| Date: 1 November 1966 |
| Aircraft type: A-4E Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 151138 |
| Military Unit: VA-72 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Franklin D Roosevelt |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Allan Russell Carpenter (POW) |
| A raid on a SAM site at Uong Bi five miles north of Haiphong was followed up by a reconnaissance mission to obtain BDA photographs. The recce aircraft was escorted by an Iron Hand flight of three Skyhawks, which were equipped with Shrike anti-radar missiles and rockets. The leader, Lt Carpenter (call sign Decoy 508), saw a SAM launch and immediately pulled up to fire a Shrike. He followed this up by diving at the SAM radar and firing his rockets but as the aircraft sped away from the target it was hit in the fuselage by AAA. Lt Carpenter pulled up to 5,000 feet and made for the sea but a fire broke out and burned through the flying controls forcing the pilot to eject three miles east of Haiphong. Lt Carpenter landed in the sea and despite the efforts of his wingmen and a SAR helicopter he was captured and taken into Haiphong in a North Vietnamese junk. Two Skyhawks and the rescue chopper were all hit and damaged by the intense AAA around Haiphong. Carpenter was flying his 107th combat mission (having previously served a tour on the USS Independence) and after more than six years as a prisoner he was released on 4 March 1973. Lt Carpenter had been forced to eject from another A-4 on 21 August 1966 when it ingested debris from rockets it was firing. Upon returning to duty he became an instructor with VF-43 at Oceana and retired as a Commander to start his own business building and selling ultralight aircraft. |
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