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NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski.

USS ENTERPRISE   (CVAN-65)

WestPac Deployments

Fifth WestPac/Vietnam War Deployment,
11 June 1971–12 February 1972

Photos by LT(JG) Sully Augustine, via Bob Canchola


NS-cvn65-sa71-01
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USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) underway with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14.

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View of island, with SCANFAR (SPS-32 & SPS-33) radar antennas. RA-5C Vigilante (NK602), RVAH-5 "Savage Sons;" A-6A Intruder, VA-196 "Main Battery" (BuNo 155600, later upgraded to A-6E and A-6E TRAM standards).

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Another view of the island, with (l-to-r) two F-4J Phantom IIs, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs;" one SH-3G Sea King, HC-1 "Pacific Fleet Angels" Det. 4; two RA-5C Vigilantes, RVAH-5 "Savage Sons;" two Oshkosh MB-5 fire trucks; one F-4J Phantom II, VF-142 "Ghostriders."

NS-cvn65-sa71-631
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A-7E Corsair II, BuNo 157437, modex NK303, VA-97 "Warhawks."

This particular aircraft was lost in combat, 25 June 1972, while operating with VA-22 "Fighting Redcocks" off Coral Sea—the last combat loss of Coral Sea in the Vietnam War. Pilot, LT Geoffrey R. Shumway, was KIA.

NS-cvn65-sa71-648
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A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-97 "Warhawks." Side number 300 is BuNo 156872; 303 is 157437.

NS-cvn65-sa71-633
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," modex NK100. Appears to be BuNo 155872, later upgraded to F-4S standard.

NS-cvn65-sa71-654
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," BuNo 155878, modex NK101. Later upgraded to F-4S standard.

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A-6E Corsair II, VA-97 "Warhawks," BuNo 156872, modex NK300 (left), and KA-6D Intruder, modex NK514, VA-196 "Main Battery."

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KA-6D Intruder, modex NK514, VA-196 "Main Battery."

NS-cvn65-sa71-646
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F-4J Phantom IIs, A-7E Corsair IIs, and A-6A Intruders parked on deck, with an SH-3G Sea King in flight.

NS-cvn65-sa71-647
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A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-97 "Warhawks" (3xx side numbers) and VA-27 "Royal Maces" (4xx), with an Intruder in the right background.

NS-cvn65-sa71-649
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A-7E Corsair II from VA-97 "Warhawks" about to trap aboard, with an Intruder and a Phantom II parked on deck.

NS-cvn65-sa71-08
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F-4J Phantom II, BuNo 155881, modex NK105, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs." (Later upgraded to F-4S.)

NS-cvn65-sa71-658
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SH-3G Sea Kings, HC-1 "Pacific Fleet Angels," Det. 4 "Glover's Vultures."

NS-cvn65-sa71-644
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SH-3G Sea Kings, HC-1 "Pacific Fleet Angels," Det. 4 "Glover's Vultures."

NS-cvn65-sa71-655
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SH-3G Sea King, BuNo 149711, modex NK007, HC-1 "Pacific Fleet Angels," Det. 4 "Glover's Vultures," apparently circa Christmas '71. Now on display at the USS Midway Museum, San Diego, CA.

NS-cvn65-sa71-661
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Same helicopter, different date.

NS-cvn65-sa71-639
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Nine-photo sequence. Launching A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-97 "Warhawks" and VA-27 "Royal Maces." Note an EKA-3B Skywarrior (BuNo 142638, side number 613) from VAQ-308 "Griffins;" this means that these photos were almost certainly taken in December 1971 or January 1972.

NS-cvn65-sa71-652
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Launching A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-97 "Warhawks." NK304 (BuNo 156812) launching from cat #2, NK310 (BuNo 156859) on cat #1, NK300 (BuNo 156872) taxiing to cat #2, NK311 (BuNo 156842) to cat #1.

NS-cvn65-sa71-636
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Launching A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-97 "Warhawks." NK310 (BuNo 156859) launching from cat #1, NK300 (BuNo 156872) on cat #2, NK311 (BuNo 156842) taxiing to cat #1.

NS-cvn65-sa71-637
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Launching a VF-142 "Ghostriders" F-4J Phantom II. VA-97 "Warhawks" and VA-27 "Royal Maces" A-7E Corsair IIs await their turn.

NS-cvn65-sa71-634
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Two VA-27 "Royal Maces" A-7E Corsair IIs await their turn, as another A-7E (modex NK300) is on #2 catapult.

NS-cvn65-sa71-635
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VA-27 "Royal Maces" A-7E Corsair II NK404 is now unfolding its wings and taxiing to #1 catapult.

NS-cvn65-sa71-650
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Launching VA-97 "Warhawks" and VA-27 "Royal Maces" A-7E Corsair IIs. An EKA-3B Skywarrior is also with them.

NS-cvn65-sa71-651
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Launching a VF-143 "Pukin Dogs" F-4J Phantom II and VA-97 "Warhawks" and VA-27 "Royal Maces" A-7E Corsair IIs.

NS-cvn65-sa71-641
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VA-97 "Warhawks" A-7E Corsair II NK300 (BuNo 156872) launches from #2 catapult.

NS-cvn65-sa71-671
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C-1A Trader, COD aircraft, recovering aboard. An F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," parked on the flight deck.

NS-cvn65-sa71-653
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Recovering COD aircraft, C-1A Trader (BuNo 146042?), with an A-6A Intruder (BuNo 155610, NK510) and an F-4J Phantom II (BuNo 155855, NK203).

NS-cvn65-sa71-657
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-142 "Ghostriders." Noses of two more F-4Js (left) and an A-6A Intruder, VA-196 "Main Battery" (right).

NS-cvn65-sa71-662
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F-4J Phantom IIs from VF-143 "Pukin Dogs" (side numbers 104 & 112) and VF-142 "Ghostriders" (200).

NS-cvn65-sa71-640
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UH-46D Sea Knight, BuNo 153413, modex SA5, HC-3 "Packrats," from USS San Jose (AFS-7, in the background) during a VERTREP. Date may be 11 January 1972, in the South China Sea.

NS-cvn65-sa71-660
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UH-46D Sea Knight, BuNo 153413, modex SA5, HC-3 "Packrats," from USS San Jose (AFS-7, in the background) during a VERTREP. Date may be 11 January 1972, in the South China Sea.

NS-cvn65-sa71-663
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UH-46D Sea Knight, BuNo 153413, modex SA5, HC-3 "Packrats," from USS San Jose (AFS-7, in the background) during a VERTREP. Date may be 11 January 1972, in the South China Sea.

NS-cvn65-sa71-659
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Bomb-laden A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-27 "Royal Maces" (left and center) and VA-97 "Warhawks" (right).

NS-cvn65-sa71-664
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Bomb-laden A-7E Corsair IIs from VA-27 "Royal Maces" (left and center) and VA-97 "Warhawks" (right).

NS-cvn65-sa71-669
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," recovering aboard, with a squadron mate parked on deck.

NS-cvn65-sa71-670
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," has just engaged an arresting wire, with a squadron mate parked on the port elevator.

NS-cvn65-sa71-638
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-142 "Ghostriders," BuNo 155882, NK212, getting ready to launch from a waist cat.

NS-cvn65-sa71-643
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Flight deck activity. Left: A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-27 "Royal Maces" and VA-97 "Warhawks." Center: A-6A Intruder (BuNo 155603, NK503) VA-196 "Main Battery." Right: RA-5C Vigilante, BuNo 156631, RVAH-5 "Savage Sons."

NS-cvn65-sa71-645
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The COD aircraft, a C-1A Trader, in flight. A radio "whip" antenna and one cone of a Phasor 90 ship-to-air communication are in the foreground.

NS-cvn65-sa71-672
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A-7E Corsair II, BuNo 157441, modex NK401, VA-27 "Royal Maces," ready to launch from catapult #4.

NS-cvn65-sa71-673
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Two A-7E Corsair IIs: NK405 (VA-27 "Royal Maces") launches from cat #4, and NK301 (VA-97 "Warhawks") gets ready on cat #2.

NS-cvn65-sa71-679
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Four A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-97 "Warhawks." Fore to background: NK312, NK304, NK302, NK301.

NS-cvn65-sa71-09
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Four A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-97 "Warhawks," NK302, NK301, and two more ready to be launched; RA-5C Vigilante, RVAH-5 "Savage Sons," NK602, BuNo 156635; two E-2B Hawkeyes, VAW-113 "Black Eagles," NK010 and NK012.

NS-cvn65-sa71-680
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Two F-4J Phantom IIs from VF-142 "Ghostriders." NK202 (BuNo 155765), and NK213 (BuNo 155844). Both were later upgraded to F-4S standard.

NS-cvn65-sa71-681
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Mk.80-series bombs, fitted with Tail Retarding Devices (TRD), and a VA-97 "Warhawks" A-7E Corsair II (upper right corner).

NS-cvn65-sa71-682
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F-4J Phantom II, VF-143 "Pukin Dogs," about to recover aboard. A-6A Intruder, BuNo 155602, NK502, parked on deck; later upgraded to A-6E standard.

NS-cvn65-sa71-683
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A-6A Intruder, BuNo 155599, NK513, VA-196 "Main Battery," has just recovered aboard.

NS-cvn65-sa71-684
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A-6A Intruder, VA-196 "Main Battery," NK514. Appears to be BuNo 155583, later upgraded to A-6E.

NS-cvn65-sa71-685
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Close-up of an AS-2034 antenna, SPN-43 surveillance and air traffic control radar, while a VA-196 "Main Battery" Intruder approaches in the background.

NS-cvn65-sa71-686
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SH-3G Sea King, NK006, HC-1 "Pacific Fleet Angels," Det. 4 "Glover's Vultures."

NS-cvn65-sa71-687
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A-7E Corsair II, BuNo 157437, NK303, VA-97 "Warhawks." (See also photo NS-cvn65-sa71-631.)

NS-cvn65-sa71-700
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A-7E Corsair II, NK407, VA-27 "Royal Maces."

NS-cvn65-sa71-701
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A-6A Intruder, BuNo 155610, NK510, VA-196 "Main Battery" (left); F-4J Phantom II, BuNo 155855, NK203, VF-142 "Ghostriders." 155610 was later upgraded to A‑6E standard and 155855 to F-4S.

NS-cvn65-sa71-702
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A-7E Corsair II, VA-27 "Royal Maces." A-6A Intruder, NK502, parked on deck (see also NS-cvn65-sa71-682.)

NS-cvn65-sa71-703
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Preparing A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-27 "Royal Maces."

NS-cvn65-sa71-16
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Preparing A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-27 "Royal Maces."

NS-cvn65-sa71-691
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With USS Orleck (DD-886), probably at Point "Charlie," off the Southern tip of India, December 1971–January 1972, while part of Task Force 74.

NS-cvn65-sa71-14
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A Skywarrior refueling a Vigilante.

NS-cvn65-sa71-24
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"Wind over Deck."
 
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The Big E at anchor.
   

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Last update: 31 May 2019