| Date: 1 January 1968 |
| Aircraft type: RA-3B Skywarrior |
| Serial Number: 144847 |
| Military Unit: VAP-61 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Oriskany |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr James Richard Dennison (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) Terence Higgins Hanley (KIA) |
| CPO Henry Howard Herrin (KIA) |
| The first aircraft lost in combat in 1968 failed to return from a night reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. One of VAP-61’s Skywarriors (call sign Quiz Show 301) set out on a reconnaissance mission and was damaged by ground fire a few miles inland from its landfall causing the pilot to fly out to sea and head south. The aircraft crashed into the sea about 30 miles off Dong Hoi and despite an extensive search no trace of the three crewmen was ever found. VAP-61 and VAP-62 maintained detachments of aircraft at Da Nang and Don Muang to fly reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam and Laos but this aircraft was operating from a carrier. Using infra-red, video and normal photographic cameras, the aircraft worked over the Ho Chi Minh Trail searching for trucks and other targets. The aircraft even used special camouflage detection film that could distinguish between live and dead foliage thereby revealing camouflaged trucks and enemy positions. Like most of VAP-61’s aircraft, 144847 wore a special camouflage paint scheme rather than the normal gull gray worn by fleet aircraft. This aircraft was the last Skywarrior lost in combat during the war. |
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