| The "Crusader"
The Vought F8 "Crusader" saw
action early in U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. Its fighter
models participated both in the first Gulf of Tonkin reprisal in
August 1964 and in the myriad attacks against North Vietnam
during Operation Rolling Thunder. The Crusader was used
exclusively by the Navy and Marine air wings (although there is
one U.S. Air Force pilot reported shot down on an F8) and
represented half or more of the carrier fighters in the Gulf of
Tonkin during the first four years of the war. The aircraft was
credited with nearly 53% of MiG kills in Vietnam.
The most frequently used
fighter versions of the Crusader in Vietnam were the C, D, and E
models although the H and J were also used. The Charlie carried
only Sidewinders on fuselage racks, and were assigned such
missions as CAP (Combat Air Patrol), flying at higher altitudes.
The Echo model had a heavier reinforced wing able to carry extra
Sidewinders or bombs, and were used to attack ground targets,
giving it increased vulnerability. The Echo version launched with
less fuel, to accommodate the larger bomb store, and frequently
arrived back at ship low on fuel. The RF-A models were equipped
for photo reconnaissance. The RF-G were also photographic
versions, but with additional cameras and navigational
equipment.
The combat attrition rate of
the Crusader was comparable to similar fighters. Between 1964 to
1972, eighty-three Crusaders were either lost or destroyed by
enemy fire. Another 109 required major rebuilding. 145 Crusader
pilots were recovered; 57 were not. Twenty of these pilots were
captured and released. The other 43 remained missing at the end
of the war. In addition, there were 16 pilots who went down on
photographic versions of the aircraft. Of these 16, seven were
captured (six were released, one died in captivity).
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