Tomcats and Vietnam

[MadsDad]

An American visitor appeared in my local last night who says he flew Tomcats in Vietnam (and provided vivid details of the battle damage his had sustained).

As far as I can check the US involvement there finished in 1971 and the Tomcat went operational in 1972 so I have to view his claim with a certain amount of suspicion.
Does anyone know if any US forces did fly (development versions perhaps?) Tomcats in the Vietnam war?

[Woff1965]

The USN flew sorties to cover the withdrawl of the US embassey staff from Saigon just before it fell.

I remember reading that F14's were used for this - I think it was their first operational deployment.

As to sustaining battle damage, I don't recall reading about any F14's getting dented - however I have a very fallable memory.

[sabredog]

A list of Fleet Readiness Squadrons for December,1973 has no mention of Tomcat (F-14) squadrons being operational with any CAG for the Atlantic or Pacific areas, and they most certainly did not operate in Vietnam. I am sure that one our American colleaques will be able to elucidate.
Regards,
Sabredog.

[Woff1965]

I definitely recall reading that F14 were deployed on the carrier covering the withdrawl of US diplomats from Saigon in 1975.

[tony draper]

Here yer go chaps, google strikes again.

:cool:


http://www.tomcattersassociation.org/F14/f14-in-combat.htm

[ORAC]

F-14s did not fly in combat during the war but, as stated, did fly top cover during operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon. The sorties were flown by VF-1 and VF-2 from the USS Enterprise (CV-65).

VF-1 (Wolfpack) and VF-2 (Bounty Hunters) were the first F-14 squadrons and received their aircraft in June 73. They deployed for their first operational cruise in Sept 74. The missions over Saigon were flown on the 29th and 30th of April 75. All sorties were uneventful.

[StopStart]

He wasn't Lt Cdr W Mitty USN was he, perchance?

[Woff1965]

Couldn't have been Walt Mitty - he would have been too busy faking documents about Iraqi purchases of West African Yellowcake!

[pr00ne]

I am pretty sure I remember an article in a broadsheet of the time about an F-14 receiving damage over Saigon on one of these sorties, also got a mention in a very early copy of the new (then) Aviation News paper I think.
Fairly superficial damage to tailplane if memory serves correct.

[Jackonicko]

Some years ago I wrote a book about the F-14, during the course of which I interviewed a number of F-14 bods. It's absolutely certain that the F-14 participated in the final operation (Frequent Wind) and that a handful of aircraft received modest damage. As I recall, one was damaged badly enough for a carrier landing to be ruled out, and it was tanked back to a 'friendly shore base', though I may be mistaken - that may only have been an option that was considered.