| Date: 3 October 1967 |
| Aircraft type: A-4B Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 142114 |
| Military Unit: VSF-3 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Intrepid |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) Allen Dean Perkins (Survived) |
| VSF-3 lost its second aircraft of the Intrepid’s tour during a raid on a road and railway bridge at Haiphong. Lt Perkins was part of the flak suppression force that accompanied the bombers. As he started his dive to fire his Zuni rockets the aircraft (call sign Nevada City 102) was hit by AAA. He jettisoned his ordnance and headed towards the coast but the aircraft was hit again and further damaged and Lt Perkins was struck in the left leg by shrapnel. Smoke filled the cockpit and the most of the instruments failed. Lt Perkins jettisoned the cockpit canopy to clear the smoke but the aircraft was either hit by flak again or the engine may have exploded. The pilot ejected at 8,000 feet over Haiphong Harbour and was rescued from within 60 yards of a ship by a Navy UH-2A flown by Lt Tim Melecosky from the recently-formed HC-7. Lt Melecosky was shot down by ground fire the next day while operating from the USS Coontz on another SAR mission.
HC-7 Rescue Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SEVEN (HC-7) was established September 1, 1967. While simultaneously providing several fleet support activities in the Gulf of Tonkin, HC-7 assumed the responsibility for North Vietnam naval combat search and rescue. HC-7 prepared for action using UH-2B Kaman Sea Sprite helos inherited from HC-1 and were stationed in detachments aboard small boys, destroyers (DDs) and Guided Missile Frigates (DLGs), patrolling off the coast of North Vietnam primarily for the purpose of Search and Rescue (SAR) duty. The information at the following link was compiled by Ron Milam, the historian for HC-7, from ship's deck logs, official HC-7 Rescue Reports, other official and unofficial documents, interviews with crew members and survivors, and other sources, including the Chris Hobson book upon which this site is based. The details for the rescue associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
You may return to your search results, go to the Search Form, or go back to the Home Page.