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The rescue of Bat 21
After the EB-66 call-sign Bat 21 was shot down on Apr. 2, 1972 and its only survivor navigator and World War 2 veteran Lt Col Iceal ‘Gene’ Hambleton landed in a rice paddy [CLICK HERE to read the first part of this story describing the shooting down of Bat 21], two A-1 Skyraider ‘Sandy’ aircraft escorting a pair of HH-53 Super Jolly helicopters headed for the potential rescue site, unaware of the massive enemy presence.
As told by Peter E. Davies in his book B/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat, O-2 Super Skymaster ‘Bilk 34’ flown by 1Lt Bill Jankowski and Capt Lyle Wilson, led them to Hambleton’s position, where the extent of the ground fire and enemy troop movements quickly became obvious. The first rescue attempt was made by two US Army ‘Blueghost’ AH-1G Cobras and a pair of UH-1H Hueys from the 8th Cavalry Regiment. Their crews were also unaware of the severe opposition, and believed that there might be six EB-66C survivors to pick up.
As the first Cobra approached Hambleton’s location, firing rockets and 40 mm grenades at opposing ground fire, it and UH-1H ‘Blueghost 39’ were shredded by gunfire from every side. The UH-1H was hit in its engine and crash-landed behind enemy lines. Capt Mike Rosebeary steered his badly damaged Cobra away from the punitive ground fire and warned the other helicopters off, before force-landing on a beach. He and his crewman were duly recovered from here by an HH-53.
OV-10A Bronco ‘Nail 59’
Meanwhile, Hambleton used his radio to direct the fire of the two Sandy A-1s at ground targets around him. As the weather closed in, the damaged A-1s returned to Da Nang and the HH-53s were told to hold off due to the constant ground fire.
JSARC also called in 8th TFW F-4s from Ubon RTAFB to undertake a MiGCAP in case VPAF fighters attempted to intervene or attack the command and control HC-130. Tactical aircraft flew up to 90 bombing attacks daily, many through very thick cloud using Skyspot or LORAN. That onslaught was to continue for ten days in an attempt to keep the NVA away from ‘Bat 21 Bravo’.
A new on-scene command aircraft, OV-10A Bronco ‘Nail 59’ with a laser designator and advanced LORAN navigation equipment, arrived later on 3 April. It established an exact location for Hambleton, who was supplying regular reports on the heavy road traffic, including many tanks, that passed within 25 ft of him. The ‘Nail’ pilot, Capt Gary Ferentchak, refuelled and rearmed at Da Nang, and upon returning to the battle he was alarmed to see five SAMs launched from the DMZ at the HC-130 (‘King 27’) that had moved within their range. Luckily, EB-66E ‘Bat 22’ could report the launches and allow the HC-130 pilot, Maj Dennis Constant, to make a violent diving turn. The SA-2s exploded above his aircraft, damaging the No 4 engine and the pneumatic systems. ‘King 27’ departed for Da Nang, while another missile salvo was launched at ‘Nail 59’. Ferentchak was also able to evade the missiles.
Apr. 3 rescue attempt
His watch then passed to a succession of ‘Pave Nails,’ none of whom received any briefing on the ‘big picture’ regarding the invasion or the battle raging close to Hambleton.
Two more 40th ARRS HH-53s with night vision equipment were transferred from Nakhon Phanom to Da Nang, ready for a rescue attempt later on 3 April. This effort required six ‘Sandy’ A-1s and two HH-53s from the 37th ARRS at Da Nang. After checking in with ‘Nail 38’, a SAR package of two ‘Sandy’ A-1s and an HH-53 was led towards Hambleton’s exact position by the OV-10A. As soon as they broke through cloud cover, they attracted a storm of AAA and small arms fire that caused severe damage to ‘Jolly Green 65’ (commanded by Lt Cdr Jay Crowe of the US Coast Guard). With destroyed instruments and navigation systems and failing controls, Crowe manhandled the HH-53 to the nearest airfield at Hue/Phu Bai, which was under heavy enemy rocket attack.
In better weather, another rescue attempt was made using ‘Jolly Green 66’ led by ‘Sandy 03’ with three more A-1s. The area seemed to have quietened a little, and Lt Col Bill Harris, 37th ARRS commander, took ‘Jolly Green 66’ down to Hambleton’s hide-out. In the final moments of his approach heavy gunfire from a row of ten camouflaged armoured vehicles opened up, forcing Harris to turn away with severe damage.
Covering the rescue area
‘Nail 38’ (OV-10A 68-3789 of the 23rd TASS) returned to cover the rescue area. Descending to 2000 ft, supposedly below the minimum engagement altitude for SA-2s, pilot Lt Bill Henderson and observer 1Lt Mark Clark heard a warning of a SAM launch and took evasive action but saw no missile. Seconds later their aircraft was hit in the tail and a huge explosion engulfed the OV-10, shattering its canopy and throwing it into an impossible flight attitude. Both men immediately ejected, surviving gunfire as they parachuted down and landed near the Mieu Giang River.
Three Huey helicopters closed in for a quick rescue, but they were targeted by two salvos of SA-2s. No EB-66s were available to deal with these unexpected missiles. A UH-1H in the trio that would have rescued Clark and Henderson, and possibly Hambleton too, was repeatedly hit by ground fire and the three helicopters had to retreat to Quang Tri, where all were written off due to flak damage. Henderson was discovered and captured an hour later.
Another rescue attempt on Apr. 4 had to be abandoned despite strenuous ‘Sandy’ flak suppression.
On Apr. 6 there were many more air strikes on the NVA by USAF and South Vietnamese aircraft. In the afternoon, another SAR force set out for Hambleton, who had evaded capture for four days.
At least ten men lost
As ‘Jolly Green 67’ (68-10365) moved in to pick up Hambleton, surrounded by four A-1s, it was targeted by ground fire from all directions. Pilot Capt Peter Chapman hastily abandoned his attempt, but as he sought a safe exit his helicopter was repeatedly hit whichever way he turned. A fire in the left engine was followed by disintegration of both rotors and a fiery crash that incinerated the helicopter and all six of its crew. Clearly further attempts at rescue by air were far too risky. At least ten men had been lost, together with eight aircraft. Four more were badly damaged. In all, 800 strike sorties – sometimes up to 25 per cent of the sorties in that area – had been flown in support of the rescue effort.
Gene Hambleton remained in hiding in his small pit in the jungle, trapped between two armies in conflict while his eventual recovery by more covert methods was planned.
A Special Forces team led by Marine Lt Col Andy Anderson and US Navy SEAL Lt Tom Norris devised a plan for the extraction of Lt Mark Clark (‘Nail 38 Bravo’), who was hiding near the Mieu Giang River.
Bat 21 rescue
Hambleton, more than half a mile from the river, had to be guided there using secret code-word directions based on reconnaissance by FACs. En route, he was stabbed in the back by a resident of the village that had housed the main AAA sites. The team set up a position on shore on Apr. 10, evading constant enemy patrols, and waited for Clark to float downstream for them to rescue him successfully. Hambleton, wounded and close to total exhaustion, also made it to the river.
Norris and Vietnamese commando Nguyen Van Kiet disguised themselves as fishermen and took a sampan along the river through extensive enemy activity. They found Hambleton hiding in bushes near the shore and navigated the boat to safety, despite frequent challenges and gunfire from NVA positions – all of which were noted for air attack by US Navy A-4 Skyhawks and USAF A-1s minutes later. Under a smokescreen, they sailed to their safe outpost.
Lt Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor and Kiet received the Navy Cross.
B/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
