CVW-5 in The Third World War

The long and short stories of 'The Last War' by Jan Niemczyk and others
Matt Wiser
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 2:48 am
Location: Auberry, CA

Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

Everyone this time thinks getting rid of Saddam is a good idea. As for Iran? Expecting them to sit this out is a waste of time. Remember that after the Green Revolution, Iran is more like Turkey, so there's not that fear of Iran trying to impose a Shia religious dictatorship on a bunch of Sunnis. Not to mention "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
Wolfman
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:03 pm
Location: LCS-3, BB-35, CGN-39, SSN-775

Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Wolfman »

Nice to see a new update for this story.
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

“This is Raven 2-5. This is my sandbox. You will not drop, acknowledge.” David Flanagan, former Raven FAC
Matt Wiser
Posts: 904
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 2:48 am
Location: Auberry, CA

Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

The next day's ops, and another squadron loses its CO:

19 May dawned bright and hot, as another hazy Gulf day began. The 0600 package was led this time by VA-185, with CDR Lowry taking four Eagles Intruders, four Golden Dragon Hornets, two Freelancer Tomcats, and a single Gauntlets Prowler into the area north of Basra on Highway 6. There, near the town of Al Hartha, was a major Iraqi supply center and POL storage, and though it had been hit before, CENTAF felt it deserved more attention, and this time, it was the Knighthawks' turn.

The strike package launched, and after forming up, headed inland. As the package approached the Faw Peninsula, the crews noticed a number of USN and RN minesweepers, assisted by MH-53s, working the area off of Faw. They also saw the battleship New Jersey, her main armament at maximium elevation, still throwing 16-inch shells onto Iraqi positions west of Faw City, while a number of Iranian CH-47 and UH-1 helos were going into and out of Faw City on reinforcement, resuupply, or casevac runs.

Ingress was on the west side of the Shatt-al-Arab, and as was usual by now, two Iranian fighters arrived to follow the strike package as it skirted Iranian airspace. This time, it was a pair of F-5s that followed the strike birds as they flew between the Shatt-al-Arab and then the Iranian border proper as they approached the target.

CDR Chad Runyan took his four Dragons Hornets in ahead of the A-6s, and they found not just the single SA-2 that they had been briefed on, but also one SA-6 and several AAA batteries, both optical and radar-guided. A HARM took care of the SA-2 Fan Song radar, which had been hit at least once, while Rockeye CBUs dealt with the three remaining launchers. Another Hornet sent a HARM after the SA-6, which shut down, while CBUs from the F/A-18s went after the AAA sites, with two 14.5-mm ZPU sites and at least one each of 37-mm and 57-mm taking Rockeyes as well.

With the air defense assets supppressed, and the SA-6 holding fire, the way was clear for the A-6s. Skipper Lowry's birds were able this time to come in from medium altitude for their bomb runs, with the target on the west side of Highway 6 and away from the town. Her element was targeted on the warehouses and revetted storage, as both the Skipper, her B/N LT Dana Verell, and wingmates Mason and Daniels in 535, laid sixteen Mark-82s each onto the target. Both crews were rewarded with multiple secondaries as the Mark-82s “Disagreed with the warehouse contents.”

The second element, also with Mark-82s, came in right behind the CO, and they planted their bombs onto the POL storage, just to the east of the supply depot. Multiple fireballs erupted as as result, with several large columns of smoke rising in the Intruders' wake.

After clearing the target, the package reformed, still under the watchful eyes of the Iranians, who had sent two F-4s to relieve the F-5s, and headed south. After clearing Faw, the Prowler took a drink of fuel from a VS-21 S-3, before assuming a standoff role for much of the morning. The rest of the package returned to CV-63 and a turnaround.

Next out of the gate was VA-115 on the 0630 launch, with Skipper Compton taking four Intruders, four Dambusters Hornets, two VF-154 Tomcats, and another Prowler. This time, the target was the Al Rumaylah airfield, west of Basra. Close to the oil fields of the same name, the oil company airfield was being used by the Iraqis as a FOL for helicopter operations, and as CENTCOM's ground forces moved north, the Army wanted it taken out.

Ingress this time was also via the Shatt-al-Arab, and again, the Iranians watched the strike package with two more F-5s until the package cleared Basra before turning west. As the package crossed an artificial lake northeast of the target, a number of radars lit up as the target was in the rear area of the Iraqi Army's V Corps, with not just a prewar SA-2 site and heavy 85-mm AAA, but several corps-level air defense assets, with two SA-6s and at least two radar-guided 57-mm batteries.

CDR McMurphy's Dambusters went to work, putting a HARM into the SA-2 site, and one of the 57-mm sites as well. One of the SA-6s did launch, but a HARM sent its way caused it to shut down, while one of the 85-mm sites also took a HARM, before a Hornet with Rockeyes put it out of action. The SA-2 was also hit with Rockeyes, along with another 57-mm site, and the way was clear for the A-6s to come in.

CDR Compton led his A-6s in despite some sporadic 57-mm and 85-mm fire, but the crews ignored the flak, concentrating on their bomb runs. The Skipper's element put sixteen Rockeyes each onto the ramp area of the field, catching several Hip and Hind helos and sending them up in fireballs, along with a pair of An-26 transports as a bonus. The second pair of A-6s had sixteen Mark-82s each for the runway and ramp area, and LCDR Don Cole's element also walked some of their bombs into the fuel storage, leaving not only a cratered runway in their wake, but also several fireballs in the field's fuel storage.

All the strike birds cleared the target, and while the F-14 crews were disappointed that MiGs from either Jaliabah or Talil didn't show, it was par for the course by now this far south. What no one knew at the time was that the Iraqi AF had been withdrawing aircraft from both Talil and Jaliabah in order to “conserve” them for the next round.

After clearing the target, the strike birds reformed northeast of Rumaylah, before heading back, with the return trip the mirror image of the inbound one. Once again, the Iranians monitored the package as it headed out, with the same two F-4s that had watched the VA-185 mission earlier. All aircraft then cleared Iraqi airspace before heading back to the ship.

BAI and CAS runs continued throughout the day, but strategic missions were part of the agenda as usual. First out was VA-115's CDR Wiser, who took four Eagles Intruders, four Golden Dragon Hornets, two more Tomcats from the Black Knights, and a Prowler after the Hindiyah POL storage and warehouses, south of Musaybb on the Euphrates and in the MEZ. The A-6s would have six Mark-83s for the strike, while the TARCAP and IRON HAND had their usual loads. Though the air defenses in the southern part of the MEZ had been degraded, they were still dangerous, and no one was to take any unnecessary risks. After intel officers emphasized that, along with the strike lead, the crews went out and took the cats at 0900.

Ingress was via Saudi as usual, and as the crews waited to hook up with the tankers, a RSAF package returned with a Tornado trailing fuel. The aircraft began to go out of control not far from the border, and everyone watched as the crew punched out. Fortunately, a RSAF Cougar CSAR helo was waiting nearby to recover the crew.

After entering Iraqi airspace, the package headed north to the Euphrates, east of Najaf, where they got down to 450 Feet AGL for the run in. As they approached the MEZ, flying between Highway 8 and Freeway 1, numerous radars were active, as there had been a strike already into the Baghdad area by the Air Force and the RAF. CDR Wiser led the package past the target area, then picked up the town of Al Hashwah, where Highways 8 and 9 met, then climbed and turned south for the bomb run.

As he did, the Tomcats climbed to assume their TARCAP, the Prowler began putting out ECM, and CDR Kathy Evison's Dambusters Hornets went in for the IRON HAND. The Musaybb SA-2 came up, and though it had been twice previously, it came up again, and Evison put a HARM into the radar, knocking it out and she went in with Rockeyes to finish the job-hopefully permanently.As she did, the Iskandariyah SA-2s also came up, as did the SA-3s at both Iskandariyah New and Shayka Mazar airfields.

HARMs went after the SA-2s and the Iskandariyah SA-3, with the latter shutting down and one of the SA-2s as well, with one SA-2 that did fire eating a HARM. Then to everyone's surprise, one of the Baghdad SA-5s that had been knocked out early in the war came back up, and though the Prowler jammed the one missile that did launch, a HARM from one of the Hornets shut the Square Pair radar down, hopefully for good.

As the SAMs were being dealt with, two Hornets went in onto the AAA sites. Two of them had been knocked out earlier during strikes on Al Furat, but they came back up, and though their radars were down, the 57-mm guns were still dangerous. Bot sites ate Rockeyes, as did a 37-mm site just east of the target area itself, Another 57-mm site northeast of the rail bridge also came up, and it took a pair of Rockeyes as well.

The way was clear for the A-6s, and as CDR Wiser led his element in, the Eagles XO noticed flak still coming up. He ignored it as LT Porter lined up the target in the FLIR, and they put their Mark-83s right in the middle of the storage area, and fireballs erupted in their wake as their bombs found tanks. Their wingmates, Rivers and Fisher in 509, followed in their wake, picking out two undamaged tanks along with the warehouses, and they, too, put their bombs on target, with secondary explosions following. Both XO and wingmates were able to clear the area and head south back to Highway 8.

With the smoke and flame from the fuel tanks obscuring their aim, the second element headed for an authorized opportunity target. LCDR Carpenter's two A-6s, with a pair of Hornets overhead, went to Al Furat, which they had hit before, and though most of the buildings there had varying degress of damage-from minor to near total, the two crews added their six Mark-83s each to what had been deposited there earlier. Like the XO's element, Carpenter's two aircraft cleared the target and the Ops Officer followed the XO south, followed by two Hornets.

As the A-6s went in, the Tomcats found themselves busy as MiGs came into the picture. LT Patterson and LT Bradley in Blackknight 106, with LT Conway and LT Freeman in 109, were confronted with bandits inbound. Two MiG-21s came out of Shayka Mazar, while two MiG-29s came in from Baghdad. This time, the crews picked out AIM-54s to deal with the MiG-29s, and both Tomcats shot at about forty miles. The MiG leader, targeted by Patterson and Bradley, managed to pull a Doppler Break, but his wingman was not so fortunate, being taken down by 109's crew at about 35 miles. The leader orbited, trying to draw the Tomcats into the teeth of Baghdad's air defenses, but the crews refused to bite. They picked out the two MiG-21s that were coming in, just as CDR Evison's Hornets finished their HARM shoots.

CDR Evison locked up one of the MiGs at 24 miles and shot a single AIM-120, and the Slammer did its job, sending the MiG down in a fireball, but both Hornet and Tomcat drivers were surprised at what happened next, as one of the Latifiya SA-2s came up and fired three missiles, and one of the SA-2s connected with the second MiG. That MiG-21 went down in a ball of fire, and in return, Evision told her wingmate not to shoot the last HARM they had at the SA-2 site.

Two MiG-25s now came into the picture from Al Taqqadum, but the Tomcats were now low on fuel, and departed south, along with the other two Hornets and the Prowler. After circling around, AWACS noted the two Foxbats then turned for home.

After getting south of Najaf and the Euphrates, the package reformed, climbed to altitude, and headed south for the border. Just short of the border, the crews noted a package similar to theirs headed north. After tanking, the crews headed back to the boat, trapping aboard Kitty Hawk just after 1300.

VA-185 took the second MEZ package of the day, and this one would go into the outskirts of Baghdad itself. CDR Lowry took four A-6s, four Golden Dragons Hornets, two Freelancer Tomcats, and another Prowler into the MEZ, targeted for the Al Rasheed Gas Power Plant in the southern Baghdad itself. For CDR Lowry and her Knighthawk crews, this was a first since THUNDER. They had hit MEZ targets before, but this would be their first time back to Baghdad since 28 April, and they knew that though a number of strikes had gone into Baghdad from then on without loss, “there was always a first time.” For there would be no CSAR mission launched for them, and going down meant a trip to the Baghdad Hilton. With that thought in mind, the crews got ready, then were on the cats and away at 1000.

As usual, ingress was via Saudi, and after hitting the tankers, the inbound strike met their colleagues from the Hindiyah-Musaybb strike, and the strike leads waggled their wings. Then it was all business, as the Knighthawk strike package got down low once at the Euphrates. Once they were east of Hillah, CDR Lowry took her birds to the northeast, aiming to pick up the Tigris River. After doing that, it was a turn back to the northwest, headed for the IP. That was the Nuclear Research Center at Tuwaithia, which had been knocked out during DESERT STORM and DESERT FOX. As the strike birds hit the IP, they headed due west for the target, climbing to 750 Feet AGL. The Tomcats and Prowler, meanwhile, climbed just short of the IP, the former assuming their TARCAP while the EA-6B began putting out electrons to jam the radars that were now both “numerous and active.”

The Hornets, meanwhile, went in on their IRON HAND mission, and CDR Runyan led his Golden Dragons in. They went in on two SAM sites, one each of SA-2 and SA-3, and both sites drew HARM shots. The SA-3 shut down after launching two missiles, which “went dumb”, while the SA-2 stayed on as it fired three of the flying telephone poles, and it took the HARM. Runyan's wingmate,LT Christine Langtry, went in with a pair of Rockeyes to put the site out of action.

The other two Dragon Hornets went in on what turned out to be the Baghdad South SA-5 site, and though it had taken a HARM earlier, the radar looked to be intact. One of the Dragons put Rockeyes onto both the radar and at least one loaded SA-5 launcher, wrecking the former and exploding the latter. As they climbed, a call came from the Prowler: SA-10 was up.

Despite repeated attempts to finish it for good, the Baghdad South SA-10 came back up, and this time, the site fired two missiles. LT Langtry saw them headed for the Skipper's Hornet and called “Skipper,SAM BREAK RIGHT!” as she fired a HARM at the SA-10. It was too late, for both missiles found CDR Runyan's Hornet and the plane became a fireball. No one saw a chute or heard a beeper, and the Hornet crashed to earth in a field east of Highway 8.

Angry at seeing her Skipper go down, Langtry followed her HARM in, and she saw the radar track smoking after the missile hit. She put her two remaining Rockeyes onto the site, smothering the launcher with bomblets, and noting secondaries as she pulled away.

Despite the loss of Dragon 401, the way was clear for the A-6s, and CDR Lowry led them in. They had six Mark-83s each to target the Power Plant and despite the AAA coming up, came in. Lowry and Verell in 501, with Mason and Daniels in 535 went in on the plant proper, each planting their six Mark-83s onto the generator hall, with several explosions in their wake. They got clear, then banked hard left, headed back southeast to pick up Freeway 1 and the way back south.

The next pair was LT S Collett and Meridith in 533 with LT Mason and LCDR Regan in 540. Collett and Meridith put their bombs onto the transformer yard, turning in into a junkyard, while Mason and Regan walked their Mark-83s across the two large fuel tanks, storage buildings, and the admin area. Two more large fireballs followed, as the A-6s followed their CO's way out.

As the A-6s went in on their runs, the two Freelancers Tomcats were busy with MiGs. Two MiG-25s came out of Al Taqaddum, while two MiG-29s that had been on a CAP came right in. LCDR Trent Powers and LT Shannon Mitchell in Freelancer 205 led LT Shane Vansen and LT David “Taco” Bell in 208 onto the two Fulcrums. Powers and Mitchell locked up the MiG leader at only fifteen miles,well within both AIM-120 and AA-10 Alamo range, and both fired. The MiG radars were among those being jammed by the Prowler as the lead MiG ate a Slammer, with the fiery remnants of the MiG coming down in a neighborhood just south of Baghdad.

Vansen and Bell in 209, meanwhile, got into a turning fight with the wingman, in full view of the population of southern Baghdad. She got in behind the MiG and got Sidewinder lock, putting an AIM-9R into him. That sent him down onto Highway 8, and 209's crew watched as the pilot ejected just before impact, then they turned to meet the two MiG-25s coming in.

Both Foxbats came in at Mach 2, intending to back up, then avenge, the Fulcrums. Vansen and Bell managed to lock up the leader for a Phoenix launch at 40 miles, and that MiG took a double shot, with two AIM-54s turning the Foxbat into a fireball, which then plunged to earth.

The wingman saw what happened to his leader, and tried to turn away. Just as he did, Powers and Mitchell took a single Phoenix shot at 35 miles, which blotted the MiG out of the sky in a fireball. That far away for both kills, no one saw chutes.

Additional MiGs were scrambling, but the Tomcat crews looked at their fuel gauges, and that decided the issue. They got back down low, along with the Prowler and the three remaining Hornets-which had backstopped the Tomcats, headed out to pick up the A-6s.

Reforming northeast of Hillah, the package, minus one, headed south to the Euphrates. Once clear of the river, they climbed to altitude and headed for the Saudi border and the tanker track. After refueling, and the tankers' crews knew by now never to ask what had happened to a missing aircraft, the package returned to CV-63, trapping just after 1400.

Although the Dragons' CO had not been seen to eject, CDR Runyan was still listed as MIA for the time being. It was pointed out that there had been times in previous wars where aircraft had been seen to blow apart, and yet, crew had survived. In the meantime, the Dragons' XO, who had just been promoted to Commander a few days earlier, was notified, and CDR Paul Lazier became the new CO of the Golden Dragons.

Next up was another VA-115 strike, and this one again had the CO taking it. This time, it would be a return trip to the Shayka Mazar Military Logistics Center, southeast of the air base of the same name and still within the MEZ. The news of the loss of the Golden Dragons' CO was a reminder to the aircrews that every time they went into the MEZ, let alone Baghdad itself, they were stirring up a hornet's nest, and every so often, someone got stung. This time, they would be going in right behind an Air Force and RAAF strike on the airfield itself, and there would be both AF MIGCAP and EF-111 support, and the blue-suiters were told that those elements would have to wait for the Navy to do their thing before egressing. CDR Compton took four Eagles A-6s, each with sixteen Mark-82s, while the Dambusters had four Hornets for the IRON HAND side, with two Blackknight Tomcats and a Gauntlet Prowler rounding things out. After a reminder about complacency and the still-dangerous MEZ, the package was on the cats and away at 1400, just as the Knighthawk strike package was entering the pattern.

The package ingressed via Saudi as usual, and this time, as they hit the tankers, Skipper Compton found the AF package they were following had just left. After refueling, the Navy strike went in past Najaf and Diwaniya, when they went down low for the run-in and strike, getting down to 450 Feet AGL. Watching for obstacles such as masts and smokestacks, the crews eventually picked up Freeway 1, before crossing it and heading northeast.

Their RWRs picked up numerous radars active in the MEZ, which wasn't a surprise, then more radars as Shayka Mazar AB got closer, for an SA-2 and the base defense SA-3 came up, along with several SA-8s. As F-15F Weasels went to work on the SAM-suppression mission, and the EF-111 began jamming, the Navy also went in, with the Prowler also climbing to add its ECM to the picture, while CDR McMurphy's four Hornets went after the SAM and AAA around the supply base. There, there was an SA-2 that had been hit earlier, but had been repaired, for it promptly launched two missiles.

McMurphy herself sent a HARM after the SA-2, which just as promptly shut down, but she and her wingmate LTJG Ellison went in with Rockeyes, and both put a pair of CBUs on the site, wrecking it.A 57-mm radar-guided site also came up, and that ate another HARM, this one from Ellison, who also added Rockeyes to knock out the site.

The second pair of Hornets followed their CO in, and both found a ZU-23 site and a pair of ZPU-4 (14.5-mm quad machine-gun mounts) sites for their Rockeyes to hit. Though all four Hornets drew MANPADs shots, none connected, and CDR McMurphy cleared the A-6s to come in.

Skipper Compton took the Eagles Intruders in,just as both AF and RAAF F-111s were coming off target at the air base. Ignoring the flak from the base, with the occasional SA-8 shot in visual mode as well, he concentrated on his bomb run, finding several undamaged warehouses among many that hadn't been hit. Compton put his Mark-82s onto the buildings, and several secondaries resulted. His wingmates, Lowell and Eversole in 511, followed the Skipper in, and they, too, found warehouses for their Mark-82s, sending them up as well. Both A-6s cleared the target despite drawing small-arms fire, some 23-mm flak, and MANPADS.

LCDR Cole in the CAG bird, 500, then took his second element in, and LT Greer, his B/N, found revetted storage areas, with either ammo or fuel drums in the revetments. Their Mark-82s sent several of the latter up in oily fireballs, while others filled with ammo had “multiple” secondaries cooking off. Right behind them was Morris and Caroll in 507, and they, too, put their bombs into revetted storage, with similar results. Like the Skipper, the second element drew light flak and MANPADS, but both A-6s, like the lead element, got clear and headed south.

While the F-15s from the AF MiGCAP were busy, summarily dealing with two late-scrambling MiG-21s from Shayka Mazar that tried to launch as the F-111s came in, the two Freelancer Tomcats found themselves engaged as well, with LT Ken Rawlings and LTJG Dave Randall in Freelancer 205, and LTJGs Christine Perry and Gary Andersen in 211.

AWACS warned of threats inbound from both Al Iskandariyah and Baghdad International, and the Tomcats turned to meet the threat. Two Mirage F-1s that had come down with the 102nd Fighter Squadron from the Mosul area scrambled out of Iskandariyah, and as they did, the Mirages were engaged. Rawlings was able to lock up one of the Mirages at 30 miles, and as the Iraqis climbed out on burner, he shot a pair of AIM-120s. Both Slammers ate up the distance, fireballing the Mirage and sending him down onto Highway 8.

The second Mirage managed a Doppler Break, before turning back in, despite the 1v2 odds. Perry managed to get a Slammer lock at 17 miles, then she took the shot. Her first shot missed, but a second shot at 12 miles was more successful, exploding the Mirage just as he was shooting a pair of Super 530 AAMs at 211. Shorn of radar guidance, both missiles “went ballistic”and flew clear of the Tomcat.

Just as the second Mirage was hit, two MiG-29s came in from Baghdad, headed for the F-14s. Perry and Andersen got Phoenix lock, and took a shot at 45 miles. This time, there was no need for a second, for the lead MiG fireballed. His wingman was more fortunate, for he turned, performing another Doppler Break, then he turned for the safety of Baghdad. With the AF and Navy strike elements now clear of their targets-and the AF having dealt with another pair of MiG-21s from Shayka Mazar, the Tomcats followed the rest of the package out of the area.

The Navy package reformed well south of the target, to the east of Hillah, before heading back to the border. Once clear of the Euphrates, they picked up the AF as they climbed to altitude, and both packages hit the tankers. After refueling, both headed for their respective bases, with the Navy package hitting the pattern for CV-63 at 1745, and trapping just after.

CVW-5's final strategic strike also went to Baghdad, and once again, it was the Eagles who drew the mission. CDR Wiser took four A-6s, four Dambusters Hornets, two VF-154 Tomcats and another Prowler-the same aircraft and crews that had flown the Musaybb-Hindiyah POL strike-against the Al Haytham Missile R&D Facility, just north of Baghdad proper on Highway 1. While planning the mission, CAG's Ops Officer pointed out that the only real way out was right over Central Baghdad. Since it was nothing that they hadn't done previously-especially when most of the crews involved had hit Baghdad's main rail yard the day before Uday had been whacked, and they had gone out practically the same way. The crews simply shrugged, accepting it as part of the strike.

Launch was at 1530, and just as it had been before, the package went in via Saudi. They, too, encountered the previous package as it was returning to the ship, and a few waggles of wings followed. The tanker track followed, and the birds hooked up with the tankers. As they did, they saw the welcome sight of RSAF F-15s and Typhoons orbiting nearby, making sure no Iraqi-or even Soviet-fighters got anywhere near the vulnerable tankers and other High-Value assets.

After refueling, the strike package went in, and as usual, they got down low, but this time, they were west of Najaf when they did so, coming in now at 500 Feet AGL. They crossed Lake Milh, and as they approached Lake Habbiniyah, the crews noticed the MEZ radars to the northeast going up. Unkown to anyone in the package, the RAF, French, and USAF were hitting the Fallujah III CW plant-which, among other things, made Castor Oil and thus Ricin-thus the radars going up.

With the radars up as they approached the lake, the XO took his A-6s down to 400 Feet AGL, and the rest of the package followed. After clearing the lake, they headed north to a cluster of buildings south of Lake Tharthar, giving the dam, hydropower plant, and the Palace/VIP Recreational Complex a decent berth. After turning right at the building cluster, the strike birds headed east to a quarry, which was familiar to them from the Rail Yard strike, then they turned for a pair of radio masts, which was their IP for the run on Baghdad.

CDR Wiser gave the Strike Commit call, and CDR Evision took her Hornets in, while LT Patterson's two Tomcats climbed for the TARCAP, while the Prowler also climbed to give its jamming maximum effect. As they did, the defenses began to react.

Numerous SAM and AAA radars came up, and Evison's Hornets shot HARM at several, with the Taji SA-2 taking one, and an SA-3 just south of the Army Airfield taking another. The former failed to shut down, eating the missile, but no one was sure about the SA-3, which also went off the air. Evison herself went in on the SA-3 with Rockeyes, putting two on the site to knock it out, while her wingmate, LT Chris Roberts, found a 37-mm site near the strike target, which took a couple of Rockeyes in the process.

The second pair of Hornets found the Baghdad North SA-10, which had been knocked out on THUNDER Day, 28 April, but one of the Hornet drivers noticed activity at the site, which received a pair of CBUs. They also found another SA-3 site west of the target, and though this site had not turned on its radar, it shot a missile in optical mode, which missed. The missile crew found themselves on the wrong side of two Rockeyes, which wrecked the site.

As the Hornets pulled up, the A-6s went on in. The Intruders climbed to 750 Feet AGL for the run-in, and they each had six Mark-83s with Snakeye retarders for the target. CDR Wiser picked up Highway One just south of Taji, and followed the road to the target. After a slight course adjustment, he picked up the target, and LT Porter called the Hack. The XO released his bombs, and just after he did, LT Rivers in 509 did the same. Their bombs all landed in the target compound, blasting several buildings, and as they pulled away, the two A-6s headed south, right over Baghdad. The XO's element skirted Al-Muthena AB, to the surprise of the Iraqi AF personnel there, then found the remnants of the Victory Arch complex before picking up Highway 8 and heading out of the city.As they did, they drew heavy, but inaccurate, flak as the A-6s headed out, with CDR Evision's element right with them.

Right being the CO was LCDR Carpenter's element, and they, too,picked out the target. Though visually obscured by smoke and flames, the B/Ns in both aircraft picked out aimpoints through their FLIR systems, and both A-6s came in, adding their bombs to what the XO's element had delivered. Carpenter's two A-6s followed the XO's pair out, and had the same flak coming up as they did, with the second pair of F/A-18s on their right wing.

Unknown to any of the strike crews, they had quite a few witnesses to their air show over Baghdad. The International Press Corps at the Palestine Hotel was watching from the rooftop, and the news cameras caught the A-6s and F/A-18s as they buzzed Baghdad's skyline, with the flak an added fireworks show. They wouldn't find out until much later-as in after the war later, that not only had the head of the Soviet Military Advisory Mission and his staff been watching from the rooftop of the Soviet Embassy, but even the Iraqi Dictator himself, along with his Defense Minister and Military Intelligence Chief, had watched the whole thing from one of his palaces. The Defense Minister said after the war that “To say that President Saddam was displeased was, shall we say, a major understatement.”

As CDR Evison's Hornets followed the first pair of Intruders out, they ran into the second pair of four MiG-23s that had scrambled hurredly from Al-Rashid AB. Both Evison and Roberts locked up the MiGs with AIM-120. The two Hornet drivers took their shots, with Evison's Slammer exploding the MiG wingman and sending him down onto the east bank of the Tigris River. Her wingmate shot just after the MiG wingman went down, killing the leader in a fireball and sending him down into the river itself.

After the A-6s and Hornets cleared, the Tomcats and Prowler headed on out, only they were at their CAP altitude, and they simply roared over Baghdad at about 10,000 feet. Once clear of the city, they did get back down low, picking up the Intruders and Hornets south of the city as they headed south between Highway 8 and Freeway 1.

After reforming, the package continued south, picking up the Euphrates southeast of Najaf. There, they climbed to altitude and headed for the Saudi Border and the tanker track. There, silhoutted against the setting sun, the birds drank the fuel needed to get back to the ship, and crews turned on formation and cockpit lights. The flight back to the ship was anticlamatic, and Kitty Hawk began taking the birds aboard at 1820, bringing a close to major flight ops for the day.

Low-key flight ops continued until Midnight, with CAP and SUCAP supplementing CVW-9 and Nimitz. For the rest of the aircrews, wakeup came at 0430 as usual, and after breakfast and briefings in their ready rooms, they got ready for another day of combat ops. The first packages were briefed and on the cats by 0600, as another day in the KTO got started.
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jemhouston
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by jemhouston »

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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Wolfman »

Nice work, Matt.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

And the next update, as the weather in the KTO goes down the crapper....



The dawn of 20 May was bright and clear as the first package got onto the cats, but the aircrews were concerned. For they had been told in their mission briefs that a major sandstorm was coming in from the west, and this one promised to be worse than the last one. Still, the crews got on with it, as CENTAF wanted to get in as much air activity as possible before the weather closed things down.

First off was CDR Compton, the VA-115 Skipper, taking four Eagles A-6s, four Hornets from VFA-192, a pair of Freelancer Tomcats, and a single VAQ-136 Prowler to the Kut West Military Logistical Center, just west of the Ubaydah Bin Al Jarra Airfield.With the PGM shortage, the A-6s each had sixteen Mark-82s to hit either warehouses or revetted storage, while the Hornets had their usual SEAD loadout. HARMs and Mavericks were still in decent supply, but the Golden Dragons' pilots decided to make more than a few phony “MAGNUM” calls to keep the defenders' SAM sites quiet, and keep the HARMs for actual threats. The Prowler had three ECM pods and two fuel tanks, while the Tomcats now had a four each of Sidewinder and AIM-120, conserving the available Phoenix supply.

Launch was right at 0600 on the dot, and after forming up, CDR Compton took the pacakge in via Kuwait Bay and the Faw Peninsula. As they crossed Faw, the crews saw several Iranian CH-47 Chinooks, escorted by AH-1s, going to and from the still contested city of Faw, where the remaining Iraqi defenders were being rooted out, one building at a time. After passing Faw and skirting Basra to the West, between the city and the Iranian border, the crews also noted two Iranian F-4Es watching them from the Iranian side, and flying parallel to the strike package. Once clear of Amarra, and a turn west towards Kut, the F-4s turned back, while the Navy birds headed for their target.

As the package headed towards Kut, several radars came up, while AWACS warned of bandits. The Prowler began jamming as an SA-2 and and SA-3 came up. Both had been attacked before, but the Iraqis had evidently made repairs, for both sites' missile radars went active.

The Golden Dragons went in, led by their Ops Officer, LCDR Don White. Two HARMs were soon in the air, and one of them killed the Fan Song at the SA-2, while the SA-3 shut down to avoid taking the HARM. As the Hornets orbited south of Kut, two SA-8s from the airfield came up, and HARMs went after them as well, killing one and forcing the other to shut down. The Hornets then went after several AAA sites near the target, knocking out a pair of 37-mm sites and a 57-mm battery with Rockeye CBUs.

While the Hornets were on their IRON HAND mission, the Tomcats were busy as two MiG-23s scrambled from Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah. Unkown to the crews, the Iraqis had redeployed aircraft from fields that were threatened by the ground forces' advance, such as Shoibah, Jaliabah, and Talil. The MiG-23s had arrived the previous night from Shoibah, and now scrambled to intercept the incoming strike.

The Freelancers were led by the team of LCDR Trent Powers and LTJG Shannon Mitchell in 205, with LT Shane Vansen and LT David “Taco” Bell in 208. It was Vansen who picked up the MiGs, and she took the lead, wth Powers supporting 208. She picked up one of the two Floggers and shot a Slammer at only 20 miles, killing the MiG as it shot two AA-7s at 208. Both of the Iraqi weapons flew wide of their mark, as Powers and Mitchell locked up the wingman and fired their first Slammer at 15 miles. The MiG driver executed a Doppler Break, forcing the APG-71 to break lock, but as he turned back in, a second AIM-120 at 10 miles scored, exploding the MiG and sending him down. Seeing that, the base commander at Al Jarrah kept a pair of MiG-23s and a pair of MiG-25s that were ready to scramble on the ground.

With the way now clear, CDR Compton took the A-6s in. They drew “heavy, but inaccurate” flak as the AAA sites that had radar wisely turned them off to avoid either jamming or a HARM. The Eagles Skipper picked out warehouses and both he and his wingman, now LT Todd Eversole, made their runs, releasing their bombs despite the flak, and showered the warehouses with thirty-two Mark-82s, and as the Skipper and his wingie pulled away, they could see multiple secondary explosions in their wake as “bombs and warehouse contents violently disagreed.”

LCDR Don Cole in the CAG bird again, along with Morris and Carroll in 507, followed the Skipper in, and they picked out revetted storage for their ordnance. They, too, drew the flak, and more than a few MANPADS, but none of the defensive fire connected, for both A-6s made their runs and cleared the target. They, too, saw numerous secondaries as Mark-82s exploded a number of revetments, leading them to believe that ammo was stored in those.

After the Intruders cleared the target, the Hornets went in, expending remaining Mark-82s or Rockeyes on the warehouses and revetments, and the Golden Dragons were also rewarded with secondaries as they pulled away.

The strike package reformed southeast of Kut, and as on ingress, the Iranians watched the egress, with two F-4s monitoring the Navy package as it flew south towards the Gulf. When the package went Feet Wet, the F-4s turned and headed back, while the Navy birds headed for CV-63, trapping just after 0800.

CDR Amanda Lowry led the 0630 package, with four of her Nighthawks A-6s, four more Golden Dragons Hornets, two Freelancer Tomcats, and a Gauntlets Prowler after the Al Hartha POL storage, north of Basra on Highway 6. Though the target had been hit previously, with the large, fixed tanks having been hit, the Iraqis were making use of revetted storage with fuel drums and rubber fuel bladders. In addition, there were also numerous fuel trucks visible on overhead imagery, ensuring the depot's coming back up on the target list.

After launch, the package formed up and headed north, and as the strike birds passed Kuwait Bay, the crews saw the New Jersey, still tossing 16-inch shells into Iraqi positions west of Faw. Once they went Feet Dry, the crews saw the usual Iranian shadows, this time two F-5Es, following them from the Iranian side of the border, along with a stream of Iranian helicopters, both Chinooks and Bell 214s with AH-1J escort, going into and out of Faw itself.

The package flew east of Basra, and actually flew past the target before doing a 180 and coming in. As they did, several radars came up, both SAM and AAA, and this was a surprise. It wouldn't be found out until later, but elements of the Iraqi III Corps air defense brigade had been redeployed from the Basra area, a sign that the Iraqis were pulling back north.

With the radars-two SA-8 and at least one SA-6-coming up, the Prowler went to work. Pumping out ECM, the radars were blinded as LCDR Mike Brazelton's Hornets went in, putting HARMs into the air. The SA-8s shut down, but the SA-6 ate a HARM, as did two AAA radars. The Hornets then came in with Rockeyes, hitting not just the disabled SA-6 and the radar-guided 57-mm sites, but also hitting a pair of sites housing ZPU-4 quad 14.5-mm machine-gun mounts. When the Hornets pulled clear, they also drew MANPADS shots, with SA-7s or SA-14s coming up.

As the Hornets pulled away, CDR Lowry took her A-6s in, and they found out the Hornets had stirred up a nest of the beasts. Not just the medium-caliber 57-mm from surviving guns, but a site whose radar had stayed off came up as well, along with two 37-mm sites manned by reservists. Ignoring the flak, the Intruders came in, while the Hornets went back down on the flak sites that had now revealed themselves.

Skipper Lowry's element came in, and she and her wingmate, LT Melissa Daniels, put their sixteen Mark-82s into the center of the dump, and numerous oily fireballs erupted as the Mark-82s found fuel drums and tanks. Both Intruders got clear, despite the flak, and Daniels and her B/N had a scare as an SA-7 or SA-14 flew down the starboard side of 535.

With the Skipper's element clear, the second pair, led by LT John Collett in 537 with LTJG Darlene Wilson in 540, went in. They, too, drew a lot of flak, but it was inaccurate, though 540's crew drew an SA-8 shot in optical mode. Both A-6 crews added to the bombs the lead pair had laid down, and both pulled clear.

The only ones who were disappointed were the Tomcat crews, who were expecting either a reaction from Kut, or from other fields to the Northwest. With the Iraqis not choosing to play this time, the crews called SAM warnings before CDR Lowry called the egress, and the two Tomcats headed south to join up with the rest of the package.

After clearing the target area, the package reformed just north of Basra proper, and headed south, taking the same way out as they had in. Just as on ingress, the Iranians had their usual shadows, F-4s this time, watching the package as they egressed out of Iraq.

Once clear of the Faw Peninsula, the Prowler broke off to assume a standoff jamming role for strikes going into the Basra-Zubayr area, while the rest of the package returned to Kitty Hawk. The trip back to the ship was uneventful, and the birds began trapping at 0740.

After the first two major strikes launched, CAS and BAI runs took over. Those had several mini-package efforts going into the Basra-Zubayr area, the Rumallah Oil Fields and the roads leading to the causeway. Several also went on the roads towards both Jaliabah airfield and An Nasiriyah. The crews noticed that the Iraqis were conducting what appeared to be a fighting withdraw north, not a bug-out similar to that in 1991. While the Navy, along with the AF and Marines, put their strikes in, it looked like X Corps had halted. It wasn't until crews on CAS or BAI returned to the ship that they found out what was in store.

The Eagles had the next package lead, with the XO taking the Salman Pak South C3 site, southeast of Baghdad.. This target was one of several C3 sites in and around Salman Pak and Madain, and were well within the MEZ. CDR Wiser noted the target's location, near a bend in the Tigris River and north of Shayka Mazar airfield, and requested additional F-14s or Hornets for TARCAP. Two additional Tomcats were added to the strike, but the Exec was disappointed to have no extra Hornets. An Air Force strike against a target in the same area would have their F-15s and Weasel F-16s, and those would also be around to back up the Tomcats and the IRON HAND F/A-18s if needed. It would be four Eagles A-6s, four Dambusters Hornets, a Gauntlets Prowler, and four Tomcats from the Black Knights.

Launch was at 0845, after several of the crews on the strike had returned from CAS or BAI runs. After forming up and then refueling at the Gulf Tanker Track, they headed in over the beach. Ingress was via the eastern route, along the Iranian border and the Tigris. As usual, the Iranians tailed the strike package from their side of the border, with two F-4s on this occasion. Once the strike birds got past Amarrah, the F-4s turned back into Iran, and the Navy package headed deeper into Iraqi airspace.

Once clear of the Kut area, the crews noticed numerous radars coming up on their EW displays, and that meant the Baghdad MEZ was coming up. The strike birds got down low, while the Tomcats and the Hornets went in at medium level, all blinded (hopefully) by the Prowler. Unknown to the Navy crews, the Air Force was actually going in on Shayka Mazar Airfield itself, and an accompanying EF-111 was already putting out electrons, while the Weasel F-15s had HARMs in the air.

As the package approached Salman Pak, several SAM and radar-guided AAA sites came up. While the Tomcats assumed their TARCAP, LCDR Kathy Evison's Hornets went in on their IRON HAND mission, and the Hornets found themselves very engaged, with the Air Force having stirred up the defenses. Though the Baghdad South SA-10 was still down, the Baghdad East site did come up, along with a nearby SA-5 site. The Prowler sent a blast of ECM after both, while LCDR Kathy Evison's Dambusters went in after the SAMs and radar-guided AAA.

Evison and her wingmate, LT Chris Roberts,went in after two 57-mm sites after shooting HARM at the SA-10 and the -5. They laid down Rockeyes on the sites, knocking out several guns, but as they pulled away, noticed that one or two guns in each site were still shooting. They also drew some 23-mm and 37-mm flak, which FLT Ron Fraser, the Squadron's RAAF exchange officer, took his element down on, killing a 37-mm site and a 23-mm one as well. HARMs went into the air from both elements as an SA-8 from Shayka Mazar shot from across the Tigris, which shut down, along with both an SA-2 and an SA-3.The SA-2 site near Salman Pak East airfield took a HARM and went off the air, while the SA-3 shut near Salman Pak itself shut down also to avoid taking the missile.

Once the Hornets went in and cleared the way, the A-6s came in, just as the AF strike on Shayka Mazar was going out. CDR Wiser's lead element each had six Mark-83s for the primary target, the C3 building. The XO's two A-6s took flak on the way in from a 37-mm site, but it was optically guided and “poorly aimed.” Both CDR Wiser and LT Rivers, his wingmate, put their Mark-83s onto the primary target, wrecking it. As the two A-6s pulled clear and headed back southeast, the crews watched in horror as an F-16, one of the last aircraft in on the AF strike, took a hit and fireballed. Though no one saw a chute, a beeper was heard, and the crews knew that whoever the aviator was, he or she was going to be captured as the MEZ was a “No-Go” for CSAR forces. Both Intruders cleared the target area without incident, however, despite both flak and MANPADS.

The second pair of A-6s were LCDR Tony Carpenter's element. The Eagles Ops Officer led LT Chris Knapp in on the target, and they found the primary target obscured by clouds of debris, dust, and smoke. Instead, the two B/Ns, LT Karla Jefferson and LTJG Mike Shelton respectively, found a large support building inside the compound and that structure took the pair's Mark-83s, leveling it. They, too, drew flak on the way in and on the way out, along with MANPADS, but cleared the target area and followed the XO's element out.

While the A-6s were servicing the target, the IrAF came into the picture. There had been a scramble in response to the strike on Shayka Mazar, with the defenders sending in four MiG-21s from Al Iskandariyah and two MiG-23s from Al Rashid, and the F-15s on TARCAP had downed three of the former and both of the latter. Now, to confront the Navy, two more MiG-21s came in, bringing with them two MiG-29s from Saddam IAP, with two MiG-25s that had been on a CAP west of Baghdad for good measure.

The Black Knights on TARCAP responded, as LT Jacqui Patterson and LT Debbie Mobley in 104 led LT Conway and LT Freeman in 110 against the cloest threads, the two Fulcrums. Both picked up the MiGs at 40 miles as they climbed out and turned east, and quickly gained lock-on. AIM-120Cs followed, with Patterson and Bradley shooting at 30 miles, still BVR but with the target locked in the TCS system. The Slammer missed, to their surprise, but a second shot at 22 miles scored, sending the MiG down. The wingman did a Doppler Break before turning back in, but Conway and Freeman got lock at 22 miles and took two shots. Both scored, and the wingman plunged into the Tigris River.

The MiG-21s kept coming in, and as they closed, two of them turned for the Hornets. Evison and Roberts turned their F/A-18Es onto the threat, Both Hornets locked up the lead pair, and shot their Slammers at 15 miles. The MiG leader took a hit from Roberts' Slammer and fireballed, while his wingman tried to evade at the last moment. He took a proximity shot from Evison's missile, and though the MiG crashed, this time, the pilot managed to punch out.

The other two MiG-21s saw their two colleagues go down, and both performed Doppler Breaks. The Hornets lost lock as they did, and AWACS advised the Hornet drivers that the MiGs were turning away.

While the MiG-21s were engaged, two MiG-25s came into the picture. Unlike previous occasions, the F-14s this day had no AIM-54s loaded, with a four Sidewinder-four Slammer load. That didn't dissuade Patterson and Conway, for as the second pair of Tomcats maintained a CAP to block a scramble out of Al-Rashid or Al-Muthena, they confronted the Foxbats. With a call over GUARD “Tomcat Girls here, ready to play?” the F-14s closed in.

The RIOs were able to work their controls, and gained lock at over 40 miles. With the MiGs closing in at over Mach 1.5, it was close, but the Tomcats both shot at just under 40 miles. Both crews took double shots, with Patterson's and Bradleys two Slammers scoring, turning the MiG into a fireball. His wingman, seeing his leader turn into fiery wreckage and no chute, turned, attempting a Doppler Break, and this time, he succeeded, for he managed to break lock and avoid the two AIM-120s sent his way.

The Tomcats though, couldn't pursue, as that would take them deeper into the MEZ with no support, and with the A-6s and Hornets clear, broke off and headed back southeast. The second pair of Tomcats, covering Al-Rashid, were not engaged, but they were the last to leave apart from the Prowler.

As the package reformed at altitude to head back out the crews saw the wall of sand that was closing in. Though briefed on it prior to launch, and most had been in the air when another sandstorm had come a few days earlier, this one was bigger, they felt. As usual, the package had a pair of Iranian tails on that side of the border as they went past Amarrah, with two more F-4s watching them until they cleared the Faw Peninsula. Once clear of the Peninsula, they overflew the North SAR Station before returning to Kitty Hawk, trapping just before Noon.

During the morning, crews went out and came back, everyone was talking about the wall of sand that was visible to the west. To those who had seen it, it was a good deal bigger than the previous one, and that storm had caused an overnight stand-down from flight ops. It wouldn't be the same this time, for a midmorning weather update, along with warnings from both TF-77 and CENTAF, meant that flight ops would stand down sometime in the afternoon, and were expected to remain shut down for at least two days. Nobody liked hearing that the Iraqis were going to get a break from the weather, but for aircrew, it meant a well-deserved rest, while maintenance crews would be able to give the aircraft some more TLC than usual. Until CENTAF called things off, the pressure on Saddam's forces would still be kept up, with an increase in the Optempo until the call came from CENTAF.

Next out of the box for a strategic strike was VA-185 and CDR Adam Yoshida, the Knighthawks' XO, had the next one. He took four Knighthawk Intruders, four Golden Dragons Hornets, four Freelancer Tomcats, and a Gauntlet Prowler to the sprawling Mahawil Military Base Area in the southern area of the Baghdad MEZ. Not only was this the prewar home of the 10th “Saladin” Armored Division, and housed a major logistical center, the facility also was the HQ of the 223rd Missile Brigade, and supported the brigade's Scud launches. On this day, the primary targets were the missile related facilities, with training and support facilites, missile storage warehouses, and revetted storage for missile fuel and for warheads.

The package took the 0900 launch, and as the aircraft formed up, the crews noticed Nimitz and her escorts already setting a course for the Southern Gulf. Ingress was via Saudi, and as the Navy package got to the tanker track south of the border, crews saw an Air Force package leave the track and head north, while another package came in (unknown to CDR Yoshida and his people, this was the Shayka Mazar mission that that VA-115 had come in behind at Salman Pak). The Navy refueled, then headed in at medium level.

At a point east of Najaf, the package dropped down low, crossing Highway 8 east of Hillah, where the Prowler broke away and climbed back to altitude and began sending blasts of ECM against the radars in the MEZ. Then the Tomcats did the same to assume a TARCAP against scrambles out of either Iskandariyah, Saddam IAP, Al Rashid, or even Al-Taqaddum and Habbiniyah to the west.

Dragons Skipper CDR Colleen “China B” McMurphy's Hornets went in on the IRON HAND mission, and as they did, numerous radars came up, despite the ECM from the Prowler. A HARM took care of the Latifiya East SA-2, while SA-2s at Musaybb and at Mahawil also had HARMs directed at them,with the former shutting down, and the latter eating the HARM as it fired two missiles in the general direction of the Prowler.

CDR McMurphy and LTJG Bryan Ellison, her wingmate, then went in on a pair of radar-guided flak sites near the target. Both 57-mm sites ate HARMs, then both Hornets followed up with Rockeye drops. They also took care of a 37-mm site just south of the target, along with a nearby 23-mm site, before climbing to altitude to back up the Tomcats.

The second pair of Hornets were also busy, sending HARMs after the Shayka Mazar SA-3 that came up. The first HARM “went dumb”, but the second found the Low Blow radar and killed it. The two Hornets then found a 57-mm site and a pair of 37-mm ones for their Rockeyes, neutralizing all three before climbing to backup the Tomcats along with their CO.

CDR Yoshida's A-6s came in, and each Intruder had sixteen Mark-82s for the target. In spite of the Hornets' efforts, there was still quite a bit of light and medium-caliber flak as the Knighthawk crews went in on their bomb runs. Yoshida in 532 and LT Ellis, his wingmate in 539, found the Brigade HQ and support area for their Mark-82s, with several bombs wrecking the HQ building, and severe damage to other structures in the HQ area, A bonus was a pair of large secondary explosions, which signaled (hopefully) a Scud and launcher going up. Both A-6s cleared the target and headed south, picking up the Euphrates, despite drawing flak and MANPADS.

The second pair came in, with LT Collett and and LT Meridith in 533 and LTJG Wilson and LCDR Regan in 540. Collett and Meridith picked out several warehouses for their Mark-82s and dropped, but despite the bombs ripping several warehouses apart, no secondaries resulted. The pair of Wilson and Regan in 540, though, picked out revetted storage, and laid their bombs on those revetments. They were rewarded with numerous secondaries going off, most likely stored missile fuel or possibly warheads as they cleared the target. Both A-6s drew flak and several MANPADS shots, but they, too, got clear and headed for the Euphrates.

Unlike the AF strike at Shayka Mazar and VA-115's mission to Salman Pak, no serious MiG opposition developed. Two MiG-21s from Iskandariyah New, however, did scramble to challenge the strike, and these two MiGs were smart, coming in low to try and avoid the Tomcats. They didn't expect the Hornets, however, and CDR McMurphy's element found both MiGs north of the target area.

The Dragons Skipper and her wingmate both picked up the two MiG-21s coming in low and fast, and some quick work in the cockpit had AIM-120 lock-on at just under 15 miles. Both Hornet drivers took their shots, with Skipper McMurphy's shot scoring the MiG wingman just east of Musaybb, sending him down with no chute, whle Ellison's first shot missed.

As the wingman smashed into the ground, the MiG leader pulled up and turned, perhaps hoping to draw the Hornets into the Musaybb SA-2 site. The Hornets didn't bite, forcing the MiG back in, and Ellison picked him up first. This time, a Slammer shot at nearly visual range found its mark, turning the MiG into a fireball and sending what remained of him into the Euphrates.

When the A-6s called clear, the Tomcats and Hornets got back low and headed south, picking up the Prowler as they did so. The package reformed east of Najaf, before climbing back to altitude for the trip back to the border and the tankers.

Post-strike refueling was routine, but as the strike package turned for the trip back to the ship, the sandstorm was most obvious as crews saw the wall of sand moving from west to east. Seeing that meant that the Saudi route into Iraq was now closed for the time being, and that it wouldn't be long before all air ops in-country were going to shut down.

With that, the package returned to Kitty Hawk, and after forming up in the pattern, trapped just after 1300.


Despite the sandstorm coming in, CAG wanted to get in as many strikes over the beach as possible before the weather truly closed in and shut down air ops. With that, the next package off the cats was led by VA-185's Skipper CDR Compton, with four Golden Dragons Hornets, two Freelancer Tomcats, and a VAQ-136 Prowler went for a return visit to the Numiniyah Military Logistics Center. The facility had been struck several times in the past, but the sprawling complex had barely been dented, while the PGM shortage meant that most of the storage bunkers in the complex had not been hit. Thus, the dozen Mark-82s each the A-6s were packing would go for either warehouses or revetted storage.

The mission launched just after Noon, and after forming up and then hitting the Gulf Tanker Track, headed for the beach. On the way in, the aircrews noticed the three amphibious ships that had brought the 15th MEU, including Makin Island, heading south along with their own escorts, while the battleship New Jersey was still on station, throwing 16-inch shells against the Iraqis holed up on the east side of the Zubayr River, some of whom had been shelling the Marines and Kiwis along the Zubayr-Umm Qasr road, Highway 26,

As the strike package flew up the Shatt-al-Arab, they picked up their usual tail from the Iranians, with two F-5Es providing the shadow this time. As usual by now, the F-5s turned back once the strikers went north of Amarra and turned west, deeper into Iraqi airspace. Shorn of their shadows, the strike birds flew just north of the Tigris River and Highway 6, and it wasn't long until Kut came into view, and the defenses for not just the military garrisons, but Ubadayh Bin Al Jarrah AB as well.

Numerous radars came up, with the SA-2 site back operational, along with one of the two SA-3s, and several SA-8s around the airfield. The Prowler began jamming, and sent a HARM after the SA-2, while CDR McMurphy's Hornets also had HARMs in the air. The SA-2 site shut down, as did most of the SA-8s, but one SA-8 track took a HARM, as did the SA-3 site.

Despite this, the package continued on to Numiniyah, and as they did, several radar-guided AAA sites came up. A 57-mm site near the target drew a HARM shot, as the Hornets went in to put Rockeyes onto not just that particular site, but also serviced a pair of 37-mm sites and a 23-mm site near the Numiniyah airfield. That field had been reported as unservicable, but as CDR McMurphy went in to put a pair of Rockeyes on the 23-mm site, she saw a number of aircraft parked on it, and a low-level, high speed pass showed them to be operational. That call brought the Tomcats in to handle TARCAP not just for Al Jarrah, but also Numiniyah.

McMurphy then called in the A-6s. The Eagles Skipper took his A-6s in at medium altitude, but as they dived onto the target, the Intruders still drew light-and medium-caliber flak, and several MANPADS as well. CDR Compton and his wingmate, Eversole, each found several warehouses for their Mark-82s. However, the crews were disappointed to see no secondaries as they pulled away from the target, though they did see not just tracers, but at least three SA-7s or SA-14s chasing them out.

The second element, LCDR Cole with LT Morris, came in thirty seconds later, and they aimed for some of the revetted storage. They laid down their Mark-82s, and this time, the crews were rewarded with multiple secondaries as the contents of the revetments disagreed with the Mark-82s. They, too, drew both flak and MANPADs as they egressed to the southeast, picking up the Skipper's element as they did so.

As the A-6s went in, the Iraqis responded from both fields. Two MiG-21s that had come down from the north began their takeoff roll as the lead A-6 element cleared the target. CDR McMurphy's pair of Hornets went in on the MiGs as they got wheels up and headed south, trying to pick up the two A-6s.

The MiGs never had the chance, for McMurphy locked the leader up with a Sidewinder, sending an AIM-9X into the MiG, sending him down into some farmland southeast of the base. As she did, LTJG Ellison,her wingmate, found the wingman as he broke away from the leader. That MiG, too, caught a Sidewinder and tumbled into the ground. Neither Hornet driver saw a chute.

While the Dragons were dealing with the two -21s and the A-6s were on their way southeast, two more MiGs, these being MiG-23 Floggers, scrambled out of Al Jarrah. The Freelancers jumped at the chance,and it was the same teams that had scored that morning, with Powers/Mitchell in 205 and Vansen/Bell in 208. This time, as the MiGs climbed up, they turned into the Tomcats, and one of the Floggers gained AA-7 missile lock on 208 despite the Prowler's jamming.

The MiG shot a pair of AA-7s just as Vansen locked the Flogger up and sent a Slammer in reply. She then did a break before turning back into the MiG, only to see the two Apex missiles fly by, but the Slammer scored, turning the MiG-23 into a fireball.

Seeing his partner fireball, the second MiG broke right, then turned back into the fight, but 205's crew picked him up and shot a Slammer as the MiG fired his own pair of AA-7s. The Slammer flew into the Flogger's nose and exploded, and the MiG, shorn of its cockpit and right wing, fell in flames into the Tigris River.

Once the A-6s were clear, and the MiGs were down, the package headed south to reform. As they did, the Iraqis scrambled two more MiG-23s from Al Jarrah, but that was akin to closing the barn door after the horses escaped. The package reformed near Al Hayy, then headed east to pick up the Tigris and Highway 6. As usual, when they got close to the Iranian border, another pair of shadows arrived to follow the strikers out, with F-4s this time.

The shadows pulled away as the outbound strike cleared the Faw Peninsula, and as they headed south towards the carrier, the crews saw that the New Jersey was no longer in Kuwait Bay. She had also packed up and headed south to get away from the approaching wall of sand, which the crews had seen as they came out. Recovery was routine-or as routine as carrier ops can be, with traps beginning at 1445.

Weather then began to bite, as two additional packages, one from VA-185 with BAI, and a VA-115 tasked for a strategic strike, were held on the ship as conditions ashore continued to deteriorate. CENTAF then called things off for the time being, as the sandstorm was expected to last for at least forty-eight hours. Accordingly, after consulting with Admiral Freeman, CAG ordered a halt to flight ops, calling in all airborne aircraft and helos, other than a pair of Black Knights Tomcats on CAP. Once recovery was completed, Kitty Hawk then set course for waters north of Dubai to join Nimitz, New Jersey, Makin Island, and their escorts. Only the ships on the North SAR station remained, though their helos were now safely tucked into their hangars.

With air ops now suspended, aircrew were looking forward to a couple days of rest, while the maintenance people could get caught up. While low-key flight ops would be maintained in the Southern Gulf, with both Kitty Hawk and Nimitz putting up CAPs as per the usual day/night rotation, everyone else could take time off. For now, though, the war-air, ground, and naval-in the KTO was on hold.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by jemhouston »

While a break is needed, how much can Iraq use it?
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Jotun »

jemhouston wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:13 pm While a break is needed, how much can Iraq use it?
Everybody is beholden to the powers of nature. The only thing Iraq can conceivably do is assemble reserves to the north of the northern edge of the sandstorm. Their troops already in the area and their air force are going to be forced to sit tight, just like the, what, allied forces arrayed against them. Replenishment etc. is going to be difficult to impossible.

This theater would have been the ideal environment for the proposed non-nuclear Pershing II anti-airfield ballistic missile...
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

Watch the areas around Samawah, An Nasiriyah, the Rumalaya Causeway (scene of 24th ID's most intense tank battle in DESERT STORM-two days after the cease-fire), and the approaches to Basra. When CENTCOM ordered X Corps to stand fast on current positions, they gave the Iraqis some breathing room. How much? We'll just have to wait and see who got across and who hasn't.

In the meantime, CENTAF and NAVCENT can use the downtime to get caught up on aircraft maintenance, the ships can do some UNREP, and aircrew can get some much-needed rest.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Wolfman »

This is getting intense. Nice work, Matt, keep it up.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

The next chapter, and it's a little short as there's no combat!

The morning of 21 May dawned bright and sunny in the Gulf, and as the sun rose, anyone in the air was treated to an awesome sight as Fifth Fleet steamed back and forth between Kish Island and Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The Iranians did certainly notice, for an Iranian AF P-3 flew around the ships, careful to respect the Exclusion Zone declared by Fifth Fleet around Allied Naval Forces, and they were no doubt impressed. For there were two carriers, a battleship, an amphibious assault ship, two other amphibious ships, along with the escorting cruisers and destroyers. Both carriers were conducting low-intensity flight ops, as both CAP and SUCAP were being maintained, with others were launching on maintenance check flights as the birds were declared ready. That would continue throughout the day and the following one.

For the aircrews, it was time to take a breather, rest, and recharge. Though the rest time would only be two days before the next line period, two days where no one was being shot at were to be welcomed. Though everyone would fly at least once a day, maybe two, to get that all-important night trap and cat to maintain their qualification, everyone was taking it easy for the most part.

The two day stand-down was also welcome from the perspective of the maintenance crews. Those folks were able to get caught up on their aircraft maintenance, and take their time doing it instead of worrying about missing something due to the high optempo that the last line period had presented.

Ship's company aboard the carriers also welcomed the time off, for some TLC for the arresting gear, catapults,and mirror landing system could be tended to. And some UNREP could also be taken care of, with shore-based helos shuttling back and forth between the carriers and Bahrain off and on throughout the first day, with U.S.S. Camden (AOE-2) also handling resupply for both carriers as well as their escorts.

One thing that air wing personnel and ship's company on both carriers regretted was no shore liberty. While some of the smaller ships were able to make port calls in either Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Jebal Ali and give their crews a few precious hours ashore, the carriers, amphibs, and cruisers stayed out at sea, while New Jersey later made for Bahrain to restock with 16-inch, and in so doing, give her crew some time ashore. The crews on the big ships made do with some Steel Beach time, swim call, and generally taking time off.


Aboard Kitty Hawk, flight ops were low intensity throughout the day, with a CAP being shared between the Freelancers of VF-21 and VF-154's Black Knights,while both VA-115 and VA-185 took their turns on SUCAP, along with the Golden Dragons and Dambusters and their Super Bugs. The Gauntlets' Prowlers weren't busy, apart from check flights and snagging that important night trap later on, but VS-21's S-3s were out, checking on shipping passing through along with the A-6 SUCAP, and also having buddy stores loaded in case someone needed a tanker.The COD C-2s were also busy, and VERTREP tasks kept not only the Seahawks from HS-12 at it, but visitors from HC-11's det on Camden and HM-15's MH-53Es from Bahrain were so engaged as the day progressed.

One thing that the CAG appreciated was some replacement of aircraft and aircrew attrition. NAVAIRPAC had arranged for a replacement pool, and some aircraft had flown out to Bahrain. While most of the aircrew who had flown out were not needed right away, the Hornet and Intruder squadrons had lost both aircraft and aircrew, and each squadron received two aircraft to replace some of their losses, and as a bonus, the squadron picked up the aircrew as well. Each squadron received two aircraft and the appropriate number of aircrew, and the squadrons used the opportunity the off period presented to get the new people settled in. The new crews were a mix of old and new blood: some were veterans who had been in the FRS as instructors, or had requalified after a nonflying tour, while there were the usual “nuggets” who were on their first tour out of the FRS. It was the same on Nimitz, with CVW-9's squadrons grateful to have some replacement aircraft and crew as well.

In addition to the check flights and the various CAPs, some pickup training with the UAE Air Force was conducted, as the UAE was preparing to deploy some of its F-16s and Mirages to Saudi for operations against Iraq once the sandstorm lifted. As a result, the UAEAF requested some last-minute training from combat veterans. CAG was glad to oblige, with both Tomcat and Hornet squadrons flying some DACT with their counterparts. The training continued the following day, with both CVW-5 and CVW-9 aircrew participating.

One sad event that both air wings had to take care of were memorial services for those who had been lost and were either KIA or MIA, as well as to remember aircrew who were known to be POWs. CVW-5 held a service after flight ops concluded for the day, while CVW-9 had one the morning of the 22nd. On both carriers, the respective Battle Group Commanders attended, along with the Captains of both ships. Chaplains intoned appropriate prayers, while friends of those who had gone down said a few words, before honor guards fired a salute. Then it was back to the grind.


D+30, 22 May dawned bright and clear in the Southern Gulf, as both carriers continued with low-key flight ops during the day. Training flights with the UAEAF went on, as UNREP continued for both the carriers and their escorts. Aboard ship, as opportunity presented, General-Quarters drills were held on many of the ships. Though drills had been common after the Backire strike earlier in the month, especially aboard Kitty Hawk and her battle group. However, both carrier captains felt that their crews needed more more training time, and the skippers of the various escorts did the same as well.

The Iranians continued to monitor the ships, with the usual P-3 flights, along with an RC-130 and surface ships, while the CAP itself monitored the Iranians. The P-3s got close enough to the ships to take photos, but the Iranains respected the exclusion zone declared around Fifth Fleet's surface ships as usual.

In addition to the Iranian P-3s along with surface ships, there was still quite a bit of commercial air traffic in the Southern Gulf. The air routes to/from Iran and the UAE, and from the UAE to India were still operating, and the airliners were all monitored by radars from both ships and the E-2s.

To make up for the lack of shore liberty, both carriers had Steel Beach events that afternoon. Though to prevent a repeat of the 3 May one on Kitty Hawk, which had been rudely interrupted by the SNAF Backfires, both Kitty Hawk and Nimitz had F-14s in the air, refueled by AF KC-135s. Unlike the last time, there was no Soviet interference, though a P-3 passing at the edge of the Exclusion Zone did attract some attention, as did a private aircraft from Dubai flying close to the ships on several occasions. It turned away only after a pair of F-14s from Nimitz buzzed them several times. Later that day, footage of the two carriers and some of the amphibious ships showed up on Al Jazeria and Dubai TV, evidently shot from that aircraft. While Admiral Freeman fumed about someone having flown an intelligence mission for the Soviets and Iraqis, even if they didn't realize it, there wasn't much that could be done as the UAE was still technically neutral.

That evening, the ships began to put about and head north. The sandstorm had blown out, and the forecast for the following day promised good flying weather over the KTO and into Iraq. As the carriers and amphibs headed north, New Jersey weighed anchor from Bahrain and followed suit,as there were still targets within range of her guns. While in Bahrain, she had been able to partially reload her Tomahawk launchers with TLAMs, along with at least two of the destroyers. While full reloads weren't possible, it was felt at Fifth Fleet that it was enough for the time being.

The carriers arrived back on station early on the morning of 23 May, and though CVW-9 on Nimitz was not on the night ATO, the usual CAP and SUCAP were launched, while crews on Kitty Hawk got ready for the first missions of the day. Dawn came as usual, bright and sunny, as the first package was made ready. The 0600 launch started the next line period for CVW-5, as the first package was sent on its way, putting the air wing back in the war.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by jemhouston »

I suppose a F-14 flying in front and above the jet and dumping fuel is out of the question?
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

jemhouston wrote: Sat Sep 14, 2024 2:43 am I suppose a F-14 flying in front and above the jet and dumping fuel is out of the question?
Not with the UAE still being a neutral and soon-to-be-formal ally.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Wolfman »

Matt Wiser wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 4:29 am
jemhouston wrote: Sat Sep 14, 2024 2:43 am I suppose a F-14 flying in front and above the jet and dumping fuel is out of the question?
Not with the UAE still being a neutral and soon-to-be-formal ally.
So no buzzing the airfield, either?
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

Not that, either.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

After a hiatus, the next chapter:


The 0600 launch had the CAG, CAPT Seavey, along, riding in the Freelancers' CAG bird, 200, with LT Mark Crommerlin and LTJG David Pope as his wingmates riding in Freelancer 211, was going with this one, along with two more Tomcats from the Black Knights. CAG took four Golden Dragons Hornets and four VA-115 A-6Fs, with the usual Prowler from VAQ-136 to the Karbala area. The target was a familiar one, the Karbala Ammo and Missile Storage, southwest of Lake Milh. The sprawling complex had been hit numerous times, but the extensive network of storage bunkers, revetment storage sites, and warehouses had only been dented. Since the LGB shortage prevented striking the bunkers, the A-6s each carried sixteen Mark-82s to deal with the revetments and warehouses.

After launch, the package formed up and went inbound to the tanker track over Saudi, west of the Wadi al-Batin. As the package tanked, the crews noticed the USAF and RSAF at work, with both sending strikes into Iraq now that the sandstorm had lifted, and the latter also handling the HVUCAP protecting tankers, AWACS, and Rivet Joint ELINT platforms south of the border.

After topping up, the package got down low and went into Iraqi airspace. They flew past Al-Salman airfield, and noted the lack of activity there, with the MiGs that had been based there having apparently been pulled back north. The rest of the penetration was uneventful until the package reached the target area.

As the strike birds climbed to altitude, several radar-guided AAA sites opened up: 57-mm and for the first time this far south, 85-mm. While the Tomcats established their TARCAP near Lake Milh, to block any MiGs from the north-meaning Al Asad, Al Taqaddum, or Habbiniyah, or the east-Al Iskandiriyah or Shayaka Mazar, along with Baghdad, the Golden Dragons went in on the flak sites.

LCDR Mark Brazleton took the Hornets in, and a pair of HARMs went after a 57-mm site and an 85-mm one, taking out both radars, before Brazleton and his wingmate, LTJG Don Landers, who had joined the squadron on the stand-down, and was flying his first combat mission out of the RAG at Lemoore, went down on the sites. Brazleton left a pair of Rockeyes on the 85-mm site, while Landers put his on the 57-mm one. The second pair of Hornets followed as another 57-mm site went radar active, and a HARM shut it down, with Rockeyes putting it out of action, while a 23-mm site also ate Rockeyes.

The way was clear for the A-6s, and CDR Compton took the four Eagles Intruders in. The Eagles CO ignored the flak sites that were still shooting, along with a couple of MANPADS shots, as he came in and put his sixteen Mark-82s onto a cluster of storage revetments. He and his B/N, LT Craig Paul, were rewarded with a number of secondaries that erupted as they pulled clear, just as their wingmates came in. Newly-promoted LT Todd Lowell in 511 with LT John Eversole in the right seat followed the Skipper in, leaving their Mark-82s on another cluster of revetments. They, too, had secondaries going off as they egressed, and also drew some “light, but inaccurate” flak as they did so.

The second element came in right behind, with LCDR Brad Morris and LT Dave Carroll in 507 with their new wingmates LT Kevin Curtis and LTJG Jerry Tice in the “New” 510. These two Intruders came in on a fenced-in warehouse area-one of several, and they put their Mark-82s squarely on the warehouses. As both A-6s pulled away, the crews saw numerous secondaries in their wake, along with several MANPADS coming up at them, before they cleared the area and headed south.

While the A-6s went in, and the Hornets pounced either on flak sites or on opportunity targets within the massive storage area, the Tomcats had been orbiting, waiting on a MiG reaction. Though MiGs did appear on their scopes, the Iraqis stayed away for the most part, though as the A-6s cleared, two MiG-21s from the 131st Fighter Squadron at Al Asad came south.

CAG picked up the MiGs coming in, and he led LT Crommerlin into the fight. Both RIOs worked their controls, and though the Tomcats were packing a 2-3-2 load of Phoenix, AIM-120, and Sidewinder, the pilots and RIOs took AIM-120 shots as the MiGs came into range. CAG's first shot at 35 miles failed to guide, with the missile doing a rare non ignition as it fell away, but as both Tomcats and MiGs closed to visual range, he took a second Slammer shot, and this one scored at only six miles, turning the MiG leader into a fireball.

Crommerlin then picked out the wingman. As he did, the MiG turned, now seeing he was up against two F-14s now that his leader had become a fireball. With CAG covering, Commerlin lined up a Sidewinder shot and took it, with the AIM-9X flying up the MiG's tailpipe and exploding. The pilot ejected just before a second explosion tore the MiG apart, and 211's crew saw the chute. Two more MiG-21s came out of Al Asad, with two MiG-29s north of Habbiniyah also coming, but the Tomcats' fuel state dictated a turn south. On the way back to the border, they picked up the Prowler, before the package reformed.

The trip south was uneventful, and the post-strike refueling went off without a hitch, before the package returned to the ship after three and a half hours in the air.

The 0630 Package was VA-185's, and Nighthawks skipper CDR Amanda Lowry took four A-6s, for Dambusters Hornets, two more Freelancer Tomcats, but no Prowler, to the Kut West Military Logistics Center, just west of the Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield. The Air Force was going in on the airfield proper, and their package included an EF-111, with the Spark Vark covering both strikes, so the Prowler was felt not to be needed. Despite some misgivings among the Intruder crews and the Hornet drivers, the mission went ahead.

After tanking over the Gulf, the package ingressed via the Shatt al-Arab and the crews noticed the New Jersey back at work, tossing 16-inch shells inland as there were still targets within range of her guns. Approaching Faw, the crews took note of the Iranians, who had put two pontoon bridges over the Shatt, but were still sending in their Bell 214s and CH-47s in on supply and CASEVAC runs.

The Iranians, as usual, had fighters following the strike package as it flew up the Shatt, with two F-4s having the duty this time. Once the package cleared Al Amarra and turned west, the F-4s turned back east.

Approaching Kut, the Navy strike crews saw the Air Force going in, with both F-15Es and F-16s rolling in on the airfield, and taking some moderate flak and even a few SAMs-but everyone's RWRs were still quiet due to the Spark Vark's attention. CDR Lowry took the package to the north of Kut, before picking out the target south of the Tigris and west of the airfield.

IRON HAND, led by the Dragons' Ops Officer, LCDR Don White, went in on the flak sites around the target, and as they did, the Hornets drew their share of 37-mm and 57-mm fire. One of the latter had a Firecan radar come up, and that site drew a HARM shot before White himself put a pair of Rockeyes on it, putting the site out of business. Other sites also took Rockeye strikes from the Hornets, though there wasn't much anyone could do about MANPADS, for the F/A-18s all drew SA-7 or SA-14 shots as they pulled clear.

Skipper Lowry then took the A-6s in, with LT Paul Mason on her wing, and they, too, had Mark-82s for the warehouses and revetted storage areas. The B/Ns picked out warehouses for their targets on FLIR, with both A-6s getting down into the flak coverage to drop on the targeted warehouses. They drew “light to moderate” flak on the way out, with a previously undetected 23-mm site and a 37-mm site being the most obnoxious. They also drew MANPADS shots, but both A-6s cleared the target area and headed south to pick up Highway 7.

That brought in 537 with LT John Collett and his wingmate LTJG Darlene Wilson in 540, and each picked out a line of revetments for their Mark-82s. They, too, drew the flak, but the crews ignored the 23-mm and 37-mm fire as the Intruders put their bombs on the revetments, and were rewarded with mulitple secondaries on pullout. Collett in 537 then led 540 out, picking up Highway 7 and a meetup with the Skipper's element.

While the A-6s went in, the Hornets had assumed a TARCAP, while the F-14s and their AF counterparts in F-15Cs orbited to the south and southeast of Kut, waiting on a MiG scramble. None resulted, and both respective fighter CAPs pulled away to meet up with their strike brethren, as did the Hornets.

Once clear, the package reformed south of Kut, before heading back to the Tigris. As on ingress, the package was followed out by Iranian fighters, a pair of F-5Es this time, before clearing the Faw Peninsula and returning to CV-63.

With those two packages off, the next launch at 0700 would take the strike birds to hit a target familiar from DESERT STORM and DESERT FOX. For the target was the Abu Gruhaib BW Facility, or the famous “Baby Milk Factory” from 1991. Eagles XO CDR Matt Wiser would take four VA-115 A-6Fs, four Dambusters Hornets, four Black Knights Tomcats, and a VAQ-136 Prowler into the Baghdad area. The premission brief was tense, for the target was to the west of Baghdad International Airport, and this package would be the first into the MEZ, not just from CVW-5, but from CENTAF, this morning. To give the strike birds a hand in penetrating the MEZ, a pair of RAF Tornados with ALARM would join them at the tanker track, for the Iraqis no doubt used the pause provided by the sandstorm to repair damaged radars, get SAM sites back online, move AAA and mobile SAMs as needed, and get ready for the next round.

Launch was routine, and as the strike birds arrived at the tanker track, they met up with the RAF. To the surprise of the Eagles' XO, the RAF lead was the CO of the RAF in the Gulf, Air Commodore John Blair. To CDR Wiser's relief, Blair told him that the strike was his to lead, and that when Eagle 505 needed the ALARMs, he would get them. With that, the tanking went off without any problems, before ingressing into Iraq.

The strike went in at medium level until they got to the Najaf area, then got down low. Approaching Lake Milh, the package dropped down to 300 Feet AGL, flying up the west side of the lake before clearing the lake, then hitting Lake Habbiniyah. As they flew over the lake, the crews noted their RWRs were active, with numerous radars in the MEZ, with those at Habbiniyah and Al Taqaddum being the closest, along with several interceptor radars. The package actually flew underneath a MiG-25 CAP at one point, before reaching their next turn, a cluster of buildings south of Lake Thartar. A turn east found a quarry, then another turn southeast took them to the IP, a pair of radio towers. There, CDR Wiser gave the strike commit call, and as the A-6s turned south for the target, the Hornets and Tornados went to work, while the Tomcats climbed to assume TARCAP, with two Tomcats waiting on scrambles from Habbiniyah and Al Taqaddum, and two more waiting for anyone out of the fields around Baghdad proper and to the south.

Blair's Tornados went right to work, shooting two ALARMs at prebriefed targets, an SA-2 and and SA-3 close to the target, while shooting their two remaining ALARMs in loiter mode before getting back down low and clearing out. As the Tornados went in, so did CDR Kathy Evison's Hornets, with the Dambusters' XO putting a HARM into an SA-2 near the infamous Abu Grahaib Prison, killing that radar, while her second HARM went onto an SA-3 site west of the International Airport. Her wingmate, LT Chris Roberts, took HARM shots at another SA-3 that came up, as well as a Roland. The two SA-3s shut down to avoid the HARMs, but the Roland was a victim of both the HARM and one of the loitering ALARMs, Evison and Roberts then found a couple flak sites for their attention, killing a 57-mm site not far from the Highway 97/10 Interchange along with a pair of 37-mm sites north of the target. RAAF FLT Ron Fraser then took the second pair of Hornets in on the flak sites, saving their HARMs for SAMs, but using Rockeyes, he killed a 57-mm site south of the target, while his wingmate took down a 23-mm site only a hundred yards to the east of the facility.

CDR Wiser then brought the A-6s in, and he commented that the flak was “as usual, moderate to heavy.” Ignoring the flak, he and his trusty BN, LT Lucy “Madge” Porter, picked out the BW Facility and laid their six Mark-83 Snakeyes onto the target, as did their wingmates, LT Bryan Rivers and LT Sarah “Indy” Fisher in 509, engulfing it in bomb blasts. Both A-6s drew flak from a 23-mm site as well as a quad 14.5-mm machine-gun battery, however both Intruders were able to get clear of the target, with CDR Wiser and LT Rivers both skirting the outer edge of Baghdad IAP before turning south for the Najaf area.

The second element, with VA-115's Ops Officer, LCDR Tony Carpenter in 504 with LT Chris Knapp in 510, followed right behind the XO. This element also drew the flak, but the A-6 crews threaded the needle, coming in and unloading their Mark-83s into the target, which was already covered in smoke and flame. Another dozen Snakeyes fell into the target compound, adding to the destruction inflicted by the lead element. Carpenter and Knapp both cleared the target area, and they, too, skirted the International Airport on their way out of the MEZ.

While the A-6s were going in, the Tomcats were busy. Leading the F-14s was the formidable pair of LT Jacqui Patterson and LT Debbie Bradley in Blackknight 104, CVW-5's leading ace team, with LT Conway and LT Freeman on wing in 110. AWACS picked up two MiG-25s just launched from Al Taqaddum. The two Foxbats closed in, and the RIOs worked fast to get lock. At only 24 miles, both 104 and 110 put Phoenixes in the air, each taking a single shot as both MiGs were also trying to lock the F-14s up for their AA-6 Acrids. The Phoenix salvo scored first, with 104's shot turning the MiG leader into a fireball, sending him crashing into Lake Habbiniyah, while Conway and Freeman's shot hitting the wingman just as he fired two radar-guided Acrids. The MiG fell from 26,000 feet, while the two missiles he fired simply “flew dumb.”

The second pair of Tomcats was led by LT Paula Mobley and LT Kara Wade in Blackknight 111 with LT Pat O'Gara and LCDR Darrel Simmonds in 112. They picked up two MiG-29s that had been on a CAP over northern Baghdad, and the two MiGs charged in. Both Tomcat pilots selected AIM-120, and shot as soon as they had lock at 27 and 26 miles, respectively. Both MiGs were also running a gauntlet of their own flak as the Baghdad air defenses had all opened up, but Mobley and Wade's shot scored, sending the MiG crashing down onto a street near Zawra Park, while the second MiG abruptly turned, but as he did, that solved the problem for 112's shot, which turned him into a fireball that crashed into the Euphrates. In the confusion, no one saw any chutes.

Then two more MiG-29s scrambled out of Al-Muthena, right in Baghdad proper. Instead of climbing out, the two MiGs stayed low, and as they did, ran into FLT Fraser's two F/A-18s. Fraser quickly got AIM-120 lock, sending a Slammer after the leader at only 12 miles. The AIM-120 lived up to its name, spearing the MiG in the cockpit, exploding the aircraft and sending it crashing down just east of the Aqarqf Ziggurat. The wingman broke hard left and climbed, only to level out almost in front of Mobley and Wade's Tomcat. Mobley quickly sized him up and took a Sidewinder shot, with the AIM-9X blowing off both the right hand vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The Fulcrum spun down, and as it did, the Tomcat crew saw the canopy come off, the seat fire, and the pilot was hanging in his chute.

Both Tomcat flights wanted to stay around, but their fuel state and that of the Hornets decided the issue. The fighters got back down low, after a taunt from LT Patterson daring the MiGs in the area to “do better next time”, and after picking up the Prowler, went on south.

Reforming south of Najaf, the package climbed back to altitude and headed for the border. Not surprisingly, the Navy crews found the Tornados orbiting and waiting for them, before they formed back up and headed for the tankers. Once refueled, the Navy elements headed back to the Gulf and traps aboard Kitty Hawk, while the RAF set course for Qatar, with Air Commodore Blair inviting the Navy to “Do this again sometime.”

It was 1045, nearly four hours after launch, when the package arrived in CV-63's pattern. After trapping aboard, the aircraft were taken over by the maintenance and ordnance people, while the crews went below for a debrief, some chow, and started the turnaround process.

While the strategic strikes were ongoing, the usual BAI and CAS missions were still going in. One of the former took the VA-185 XO, CDR Yoshida, to the As Samawah area and the nearby Ammo Storage Site. He took four Nighthawks A-6s, while Golden Dragons Skipper CDR “ChinaB” McMurphy took four of her Hornets, with VF-21 sending two Tomcats, along with a Prowler from VAQ-136. Though there were numerous storage bunkers, the LGB shortage prevented using the “Intellectual Bombs”, so thus each A-6 had sixteen Mark-82s instead of what would have been the usual pair of GBU-10s. The Hornets had their usual IRON HAND load of two HARMs plus either four Mark-82s or four Rockeyes, and the Hornet drivers were told in the brief that any ordnance not needed for flak suppression could go onto the Ammo Dump once the A-6s were clear. The target area was also in the AOR for II Guards Corps, so corps-level air defense assets along with some divisional level ones could be expected to be in the vicinity.

After an 0830 launch, the package went via Saudi, and as they tanked, CAG's package came south on the return leg of that strike, and the crews waggled their wings and exchanged waves. After tanking and heading north, the crews also noticed the lack of activity at As Salman AB, leading some to wonder if the base had been evacuated. Upon reaching the Samawah area, things changed as a number of radars began to appear on their respective RWRs, as several air-defense radars came up, both early-warning as well as fire-control for both flak and SAMs.

CDR McMurphy's Hornets shot ahead, as at least two SA-11s came up, along with the nearby SA-2 site. The former shot three missiles before it took a HARM from both the Prowler and the Dragons' Skipper, while the two SA-11s shut down once HARMs were in the air. A 57-mm site south of the city also came up with a Firecan radar, and LTJG Ellison, her wingmate, put a HARM onto the offender, before following up with a pair of Rockeyes to put the site out of business. Two more sites, both 37-mm, opened up on the departing F/A-18, and both Hornets in the second element went in with Mark-82s onto the sites, putting the two sites out of action.

While the Hornets were busy with the IRON HAND side of things, the A-6s came in. CDR Yoshida led his wingmate LTJG Duncan Ellis in. Both Intruders still drew flak, some of it 37-mm, while a 23-mm site and several ZPU quad 14.5-mm mounts were also firing. The crews ignored the tracers as they went in, with both B/Ns, LT Laura Patterson and LCDR James Houston, respectively, picking out both warehouses and storage revetments on FLIR for their pilots. Both A-6s dropped, each putting their sixteen Mark-82s onto the target, and both crews were rewarded with secondaries as they pulled clear. They also drew several MANPADS shots on egress, but both A-6s got away without incident.

That brought in the second element, with LT Collett and LT Meridith in 533, and LTJG Wilson and LCDR Regan in 540. They, too, had the Mark-82 load, and noticed the secondaries that erupted after the XO's element had dropped. Ignoring the flak, which had not stopped, the second pair dropped on a warehouse area, and the contents of several warehouses “disagreed with the Mark-82s,” for there were a number of secondaries-including at least one with a smoke cloud going up to at least 5,000 feet, as a result. This element also had MANPADS shots taken at them on egress, though none of the shots connected, and they easily cleared the target area.

When the A-6s called clear, the Hornets went in to expend their remaining Mark—82s or CBUs, and CDR McMurphy herself put a pair of Rockeyes onto revetted storage, and the CBU bomblets set off a pair of large detonations. The other Hornet drivers did the same, with additional sympathetic explosions resulting from their drops.

After their runs, the Hornets turned south, and with no MiGs coming down from the Baghdad area, the Tomcats did as well, collecting the Prowler on the way. The package reformed east of As Salman before hitting the border and the tankers. Post-strike refueling went off without any problems, and the package returned to CV-63, trapping aboard Kitty Hawk at 1130.

Additional CAS and BAI strikes went in throughout the day, but strategic strikes were also on the plate in the afternoon. First off was CDR Compton again from VA-115, taking a package of four A-6s, four Dambusters Hornets, two Tomcats from the Freelancers and the usual Prowler to Qalat Sikar Airfield, east of the town of the same name along Highway 7, the An Nasiriyah-Kut Highway. Not only were Iraqi aircraft flown north from Tallil or Shoiabah suspected of being there, but there were indications of Scud activity, either launchers using the base as a main operating facility or to pick up reload missiles.

The package was off the cats at 1300, and after forming up, headed for the Gulf Tanker Track. Once refueled, the strike birds went in via the Shatt Al Arab and the Faw Peninsula, and the crews noticed that the Iranians were active, with their helo activity supporting their troops in Faw, while the Iranian AF monitored the strike package as it flew along the Iran-Iraq border, with F-4s providing the “shadow” this time. After a turn west near Amarra, the Iranians broke away, while the strikers headed for their target.

As the package approached the field, the Hornets, led by LCDR White, went in for flak suppression, and the Hornets attracted at least one SA-2, while several AAA radars also came up. The radars attracted Prowler attention, with a blast of ECM directed against the Fan Song from the SA-2 as well as the Firecans, while White put a HARM in the air against the SA-2. That site launched two SAMs just as the HARM left the rails, and the antiradar missile won, for it took out the SAM radar. White's wingman LTJG Cole Brewer followed up with a pair of Rockeyes, neutralizing the site.

The other two Hornets went after the AAA sites, with two of the 57-mm sites drawing HARM shots and then follow-ons with CBUs, while a 23-mm site also drew a hit with Rockeyes, putting all three out of business. With that, the way was clear for the A-6s.

While the two Tomcats formed a TARCAP to block anyone coming from Kut or points further north, the A-6s came in. CDR Compton rolled in on the fighter dispersal area northeast of the runway, finding four parked MiGs on the hardstand as he came in. The Eagles Skipper put his sixteen Mark-82s onto the MiGs, and as he pulled away, saw at least two secondaries erupting as the parked aircraft exploded. His wingmate, LT Lowell in 511, found an An-24 and two Hip helos on the ramp area for his Mark-82s, and all three became fireballs as the bombs exploded around them.

The second pair of A-6s came in, with Morris and Carroll in 507 leading Curtis and Tice in 510. They found the southeast dispersal area, with four more aircraft parked, and just off to the east of the dispersal area, several vehicles that appeared to be Scud launchers or Scud related support. Morris and Carroll in 507 took the dispersal area, and as they came in, two of the aircraft began to taxi. A rain of Mark-82s on the area caught the other two MiGs, but two MiG-23s managed to taxi clear and start to roll down the runway to the northwest. As they did, 510's crew came in onto the suspected Scud support area, depositing their Mark-82s as they did. No secondaries in terms of warhead or propellant cook-off were noted, but the Mark-82s left numerous fires in their wake. All four A-6s, though drawing the 23-mm and some 14.5-mm fire as they made their runs, cleared the target and egressed to the Southeast.

The two MiG-23s climbed away to the Northwest, and as they did, blundered right into the F-14s. The Freelancers were LT Ken Rawlings and LTJG Dave Randall with Freelancer 205, and LTJGs Christine Perry and Gary Andersen in 211, and they quickly engaged the MiGs. Rawlings and Randall locked the leader up with AIM-120, shooting at barely five miles, and the Slammer easily ate up the distance, turning the MiG into a fireball. At almost the same time, the MiG wingman broke away from his leader, which set up Perry and Andersen. Perry closed in and lined up a Sidewinder shot, which she took at less than a mile. The “Super-Snake” AIM-9X flew right up the MiG's tailpipe and exploded. As 211's crew flew past the Flogger, the canopy came off, the seat fired, and the crew saw a chute. With no more MiGs coming up, the Tomcats headed south, following the Hornets and the Prowler out.

The package reformed southeast of the target, and climbed back to altitude. Egress was also via the Tigris and down the Shatt al-Arab, with again, an Iranian shadow of two F-4s following from their side of the border. After clearing the Faw Peninsula, the strikers found the tanker track south of the SAR Station, where they drank some fuel before returning to CV-63.

VA-185 drew the next strike, and this one would go to the edge of the MEZ. Skipper CDR Lowry took four Nighthawks A-6s, four VFA-192 Hornets, the usual prowler, and a pair of VF-154 Tomcats to a target that had been hit frequently, by both the Navy and Air Force: Shayka Mazar Military Logistics Center. This strike would have two A-6s going in with LGBs, as two bunkers at the site had been identified for possible Scud related activity. Intel assumed that CW warheads were being stored, thus the authorization for laser bombs. CDR Lowry and her wingmate would each have a pair of GBU-10I laser bombs, while the second element would be packing sixteen Mark-82s for either warehouses or revetted storage areas.

The package was off the cats at 1400, and after forming up, headed west. Ingress was via the Saudi route and the tanker track south of the Iraqi border. Tanking was routine, and as the package headed in, the crews noted two packages coming out of Iraq one Saudi and one a mix of USAF and RAF, with both being a mix of F-15s and Tornados. After topping up, the strike package went in at medium level until reaching a point halfway between Najaf and Diwaniyah, when they got down low.

As the strike birds approached the MEZ northeast of Hillah, it was time to climb to attack altitude, and as they did, the Tomcats shot ahead to assume a TARCAP, with the MiGs at both Shayka Mazar AB and Al Iskandiriyah a concern, while the Prowler climbed and began sending out electrons to jam the numerous radars that were now being picked up, and the Hornets went in on their IRON HAND strikes.

CDR Paul Lazier, the Dragons CO, took the Hornets in, with an SA-2 near the airfield, an SA-3 also near the base, and several base defense SA-8s all coming up. The SA-2 had been hit on a previous strike, but had been apparently repaired, for it launched two missiles. A blast of ECM from the Prowler caused the flying telephone poles to go wide, before a HARM from one of the Hornets found the SA-2 Fan Song radar, killing it. The SA-3 also launched, and that site managed to shut down before it took a HARM, though a nearby SA-8 vehicle was not so fortunate.

AAA also came up, with several radar-guided sites coming on line. The Hornets went in, with LT Christine Langtry, the CO's wingmate, finding a 57-mm site for her HARM shot, which she followed up with Rockeyes, putting it out of action. The other two Hornets found a pair of 57-mm sites, one of which shut down its radar as a HARM was soon in the air, and another that was shooting without its radar active. Both sites took Rockeyes, while a site with quad ZPU-4 14.5-mm heavy machine-gun mounts also took a hit from Rockeyes. The Hornets then climbed to assume their secondary CAP mission as the A-6s came in.

CDR Lowry brought the Intruders onto the target, and as they did, there was still some sporadic flak coming up. The Nighthawks skipper ignored the tracers and the occasional burst of 57-mm fire as her B/N, LTJG Pete Crandall, found the bunkers surrounded by security fencing. He designated one of the bunkers, and the Skipper dropped on his call. Lowry banked to the right, as both GBU-10s found the target bunker and exploded it in a high-order detonation. Their wingmates, LT Paul Mason and LT Melissa Daniels, followed them in on the target and picked out the second bunker, and it, too, ate a pair of laser bombs. The secondaries that followed both strikes had clouds going up at least 5,000 feet, which signaled that something very powerful had been in the bunkers.

The second pair of A-6s, LT Collett and LTJG Wilson, came in and the crews saw the effects of both bunker strikes. Ignoring the flak that continued to come up, the A-6s came in and unloaded their Mark-82s on both warehouses and revetted storage, with both crews reporting multiple secondaries on pullout. All four A-6s avoided the flak and cleared the target area without incident.

While the A-6s went in, the Tomcats found themselves engaged, as did the Hornets. The former encountered two MiG-21s that were on their own CAP between Iskindiryah and Shayka Mazar, and both MiGs charged in. LT Paula Mobley and LT Kara Wade in Blackknight 110 with LT O'Gara and LCDR Simmonds in 112 turned into the MiGs, with both RIOs working to get lock. Wade in 110 was first, managing to lock both Fishbeds up at 15 miles, and Mobley shot right after, taking two nearly-simultaneous AIM-120 shots at 15 miles. Both Slammers lived up to their nickname, for both shots scored, exploding both MiGs and sending them down.

Their wingmates, O'Gara and Simmonds in 112 then picked up two late-scrambling MiG-21s out of Shayka Mazar. Both MiGs turned sharply left after takeoff, trying to get behind 110, but 112's crew picked up the two bandits and working fast, got AIM-120 lock on the leader, shooting at ten miles. Again, the Slammer lived up to its nickname, fireballing the leader just as O'Gara in the front seat gained a visual. The wingman turned, and as he did, an SA-3 near Al Iskandiriyah came up, forcing both Tomcats to break off.

AWACS warned of more MiGs coming in from the west, with two MiG-25s out of the vicinity of Al Taqaddum as well as two MiG-29s just to the west of Baghdad. Both Tomcat crews wished to engage, but a quick look at the fuel gauges, along with the Hornets and Intruders now being clear of the target area, decided the issue. The Tomcats broke off and got back down low, taking the Prowler with them as usual, and headed back south.

Reforming near Najaf, the package climbed to altitude and headed for the border. Once across, and waiting for the their turn at the tankers, the crews noted another Navy strike package in line to refuel, only these A-6s and Hornets were loaded. A quick look showed VA-115 and VFA-195 on the strike birds, VAQ-136 on the Prowler, and Black Knights on the Tomcat tails.

After refueling, the package made for the coast, and soon picked up CV-63's pattern. Recovery began at 1650, with all aircraft aboard safely.

The package that the Shayaka Mazar crews encountered was CVW-5's last one of the day, and it, too, went into the MEZ. Only this time, the crews were going deep into it. For the target was west of Baghdad, the West Baghdad Power Substation. The Eagles' XO, CDR Wiser, took four A-6Fs, four Hornets, a Prowler, and four Black Knights F-14s on the strike, and with the Baghdad defenses, it promised to be a bear. During the brief, the XO noted an SA-3 site northwest of the Arqaquf Ziggurat, and that site was now off-limits, even to HARM use, which meant the Prowler would have to jam it off the air. As for the actual target, it was on the north side of Highway 11, west of the town of Abu Ghraib and northeast of the infamous prison of the same name. While not a known POW location, the strike crews decided to fly right past it, just in case some of their fellow aviators were there, to give them a morale boost. After a reminder about the “No-Go Zone” for CSAR in the MEZ, the crews got ready, mounted up, and were on the cats for their 1530 launch.

After launch, the package formed up and headed west, across Saudi to the tanker track west of the Wadi-al-Batin and south of the border. The crews noticed their colleagues coming back from the Shayka Mazar strike, and though maintaining radio silence, the crews did waggle their wings and waved to their friends nearby. After tanking up, they headed north, and as they went past An Najaf, got down low.

Ingress was at 550 feet AGL doing 500 knots, as usual, until the package reached Lake Milih, where CDR Wiser took them low, down to 400 feet. After crossing the lake, Lake Habbiniyah was next, with the city of Ramadi to the northwest and to the northeast were the two major air bases at Habbiniyah proper and Al Taqaddum. The crews kept an eye on their RWR screens as radars were up, but no one locked onto them, and even a nervous moment as they flew past the traffic pattern for Taqaddum, and saw two Su-24s and what looked like a Soviet-marked Il-76 in the pattern.

AWACS still showed no MiGs in the immediate area, and apparently, the Iraq and Soviet crews paid the inbound strike no attention, concentrating on landing. The package flew past Habbiniyah, expecting MiG-29s to come out of that field, but no scramble came-yet. Two minutes' flight north found one of the usual turn points-a cluster of farm buildings south of Lake Tharthar, where they turned east. The crews then found another familiar navigation point, a quarry, where they turned southeast. Two large radio masts soon appeared, marking the IP, where it was time to get to attack altitude and make the run on the target.

The Tomcats and Prowler all climbed, with the Prowler putting out electrons to jam the now-numerous radars coming up, and also putting a single HARM in the air as the Baghdad West SA-10, which had been reported knocked out after BAGHDAD THUNDER, came up. Two SA-10s were launched, before the Prowler's HARM found the Flap Lid radar vehicle, killing it.

LCDR Kathy Evison's Hornets shot ahead of the A-6s, going after several SA-2 and SA-3 sites that were now active. The Dambusters XO fired two HARMs, one at an SA-2 site two miles northeast of the target, while an SA-3 to the west near Fallujah also took a HARM. Her wingmate, LT Chris Roberts, found the Baghdad IAP SA-3 back up after he had shot a HARM at it that morning, and gave the site another one. The SA-3 shut down, but the HARM found a Roland near the airport, killing it.

The Hornets then found AAA sites, with a 37-mm site right outside the target area taking a Rockeye from FLT Ron Fraser, and his wingmate found another 37-mm northeast of the prison and south of the highway for his Rockeyes. Meanwhile, Evison and Roberts found 37-mm sites for their own Rockeyes, with LCDR Evison killing a site northwest of the target, while Roberts dealt with one to the west, clearing the way for the A-6s.

With the defenses suppressed, the Eagles Intruders came in. CDR Wiser and his wingmate, LT Rivers, came in, ignoring the flak outside the immediate area, and concentrating on their bomb run. LT Porter, the XO's B/N, picked out the target, and the XO put down six Mark-83s with Snakeye retarders, as did Rivers and Fisher in 509. As the first pair of A-6s cleared, the XO shot a glance at the prison, wondering if some of his friends were there, before taking 505 right past the prison walls, with 509 right behind him. Then the XO headed south to get out of the MEZ.

LCDR Carpenter's element came in next, with the Eagles' Ops Officer in 504 and Knapp in 510. They noted the XO's strike, and as they closed in, ignored the flak and at least one unguided SAM shot their way. Both crews in the second pair also put their Mark-83s onto the target, turning out the lights in a good portion of Anbar Province as a result. After release, they, too, flew past the prison before heading south to clear the MEZ.

While the A-6s were inbound, the IrAF finally responded, and the Tomcats were soon engaged. Two MiG-23s that had been CAPing over Baghdad came in, only to encounter Blackknight 104 and 109, with LT s Patterson and Bradley in the former, with their wingmates Conway and Freeman in 109. After a taunt over GUARD, “Tomcat girls here, ready to play?”, the Tomcats went into the fight. Patterson and Bradley found the MiG leader via TCS and locked him up, taking an AIM-120 shot at 23 miles. The lead Flogger apparently didn't realize he had a missile coming his way, for he bored on in, radar on and hoping for an AA-7 Apex shot. The Slammer found the MiG, turning it into a fireball and sending him down just north of the International Airport.

Conway and Freeman in 109 took the wingman, who broke to the right after seeing his leader explode. That made him slow down and presented an easy target for an AIM-120 shot, which the pair took at 19 miles. The MiG then reversed his turn, which solved the problem for the Slammer, which found the MiG-23 and turned it into a fireball.

The second pair of Tomcats, led by LCDR Ken Griffin in Blackknight 103, found themselves facing two MiG-25s inbound from a CAP position west of Ramadi. His RIO, LTJG Dana Winchester, quickly locked up both Foxbats as they closed in past Mach 1. This time, AIM-54 was the weapon of choice, with all four Tomcats having a 2-3-2 load of Phoenix, Slammer, and Sidewinder, and Winchester gained lock at 43 miles, just as the MiGs' Fox Fire radars were going active. One shot at each bandit resulted, with a shot at the leader scoring at 39 miles, sending the leader crashing down into Lake Habbiniyah. Seeing his leader's demise, he wingman turned, but as he did, the MiG's belly was presented to the missile. That maneuver solved the problem for the second shot, which scored at 34 miles and turned the MiG into a fireball, with pieces crashing down onto Freeway 1 north of Fallujah.

More MiGs came into the picture, with two MiG-21s that had staged from Al Asad coming up from Habbiniyah, along with two Mirage F-1s that came out of Al Iskandiriyah New. LT Dan Holland (just promoted from LTJG) and LT Ben Blakemore in 109 found the two MiG-21s and called them out, and after Griffin in 103 gave him the “Press to engage” call, with 103 supporting him, Holland and Blakemore locked up both MiGs as they climbed out of Habbiniyah, A dual AIM-120 shot at 17 miles scored, with both MiGs crashing down just west of the prison. One crashed into a lake in the town of Al Nasr Al Salam, while the other unfortunately came down into a civilian neighborhood, with damage and fatalities resulting.

The two Mirages, meanwhile, climbed out of Al Iskandiriyah and turned to face the Tomcats. Patterson and Bradley locked up one of them and took a Phoenix shot at 48 miles. The first shot missed, but a second shot at 38 miles did not, for the Mirage took the hit and blew apart. Seeing his leader blotted out of the sky, the wingman turned for Baghdad, hoping to lure the F-14s into the heart of the Capital's air defenses, but the Tomcats didn't bite. A quick look at their respective fuel gauges meant that the matter couldn't be pressed, for all four F-14s, after collecting the Prowler, got back down low and headed south. LCDR Evision, seeing the F-14s beginning to egress, did the same, taking her four Hornets southbound as well.

Once clear of the MEZ, the strike birds formed up, waiting for the Tomcats and Hornets. When everyone gave the “clear” signal on the radio, the package reformed and climbed back to medium altitude before heading for the border.

After clearing the border, the package linked up with the tankers. The post-strike refueling went off smoothly, and the strike birds headed back to the Gulf as evening fell. It was just after 1900 when the strike returned to the ship, and all aircrew were able to log that all-important night trap.

Though major flight operations were now concluded, low-intensity flight ops continued, as Nimitz's CVW-9 started their night cycle at sunset. As usual, CVW-5 assisted with CAP and SUCAP until midnight, when a CAP of two Tomcats, along with a SUCAP of two A-6s and two S-3s, recovered aboard Kitty Hawk, closing out flight ops for the day.

Aircrew got several hours of well-deserved sleep, but for those on the morning flight schedule, wakeup was at 0430. After breakfast, the crews gathered in their ready rooms, prestrike briefs were conducted, and aircraft were being armed and fueled. The first package was ready to go before 0600, and after a morning FOD walkdown, flight ops resumed as CVW-5 went on with the war.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
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jemhouston
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by jemhouston »

Death and destruction by the USN.
Bernard Woolley
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Bernard Woolley »

Nice work. Always enjoy this.
Belushi TD
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Belushi TD »

Your daily/mission updates are always so detailed. Do you come up with this out of whole cloth, or do you use the report logs from somewhere to give you ideas?

I'm always impressed at the depth and individual details provided in these.

Belushi TD
Matt Wiser
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Re: CVW-5 in The Third World War

Post by Matt Wiser »

I get stuff from a mix: there's quite a few accounts from those who flew in Southeast Asia, DESERT STORM-which also comes in handy when the PGM shortage really bites and it's back to dumb bombs (only 7% or so of ordnance used in 1991 were PGMs). I also have some back issues of The Hook magazine (my old high school library had a gift subscription for a while, and when it ran out, the librarian gave the issues to me), with articles on SEA, DESERT STORM, WW II, and Korea.

Some of the missions are based on real strikes in historical conflicts, as are the target sets. And I've used the Dogfights series for ideas on some of the air-to-air action. There are also books from Osprey that have also proven mighty useful. Along with some of Barrett Tilman's work on Naval Aviation in various conflicts.

One good book that I use to get targets is On Point: Organizing and Executing the Strategic Air Offensive Against Iraq (Found it on Google Books). I use sites like Globalsecurity.org to get info on the WMD facilities for that target set. Bridges? JOG or TPC charts when the former isn't available online are mighty handy, as one can get road and rail bridges located easily. If I look at JOG maps and see "numerous storage bunkers/buildings" I can look at Google Earth and sometimes, those facilities haven't been dismantled, even after all this time and the new government, and OK, that was a major military logistics or ammo storage, that goes on the target list. Same thing for rail yards: even though most of Iraq's RR system is now nonexistent, rail yards still show up on GE imagery. So do Saddam's palaces-though they're repurposed for other uses now, they are mostly still standing. So that kind of target information is still useful-along with things like POL storage and refining. Skimming over Google Earth, one can find things like military barracks, power plants and substations (helps fill out that target set), or even faint outlines of what were SA-2 or SA-3 SAM sites.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
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