Starfighters in action

When the air war ramped up in early 1965, the US experienced a lot more threat from the North Vietnamese Air Force then expected. There was a big need for some Air Defence capacity and so the TAC was ordered to deliver a number of their F-104C Starfighters to fill up this need.
The 479th TFW dispatched 28 F-104Cs to Da Nang Air Base (South Vietnam) in April 1965 being used to perform combat air patrols (CAPs) over the Gulf of Tonkin (see map beneath) to protect EC-121 Warning Star aircraft, nicknamed "College Eye" and/or "Disco". These EC-121 aircraft were radar warning system versions of the wellknown Lockheed Constellation four-piston airliner. During the CAP missions always a SAC (Strategic Air Command) Boeing KC-135 tanker stood by to refuel the F-104s in the air during their patrols. A patrol consisted of 2 pairs of 2 Starfighters each time. Always 2 on patrol and two in refuelling and standby mode.

These Starfighters were operated by the three different squadrons over a period of 3 to 4 months each.

-------- 476th TFS operated from Da Nang AB from 19 April till 11 July 1965
-------- 436th TFS operated from Da Nang AB from 12 July till 12 October 1965
-------- 435th TFS operated from Da Nang AB from 12 October till 20 December 1965

The effect of F-104 deployment upon North Vietnam and Chinese MiG operations was immediate and dramatic. North Vietnamese MiGs soon learned to avoid contact with USAF strikes being covered by F-104s. During the entire deployment of the 476th only two fleeting encounters between F-104Cs and enemy fighters occurred.

Lateron when no real air-to-air interceptions took place (probably because the Vietnamese did not want to engage the F-104) they changed their focus to more air to ground missions. In total the Wing flew 506 combat missions and resulting in 1707 flying hours, from Da Nang in 1965. During that period 5 aircraft were lost and one aircraft was involved in a landing accident but could be repaired..

Working at Da Nang AB

Da Nang was quite a busy airbase with lots of US aircraft stationed or just making fuelstops. It was also vulnerable for hostile threaths. For example on the night of 1 July 1965, Da Nang Air Base was attacked by a local VC sapper squad accompanied by personnel from the Third Battalion, 18th Regiment, 325th People's Army of Vietnam Division (PAVN). Several aircraft including some F-102 Delta Daggers were destroyed....The 104s were all safe.
Life at Da Nang was not a luxury life... the ground crew had to live in a simple but convenient camp (as seen beneath). Pilots had a bit better location to sleep, prepare and stay standby.

Only minor maintenance could be given by the ground personnell. There was just not enough space for IP maintenance cycles, which was done at CCK AB, Taiwan, maintenance facilities. But servicing the radar and fire controlsystem was regularly done on the flightline. Seen beneath aircraft 57-930 receiving a radarsysteminspection. (Photos thanks to Mike Evans, Techn Sgt USAF)

At Da Nang also a electronic shop could be found were instruments, radars, radar systems, firecontrol systems and some avionics could be fixed or serviced. Here the shop is seen with in the background a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. (photo Mike Evans).

Each time a squadron operated from Da Nang AB they worked with pilot shifts. This means around 7 pilots were available for war operations and the others were back home at George AFB. The pilots stayed in the famous "The Hooch".
The main role for the F-104C Starfighter in Vietnam during the first tour was divided in two different tasks. One of them was to fly air patrol missions over the Tonkin Gulf to protect US ships and aircraft. The second task was to execute bombing missions over Northern Vietnam (especially lateron during the deployment).
During the air patrols the pilots stayed over the Tonkin Gulf for a lot of hours and most of the time they flew with 4 aircraft. Two were patrolling and two were in a process of being refueled by a SAC (Strategic Air Command) KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. During the refueling the two Starfighters also were assigned to escort this KC-135 aircraft.

A number of pilots are known who served at Da Nang as F-104C pilot. Most famous of course is the 30 years old Capt. Phil Smith who became POW after he was shot over Hainan Island. He was flying at DaNang in September 1965 together with 6 others (shift) being Harvey Quakenbush (Flight Commander Sept-Oct shift), Ken Kerwin, R.E. Smith, Dale Carlson and Don Madonna and another pilot. All were member of the 436th TFS. On an official document (see beneath by clicking on it with the mouse), released in June 1965, the 436th TFS commander declared a number of pilots which would be assigned to operate from Da Nang AB.

These were Majors Eusebio Arriaga, Ira L Kimes Jr, Charles W Ward and Captains, James R Alexander, Richard E Blanckino, Roy J Blakeley, Willard A Dillon, John H Gale JR, John M Hammar, Walter B Harris, Stephen M Korcheck, Mike A Korte, Willard R MacFarlane, John D Olson, Morris B Parker, Howard E Sargent Jr, Larry R Shassetz, J Lynn Symonds, James J Torson, Charles E A Vanduren and 1st Lt Harold R. Alston. Also assigned (also capable as Mobile Control Officers) were the famous Col. Howard C Johnson and Captains Luther T Harvey, Harris W Kirk, Boris D Klem and Charles O Lescher Jr.

Other pilots serving at Da Nang in one of the many shifts between April and December 1965 were George Wells (from april 1965, 476th TFS), Tom Delashaw (from april 1965, 476th TFS), Keith Davey (from april 1965, 476th TFS), Ray Holt (from april 1965, 476th TFS), Bob Lilac, David Perry (two periods: April-July and September-December), Richard R Cole (shotdown late June 1965, 476th TFS), Donald E. Roberts (july 1965), Morgan Lilly (encountered an accident in October 1965 at Da Nang) and Howard E Sargent Jr.

Beneath left Capt. Phil Smith and right Capt. Mike Korte (with red helmet) at Da Nang.

The F-104C aircraft came from the USA and flew via Hawaii and Guam to the Vietnam area. Thanks to George Cline Wells (in his book "It's That Way Everywhere, George: A Memoir") we know that 30 F-104C aircraft (24 with 6 spares) took off from George AFB in April 7th, 1965. They made a first stop after 5.29 flying hours, at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The next day they flew to Anderson AFB, Guam, which tool 8:20 hours flying time. After a break at Guam they departed again on April 11th for a 3:45 hour flight to CCK AB in Taiwan, In total 26 aircraft arrived here. On April 19th the first operating squadron (14 aircraft) flew to Da Nang AB with Col. Darrell Cramer as commander.
At CCK AB the aircraft received there major maintenance and pilots got training for their roles.

Those days the aircraft were just in bare metal with the typical FG-codes removed from the fuselage. Due to the somethimes rainy circumstances and the wet Asian environment the aircraft became less shiny day by day. To avoid corrosion the aircraft had to be cleaned regulary...
During the operations they found out that the aircraft has some very shiny area's which could be easily identified on high distance... one of them was the inlet cones. As a way of camouflage, at the end of the deployment, more and more aircraft received black inlets and cones by simple black paint. This compensated the shiny appearance of the aircraft a bit which always helps to avoid being noticed. See beneath a photo taken on the Da Nang flightline showing aircraft with black inlets and cones alsmost looking like F-104Gs.
Left aircraft 57-928 with still shiny alluminium inlets and the other ones having black inlets like the 57-929 in the middle (Photo thanks to Mike Evans).

On the nose section they painted signatures for patrol and bombing missions. And towards the end of the deployment also a few aircraft received nicknames on their noses most of them in red paint. Examples are 56-886 "Fannie", 57-929 (unidentified but looks to be starting with "Happy" and finally 57-930 "Betsy". Beneath 2 photos showing on top the 57-929 with a not complete identified nickname behind all the mission signatures... and 2nd the F-104C 57-930 showing "Betsy". (Thanks to Mike Evans).

On the next page more individual information per operated Starfighter at Da Nang between April and December 1965.