the eye arms...commander, air task grtktp one c/o f“post office #an francisco -califorfjia . from:...
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COMMANDER, AIR TASK GRtKTP ONE c/o F“POST OFFICE #AN FRANCISCO
CALIFoRfJIA -From: Commander, Air Task Group ONE To: Commanding Officer, U.S.S. BOXER (CVA-21)
Subj: Action Report of A i r Task Group ONE for the period 28 July throughll November 1953; sutmission of
Ref : (a) OPNAV INSTRUCTION 3480.4
Encl: (1)Subject Action Report
1. T h i s report is forwaded as enclosure (1)f o r inclusion i n the Action Report of the U.S.S. BOXER (CVA-2l) as required by reference (a).
2, Information, camments and recommendations a re presented under t h e head- ings l i s t e d below:
I Mission and CompositionI1 ChronologyI11 Ordnance Sta tisti c s I V Operational Damage V Personnel Performance VI Coments and Recommendations
A; OperationsB; Intell igence C; Maintenance D; QrdnanueE; Electronics F, Survival
VII Summary of Reconmmdations
ENCLOSURE (1)
A, The mission of Air Task Group ONE: during t h i s period has been t o main= t a i n combat eff ic iency through t r a b j n g exercises emphasizing C l o s e Air Support, Bombing, Rockets, Gunnery, Strafing, Tactics, and Type Instruments,
B, Composition of Forces: A U B w & OPE3 A/C PILOTS -UNIT TYPE A h 7/28 llh.1 7/28 ll/lI
-A T E 1 CDR L. L O WHITNEY, USN 0 0 0 *6 6
E . t kLCDR W. D. HOUSER, USN 16 WJ-4 16 #O
-VF-52 LCDR 3. 3, KINSELJ,SI, USN 14 F9F-2 11 J-4 20 20
W-1XL CDR L. E. VICKERY, USN 16 F9F-5 #O m 23 23
VF-151 LCDR 3. M. RICKABAUGH, USN 14 F~F-Z 12 14 21 18
W-194 LCDR X. N. MELHUSE, USN 29 28
iiD.40, 1 a AD& 2 @1
.".Dr, 3 QO
.VC-3 DET "H".. LCDR W. R. MOORE, USMR 4 FN-SN 1 4 2 5
VC-U. DET "H" LCDR T. E. NORTON, USNR 3 5 5
-VC-3 5 DET "H" @3 6 6 LT C. R. JOHNSON, USN
VC-61 DET 'fH" 'LT C. WTCHINGS, USN 3 FZH2P 2 @O 4 k
2 EXCLioSIjRF, (1)
* The Air Group Command& f l i e s with VF-52 and the L i r Group Operatiom Officer f l i es with VF'-l!5l, Three Landing Signal Officers fly with ~0&$?, lX and W-194 respec€ively. The remaining Landing S i p 1 Officer does not f l y from the ship,
# VF-U was transferred t o t h e USS LAKE CH3fPLlLIN(CVL-39) 9 October 1953. VF-lll was transferred t o the USS BOXER 9 October 1953 with 16 F9F-5 Aircraft.
@I Lircraf t transferred t o FLSRON 115 November 1953 included the follo*-g%
From VF-111 I.3 F9F-5 From VF-194 16 LD From VC-35 3. iLD From VC-61 2 F2H2P
Aircraft t ransferred t o the USS KE'BS4*JLGE(CX-33) 5 November 1953:
From VC-61 1F2Ii2F From W-lll. 1 F9F-5
Lircraf t off-loaded a t Yokosuka 10 November 1953: From VF-194 1LD I
From VF-111 1F9F-5
-PI3T I1 cHRoNoI;ocy
28 July - No L i r Operations, ,
29 J a y - 6 Sorties, A l l Resaap, 4 L ,
30 July - 32 Sorties, Rescap 4, Banner Shoot 12, Electronic Training 12, ASP 4,
31 July .II' 6 Sorties; 4 Rescap, 2 SPL Airlift Yokoto.
1Aqg.wt - No Lir Operations
2 luguat - No L i r Operations
3.f;ugust - 57 Sorties; 2 Test Flights, 1 Lbort- Total 60;Warning Magenta 22, Gunnery 10, Jetsweep 8, CLP 8, I:SP/:;Ew 6, ECM 2, ADEFT 2, Q
4 LLugust- No Air Operations. ,
5,fiugust L 43 Sorties; k BORTS-- 'Tota l 47;Warning Magenta 20, C 1 9 16, Gunnory 5, ECM/AEN 4, Ferry Esc. 2,
6 Lugust - 42 Sorties; 2 Lborts -Tots 44; Inter5ept 20, Weather Recco 5, ADEPT 4, Gunnery 4, C A P 5, kSP/J.lW 4, Type Instr 2,
3 ENCLOSURE (1)
7 August - 75 Sorties; CAP 20j ?B&ihs 4.. ADBIT6,hstrType8;r’SP
uj b e r y 10, Warning Magenta 13,
8 August - No A i r Operations.
9 h g u s t 13. )To Air Operations.
- 32 Sorties; Tactics 22, CAP 8, !,EW 2. (BOXER anrpute t o HONG KQNG.
U Pagust - Ehroute t o HONG KONG, No l3.r Operations.
1 2 - 19 Lugust - BOXER at HONG KONG,
20 lLugustL Enroute t o Operating ixea; 118 Sorties; 3 Aborts - Total 121; Tactics 85, C19 26, ZW 8, PHOTO 2,
21 liugust - 34 Sorties; Tactics 22, CAP 8, i;Fw 2, ECM 2,
22 - 25 August - No iiir Operations.
26 lLugust - 59 Sorties; 1Lbort -- Total 60;’Rockets 16, Bombing 12, Inter: cept 12, Gunnery XI., XIXFI’ 4, Photo 3, ;SP 2#
2’7‘i.,ugust - 61 Sorties; 2 * 3 0 r t s - Tota3, 63; Rockets 16, Bombing 12, Gunnery12, Intercept 12, ADEPT 4, Target (Photo) 3, iSP 2, Test 2,
28 August - No Lir Operations
29 h.qpst - 39 Sorties; Warning Magenta 22, C ; 9 12, LSP 2, Courier 2, Test 1.
30 I,ugust - No Air Operations.
31‘August - 60 S6rties; l-i:bort Total 61; &nmery 14, Bombing 16, Rockets 12, Intercept 10, LDEPT 5, :SF 2, Photo 2,
1September - Task Force Replenished, No Air Operations.
2 Sep€ember - 100 Sorties; 4 i,bOrts - T u t a l 104; Gunnery 26; CLP 16, Type ’
hstr,’l6, Bombing 13, Warning Magenta 13, Rockets 11, ASP 6, Intercept 2, Test 1.
3, Sbptember No Lir Operations.
5 6 September - No Lir Operations c
7 Septenber - 67 Shrties; C l P 20, Bombing 16, Instr . 12, Tactics 8, AEM 6, Ferry 2, Escorts 3,
ENCLOSURE (1)4
8 September A 64 Sortiesj Tspc Instr ; 16, Tactics 10, Escort 8, Bombing 8, C,*&P7, AEW 6, Bomb/Instr. '7, Ferry 2,
9 September - Underway f o r Yokosuka.
10 - 17 September - Period of Repair, Upkeep, and R & R i n Yokosuka,
18 .L 19 September - &route f r o m Yokosuka t o Task Force 77,
20 September - 38 Sorties; warning Magenta 27, C . P 4, Photo 4, .'JN3.
21 September - No ~'~ir " , Operations.
22 September'- 109 Soeties; S L " 9 4.8, Bombing & Rockets 45, Type Ins t r , 7, FLM 4, .'SP3, Photo 2,
23 September - No Air Operations.
24 September - No Oper.&ions. . .. 25 September 66°Sorties; 2 W ' J S A T o t a l 68;'8ombing & Rocket$ 38,,'C
Gunnery 10, CAP 8, ASP 6, Type Instr. 4, Photo 2.
26 September - No kir Operations, BOXER enroute t o Sasebo,
27 September - 3 October .IMaintenance and Upkeep in Sasebo
4 October - Enroute t o Task Force 77, No Air Operat$ons.
5 October*- 120 Sorties; C;S a,F,''X 24, C A P 12, Bmbing 9, ASP 8, Photo 7, Gunnery 6, Heckler 6, Recco 4.
6 October - 66 Sorties; CAS 18, CAP 9, Bombing 9, ASP 8, Photo 8, Recco 8, FAM 2.
7 October - Task Force Replenished, No Xr Operations. ,
8 October - 124 Sorties; Bombing'and Rocket146, Gunn&ry 23, CAP 16, I'SP U, WmrLng Maganta 9, Type Instr , 8, Bombing 7, PiDPT 4.
9 Octobok. - 98 Sorties; I'Abort --'Total 99; Xrnbing and Rocket 58, CAP 9, FHCTO 8, Gunnery 9, ASP 6, LDEPT 5, Type Instr. 4, Departed Task Force 77 About 1700 for Sasebo.
10 dctober - I';rrivcd Sasebo about WOO,
11October .- Departed Sasebo f o r Task Force 77,
i2 October - Task Force RepIehWied, No A.Er Operations,
5 EXCLOSURE (1)
l.3October - 95 Sorties; 2 Aborts Total 97; CIS 30, Recco 16, QAP 12, Photo 12, Gunnery 10, ASP 8, FilM 4, Type Instr . 4, LCL Test 1.
I4 October'- 62 Sorties; 1liMrt*- T o t a l 63; Bofibiw and'Rocket 24, Gunnery 10, CLP 9, Type Ins t r . 6, AS? 6, i X P T 4, Photo 4.
d
15 0ctoSer.- 126 Sorties; 1fibort - Total 127; C19 a,CAS 23.; Recco'20, Type Instr; 17, Bombing 2nd Rocket 16, Photo 8, LSP 6 , LDEPT 4, LEN 4, Hecklers 4, CL Fkercise 4, FAM 2.
16 October - No Air Operations, Task Force Replenished.
17 October - 97 Sorties; Bombing 21; Type Ins t r , 16; Photo 12, C:.P 13, I:SP 8, Gunnery 8, Warning Magenta 8, AEW 5, iJXPT 4, F-'3 2.
18 October - No d i r Operations,
19-October - 106 S6rt ies ; ' l Abort .A Totdl'lO7; Bbmbing 32, Gunnery 26, CAP 18, Type Instr , 13, ASP 8, ADEPT 5, FLM 3 , AEW 2,
, 20 October - 14 Sorties;'ECM 12, FIX 2. Ship Departed Task Force 77 about 0800 enrouto t o Yokosuka.
21 October - Enroute to yokosuka, No A i r Operations.
22 28 Octobep - Moored t o Buoy #lo, Yokosuka harbor,
29 October - Underway, a t 0750, %route Task Force 77.
30 October*- 94 Sorties; 2 irbbrts - T o t a l 96; CLP 24, Bsmbing and R6cket 19, Gunnery 15, Bombifig 10, LSP 6 , G m o r y 5 , ! A D P I 4, FAM 4, Type Instr . 4, COD 2, LCL Test 1.
1November .INo Lir Operations.
2 Novanber - 9'7 Sorties; CLS 31, Recco 25,'C1;p 12,'Type Instr. 8, I"SP 7, Photo 6, S t r a f i n g 4, COD 2, "$LOW TIME" 1, T e s t 1. ,
3 November - 99 Sorties;.3 Lborts - T o t a l 102; ClS 28, Recco'24, C A P 12, 2noto 12, Type Instr. 10, LSP 6, LDEX 4, ;;Ew 2, COD 2, Test 2.
Xovember - No Air Operations, * ,
5 November - 9'7 Sorties; Ferry 32, Recco 20, GAS 14, C i 9 9, Type Instr. 8, ,ISP 5 , Photo 5, Gunnery 4, Took leave of Task Fohe 17 . a t 1'740 bound for tine United States V3.a Sasebo, and Yokosuka, Japan.
6 November - Arrived Sasebo about lo001
7 Xovember - Depwlted Sasefio.
- \9 November - BOXER arrived Yokosuka O73OI,11 November S. USS BOXER departed Yokosuka and WESPX,
6 ENCLOSURE (1)
;+
1
1,.
111 ORDNLNCE STLTYSTICS EXPENDITURES
sC,'BS
100 lb, 585 4s 48 856 12 16 1565WSF
M-23 MIN, BOMBS 0 181 104 696 0 0 981
MK-6FUXT'LIGHT 37 10 15 35 2 0 99
MK-5 DRIFT SIGNAL 0 P 34 01 0 34
325" ASR 0 0 0 0 0 12 12
MK-6 0 0 0 0 2 2nrm 0
B, GUN OP3RATION
1, 20 mm GUN MALFUNCTIONS VF-52 W-194
REASON FOR M.f&F"CTION F9F-2 !.Dl+NA TOTLL 2mo 23 A CH!,RGW Fi.ILURE 6 6 FAILURB OF &WAY CONTROL VlJaVE 6 6 rJNKNowM 5 5 LES OF TENSION ON I
E Z D CHUTE LINK J;kx 2 ,2 P,'ILURE TO EXWiCT 3 2 3 BROKEN BELT 2 2 BROKEN SOLENOID L;EhD 2 2
TOTAL 7 1 ' 30 37"*'
?Q 80:5% vc-35
3. 9 50 Cl&. B l & d ! E ?JxriTION
VF-44 fl@r& '&$-4 Aircraft fired 8640 A d s of .50 Cal, famunition: using & &hd, without having a stoppage,
C, HUNG ORDNLNCE REPORT 2.25"
TYPE R:CK OR LiiUNCHER SCLRS 100 lb, WSF
54
60
2
ul
16
16'32
RE'SON
8 macSURE (1)
REASON FAILURE OF STZLTIONSEIBCI'OR 1 WLFUNCTION OF MK3 MOD4
TOTllL u 4 26 3 2 1 ' .
A t o t a l of 1207 Scars were carried and o f t h i s n W e r 5 is a percentage break down of the causes:
I
9 mcLosuRE (1),
I
4; EX-23 MINILTWRE BOMFIS. A totaJ, of 981 miniature bombs carried and of t h i s number, .32 were hung. The fouowing is a percent breakdown of the causes:
One hung miniature bomb f e l l out of an Aero 4.B Contniner' upon an' arrested landing, One f u l l MK-47 Container, which had f a i l ed t o function, cane off of a M K - 3 Rack upon an arrested larding. The Safcty Bolt used t jam the W-51 release rnechanixm was not of the proper sizo and the rack unlocked upon receiving the j o l t from landing.
VF-3.53. F4F-2 l.27187 D3 Nosh Wheel fail-8-7-53 ure
8320-53 VF-151 F9F-2 127187 D3 Right l a n d b g gear collapsed.
8-20153 W-194 123960 D3 H q m Di:ck Accident.
8-21-53 W-151 F9F-2 123573 D3 Hangar D B c k Lccident .
8-29-53 VF-194 :,D-@JA 125762 D3 Hangar D8ck hA.dent.
D2 Hook release8-31-53 VF-lQ F9F-2 123484 fai lure ,
9-22-53 VF-52 F9F-2 123676 D3 H i t book on r m p
9-22-53 VF-151 F9F-2 123587 D3 Hard landing.
9-25-53 VF-52 F9F-2 $23689 D 3 Barrier.
1b5-53 VF-151 ' F9F-2 123078 n3 rbsc wheel up landing,
a*
D3 Barrier *
D3 Plane i n cat-,
D2 Barrier,
D 2 Hard l a d b g .
D2 B n r r i e r. D3 Barrior.
,“..Persolinel performance following cessation of h o s t i l i t i e s h5s rcm:incd excellent, 1,s a r e su l t of’reduced operztions thcre ’nave been no periods of cxcessive’work required, Spare time has been well ut i l izod f o r traiil- ing purposesI It is fslt tha t fullwork and t ra in ing schedules a re e s e n - t i a l ’ f o r maintenace of norale and for preparedness of peak c0mbz.t e f f ic i -ency*
B, iilthough night operation8 b v e been prac t ica l ly nil, on the occasions t h a t night flying was done, r e s t of day drews upset by night crews entering or departing compartments and v ice versa, The s i t w t i o n f o r of f icer nie‘nt crews was XLleviated by segregating then i n staterooms i n one section on thc t h i r d deck, The s i z e of berthing conpzrtments as w e l l as locct ion Froclud,>d such segregation for enl is ted night crews.
C, There were no casul t ies dming this period.
D, V i t a l S t a t i s t i c s Officers - VF-52 VF-u VF-151 W-194 vc-3 vc-11 vc-35 VC-61 VF-M
Aboard JUly 28 26 0 23 34 5 ’ 7 6 4 26 Received 2 26 1 1 1 0 0- 0 0
1 2 2 1 0 0 0 26Transferred 4 Aboard Nov. 11 24 25 22 33 5 7 6 4 0
m i s t e d
Aboard July 28 l!$ 0 111 146 34 24 4.2 21 32626 13 1 1 J, 1 0Received 8 130
Transferred 13 5 10 12 6 3 1 1 126 Aboard Noy 21 137 1 2 5 127 147 29 22 42 21. 0Captaint8’ Mast 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 1 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Court Martial
I
I
t* 8
Figures oppo~k$e ktcdvcd.and t r q s f e r r e d include nrr ivr .1 and departure fo r temporary additional duty, Fitron Forty Four was on board fo r the period 28 July through 8 October 1953,
PLRT VI COIQENTS iLND RECOMMENDATIONS
A, Operations
1. Flight Statistics
c13 0 195 154. 54 0 0 0 0 10 4c-.$3. .
GLJNPLERY 0 88 117 33 0 0 4 , 0 , o 2@ .-_BOMBS & ROCKETS 214 51 46 0 165 0 0 0 12 488 -TYPE
INST. 10 38 36 28 6 0 1 9 0 4 4 181
I",DEPT 0 14 35 4 0 0 6 0 0 , 59
mcco 0 60 49 29 0 8 8 0 0 133 -Ti'GTICS 132 48 55 29 83 53 0 0 0 400
CILS 103 29 26 1 2 18 0 0 0 0 188 PHOTO & ESCORT 0 6 , 14 21 0 0 52 0 0 93 - . ;m & ESCORT 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 20 0 30 _ _ASP & ESCORT 28 0 0 . 0 0 40 0 70 4 1@L_
ECM 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 7 - .D,'SP & ESCORT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 5
msc;,p, 2 0 0 0 ,o 5 * o 9 1 17
HECKLEIZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 ,. i
GCI 0 13 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 OPERL',TI O N WINDOW 0 0 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 26
12
ENCLOSURE (1)
CoMMEE\rTS & RECOPIMEM);',T IONS (CONT1D)
vF194 V F l 5 1 VF52 VFlll VFU VC35 V C 6 l V C l l VC3 iiIR *
MISSION liD4NA F9F2 F9F2 F9F5 FN4 i&L&I F2H2P ;94W F4U5N CROUP
FERRY 20 2 7 0 2 22 9 0 20, 8 ? r
, , TEST 10 0 3 0 0 , o 5 Q 15 33 - -msc. 0 0 0, 0 2 0 0 0 2 , L- . ABORTS 4 1 10 0 0 4 1 , o 3 23." TOT. .L SORTIE3 523 545 585 210 266 3-42 96 103. 115 2rF -
NOTE: Flight statistics f o r VF-UI inc;lvde dates 10 October tbrou.gh ll November; f o r VF-44, dates from 28 J a y through 9 October; f o r Zl1 otlierLS dates frorn 28 July through 11 November.
-1m 9 4 + vc61 vc1.1 GROUP+y.--
June through 9 October; Fitron Forty Four replaced Fitron One Hundred Eleven
TOTAL SORTIES 1505 1519 TOTAL Xis. 4333.9 2392
v F 215 5 2355
VFlU VF 57
l388.2 1743 3 1' 255 831.3 3m
234 563.5
-.230 7,ld546 14533.7
nanv I1vEs1. J?LTS* 52 '72.3 n.0 3505 22*2 53.5 64 47 46 60.2 PER PILOT t".VER HRS. PER Prim
149.4 114.0 107.0 55.5 67.0 138.5 95.0 112.3 1m.3 122,l
3, Fitron One Hundred Eleven w m deployed on the U.S.S. L:xE CH,",MPLLCN 29
for t h i s period,
4. With the cessation of h o s t i l i t i e s i n Korea the groug was faced with t!:e problem of mintaining a high st2.te of p i lo t rec..dincss under redGced f l i qh t opcrc?.tions and a general anti-climactic feel ing anong the pilots, To meet the challenge l ' A l l p i l o t s Mettingsl' f o r each sauadron bewme a p m t of the ' dpys routihe. Flight safety, watches, and p i l o t tcchniqiics wcrc discussed. T h i s w;?s ;t po~rsubst i tute f o r actual f l i gh t but it 3id appec?r t o keep 5he p i lo t s dprt and flight operations went off smoothly, A l l , flights f lown since the t m c e ' h v e been briefed and de-briefed as though they were nctuaL comb3.t missions.
13 ENCLOSURE (1)
5 , Flight operations with Task Force SEVEWY SEVEZ were supplemente special exorcises conducted by the USS BOXER and !dr TLqskGroup ONE enroute t o and from port, Among these was a specicl window di&penso exercise set up by WMF,’.IRfi’~PIzN,and covered by sepnr&e l e t t e r , Expcrben-t a t ion w.?s a lso made with tho escort of propollor a i rc r& by j e t e$Pcraft over 8 long’run into a t a rge t where enemy a i r opposition could be e w c t c d a t “ny time, The different ia t ion i n specd between the two aircrarPt presentod quit0 2. problem, If the jets attempt t o s tay with the propeller I?ircrraft, ’
they carmot gain spoed rapidly enough t o intercept in-coming enen’iy‘a5rcral”t. Ensufficient f l i gh t time did not permit any conclusions t o be mde, This group has received no reports on cxpcrimentd. t a c t i c s ?&ong t h i s ’ l i n e , It is strongly recommended tkt i f not already btarted a project ba sot up immediately t o develop the t a c t i c s necessary,
6, For some bombing and rocket f l i g h t s during t h i s pcriod a towed sled was u t i l i zed with destroyers r & h g the terge% by t r i6qp ln t ion . !U f l i g h t s were supervised by a i r coordimtors on B ship, It is fc l t t h r k t h i s pcrmittcd valuablc t ra in ing i n bombing And rocketing a rr.cving t?.rg.’> ;snd a i r discipline on the par t of t h e f l igh t . It “150 dbvelopod p i f c ttochniquc i n mc&ing attacks through very l imi ted sectors, It is ?Is0 considered tha t the p i l o t s gained excellent experience as a i r coordinF-t ors,
7, During t h i s pcriod cQljunior pi lots , who hxd previously flown a s wingmi? o r section Lenders, were $llowed t o lohd fl ights. It i s f c l t t h & vcalur\’ole experience was gained by all concerned, T h i s proccdme permitted n be t t e r opportunity t o observe and avaluate 7.ss;gned pilots.
8, During thc l a t te r per t of the period, 2 procedure was worked out by which i n the majcrity of c n h s , p i l o t s of t h e two F9F=2 squadrons flew t h e i r own squadron 2.ircraft. 3% WAS found that t hc eff ic iency and mor2J.e of t he pcrsonnel involved improved,
9, yLero rocket lzunchers wcre rcrnovcd from t h eThe MK-51 Bomb R~cks’~and F9F-5 on 10 October 1953. Removal of this drag-lopud rosuJ.tcd i n an avcrqe speod increase of 30 t o 35 kn6ts ,and a lowering of t h e f u o l consumption rxte by approximkely 500 per hour, The squadron experienced no low-fuel emer-gonciss during this period, w h i l e comploting ciLl niissions on t h e basis of 8. one and a h23f hcrur flight,
10, h e t o the area separation between t h s various squadrons at tmhed t o ;lir T w k Group ONE and no Ezllotted t ra in ing period f c r group tpc t i c s during the CONUS t ra in ing cycle, ‘tho truce czfforded the group i ts f irst opporhni tyt o practice such a program, Although t h e type of cper3,tions carried out during our period of cc.tu.4. combat c U e d f o r few g,roup t sc t ics , one decided problem WT~Sthe break-up procedure around the ship. It 5s‘ f e l t t h a t a gre?.tdcgl could be accomplished i f a group tnctics’period of t ra in ing wl?s included for A i r Tmk Groups prior t o reporting aboerd, This would permit a l l d i f f -erences In Squadron techniques t o be worked out p r i o r t o deployment f o r Operr.tiona1 Readiness Inspection o r m t u a l conibpk tour,
11, One matter of concern t o the group wc?s the nwbor of j e t b w r i c r and bnrriccde engngemcnts t h a t h s u l t c d in the wiping out of t h e nose wheel tr iunion (Class D-2 DDmEge) Studies of photogrnphs of cortnin barricade engagcments shcw t h e a i rc rnf t in’a ncme down a t t i tude with nose wheol oleo
. * ‘ . - I I
ET\SCLOSUflE (1)11,
bf the bmrieade rc.-mpcomblnpb with the downward component'of t h e force of decelerztion may be cxusirq nose wheel tr iunion t o f d , It is recommended th?k the r@ th9.t h the lower st raps of t h e barricade be set flush with tho deck,
ful ly compressed upon engagementb The lit!%
B. Intell igence
activities of Air Task Group ONE <and 5 % ~ squadrons have markedly changed i n p c e during the pos t -hos t i l i tba p ) v mof opera-tions which t h i s report, cwvers, and tho extremely closo akf;ention t o day t o day detF.ils nccessary i n combilt operations has .given place It0 a gre5.tcr oportunity f o r dissemimting usuable informt ion i n t h e f iq ld of Air Intell igence by act ive pwticipf-.tion i n the p i lo t s ' trnining p r o , y for the A1080 t o broaden the i r own profcssiond. t r c in ing thrcugh reading, study, nl?d conferences, and for tc.king stock of t h e i r tltorlr methods i n the combat s i tua t ion - which, bf course, it was culticipcqted, might recur 2-t .my time during t h i s period,
1. The Air Intel l igence @oqmns.;.,t
2, Specifically, an e f fod ive symposium on the situ-.tion i n Indo-Chim and i t s badkpound wns presented in bricfg by tho l l i r Group md squadronNr Intoll igence Officers t o all off icers af the Lir Group, Tho Group Air Intcll igence Officer acted as aaviser t o t he sqw-dron M r Intell igence Officers on t h e two or three tlmes weekly br i e f s of current intell igence <?-nd current a f f a i r s which the I z t t e r gave before t h e i r uni ts as p~rtof ..( t h e i r grotlnd training programs, The group A i r Intell igence Officer had the opportunity t o confcr with Offibers concerned with t h e saxe f i e l d on Staff of COMNAvFE and COEISEVENTMFLT, A program of mcrchhnt ship recognir t i o n t r3ining wc?s inst i tued among the p i lo t s and pursued. Informatioq Gn such sightings ol5tnined i n p i l o t debriefs hzs increased g r w t l y i n quantity and detai l , during t h i s reporting period, Close and micable l inson hzs been maintained with t h e ships Air Intell igence Offiho <md between t h e unit A i r Intell igence Officecs and the ships office, P u o t ' s E & E K i t s were returned during the period with 100 per cent accounting f o r custody items.
C, Maintenance And Material
1, F9F-2 Aircraft,
Mjintenance dif f i c u l t i e s continue t o be centerod around tho hydraulLc systcm, Numerous leaks and fa i lures of the idleron Boost on and off vczlve 2nd l i n e filters h6s caused the la rges t percentage of non-availability of the F9F-2 afrcrczft, Two F9F-2 a i r c r a f t were t ransferred t o FASRON ELEVEN i n an Able J i g s ta tus beckuse of m undetermined fr.,ilure of the Aileron Boost System at alt i tudes, Evrary' possible check md test were performed aboard ship with negative rcsults, F23RON ELEVE31 pcrsonnel m d G r u m a n Representatives conduct :d various checks and f l i g h t tests, but n o ' o f f i c i d report of t h e resu l t s have been forwarded t o t h i s a c t i v i t y r?,s yet, RUDMS' have becn submitted on t h e !.ileron Boost VciLve and Hydraulic Line Fil ters, Two J42-P8 engines were changed during t h i s peri6d due t o excessive Mbration <andmetal p w t i c l e s i n the o i l filters. RUDPE were suEmit-Eed and engines marked i n accordance wigh Gencrd Engine Bulletin No, 64,
ENCLOSIJ?S (1)1 5
1
C. Maint emnce And Nat e r i a l (Cont Id)
2, F9F-5 hircr,zf.t.
Two cnses of auto-accelerbtion of the 548-P-6L engine werc cncount cr-ci a t 24,000 fee t and 35,000 feet , In both cases a dkcrerse i n rtltitudc of only n few thousmd feet regpained normal operation, Hydraulic leczks con-t inue t o be a problem, One engine was chp-nged due t o f c i lu rc of r? r ea r inducer wae.
3. iD Li rcmft ,
hTo unusual mrzintcnaJlce problem were cnccuntcred “;?iring t h i s pcY‘;ocl.Thc advcnt of the Truce and t h e nccompaying snd d ’cn r ry ing combat lc2ds rcsultod i n fCvless s t r a i n on eircr:aft m d engines, Rcln€ively fcw inst- tulccs of roughness or popping CB tpvke-cff were cnccun%zred. Ev?l;ir?tion r.-
the R56-S spark plugs werc continued. R37-S-1 werc uscd i n a porticn cf the a i rc rPf t for cmpzrcitive purposes. In gcncr.2, it w s found th-..t t h c R56-S pluds would brerak down by 69 hours of oper?,tion or less , where ?,s nc d i f f i c u l t y w . ~experienced with thc R37-S-1 plx:gs up t o 90 hcurs md i n scvzr.?l inst-nccs 120 hours opcrntions, Due t o t h e hlgh hurcdity prc- sent during a largc portion cf the opcrFting pcriod, cxtcnsivo i.noestigM.on of t h e igni t icn assembl*yw m mqde t o axmrc’+Jh-.t nci s turc i n dis t r ibutor bowls VPS not cnvsing pcpping ,and roughness.’ Two ign i t ion hnmesscb nnd bowl ?sscmblics were chnngcd due t o moisture. RIJCYS mre siibidtted.
One f ni lure of wing 9 c € w t ing cylindcr hezd occurred 2.f tcr inst~ l l n -t ion’of AD $brvice”chhge Nb, 332 due7to irnproper size of the senting ring. i:I N D M w;?s submitted, Three rudder hinge brackets R82-D6-421?689 and one t cp rudder hinge bracket R82-D6-2250753 werc found t o have fa i led a t the ceptcr l i n e of the connecting bolt hole. It i s believed thcse f a i lu re s occurred pr ior t o dclivcry of t h c z i r c r - f t t o t h e squadron 6,s n r :sdt cf impropcr contrcl locks or b;ittcning, I?uLps w9-s submittcd. Thma engine chmges wero.mde fo r t h c folloowing rwsxs:
(a) Roller clutch fe i lure i n blower c?ssmbl.y.(b) 013.lczk i n t h e extornal l i n e f r h ronr sump t o nosc SectiTr..,
Chpmgc 317 hAd been incorporated, (c} Twisted t b i l s h d ‘ t and mct?J. pnrtiCLes found on wVgnetic
m p plug,(d) I n addition t o t h e cngine ch+--.nges, t h e No, 10 cylindcr h,-.d *
t o be ch\-nged on one engine due t b excssive oil. consumption,
4, F U-5N i r c r a f t. No unusud m.intonznce discrepnncics t o report during thLs period,
5, F2H-2P hi rcraf t ,
No unusual maintencmcc discrcpmcics t o report dining t h i s period,
16 EMCLOSURE (I)
I
C, Mainkesnmce And Material (Cont'd)
6, &ite,.ria1 I
Matcrial'has been s a t i f r c k p e the exceptfan of a few cr i t ic :3 ititas; namely, Aileron BooJ vdve!4 fiydrafiie Line Fi l ters . Twenty Four X O G items were required during t h i s period, The longest period requimd t o procure 3n BCOG item w e s sixteen (16) dp-ys. Some items issued werc lacking the incorpcration o f cer tz in chmges and bul le t ins app1icr:bl.e fndiczking t h e itcms were ovcrnge i
7, Comments And Recomiand?.t ions
(a) During periods cf innctivitywhiLc i n port or cruising, a schedul '
prcvcntpkive maintenance program was estzblishcd fc r the F9F-2 type 2ircrr f-The a i r c ra f t were turned-up cvery thrcc dc?.ys, znd thc ccjmplete hydr-tuiic systcm actuated every f ive days, E.lany hydraulic lc-ks, md hydrwlic sys ' mczlfunctions were found, This program has aided t h c : v L l a b i l i t y ?:id increased the LI1.tircraf\tsafety and readiness upon rcturning t o the oper:iti c V C a .
(bp One se t of e ject ion s63t knee braces on the F9F-5 was fmnd t o be inoperative due t o corrosion, I n view of t h c f9d A functional check had becn pmformed on the previms oheok, it is rscommnded tha t imits ccnducting l imited a i r opcr?kj.ons inspect c jactifqn sc% knee braces =very t h i r t y (30) hcurs vice one hundred twenty (120) hoirs,
(c) H&kcnance m d s t 6 r P . p spclce abowd sh ip h-vc been completely inadequate, Spaces t h & were or igind. ly ;?ssigned f o r iLr Groups hwc been
.u t i l i zed for other purp~ses. Xlthough thc: ship coopcr7tcd t o €he fu l les t , spaces were not c?vnU.nble t o properly stow tools eouipmenb, 331 t o o l boxes &.ld oruise boxos th9.t a squadron normn3ly 6pcrrtes from,-hnd to bc stowod rLongside the bulkhead on the Hmgsr Deck, L*.s a rLsu l t , some speciFL tools were lo s t , It is recommdcd th:t n survey cf spr?cea be mnde on ' a l l ca r r ie rs mdd'whcre practicLl, spaces crig:in4.ly assigncd t o Air Groups be reasigncd,
D. Ordnrwce.
P. 2.25" Saars
a, A number of old t y p e scar$ which u t i l i z e -the pig t-il adapters were used with poor effect because of t he e l e c t r i c ? ! discontinuity of the a d q t e r , A ra ther hi&h'percont?ge of dud scar n&rs was d s o en-countered, (Rcf, Part, TIT) . It is rccomendcd Yn-.t only thc nower tmc S C ~ P S (ones with-ut the pigbail adapters) be i s s w d for trL?.ining since it is 8 waste of o f f o r t t o lcad t he old type.
b, When malfunctioning sc.?rs wcro returned on Mc6 adaptors the probabCi%y of the scqm coming off the adaptcrs upon nrrcstcd L-inling was grezt, This WPS due t o t h c wcnk sheer wire prcjvidcd t o hold the sews on- the adapters, It i s recommended th-h 7, stronger sheer wire be provided, but thz t t he wire not be'of such strepgth.zs t a ndversclg 2ffsct t he t ra jec tory of the sc.?rs.
17
t
D, ' Ordnance (Cont 'd)
2. Aero 43 Minizture Bomb Containers,
a, The sh ip stocked 60 Aero 4 B containers and 28 had t o be rewapkcdbefore issuing because t h e nose cap had been dcntcd during shipmentt jammink t h e manual release mechanism,
b, The cram followers on t h e releasd s h i f t of 5 containers fnXLcd t h i s r b u i r i n g ovcrhaul of t he container,
c, The e l e c t r i c a l leads on 3 cont55ners were found t o be broken. D-ftor being i n service but a short time,
d, It i s recommended t h a t t h e initicQ issuinfi nc t iv i ty provide a thorough inspection p r io r t o shipment 2nd t h a t more ware i n handling the ccntaincrs during shipment be stressed.
e. Onco'the cznt?.iners were put i n good working order, loaded and were rt.3,rborne, they functioned w & l l save f o r an occ r s i cnd elzctricL.ll failure of t h e rclcase mechanism,
3, Chan,dn,q Rocket Lmnchcrs iad Bomb Racks . a. Maray tims advrtncc loads d t e r n a t d d bctwccn borzbs and rockets.
With'mrm modern oquipment such its t he Lcro lw,, 20 groblzm i s sncount-crcd, Howcvcr with the F9F-2 x ~ dthe MK-9 launchers, t h o sou?.drms +ere continuously changing bomb rack <midrocket lmnchers between f l i g h t s , This r c su l t cd i n visry rushed-work, Rushed work n n - y l o ~ ~ dt o imporper inspection cf bcnbs, ri\ckets, and fuses. Frcquent changes ,Qso cr?usc * a gcnerd. d&eriorc?tion of thc Zsunpher racks and f i t t i n g s on t h e wing,
4* BorcsiRbt i n 5
a. Proirisions f o r tho boresighting of guns sbmrd ships a re un- sa t i s fac tory ; This group has &tempted t c USQ a portnble templct f o r F9F aircr t?f t , This syseem has proven f a r mcre expeditious than paint ing B templct cn a bulkhea%space l imi t a t ions 2nd gun configumtions on AD & F4U Aircraf t 'prohibi tcd the use o f portnble t n p l c t Pr t m p l e t s pnintcd on bulkheads, It i s thcrefore considered highly importwt t h z t f ; l .c i l i t ics eshorc be m?*de avai lnble for boresighting during in-port periods,
5, Out Board Gun Ammunition Boxes,
a, The loca t ion of t h e outboard gun amnunition boxes i n the F9F has been a cons tmt ddArvmt t o reaming as w e l l as t o min tenmce , Maintcm-ance of booster motors and otitbowd feed chutes arc d e f i n i t e wc~kpointsin t h e gun Nnmu?~Ltionsystem. ;i relocrAion of equipmcnt should d e f i n i t e l y be mndc-in order f o r t he outboard gun m.ununition t o b,? p lmed i n t h e nose section, even at tho expense of decrcasing t h e to t ,Q l number of rounds cnrr isd,
b, 1: gun ins td , l a t ion such as-is found in - tn i : F2H is much more desir- nble than i n the F9F'since the guns, aimmition, md nccessories are so riuch more accessable,
18 ENcLOSrnE (1)
D. Ordnance (Conttd)
6 , MK-9 Rocket Ln.unchcrs.
i?. Mark 9 rocket launchers have proven t h a t t h e y ?.re too weak t o with-s t m d the s t r e s ses impose4 upon them daring’ j e t czzrricr opcr?.tions, m-52 RUDM 15-53 was subnitted covering t h i s item, Si.nce a i r c re f t configurbd fo r t h i s cquipmerrt a re s t i l l i n use, some modific,:tion should bc made,
7, Salvo Feature.
a, It i s strongly recornended tbt the scd.vo provision fo r srlvoing ordnnnce carried on t h e six st?“tions controlled by the stntion selector i n some F9F-2 a i r c ra f t be renoved, If .‘1 sCdvofez,turc Ls considered news-snry, mother systcn employing a. sepwate, guarded, f i r i n g switch should bc i n s t d l c d , VF-52 NJDM 2J.-53 i s being submitted covcrj-ng t h i s subject, in det??il.
8 . Gun Cameras.
The acriril cmcm gunnery progrm is a t 53s present t h e being under- a. taken i n nccordance with current OPN,’.V Notice 3330, Since air t o a i r prr?c- t i c e i s cif grc& concern t o j e t squmlrens, these squ;?clrons have bccn using the gun cmsras t o a grezt extent, The developcc! fi’lm has offered l i t t l e ass is tance i n the t ra in ing of t h e p i l s t s duo t o the 17ck of t hc Gun C a e r a .hsossing Projector m d Screen, It is strongly rc?comciided thz t the KLlow- ance f o r the above pieces cf equipment be revised t c !:make them avnilr.blc t o crnbzkcd squadrons.
‘ 9 , Orpmizntion Of Ordnmce Personnel,
Prior t o dcployment, A dcf in i to coor&Ln?tlon p1.1~1.fo r combined a. e f fo r t s on thit p m t of t hc ordnnnccmen fron the v;?rJ.ous saundrons should be workcd nut, This would preclude znf misunderstxnding between the v - r i m s units ?s t o t h e i r du t i : s when they are called on tc P s s i s t anclthcr uni t , Thcrc should Klso be a t rnining phase for c x h group p r b r t o deployment whcrcby ordnnnccmcli become f cmilim-with KL1 types cf a m w n t configurn- t ions i n the group,
1, The most s icnif icant khange i n c lectrcnics during t h i s period was thc oonvorsion from ‘c;HF t o UHF, No cutstmding prcblem have been en-countcrcd ei thor i n ril%inten;?nce o r i n operztions o f the !3/1”,!ic-27, For jc t car r ior operations , the ARC-27 mounting rnck ~ R Qa minhum CUnOUnt . of safety provided, It i s recornended th2-t careful ?nd frcc~:ent‘inspectS.on be givcn fo r securi ty of mounting r x k wing nuts h ~ ’snfety wire, I”;t pr:sent thcrc i s n shortngc clf UHF t c s t equipment, It would bo desirq.blc t r hcve’at l e a s t three completo t e s t s t e t i r n s with cne lcc?tcd on t h e hr?ngar deckJ
19 ENCLQSUnE (1)
I ' c.
E. n c c t r o n i c s (cont th)* . d
2. The A&/,'&-2, k'9k in s t a l ln t i - r , h9.s requirsd mcre rnp-intcnmce sLr.ce the UHF conversion, It is bclicved t h - t this'is due t o the absence of a rzcii? m-stcr switch and !&R-2 off-on switch. The is1R-2 i s always Qner,?ioed every t h e plug-in power is used and the battory sw:Ach i s turned oh, This frequent energizing has resulted i n an increase of vecumtube usage.
. 3, Maintenance fo the !JJ/APG30 rcdnr ranging equipment hr?s been unsr?tisfnctcry due t o inxdcquate t e s t f n c i l i t i e s , Cd.y one TS-685/l:'DG-30 W P S av?.ilr?ble f o r use and it is believed th& each sounickon using LPG-30 equipment should have its cwn TS-685, For pro e r m.&ntcnance it would be desirable t o have a complete gun sight',wd ANPAPE30 eystem se t up i n 8
standard t e s t posit ion on Ftll carriers.
4; It is noted thc t spare pa r t s for the X?/XIT-26 arc elttrzmely sc?.rce, which resulted i n one ADL4W having inoperative se t during the en t i re period of t h i s report.
F. SurViV?3.
1, During the period of t h i s report thcrc h-s h e n no vo1Unta-y c r inVoluntary use of survival equipment,
2, W o s u r c s u i t s vrerc not used z t my t h e dwing'the reporting period RS the sea w n t c r tempcr;llture was never below 700F,
. 0.
3. 1"31 pjrachutes axi life rc..fts wtre tested. mid rcpr,cked each Yskcsuka fn-port period, F w i l i t i c s afforded by C O P i F U R J , ' 2 ~ 3were adequate and sat is-fnctory f o r t h i s work.
4, L shortrge of oxygen beilou€ bot t les was notcd i n the WESTPIX area t h i s tour. (Stock Mo, R83-ERM214!,2). On cert..in cIccp'.sii-ils, xi fcw as nine bot t les of llbreak off nipples" o r valves which perrnit t h e flew of oyyaenc?.fter thc safety pin Qnd t h e wecden b ? U tog&c h8ve been pulled, On tho b o t t l e s with the old type break-off nipple, thcre ?re no provisinns fo r r e f i l l i n g and the majority used hme been of t h i s type, The shortc?.gss ?ad the non-fillnble type bot t le m&c it extremely d i f f i cu l t t o m?int?.in the parachutes in tne proper condition, It is recomcnded t h a t more bo t t l e s be carried i n stock, especially i n view'of the number of th ree ,jet squadron air groups deployed i n the WESTPX zrea,
* 5 . The ship received the PSK-2 k i t abo'vd during the f i n d . .pa% of t h e tour; hpswever no use of these were made by tho p i lo t s og t h i s group, There-fore, no avr3uation of t h i s gear is possible,
20
Page-ll: It i s fe l t t h a t f u l l work and t ra in ing schedules are essent ia l ' f o r maintenance of morale and for preparednese of pezk combat efficiency,
Page-14: Special exercises flown by ATG-1,
Page-I&: It is f e l t t h a t valuable experience was gained by allowing wing-m n t o lead f l i gh t s and sections,
Page-14: It is recommended tha t squadrons f l y own plenes.
Pagel.4: It i s recommended tha t A i r Task Groups have group t a c t i c s t ra in- ing period during CONUS t ra in ing cgcle.
Page-15: It is recommended tha t the ram$ t h a t houses t h e lower s t raps of the barricade be set flush with t h e deck,
Page-17: It is recommended t h a t un i t s conducting l imited Air O$erations inspect ejection seat knee braces every 30 hours vice 120 hours,
Page-1'7: It is recommended t h a t a survey of spaces be mde on c2U cm?ier$ and where pract ical spaces originczlly assigned t o Air Groups be reassigned,
Page-l'li It is recommended tha t a stronger sheer wire be provided on MK6 Adapter,
Page-18: It i s recommended tha t the i n i t i a l issuing activity provide a thorcjugh inspection of Aero l+B Miniature Bomb Containers p r io r t o ship- ment,
Page-183 I t ' i s recommended tha t f a c i l i t i e s ashore be made available f o r boresighting,
Page-19: It is recommended tha t salvo provisions f o r splvoing ordnznce i n some F9F-2 A/C ba removed.
Page-19: It i s strongly recommended t h a t &m Camera Assessing Projector 2nd Screen be made available t o embarked squadrons.
Page-19: A t present there is a shortage of UHF t c s t equipment, It is recommended tha t three ' (3) t e s t s ta t ions be se t up abowd ship with one loc,?ted on Hangar Deck,
Page-20% For proper maintenance it would be desirable 50 have a complete gun sight and AN/APG - 30 system s e t up i n a standmd tes t position on carr iers ,
Page-20: It is noted tha t spare parts fo r t h e lJl/r,;lT-26 are extremely sc3ne.
17, It i s recodended tha t more bail out bot t les s e carried i n stock kA t h e WESTPiiC area,
B
21. EXCLOSURE (1)