| Date: 4 January 1967 |
| Aircraft type: A-4C Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 150584 |
| Military Unit: VA-22 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Coral Sea |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) James Malcolm Hays (Survived) |
| Aircraft type: F-4B Phantom |
| Serial Number: 152974 |
| Military Unit: VF-154 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Coral Sea |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Albert Murle van Pelt (Survived) |
| Ens Roy Anthony Morris, Jr. (Survived) |
| On the 4th, Air Wing 2 from the Coral Sea mounted a major strike against a road bridge at Thu Diem on the coast 20 miles south of Haiphong. As one of VA-22’s Skyhawks bombed the target it was hit by ground fire causing a fuel leak. A wingman reported to Lt Hays that his aircraft (call sign Beef Eater 233) was on fire and soon afterwards the Skyhawk’s hydraulic system failed, and Lt Hays had to revert to the manual back up system. Soon after crossing the coast the aircraft started to burn furiously, the engine flamed out, and the flying controls froze. About 20 miles off the coast Lt Hays ejected and was picked up safely by a Navy SAR helicopter.
About 90 minutes after the first strike another wave of aircraft from the Coral Sea attacked the Thu Diem Bridge. This wave included Phantoms dropping Mk82 bombs and just as Lt van Pelt had dropped six bombs in a shallow dive, his cockpit lit up with fire warning lights, and his port engine was seen to be on fire. The fire spread rapidly and a wingman reported pieces of the aircraft (call sign City Desk 451) falling off. A few miles out to sea both crew ejected and were picked up by a Navy helicopter. As no AAA had been observed during the attack on the bridge it was assumed that these two aircraft were the victims of chance hits by small arms fire or automatic weapons. |
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