Quote:
Originally Posted by unclebilly
I'd love to know more about your Dessert Storm experience... especially about the fast attack boats as I am set to get my dad's ex-Navy 33' Fountain that saw duty in Bagdad.
|
Not mine UB.
So, my Naval Gunfire Support for a Battleship was in SoCal before DS, early 1988 after I got back from my second cruise...off of San Clemente Island, which is still a live fire range.
https://cnrsw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVBASE-Coronado/About/Installations/Naval-Auxiliary-Landing-Field-San-Clemente-Island/
I rehearsed the event like I was going on Broadway. I was, as the saying goes, sweating like an alcoholic on the second day of rehab the day of the NGS mission.
The coolest thing I have every said in thousands of hours of helo time was, "Fire for Effect" for a f'ing Battleship after two salvos: It was glorious.
To the Gulf.
First time was the escorting of re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers, Ernest Will, a complete Goat Rope. If they had, the Iranian's, any sense or capability, it would have gone much worse. It was embarrassing.
I was on a Frigate and the Captains Gig was a diesel powered nightmare that had a top speed of about 10 knots.
The Iranians were on rib boats and Whalers with many times that speed. At anchor in before we went through the Straits of Hormuz, it looked like Spring Break on Lake Havasu with white robes.
We fixed that. It was very interesting to see the quick evolution.
For the Gulf War Part Uno, I was the Air Boss on the USS La Salle, the command ship for COMIDEASTFOR. In that capacity I helped managed the "Desert Ducks" of HC-2 and flew with them when the La Salle was in port.
All logistics stuff, a$$ and trash and a lot of fun. The DD's knew how to party. We flew everybody around: News dweebs, celebs, etc.
As an SH-60B guy, Plank Owner in the first SH-60B squadron, flying the H-3's that the DD's flew was like leaving F-1 for dirt track night in Placerville in Bubbas Ford: a bit of a performance difference
Fun, but different.
The mighty-mighty:
That is the aircraft I landed on the Battleships with. No NGS at all. Pony and parts.
I did ride into port in Kuwait on a Kuwaiti fast boat the day Iraqi's were booted.
So, again, there are folks here that I admire because they know what I don't. I never pretend to be anything other than fortunate in my minor dust-ups.