to these realities.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/01/the_case_for_plugin_hybrid_vehicles.html
January 20, 2023
The Case for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
By Walter Myers III
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Wonderful repeat with a couple of other videos on the right of the screen worth watching
: "High Flight" - John Denver
Amen!
Thanks to Doctor Rich
Thanks to Harry …
Never heard this before … quite good ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xNGgWNRUf8
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Some articles are just worth repeating
Commentary Extraordinaire
I have seen this before but it never ceases to amaze – a truly brave man!
I'm am filled with this man's integrity. I ask myself the question - what would I have done?
H
With 1500 WW II vets passing every day, this will make you wonder how many stories like this will never be told and men like this not recognized.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/198357872
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Thanks to Bill
Old but still relevant...
Smile of the day: Ford vs Microsoft
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX) : Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated,
"If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:
If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........twice a day.
2.. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3.. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4.... Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5... Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6...... The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7...... The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?" before deploying.
8....... Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9........ Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10......... You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
PS - I'd like to add that when all else fails, you could call "customer service" in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!
Please share this with your friends who love - but sometimes hate - their computer!
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January 20
This Day in U S Military History
1783 – The fighting of the Revolutionary War ended. Britain signed peace agreements with France and Spain, who allied against it in the American War of Independence. The peace agreement between the US and England will not go into effect until England and France reach a settlement.
1943 – Japanese resistance on Mount Austen, Guadalcanal weakens. The garrison at the Gifu strongpoint has taken heavy losses from artillery.
1951 – After weeks of almost unbroken absence, MiGs appeared again over Korea, resulting on this date in the first encounter between USAF F-84s and CCF MiG-15s.
1954 – The CIA built a tunnel from west Berlin to East Berlin to tap Soviet and East German communications.
1972 – In continued efforts to disrupt an anticipated communist offensive, a contingent of more than 10,000 South Vietnamese troops begin a sweep 45 miles northwest of Saigon to find and destroy enemy forces. There was much speculation that the North Vietnamese would launch such an offensive around the Tet (Chinese New Year) holiday. Although the communists did not attack during the Tet holiday in early February, in March they launched a massive invasion involving more than 150,000 main force troops and large amounts of tanks and artillery pieces. The battles raged throughout South Vietnam into the fall and resulted in some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
2011 – The largest rocket ever launched from the U.S. West Coast blasted off on Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying a top secret satellite into orbit. The Delta IV Heavy rocket stood 23 stories tall, and its engines produced 2 million pounds of thrust, according to the 30th Space Wing of the U.S. Air Force. Blasting off at 1:10 p.m. Pacific time from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg in California, the rocket carried a payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
GOWAN, WILLIAM HENRY
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 2 June 1884, Rye, New York. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 18, 19 March 1909. Citation: For bravery and extraordinary heroism displayed by him during a conflagration in Coquimbo, Chile, 20 January 1909.
WHEELER, GEORGE HUBER
Rank and organization: Shipfitter First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 26 September 1881, Charleston, S.C. Accredited to: South Carolina. G.O. No.: 18, 19 March 1909. Citation: For bravery and extraordinary heroism displayed by him during a conflagration in Coquimbo, Chile, 20 January 1909.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 20 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
20 January
1945: Brig. Gen. Haywood S. "Possum" Hansell is replaced as commander of the XXI Bomber Command by Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay. Hansell, an excellent administrator, has suffered from inadequate numbers of aircraft, continuing mechanical deficiencies, and extremely strong high-altitude wind conditions that have negatively impacted bombing results
1946: A Pan American Airways Constellation clipper set a record from New York, N. Y., to Lisbon, Spain, for commercial planes by covering the 3,425 miles in 9 hours 58 minutes. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. The first encounter between USAF F-84s and Communist Chinese MiG-15s occurred. (28)
1959: Richard J. Scoles flew a Douglas RB-66A Destroyer from Ontario International Airport, Calif., to Andrews AFB, Md., in 3 hours 36 minutes for a new Federation Aeronautique Internationale cross-country record. He made a return flight in 4 hours 58 minutes two days later. (9)
1960: PROJECT BIG ARM. Early in January, the Soviet Union announced tests of more powerful rockets. Through 22 January, Pacific Air Forces employed KC-135, C-130, and RB-69 (P2V-7) aircraft to observe these tests. (17)
1962: A Strategic Air Command crew launched its first Titan I (a J-model) from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (6)
1966: Blanche W. Noyes, a Federal Aviation Administration marking specialist and pilot, became the first American aviatrix to receive the Brazilian Medal of Merit for service to Brazilian aviation. (5)
1970: The Federal Aviation Administration approved the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet for commercial service. (5)
1974: When test pilot Phil Oestricher took the YF-16 Fighting Falcon out on a high-speed taxi test at Edwards AFB, the aircraft made an unplanned and unofficial first flight. (3)
1975: Teams began replacing 50 Minuteman IIs in the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., with Minuteman IIIs. (6)
1982: The USAF signed its first B-1B production contract with Rockwell International. (1)
1988: The last of 100 B-1B bombers rolled of the assembly line at the Rockwell plant in Palmdale, Calif. (8) The USAF awarded a $606.6 million contract to McDonnell Douglas to build two productionmodel C-17s, the next generation transports. (8) Elbert Rutan, designer of the world circling "Voyager," unveiled his Advanced Technology Tactical Transport in a demonstration flight at Mojave, Calif. Rutan offered the lightweight, double-winged plane to the Air Force for consideration as a long-distance military transport. He produced the aircraft, with Beech Aircraft Corp., under a $2.5 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. (8)
1992: Through 25 January, a 60th Military Airlift Wing C-5 airlifted 56 tons of supplies from Japan to Mongolia, which suffered from shortages of health care resources. (16)
2001: Texas Governor and former Texas Air National Guardsman George W. Bush inaugurated as President of the US. He was the first former Air Guardsmen to become President. (32)
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Thanks to Dave and Shadow
UNBROKEN CHAIN OF EVENTS
A personal account of the USS Forrestal Fire
Capt. Dave Dollarhide USNR (Ret)
July 29, 1967 – "Fire on the Flight Deck"
It was our fifth day of combat operations on "Yankee Station." Unlike most arriving air wings, we had bypassed "Dixie Station" and the normal warm up period of close air support missions in South Vietnam. Air Wing Seventeen started right into flying large formation "Alpha" strikes to the more hostile North Vietnam targets. Today, I was scheduled on the 1100 launch, a 22 plane strike group, plus support aircraft.
Down in the VA-46 Clansmen's ready room, Gary Stark, Fred White, Denny Barton and I began to brief our part of the strike as a "division" of four. Herb Hope and John McCain were there briefing also, but as a different strike element. We had just learned we'd be dropping bombs left over from the Korean War. The M-65 was a 1,000# "fat" bomb, designed to be carried by propeller aircraft. We'd never seen these things and were unfamiliar, but someone gave us the correct gunsight setting, we finished the briefing and walked across the passageway to ride the escalator to the flight deck.
My A-4E, AA 417, was spotted on the port side, close to the LSO platform and as I began to preflight, I was taken back at the sight of the rusted M-65s on either wing. They were large in diameter and didn't seem to have the normal bumpy, insulated exterior seen on modern day bombs.
Nomex flight suits were not in the supply system at this point, so we were wearing Marine fatigues. My sleeves were turned up and I felt somewhat confident about the mission. My post engine start checks were completed and the Plane Captain had removed the ladder, some of the tie down chains, and departed the flight deck. With my canopy open in the one hundred degree heat, I was looking toward the VA-106 A-4 parked upwind and to my left. In the cockpit was "Crash" Dameworth, a friend.
Suddenly, above the noise of engines and wind, I heard a heavy "whump!" Due to no fault of the pilot, a Zuni rocket was accidentally fired from an F-4 across the flight deck, striking the 400 gallon external fuel tank of Fred White's A-4. This resulted in a violent fuel explosion and fire surrounding our airplanes. (When the F-4's first generator was energized during engine start, a current had surged out to the already armed rocket pod on his left wing, firing one rocket.)
Looking towards "Crash," I remember the fear on his face as he looked past me. I snapped my head around to see the flight deck engulfed in fire, with people scrambling out of the inferno. One of our VA-46 mechanics back peddled out of the flames just ahead of my right wing, terribly injured and burned. I was awash with panic. Throttle off…disconnect my torso harness…oxygen hose disconnected while rising up…and I literally dove out the left side of my cockpit. Eight feet later, I hit the deck like a bag of sand, breaking my hip and arm.
One or two people came to my aid, helping me stand and move to the center of the flight deck. Suddenly, they were gone and I was limping along solo when a "Green Shirt" from VF-11, Joe Patane, held out his arms. I lunged and we both fell to the deck in the vicinity of the number three arresting wire. My feet were now pointed toward the fire, maybe fifty feet away. The scene was horrific with people, airplanes and weapons engulfed in the fire. I could see that McCain was out of his airplane, but Gerry Stark and Fred White were still in their open cockpits.
Charges in the "ejector feet" of our bomb racks began to activate in the fire and bombs started to fall unarmed to the deck. However, due to the age of their high explosive material (HE), high order detonations quickly ensued in the burning jet fuel and in short order, the first of nine M-65 detonations occurred just those few feet away. 90 seconds had passed since the rocket had launched.
It had only been a few seconds since Patane had put out his arms. I don't recall any noise, just an instantaneous and violent shock wave that slid me up the deck a foot or so. I took shrapnel hits to my foot and hip. A glance upward showed the sky filled with debris. I began to rise and Patane said to stay down, but determined to leave the scene, I ran/hobbled my way forward and dove under a Phantom parked aft of the island. Someone came out and helped me to safety.
Just inside an island hatch, my flight gear was cut away and I was carried by Butch Massey (VA-65) down numerous ladders to Sick Bay Ward 2 on the second deck. The ship shuddered as the M-65s continued to explode. Brave crewmembers battled the blaze and just over my head, through the steel of the hangar deck, I could hear the noise of people yelling and pushing anything that could burn or explode overboard. Sick bay quickly filled with terribly injured friends and shipmates.
The battle to put out fires and save the ship continued for much of the day. Most, like me, were just survivors, but heroes abounded. All experienced their own version of this life changing experience. When it was over, one
hundred and thirty four shipmates were gone…Gerry, Fred and Denny among them. I was the only survivor from our flight.
Looking Back
It didn't have to happen! The Navy's worst peacetime accident could have been avoided or mitigated by corrective action at any one of several decision points. The following is a list of events that led to the accident.
• • As we proceeded to the combat zone a decision was made to short circuit normal arming procedures in exchange for expedience in meeting the "Alpha Strike" schedule. o Cannon plugs used with rocket pods were connected without the airplanes pointed in a safe direction. ▪It was felt that the arming safety pin in the
• back of the pods was enough protection,
• but these pins were already known by
• many to malfunction, if the wind was
• blowing the attached warning flag.
•
• o Deviating further, final arming of weapons was
• accomplished while airplanes were taxiing. (Just
• the day before the fire, an "AO" caught his foot
• under an F-4 main tire while arming rockets. He
• then fell in front of the wheel and lost his arm as the
• airplane continued to taxi over him. I was in the
• hospital with this sailor and know the story as
• related by him.)
•
• • Someone at a very high level in the Department of Defense decided to expend bombs that had been in storage since the Korean War. o Bombs from that era did not have a proper thermal protective coating.
• o The high explosive (HE) material had become unstable due to storage conditions and time.
• o These bombs had been "high-lined" from an ammunition ship to the Forrestal the night before. One of the carrier's weapons department supervisors expressed serious concern about the age and volatility of the M-65s.
•
A "JAG" investigation was completed, with the report containing some 7,000 pages. VA-46 and VA-106 had lost eleven Skyhawks and most surviving A-4s were damaged to some degree. I remember the total airplane losses in Air Wing Seventeen were around sixty million dollars. The cost of repairing Forrestal was huge and the loss of life, devastating. Over time, the Navy took many corrective actions as a result of the Forrestal accident…life saving procedures and policies that are still in place today, over fifty years later
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World News for 20 January thanks to Military Periscope
DoD Awards IAI Contract For Electro-Optically-Guided Missiles
Source: Israel Aerospace Industries
January 20 2023
Israel
USA
The U.S. Dept. of Defense has awarded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a contract to develop and produce a new electro-optical-guided missile, reports the Israeli defense firm.
The Point Blank is a soldier-portable electro-optically guided missile designed to provide tactical units with an independent capability to increase lethality, the company said in a Thursday release.
The weapon can be carried in a soldier's backpack, and hand-launched and operated by a single user. Point Blank weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and is 3 feet (0.9 m) long with a maximum altitude of 1,500 feet (475 m).
The missile enables tactical units to precisely strike a variety of targets in real time without the need for support, said IAI.
The first prototype is expected to be delivered in fiscal 2023 for operational testing and evaluation.
MDA Radar Simulation System To Be Modernized
Source: Defense Post
January 19 2023
USA
One Stop Systems (OSS) has been contracted to modernize the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) artificial intelligence-based radar simulation system with its 4UV computer accelerator systems, reports the Defense Post.
The $3 million contract covers 4UV computer accelerator systems that will enhance the agency's AI-based radar simulators to improve missile accuracy and speed.
Each 4UV system contains eight PCIe Gen4 Tensor Core graphics processing units the OSS Gen 4 PCI express-over-cable technology.
The accelerators will be fielded at data centers and mobile radar systems in MDA laboratories and AI field training.
An initial batch of 4UV systems was delivered in late 2022, with the balance of the order to be shipped in the first half of 2023.
Annual Flintlock Drills Set For March
Source: U.S. Africa Command
January 19 2023
USA
U.S. Special Operations Command Africa will hold its annual Flintlock exercise with African special operations and law enforcement personnel in early March, reports U.S. Africa Command.
The drills are set to take place in Ghana and Ivory Coast from March 1-15. Around 1,300 troops from 30 countries are scheduled to participate, the command said earlier this month.
The training brings together special operations and law enforcement personnel to strengthen African special operations capabilities.
It is also designed to bolster the ability of key partners to combat militants; cooperate across borders; provide security; respect human rights; and build trust with civilians, officials said.
De Gaulle Strike Group Trains With Indian Navy, Singapore Air Force
Source: USNI News
January 19 2023
Singapore
France
India
France and India are conducting joint naval exercises off the western seaboard of India, while aircraft from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle are training with Singapore, reports USNI News.
The Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, which includes the frigates Forbin and Provence and the replenishment ship Marne, and an Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft have joined the Indian navy destroyer Chennai and frigate Teg as well as MiG-29K fighters and P-8I and Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft, according to the Indian Defense Ministry.
The drills cover air defense, tactical maneuvers, surface firing, underway replenishment and other maritime operations, the ministry said.
Separately, on Tuesday, three Rafale fighters from Charles de Gaulle linked up with a French air force A330 multirole tanker transport to deploy to the Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore. The jets were slated to return to the Charles de Gaulle on Friday following exercises with the Singapore air force.
Kalashnikov Begins Production Of New Chassis For Buk-M3, Tor-M2 Air Defense Systems
Source: BulgarianMilitary.com
January 19 2023
Russia
The Kalashnikov concern machine plant in Mytishchi has started production of new tracked chassis for Russian surface-to-air missile systems, reports BulgarianMilitary.com.
On Wednesday, the plant announced that production of the new chassis for Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 air defense systems for 2023 and 2024 had begun as part of a government order.
Spare parts for the systems are also being produced, the plant said. It is also repairing chassis of air defense systems damaged in Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
The company also said that it had fulfilled all 2022 orders, including those for export. It did not indicate how many of the 2022 orders were for domestic or export customers.
Peacekeepers Discover 49 Bodies In Mass Graves
Source: Voice of America News
January 19 2023
Democratic Republic of the Congo
U.N. peacekeepers have uncovered mass graves in two villages in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reports the Voice of America News.
One grave in the village of Nyamamba contained 42 bodies, including six children, while another in the village of Mbogi held seven corpses. Both villages are about 19 miles (30 km) east of the town of Bunia, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar).
The bodies were uncovered after a series of attacks by a local armed group.
The U.N. announced the discovery on Wednesday, without attributing the killings to a specific group. The world body noted that the security situation in the Djugu and Mahagi territories had deteriorated significantly of late.
Indian Firm Launches Production Of AK-203 Rifles
Source: New Indian Express
January 19 2023
Russia
India
Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL) in Korwa in the northern Uttar Pradesh state has announced the start of production of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles for the Indian army, reports the New Indian Express.
The first batch of 5,000 AK-203s will be delivered by March, according to Indian army chief Gen. Manoj Pande.
Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms export agency, has confirmed that an initial batch of rifles has been completed.
The service is in line for 70,000 of the AK-203, the latest version of the venerable AK-47, to be delivered over 32 months. The initial rifles will have 5 percent to 17 percent indigenous content, with follow-on weapons to be entirely indigenous, according to Pande.
The AK-203 is replacing the aging Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle.
Navy Set To Train With Chinese, Russian Ships In February
Source: Agence France-Presse
January 19 2023
China
Russia
South Africa
South Africa has confirmed plans to stage a joint maritime drill with China and Russia next month, reports Agence France-Presse.
More than 350 South African personnel will participate in the Mosi exercise from Feb. 17-27 off the port city of Durban and Richards Bay, according to the South African military. The drills are designed to share operational skills and knowledge.
Opposition leaders in South Africa criticized the planned exercise, calling it "silly" and an opportunity "for Russia ... to showcase its geopolitical influence in southern Africa as part of their global war games against NATO and the U.S.A."
The leaders also noted the poor condition of the South African navy, saying the drills were unlikely to be of much value given the enormous resource restraints on the service, reported Defence Web (South Africa).
New Protector-Class Patrol Boats Monitor Border With Argentina
Source: MercoPress
January 19 2023
USA
Uruguay
The Uruguayan navy has deployed former U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats to monitor its waterways on the border with Argentina, reports MercoPress (Uruguay).
The Marine Protector-class boats were built between 1999 and 2009 and donated to Uruguay. The boats, renamed Río Arapey, Río de La Plata, and Río Yaguarón in Uruguayan service, departed the U.S. in September 2022, reported El Telégrafo (Uruguay).
Uruguay oversaw an overhaul of the boats as part of a navy modernization program, officials.
The boats are being replaced in U.S. service by the Sentinel-class.
Talks Continue On Possible F-35 Purchase
Source: Anadolu Agency
January 20 2023
Turkey
USA
The Turkish Defense Ministry and U.S. Dept. of Defense have completed a second round of talks in Washington, D.C., over Ankara's potential return to the F-35 fighter program, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara).
The U.S. suspended Turkey from the program in 2019 following its purchase of Russian S-400 advanced air defense systems. Ankara claims that the systems pose no danger to the stealthy U.S. fighter.
An initial round of talks about a possible Turkish return to the program was held in 2021.
A third round of consultations is scheduled to take place in Ankara in spring 2023.
69 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Pair Of Ops
Source: Voice of America News
January 20 2023
Somalia
Somali military officials say that scores of militants have been killed in separate operations in south and central Somalia, reports the Voice of America News.
At least 49 militants were killed in one operation in the Middle Shabelle region on Wednesday. Al-Shabaab militants were regrouping at a farm near the Dhagahow area when a combined force of Somali National Army troops, allied militias and international partners attacked, a defense ministry spokesman said. Weapons were seized from the site.
In another operation, 20 Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed, including senior commanders, when SNA troops attacked a militant base in Goof-Gadud village, 18 miles (30 km) north of Baidoa in Southwest state.
The attack was a pre-emptive measure to stop a planned strike on government forces, said Hassan Abdulkadir, the Southwest state justice minister.
Five government soldiers died in that operation, the minister said.
Navy Commissions 2nd Hospital Ship
Source: Naval News
January 20 2023
Indonesia
Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL delivered a second hospital ship to the Indonesian navy, reports the Naval News.
On Thursday, the Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat, the second Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-class hospital ship, was handed over during a ceremony in Surabaya, according to a release from the shipbuilder.
The vessel completed acceptance testing in December.
Declared as operationally ready, the ship has completed several acceptance tests, including the Harbor Acceptance Test and the Sea Acceptance Test.
The ship has facilities equivalent to a Type C hospital, including an emergency room, inpatient and isolation rooms, radiology room, delivery room and baby room, clinic/poly, laboratory, blood bank, operating room, ICU and HCU. It can carry out 12 different types of operations and accommodate three helicopters.
Transparency Group Petitions President Over Suspected Navy Oil Theft
Source: This Day
January 20 2023
Nigeria
The Coalition of Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum transparency group has petitioned Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari over his alleged complicity with navy personnel suspected of crude oil theft and other illicit activities, reports This Day (Lagos).
Despite efforts by several anti-crude oil surveillance contractors, navy personnel have not been stopped from participating in theft and pipeline vandalism.
The petition signed on Wednesday calls for investigations into cases of misconduct, insubordination, theft of natural resources and acts of treason among navy leadership.
Activists pointed to a Jan. 14 incident in which the Nigerian navy interrogated Tantita Security operatives on the basis of apprehending a vessel that was suspected of containing stolen crude oil.
Russia Delivers New Aircraft
Source: Defence Web
January 20 2023
Mali
The Malian air force has taken delivery of new aircraft supplied by Russia, reports Defence Web (South Africa).
The aircraft, including five L-39 jets, two Mi-8 helicopters and one Su-25 strike aircraft, were formally handed over during a ceremony on Thursday.
The L-39s and Su-25 will be used for attack, reconnaissance and border surveillance missions, while the Mi-8s will support the movement of ground troops.
This is the latest delivery of combat aircraft to Mali. Previously, the Malian air force has received an Su-25 jet, four L-39 trainers, one Mi-24P attack helicopter, one Mi-8 transport helicopter and a single Airbus C-295 tactical support aircraft.
J-20 Fighters Take Part In 1st Drills Of 2023
Source: South China Morning Post
January 20 2023
China
The Chinese air force has conducted its first flight training of 2023, reports the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong).
The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern and Southern theater commands deployed several J-20 fighters and H-6K bombers for simulated strike operations, reported the state-run China Central Television (CCTV).
Also taking part in the training were Y-20 cargo aircraft and J-16 and J-10 fighters.
King Welcomes 4 New Ambassadors
Source: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
January 20 2023
Norway
Norwegian King Harald V has welcomed four new ambassadors, reports the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Thursday, the ambassadors from El Salvador, the Czech Republic, United Arab Emirates and Moldova presented their letters of credence to the king.
Claudia Beatriz del Carmen Beltrán Gálvez will represent El Salvador; David Červenka, Czechia; Fatema Khamis Salem Khalfan Almazrouei, the U.A.E.; and Liliana Gutan, Moldova. Gutan is resident in Stockholm, the Swedish capital.
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