| Date: 24 December 1972 |
| Aircraft type: A-7E Corsair |
| Serial Number: 157503 |
| Military Unit: VA-113 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Ranger |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Philip Spratt Clark, Jr. (KIA) |
| Three Navy Corsairs set off for a daylight mining mission on the Chateau Renaud Channel near Hon Gay. Low cloud and poor visibility meant that each aircraft had to make its own individual run to drop its mines rather than making the drop in formation in a single pass. As the last aircraft started its run, the pilot saw a parachute descending through the clouds moments after Lt Clark reported that he had dropped his ordnance. Lt Clark (call sign Battle Cry 314) came down in the sea about five miles south of Cam Pha and made three radio transmissions to the aircraft overhead. His emergency beeper was also heard several times but Lt Clark did not survive. Search and rescue efforts were frustrated by bad weather and approaching darkness. Whether he drowned or was killed during capture is not known. The mortal remains of Lt Clark were returned to the USA on 3 November 1988.
A force of 30 B-52Ds from U-Tapao flew missions over North Vietnam on Christmas Eve, striking railway yards at Thai Nguyen and Kep. Improved tactics including an overland approach over Laos and splitting the waves both in and out of the target area resulted in all the bombers emerging from North Vietnam virtually unscathed. The second of two MiG-21s to fall to a B-52 gunner (A1C Albert Moore of Ruby 3) was shot down during this raid. HC-7 Rescue Attempt 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 attempt associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
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