Fire from the Sky: Seawolf Gunships in the Mekong Delta

by Richard C Knott USN (Ret.)

Overview

This is the dramatic history of the HAL-3 Seawolves, the U.S. Navy's first and only helicopter gunship squadron of the Vietnam War. The squadron was established in country to support the fast, pugnacious river patrol boats of the brown water navy. Flying combat-worn Hueys borrowed from the Army, the mission of the Seawolves quickly expanded to include rapid response air support to any friendly force in the Delta needing immediate, no-holds-barred assistance. Operating in two-plane detachments from specifically configured LSTs, hastily constructed bases, and primitive campsites, the navy gunships and their crews responded to calls within minutes. Flying in all kinds of weather, day and night, they arrived at tree-top level with forward-firing rockets and flex-guns blazing. Door gunners hung outside the violently maneuvering helicopters delivering a hail of fire with their hand-held M-60 machine guns. The Seawolves inserted SEALs deep into enemy territory, and extracted them, often despite savage enemy opposition. They rescued friendly combatants from almost certain capture or death, and evacuated the wounded when Medevac helicopters were not available. Gleaned from historical documents and the colorful recollections of more than sixty Seawolf warriors, this is the first complete history of the most decorated Navy squadron of the Vietnam War. Naval aviator Richard Knott recounts the story of the Seawolves from the dawning of the concept to the moment the last squadron commander turned out the lights.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591147763
Publisher:	Naval Institute Press
Publication date:	02/15/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Capt. Richard K. Knott (Ret.) is the author of The American Flying Boat and A Heritage of Wings. He is a recipient of the Admiral Arthur W. Radford Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation History and Literature and the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement. He lives with his wife, Eleanor, in Fairfax, Virginia.

Table of Contents

List of Ranks and Ratings ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: Scramble the Seawolves 1

1 The Mekong Delta 7

2 An Enemy Called Charlie 10

3 The First Seawolves 16

4 Gunships for the Navy 24

5 In the Thick of It 38

6 Navy Again 47

7 Ready or Noc 54

8 All in One Sock 59

9 Up Close and Personal 66

10 The Whisperer 75

11 Taking on All Comers 82

12 Tet '68 86

13 Of Seabirds and Lawnmowers 95

14 Keeping the Faith 102

15 Zumwalt, Sealords, and Vietnamization 110

16 Seawolves Down 116

17 The Ca Mau Peninsula 126

18 Cambodia, Sea Float, and Solid Anchor 139

19 Bad Day at VC Lake 151

20 The War Grinds On 161

21 Door Gunners 175

22 Of SEALs and Seawolves 190

23 Winding Down? Who Says? 199

24 Fun at the Beach 207

25 Turning Out the Lights 218

Epilogue 227

In Memoriam 229

Notes 231

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms 245

Bibliography 249

Index 253

Editorial Reviews

The Seawolves were a kind of special operations force in their own right, providing we SEALs and others in the Mekong Delta with the sort of rapid response support we could always count on, no matter what. I am alive today because of their bravery and tenacity. Fire from the Sky is their story and it is a good one.” — Rear Adm. Tom “Hulk” Richards, USN, SEAL Team One, Zulu Platoon “Dick Knott has done a masterful job recounting the squadron’s unique history, making it come alive with descriptions of individual heroism in triumph and tragedy. Fire from the Sky delivers a stunning strike right on target, illuminating the story of the Seawolves, one of the best kept secrets of naval history.” —Tom Phillips, Seawolf fire team leader, 1970-71 “A superbly interesting and accurate history of the U.S. Navy’s only helicopter gunship squadron. Fire from the Sky is a tribute to the Seawolf warriors who answered their country’s call and to our forty-four squadron mates who gave their lives in that endeavor.” — Capt. William “Bill” Mulcahy, USN (Ret.), last commanding officer of HA(L)-3 “For the Seawolves, combat was a daily norm and this book gets it right. It’s filled with real Seawolf history. You can almost smell the jungle, the rivers, and the firefights. Great read. Hard to put down!” — SCPO Bill Rutledge, Seawolf door gunner, 1969-72

From the Publisher