Yorktown Apollo Recovery (CVS 10) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 26 text:

HS-4 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four was commis- sioned in June, 1952 at Auxili- ary Landing Field Ream, San Ysidro, Calif. Since com- missioning,the squadron has flown many differenttypes of helicopters , including the HO- 2, HO-4S, HSS-1N, SH-3A, and SH-3D. The squadron is now equipped with 17 SH-3D turbine powered helicopters. HS-4 was the first ASW helo squadron to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Ren- dova QCVE-1145. In 1961 the squadron became the first command in NAVAIRPAC to achieve a 24-hour helo ASW capability with the HSS-1N. The initiation of HS-4 into the TonkinGulf Yacht Club ' came during the 1966 WEST- PAC cruise. While operating in the Gulf of Tonldn, HS-4 pi- lots and aircrewmen rescued 24 downed airmen-the large st number recorded by any ASW squadron to date. . The SH- 3D Sea King' helicopter, built by Sikorsky Aircraft, is the latest model night, all-weather, anti-submarine warfare helicopter in use by the United States Navy. lt is powered by two General Electric, T-58, gas turbine engines which produce approximately 1,250 continuous shaft horsepower each. The maximum endurance for the SH-3D is over 7 hours with a max- mum range of about 700 miles. With a normal crew of a pilot, co-pilot, and two airborne so- nar technicians QAircrewmen5, the SH-3D is equipped with AQS-13 dipping sonar to carry out its mission of submarine detection and destruction. From its four external bomb racks the SH- 3D can deliver either conventional or nuclear weapons. One-time holder of the worlds speed record for helicopters, the Sea King has greatly reduced the time required to reach a contact area. Commanding ff icer Cdr Donald S. Jones, Command- ing Officer of HS-4 , was born inMad- ison, Wisconsin and attended high school and the University of Wiscon- sin there. He enlisted in the Navy in 1950 and a year later commenced flight training as a Naval.Aviation Ca- det. Upon graduation in February, 195 3 he was commissioned as Ensign. In 1955, while assigned as ASW Helicopter Project Officer with Air Development Squadron ONE QVX-11 , he accepted a regular commission Page 25 as Ltjg, USN. Subsequent squadrons assignments have included HS-1, and two tours with HS-5. In 1959 Cdr Jones completed post- graduate insturction at the Naval In- tellegence School. He was later or- dered to the Taiwan Defense Com- mand in Taipei. Prior to reporting to HS-4 as Executive Officer he was assigned to the Strategic Plans Divi- sion in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. On November 27, 1968, Cdr Jones took command of HS-4.

Page 25 text:

Air Groups Embarked VRW--111, Det. 34 Cdr George Ormond , Jr., Officer-in- Charge of VAW-111, Detatch- ment 34, was born on June 24, 1933, in Far Rockway, New York. He attended Long Is- land Agricultural And Technical Institute be- fore entering the Naval Aviation .Cadet pro- I gram in Nov. 1953. He was commissioned and designated a Naval Aviator in May, 1955. His first duty assignment was with Attack Squadron 176, flying the A-1 Skyraider . Subsequent assignmentshave included a tour at the Naval CIC School, duty as Assistant CIC Officer on USS Shangri-Lag and adeployment to the Mediterranean as Officer-in-Charge of VAW-12's Detatchment 42, embarked on USS Roosevelt. Prior to reporting to VAW-111 in September. 1968, Commander Ormond attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. ll! VR 30 CREW Members of the VR 30 squadron that were onboard to fly the astronauts to Hawaii The mission of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 111 is primarily used as air- borne early warning to extend the radar cover- age of the Yorktown. The aircraft carries a crew of five that can position jet-fighters to intercept enemy aircraft in the event of an air attack. The plane commander assisted by the co-pilot and thru the directions of the radar controller position the E-1B to provide the most effective radar capability and coverage. The complex electronics system is operated by two Naval Flight Officers as Radar Controllers and one Enlisted Flight Technician to maintain the system at peak performance. An interesting feature of the E-1B is the massive radome. It is aerodynamically de- signed to provide it's own lift in flight thus producing a minimum amount of drag on the aircraft. VR 30, Det. VR-30' s primary mission is logistic support for the West Coast. VR-30 is based at NAS Alameda, Calif. , and fly C-131 and C-1 OOD type aircraft. Assigned by AIRPAC to assist in logistic support for the Yorktown, Detatch- ment D flew the astronauts and NASA per- sonnel off the ship to Hawaii on the first leg of their trip back to Houston. LCdr Al Miller is the Officer-in Charge and Lt Stephen Collins and Ltjg Bill Barsz are co-pilots AMH2 Clar ence Atkinson and ADR2 Craig Ulrich are crew men with the detatchment Page 24 . Q Q p as I 1 Q. Q Q . I ' 1 If A 9 s 0

Page 27 text:

operation among all the groups involved in the UDT-12 Underwater Demolition Team 12 assigned ten meng three officers and seven enlisted personnel, to the Apollo 8 recovery. Ltjg Richard J. Flanagan was the Officer-,inn Charge of the recovery team. K UDT-12 is home based at the U. S. Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Calif., and is part of the amphibious forces under the con- trol ofthe Naval Special Warfare Group Pac- cific. Deployments to' WESTPAC are made on a rotation basis with UDT-11 and 13. While deployed, Team 12 is engaged, in beach recon- naissance of friendly and hostile beaches in Vietnam, demolition jobs as wellas clear- ing wreckage or blasting sandbars for land- ings , and accompanying Riverine For ces in the M ekong Delta. UD T-12 holds the Navy Unit Citation a S well as numerous individual awards among which are 17 purple hearts from their last deployment. q p Training for the Apollo 8 recovery began last October in San Diego Bay. The pros- pective personnelbecame acquainted with the boilerplate andflotation collar. After the in- troductory phase, work began with the pilots from HS-4, practicing attatching the collar after exiting from the helicopter. Throughout the operation the job was made much easier by the skill and courage of the HS-4 pilots who manuvered their helicopters to the most ad- vantageous position for the swimmer even if that meant thatthe pilot could hardly see be- cause of spray from the rotors. Upon completion of training in San Diego final teams selected flew to Hawaii where they joined the Yorktown. More training followed inPearl Harbor and at sea and then--Decem- ber 27. Recovery went as smoothly as the practices due to the professional skill and co- ,. , ....t . . . N, ,Q WM ., X 1 .I , K L ,A ' S' -- . X Am .- swf- is X ' A ip 1852 . , MAA Q, ' .KK K gli' ' ,A 1'..,. as-A .A A 'f ., -X 1... s,.- 4'-fa1A.As - .,,,. . . Xp .W-... . Q A - ,. gp .. ,As --A-MQ-.5 AAw. A-AA ,. X . XX A f 4A 3- sow- KV K A Kin... 355 SK --W-mvg-fR'g3,g1Is:NvK K Mqgmwri t..,, ,tp. . K ,A .Kf. My KKWMKK K KK K 1, ,Afz.,sk'.'ms-A A.m.A+AN'4 'A ..Aw A .. X .,x-elf pp ...A . , . ,. - MK, X X xwsm Nl- K. As, g - K , A x. Y- if A Afgw A i .A s,A N .1 - ' Qnffw 1 .K K K QA... .,.,.N,. R. N KK KKKM K -yavifx-' W . .. . Us gA0'A'NPXf Ami .A . A . .. ,.,A recovery. If mp, . , A ..,,Wf 'vi A ' 11 'if AMW ,WK ' bf ,, ,, ,An Mg, ,M .V gif f ,Mi , ,,,. A ,,1.v+-it f' , ' K KW Ki, K K ,, m,,,A , 1 4, L A A.. f ,W A ' an I ,..,,- A.-,H , ,., , ,, K H , , f ,Wm K. ' I If ,ff f --,, ff M , , ,MA Af A. AA ,, f A, , A s, , ,, X .t-. A ,MW ,,,, -A A , . , .. fa M . .f A' ,A A X X Yi W 5 . .ww-. .Af .- -. W A A - -...oA.A....., A ,. H ,. Aa ev ,, ,W-A,A,, .N ,Q W -.,,, W...W ,,,. ,,.. .AA -.- - - A-: A Ai A .M ' H , . W , ,Q ,Qrn . ... A A, Y., A.. , -N A 54 -...gp gg.. A AAA.:sAf.f - - , ' f ' A A, . Aa- , ffm- K p .slap WS-AR.A:,,QsAA.. A.. .X :Ki A A .K -K4 K - .. A ,K K- ,4 ,pw fills? , f!wi.,,f. KY AA ,, WM, K A an-,NAV of .5 AS. A- .AQ ' Mi t H A Miva:-4-iff s . -MM . A X A .. As ' A. . -.n M., A ,,- ' f' A I ' Ng., 4-.2 ws- X' N . 5 A-wgw:-I5 ' - '- 'w..m.:gg-A .15 sswKA,N,,.K -Y' N., --Ars ,.,,,A:. W:-...Q-sf.-.Q .. . I . ,V M A 'f' , ,.9v....o-0' .ff A Aw wx X . A AJ W I . , , A .ef 4 ' wa., A I 4 A I ,Ky K .. ,A - A X aw- .tiff As. 'X ' ' , f , V X ,. gms N , Y Q v, , p pvp, .. .. .K ppppp , C .L Y ff' it V - -my f. .Ars X iws':A?..x.A.f.AiA. f AAAA AAN-A . K QA .A A. i. - K K N 1 K KK iirxtwx J ...A . Kr K, . QW . Q. . .Aw A. ' XM: jA, M gKur 4K ,at A I iff it M T AX YV if-7XA -:.fmiAQ-Amff-6i5Tf. f'. . , X -X ' A WSC - f' -- --' .A . A X - 'A XA ,,.' ' Wi:-if ...A A A ...ww .. A Af Xl,kAAxXX .- A a A A KK F.,,gr-SQMPQT' KKKA5 .fx y NAXQAN 5 .X X' x A'K.- U ,A 'K -X 'C ' A is -oN,xfXwA--Y-X-A -sf Aw , . ' A ,, A A- K .A -' QAW. if-f ,. ici X A..,f...,.. ' X ,, . . X Q . . K A .. N. ,.,. s. A Q. . V351 QNAA ,., ., AA AAWAN X 3 1 :AqfssfiA-is, ' A AA A. Qt- fs... 0.-.+ - A . ,pw .SX-' 'T QN'-iii-.Rexx -AA., A-. .A 3+ ' ., ..,-4 . Af sf.. X Xi S .si SNXTNA NN-'Eff' 'ix X ' 'J' - Q . .A T O A . ...AK . K A-wp .X N ,AA .N s . KKfXKVmxJ,.+A A if QAAA5-K i Qi, 1 X kiwi 4 'km X 3' ' ix' 1 ..,....,.s1p.: . is A X -. A- . ' ' 4 it L k , fm4AAAAsisAA Ka6e.A A . k -Q 1.3 L' .. Kiimpniix A xi' AA. Aa. AA, K.K K K Ki9A5.....4.'ffM.gAvA ,K 1 A 'lv 1 'N' gm QTQQNAFQQQ-F cl W K A . F.. . W 5lfAff'-N QW ,,,,,,g,...w . -W A M-W , is . . K ,MQW .. k I , K VSGA. S? ,..3,,,.,c- ., A A K 1 - , .,-an-4 A .. ,me --'A - N. NWA- ,,., .,. . ,fart - K rs wt-fg.gf'fxg4.sA gy. - KK - - .Qi KKyp,i,xKg5.,.g,Nil,.?z. A- -- AA .. .A . QM A ' ,,.. A I A 13' ,. Kn.L... f ...M J AQ K 8,1 ,. 'yl 'gLf T:'K MM, ,K '7.v'Q .xr .Ki ,K , aww A- , ,,.,,, K .MW an ,,., MW A, S' X , -, .,, M-,-'f ,f , ,- Ra.,,X, 1, f . , ,, 7. ,yfg ,gg g M ..,..m 'w, nv ,ff ff , , A4 , - gf 'tv ,pf it 'QA I As, .A - L , - ' ' . -.Mn N' ,M- A fK5:,,KK-gg., A A, K ,A ONLY HITCH IN ENTIRE RECOVERY--While accompanying capsule alongside Yorktown for pickup one of the frognen from UDT-I2 spotted a shark and warned his fellow frogman. who swam quickly to the raft. Page 26 my