| Date: 23 December 1972 |
| Aircraft type: F-4J Phantom |
| Serial Number: 153885 |
| Military Unit: VMFA-333 |
| Service: USMC |
| Home Base: USS America |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Col John Kenneth Cochran (Survived) |
| Maj Henry Stephen Carr III (Survived) |
| The CO of VMFA-333 was assigned to escort a photographic reconnaissance aircraft on a mission over the North Vietnamese coast. The mission was to obtain intelligence on the location of the North Vietnamese Navy’s torpedo boats, which could potentially pose a threat to TF 77 operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Phantom (call sign Shamrock 210) was hit in the tail by 85mm flak and badly damaged as the aircraft was flying over one of the many groups of islands off the coast near Hon Gay. A fuel cell was ruptured and the aircraft caught fire. Moments later the crew ejected and landed in the sea about 15 miles southeast of Hon Gay from where they were rescued by a Navy HH-3A SAR helicopter from HC-7. Lt Col Cochran returned to the USA for hospitalisation for back injuries and command of the Squadron passed to Maj Lee Lasseter who had survived being shot down on 11 September.
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. |
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