Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
A flaming Marine CH-46 of HMM-265, after being hit by enemy AAA fire in "Helicopter Valley", 15 July 1966 [14] During the Vietnam War, the CH-46 was one of the prime US Marine troop transport helicopters in the theater, slotting between the smaller Bell UH-1 Iroquois and larger Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion and progressively replacing the UH-34.
On 28 July 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that the U.S. would increase the number of its forces in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000. The arrival of additional USMC and United States Air Force squadrons at Da Nang AB led to severe overcrowding at the base and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (I MAW) began looking for an alternative site for the helicopter squadrons of MAG-16.
A CH-46 succeeded in extracting part of the force, then a USAF F-4 Phantom was shot down. Another CH-46 came and extracted more of the force, but it was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed from a height of 100 feet (30 m). The PAVN fired on the survivors in the wreckage killing many of them.
At 07:25 3/12 artillery took over the bombardment of LZ Crow and at 07:45 20 CH-46s of HMM-164 and HMM-265 began landing 3/4 Marines on LZ Crow. While the marines met no initial resistance, LZ Crow proved to be too small for the operation. Two CH-46s from HMM-164 collided and crashed while a third CH-46 from HMM-265 hit a tree and crashed.
At around 09:30, the four CH-46 helicopters arrived in Ngok Tavak with reinforcements, and they were able to unload Makowski and about 45 soldiers of the 12th MIKE Force company. The PAVN made their presence known when the second helicopter was hit with automatic weapons fire, and was forced to land intact, though with damage to its fuel line.
The original Marine Medium Helicopter squadrons flew the Sikorsky UH-34D Sea Horse, which shortly after its inception saw extensive combat during the Vietnam War. [131] Beginning in 1966 they began to be replaced with the CH-46 Sea Knight which was faster, could carry more troops and is still in service today. [132]
CH-46s and CH-53s from HMM-164, part of the USMC 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB) operating off the coast of South Vietnam, then lifted 1,138 Marines into attack positions. To move the two battalions, 60 marines were carried by each CH-53 and 20 by each CH-46 in two sequential waves.
As a result of these collisions, two Marines were killed and seven injured and all three helicopters were too badly damaged for recovery and had to be destroyed. Later that day another CH-46 from HMM-265 was hit by People's Army of Vietnam fire and crashed, killing 13 Marines. Marines promptly renamed the area as "Helicopter Valley".