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Authors: T. I. Wade
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Leader, my number two took a direct missile hit,”
reported an F-5 pilot. “
Two aircraft are OK and there are no missiles airborne on my radar. We are right behind the Foxtrot Fours for Dyess. Fuel levels good.”
“Well done men,” replied the general saddened that he had just lost a few good men and very valuable aircraft. “There should be ground crew ready for you when you arrive. There are C-130 tankers airborne if you need air refueling, but you should make it. Don’t take any chances and, Foxtrot Leaders, I want you refueled, armed and ready ASAP. We might be able to get a night raid in. Did you see much down there?”
“We hit them good, exploding damage for twenty, thirty miles. There isn’t a part of their convoy which isn’t a mile within smoke and or fire. The rear section got hit real bad from the Fours, and we did a smaller number on the vanguard group. They have missile launchers everywhere, so watch out for incoming.”
“OK, Super Tweets, we are next and ten minutes out. The sun will be setting by the time we get there, and I think since we are slower we will split up. Powers, Roebels and Smart, you are with me, we are going in straight from the east for the vanguard group. You other three Tweets form up under Watkins; come in from the south turn eastwards and get the sun behind you. Go into the rear group and complete one pass. Look out for us we are coming in from the east and we will break south before we get into the second groups area. We are slower and the missiles will have more time to lock onto us, so we are going in at nosebleed level above the ground and we will stay there; don’t climb if there are hot missiles. Second group, attack in sections of about a mile; get off several of your rockets like you did in training and then turn away to the south and come around and get back into what’s left of the sun. If you see or hear missiles stay as close to the ground as you can for three to four minutes. I believe the missiles are heat-seeking and there is a lot of heat on the ground. Then, go in for a second and a third attack.
Watkins, aim your second attack on the second group and then hit the rear group again.
My group will concentrate on the vanguard group from the east. Gunships, the sun will have set by the time you get there. I want all of you to come in south of the road and from the west once the Tweets are out of there. Pick the largest black areas on your heat sights. Use your infra-red to fire, stay as far out as you can and stay low, we can’t afford to lose more aircraft. We have “
Puff
” twenty minutes behind us to pick up any downed pilots, so find roads if you need to land. Carlos, AC-47, you are last and tie in with any emergency commands. Everyone, stay low and strafe the ditches and holes where soldiers could be hiding. They should run out of stuff to throw at us sometime so every missile they launch means one less they have.”
As planned it was getting dark when the two groups of Super Tweets went in together twenty minutes later, the first time many of the girls were seeing real action. They had trained for this for six weeks now, including how to dodge ground-to-air missiles, but were still green behind the ears and each one scared, but the time was now and they needed to concentrate.
Manuel crawled out from the remains of his jeep. His ears hurt like hell, and he looked around for the radioman he had with him. He found part of his body and a useless smashed radio.
He couldn’t hear the remainder of the jets heading out, and he looked at the trail of chaos left behind. The one jeep and three transporters behind where he had left the road were nothing more than a burning mass of twisted metal. It was hot and the smoke burned his lungs but he ran ungainly down the road until he reached one of his commanders shouting orders for the men to get into town. Manuel had passed twelve burning vehicles before he found his man in an untouched jeep.
Here there were
reported an F-5 pilot. “
Two aircraft are OK and there are no missiles airborne on my radar. We are right behind the Foxtrot Fours for Dyess. Fuel levels good.”
“Well done men,” replied the general saddened that he had just lost a few good men and very valuable aircraft. “There should be ground crew ready for you when you arrive. There are C-130 tankers airborne if you need air refueling, but you should make it. Don’t take any chances and, Foxtrot Leaders, I want you refueled, armed and ready ASAP. We might be able to get a night raid in. Did you see much down there?”
“We hit them good, exploding damage for twenty, thirty miles. There isn’t a part of their convoy which isn’t a mile within smoke and or fire. The rear section got hit real bad from the Fours, and we did a smaller number on the vanguard group. They have missile launchers everywhere, so watch out for incoming.”
“OK, Super Tweets, we are next and ten minutes out. The sun will be setting by the time we get there, and I think since we are slower we will split up. Powers, Roebels and Smart, you are with me, we are going in straight from the east for the vanguard group. You other three Tweets form up under Watkins; come in from the south turn eastwards and get the sun behind you. Go into the rear group and complete one pass. Look out for us we are coming in from the east and we will break south before we get into the second groups area. We are slower and the missiles will have more time to lock onto us, so we are going in at nosebleed level above the ground and we will stay there; don’t climb if there are hot missiles. Second group, attack in sections of about a mile; get off several of your rockets like you did in training and then turn away to the south and come around and get back into what’s left of the sun. If you see or hear missiles stay as close to the ground as you can for three to four minutes. I believe the missiles are heat-seeking and there is a lot of heat on the ground. Then, go in for a second and a third attack.
Watkins, aim your second attack on the second group and then hit the rear group again.
My group will concentrate on the vanguard group from the east. Gunships, the sun will have set by the time you get there. I want all of you to come in south of the road and from the west once the Tweets are out of there. Pick the largest black areas on your heat sights. Use your infra-red to fire, stay as far out as you can and stay low, we can’t afford to lose more aircraft. We have “
Puff
” twenty minutes behind us to pick up any downed pilots, so find roads if you need to land. Carlos, AC-47, you are last and tie in with any emergency commands. Everyone, stay low and strafe the ditches and holes where soldiers could be hiding. They should run out of stuff to throw at us sometime so every missile they launch means one less they have.”
As planned it was getting dark when the two groups of Super Tweets went in together twenty minutes later, the first time many of the girls were seeing real action. They had trained for this for six weeks now, including how to dodge ground-to-air missiles, but were still green behind the ears and each one scared, but the time was now and they needed to concentrate.
Manuel crawled out from the remains of his jeep. His ears hurt like hell, and he looked around for the radioman he had with him. He found part of his body and a useless smashed radio.
He couldn’t hear the remainder of the jets heading out, and he looked at the trail of chaos left behind. The one jeep and three transporters behind where he had left the road were nothing more than a burning mass of twisted metal. It was hot and the smoke burned his lungs but he ran ungainly down the road until he reached one of his commanders shouting orders for the men to get into town. Manuel had passed twelve burning vehicles before he found his man in an untouched jeep.
Here there were
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