US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1969-73 (Combat Aircraft)

Peter E. Davies

Chapter 1 Recap This chapter will very briefly recap on the combat introduction of the Phantom II by the first US Navy squadrons to be involved in the South East Asia conflict in 1964-65 Chapter 2 Bombing Halt Operations US Navy Seventh Fleet operations off Vietnam continued during the 1968 'bombing halt', after which President Nixon began his policy of 'Vietnamization' Chapter 3 Increasing Action 'Protective reaction' strikes continued into 1971 with attacks by F-4s on anti-aircraft artillery positions protecting the trails network in South Vietnam, extending into North Vietnam where the increasing defences prompted calls for more destructive US responses Chapter 4 Combat For All From the beginning of 1972 it was clear that a North Vietnamese advance into South Vietnam was likely. MiG activity increased and the US Navy flew almost 100 'protective reaction' strikes in the first quarter of the year against the massive North Vietnamese presence on the borders of the South. Six Phantom II squadrons were on station at the start of the year Chapter 5 Linebacker Two additional aircraft carriers were ordered to Yankee Station in mid-1972 for Linebacker, bringing four more Phantom II squadrons (including one US Marines Corps F-4J unit) to battle. Successes against VPAF MiGs continued throughout the rest of 1972 Appendices: - US Navy F-4 wartime squadron deployments, dates and carriers in 1969-73 - Plates Commentaries Index