Phù Cát Air Base

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the civil use of this facility, see Phu Cat Airport.
Phù Cát Air Base
Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF)
Pacific Air Forces (USAF)
Phù Cát Air Base in 1971
Phù Cát Air Base is located in Vietnam
Phù Cát Air Base
Phù Cát Air Base
Coordinates13°57′18″N 109°02′32″E / 13.95500°N 109.04222°E / 13.95500; 109.04222 (Phù Cát AB)
TypeAir Force Base
Site information
ConditionJoint Civil/Military Airport
Site history
Built1966
Built byUS Air Force
In use1966–present
Battles/warsVietnam War
Airfield information
  • AMSL
79 ft / 24 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10,000 3,048 asphalt

Phù Cát Air Base (

Qui Nhơn in southern Vietnam
.

USAF use

The Phù Cát base operations building in 1968

In late 1965, with the buildup of U.S. airpower in

Vietcong harassed construction, with booby-traps and sniper fire killing 3 Korean soldiers.[1]
: 155–8 

On 23 December 1966 USAF units began moving to the half-completed base. At this time the runway was a 3,000-foot (910 m) long dirt strip while the taxiways and parking areas were covered in Pierced steel planking (PSP). The 459th and 537th Troop Carrier Squadrons both equipped with C-7A Caribous began operations from the base on 1 January 1967.[1]: 147  Base facilities by this time included wooden barracks, a mess hall, recreation facilities and utilities.[1]: 173  By late March 1967 a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) by 125-foot (38 m) asphalt runway together with sealed taxiways and parking aprons had been completed.[2] Later in the year a fuel line was constructed to the base, from a tank facility on the outskirts of Qui Nhon.[2]: 273 

On 1 April 1967 the 1883d Communications Squadron of the

Air Force Communications Service, officially arrived at Phu Cat from Qui Nhon Airfield to the south.[3]

The

F-100 Super Sabre
equipped squadrons:

While based at Phù Cát, a detachment from the 416th TFS pioneered fast Forward Air Control (FAC) operations using two-seat F-100Fs under the code-name Commando Sabre and the call sign Misty.[4][1]: 265 

In September 1967 a detachment from the

4th Air Commando Squadron equipped with 4 AC-47 Spooky gunships began operating from the base.[5] In September 1969 the 4th Air Commando Squadron ceased operating from the base and moved its forward operating base to Da Nang Air Base.[5]
: 70 

On 3 February 1968 the

174th Tactical Fighter Squadron (174th TFS), an Iowa Air National Guard unit equipped with F-100Cs deployed to Phù Cát AB.[6]

Detachment 13 of the

3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group in July 1971. Detachment 13 remained at Phu Cat until November 1971 when it was inactivated.[7]

On 13 April 1969, Detachment 1 612th TFS left the base and was replaced by the

480th Tactical Fighter Squadron equipped with F-4D Phantom II combat aircraft which moved from Da Nang AB.[4] On 11 May the 174th TFS returned to the US, followed by the 355th TFS on 15 May. On 27 May the 416th TFS transferred to Tuy Hoa Air Base and the Commando Sabre Fast FACs were inactivated.[4]

On 24 June the

gunships deployed to the base where they operated primarily against supply routes in Laos.[5]: 203  During 1969 40 concrete and steel "Wonderarch" aircraft shelters were constructed at the base.[2]
: 452 

A 416th TFS F-100F at Phù Cát

On 1 February 1970 the base was hit by a

12th Tactical Fighter Wing (12th TFW).[4]

In June the 459th Troop Carrier Squadron was inactivated. The 537th Troop Carrier Squadron was inactivated during the year, with its aircraft transferred to the South Vietnamese.[4] On 29 December "A" Flight, 17th SOS, was inactivated and its aircraft transferred to B Flight at Phan Rang AB.[5]: 219 

On 31 August 1971 the

361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron equipped with EC-47N/Ps departed from the base.[4] On 8 October, the 389th TFS flew its last combat mission. On 26 October its aircraft began returning to the United States. On 20 October the 480th TFS flew its and the 12th TFW's last combat mission. On 17 November 1971 the 12th TFW was inactivated.[4] On 30 November 1971 the 1883d Communications Squadron was reassigned and moved to Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan.[3] On 5 December 1971 the base was formally turned over to the RVNAF.[8]

RVNAF use

A VNAF UH-1 at Phù Cát c.1970
VNAF A-37s at Phù Cát c.1972

The 412st Transport Squadron formed at the base in 1970 operating C-7As inherited from the 537th Troop Carrier Squadron.[4]

The 243rd Helicopter Squadron operating

UH-1 Huey
gunships was based here.

On 17 May 1974 the base was attacked by the PAVN 2nd Regiment, 3rd Division. The attack was repulsed by the 108th and 263rd Battalions of the

South Vietnamese Regional Forces.[9]

Capture of Phù Cát Air Base

Main article: Battle of Ban Me Thuot

In mid-March 1975 Qui Nhon and Phù Cát AB were defended by the ARVN 40th Regiment and the

Regional Forces, however the 40th Regiment was soon redeployed to Khanh Duong to keep open the route for ARVN escaping from Buôn Ma Thuột. The 2nd Air Division provided air support for the 22nd Division and was also trying to destroy equipment abandoned during the evacuation of Pleiku.[10]

On the morning of 30 March the Regional Forces defending the base abandoned their positions and by afternoon the base was under attack by VC who were held back by the base security forces. With more VC gathering for renewed attacks, the base commander contacted the 92nd Air Wing at Phan Rang AB for help. The Wing commander, Colonel Le Van Thao organised a flight of 40 A-37 Dragonflies and they carried out a night attack on the base perimeter successfully breaking up the attack. On the morning of 31 March, the 2nd Air Division evacuated the base taking 32 aircraft, but abandoning a further 50; the PAVN/VC occupied the base that afternoon.[10]: 343–4 

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9780912799513
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780160841866
    .
  3. ^ a b Miller 1990, p. 383.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1555716257
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 9781428993648
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 9781478118640
    .
  7. ISBN 9781410222640
    .
  8. ^ "More MiG activity over Laos concerns U.S. Air Chief". The New York Times. 6 December 1971. p. 3.
  9. ISBN 9780160264559
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 9781594035722
    .

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force

External links

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