| Date: 24 August 1965 |
| Aircraft type: F-4B Phantom |
| Serial Number: 152215 |
| Military Unit: VF-21 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Midway |
| Name(s): |
| Cdr Frederick Augustus Franke (POW) |
| Lt Cdr Robert Bartsch Doremus (POW) |
| On 24 August the Navy mounted another strike against the Dragon’s Jaw Bridge at Thanh Hoa. Although none of the aircraft attacking the bridge were lost, one of the Phantoms providing MiGCAP was shot down. Cdr Franke was the CO of VF-21 and he and Lt Cdr Doremus had the dubious distinction of being the first naval officers to survive being shot down by a SAM. The Phantom (call sign Sun Down 112) was at about 11,000 feet when the SA-2 missile struck, blowing off a large part of the port wing and causing both engines to fail. The incident took place near the village of Phu Ban, north of Thanh Hoa and less than 10 miles from where Lt Brown had been killed by a SAM on 11 August. Franke and Doremus ejected safely but were both captured soon after landing in rice fields. Both men were released on 12 February 1973 and both resumed their naval careers before finally retiring as Captains. Fred Franke had been an instructor at the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River and commander of VX-4 before his tour in Southeast Asia. Lt Cdr Doremus was credited with a MiG kill on 17 June when he was flying as back seater with Lt Jack Batson. |
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