RAAF F-4E PHANTOM II's

[dinomartino1]

RAAF F-4E PHANTOM II's
In October 1963 the Australian government announced the purchase of the then untested General Dynamics F-111. The aircraft ordered were due for delivery in 1968 to replace the RAAF's fleet of Government Aircraft Factory built English Electric Canberra bombers. However by 1969 continuing problems with the F-111 programme and a possible delivery date of 1974, if at all, meant an interim type was required as the Canberra's were running out of airframe hours. Air Vice Marshal C F Read led a team to the United States to examine proposals for a interim strike aircraft in May 1970. To the delight of many senior RAAF officers and aircrew, Read recommended the Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II ahead of the Grumman A-6 Intruder and the British Blackburn Buccaneer.

In June 1970 the Australian government announced the unusual step of leasing twenty four Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II's at a cost of US$34 Million over a two year period inclusive of spares and training. A little known feature of the agreement was that under U.S law, leased equipment could be demanded on the asis ofextraordinary contractual actions to facilitate the national defense".he U.S could demand the return of the Phantom's at any time! The agreement also contained an option for Australia to buy the F-4's at US$12 Million each, should the F-111 program be cancelled.

On October 25th,1972 six RAAF Phantom's flown by USAF crews from the 388th TFW returned to the United States along with KC-135A Stratotanker support. Five Phantom's returned to the US in November 1972, six more departed on June 6th 1973 and another four returned on June 21st,1973. The last official RAAF Phantom flight was June 20th,1973. Finally on June 22nd,1973 the last two Phantom's departed for their US home. After only 2 years 9 months and 3 days the Phantom's RAAF tour of duty was complete.

The RAAf did not deploy it's Phantoms during its involvement in the war in Vietnam.

RAAF F-4E on delivery from the US to Australia.Note the full load of tanks and travel pod

RAAF F-4E high over the Pacific heading for Australia bring refuelled by a USAF stratotanker.

RAAF Amberley in the early 1970's with Hercules, Orions, Caribou, Huey, Canberras, Mirages Phantoms.

RAAF Pearce,WA with a full compliment of auxiliary fuel tanks.

RAAF Amberley along with replacement General Dynamics F-111C.

McDonnell Douglas, St Louis Missouri,prior to delivery to the RAAF.

Over Clontarf,QLD.

 

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R
AAF Townsville,Qld for the RAAF Jubilee Air Show in 1971.Note in the background C-130 Hercules, P-3 Orions, Mirages and Sabres.

RAAF Pearce,WA.

RAAF Edinburgh,SA.

Over South East Queensland.

 

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RAAF Amberley along with replacement General Dynamics F-111C

RAAF Amberley,QLD.

 

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Retirement form the RAAF, on the flight line at Hill AFB,Utah a few days after her transpac ferry flight and eventual conversion to F-4G

Coming into land at RAAF Darwin,NT. dummy AIM-7 Sparrow mounted on wing pylons and in the front fuselage recess

South East Asia ammo scheme isan early photo of an RAAF F-4E at RAAF Laverton,Vic

test flight pulling vortices

six RAAF F-4E's awaiting delivery from McDonnell Douglas at StLouis in 1970.

Early 1973 and these RAAF 1 SQN Phantom's are about to break prior to landing.

 

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F-4 Cravat used by RAAF F-4E crews who flew in the RAAF's 50th Anniversary Airshows during 1971.

RAAF 82 Wing Crews often sported this style of patch on the upper left sleeve of their flight suits.

RAAF 82 Wing Spook Strike - Recce Patch as worn by 82 Wing Crews on the upper right sleeve of their flight suits.

 

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1 SQN crew pose for the last F-4 flight by 1 Sqn RAAF on May 28th 1973.

RAAF 1SQN Formation Team

The first photo of 1Sqn crews with their new F-4E taken in November 1970

RAAF crews head for debriefing. the nearest F-4E has rarely seen Sidewinder and Sparrows fitted and is yet to under go the
Midas 4 gun blast diffuser upgrade,whilst the next F-4E has had the Midas 4 upgrade completed

RAAF 6SQN Crews at RAAF Townsville,QLD in 1971

This impressive 16 aircraft formation is led by WGCDR Al Reed CO 6 SQN on June 15th,1972

6 SQN with 69-7214 "14" at RAAF Darwin,NT during exercise Pepper Pot October-November 1971.

RAAF F-4E with the AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder.The RAAF carried out a trial for the USAF at Darwin to cold soak the missiles at very cold temperatures at high altitude. ARDU assisted with the telemetry tasks.

 

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82 Wing RAAF

The spray effect at engine start up early in the morning is evident in this photo,it comes about when operating the blown flaps and slats after moisture has collected overnight

RAAF 6 SQN

1 SQN 82 Wing

82 Wing Spook with the RAAF 51st Anniversary F-4 Display Pilots in 1972

AIM-7 Sparrow missile

WGCDR Al Reed ceases command of 6SQN RAAF with his final F-4E flight in June 1972.
Helping WGCDR Reed celebrate is the Phamous Phantom Spook at RAAF Amberley,Qld.

LAC Bryant RAAF,Corporal McCombe RAAF,Technical Sergeant Christian USAF and LAC Zscheh RAAF, work on an F-4E's Westinghouse APQ-120 Radar.

 

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RAAF and USAF Crews at McDill AFB,Florida for F-4E conversion with the USAF's 4530th TFTS August 1970.

aircraft is fitted with a full compliment of auxillary fuel tanks and SUU-20 practice bomb dispenser

Crew Briefing prior to the RAAF 50th Anniversary Airshow at RAAF Amberley,Qld in 1971

'
10" and 6 SQN crew toast the last F-4 flight by 6 SQN RAAF October 4th 1972.

On May 17th,1972 a pair of 6 SQN RAAF F-4E Phantom II's set a then record flight time from
RAAF Darwin to RAAF Amberley (tower to tower) of 2 Hours 37 minutes 52 seconds.
The crews were (l-r) FLTLT Clint Rowland, FLTLT Gus Hannam,WGCDR Al Reed and SQNLDR Brian Bolger DFC

Another photo of the big formation doing the flypast over Brisbane on June 15th,1972.The caption in the Courier Mail newspaper
stated "Two men each clocked his 5000th flying hour during the mission.

RAAF Amberley in 1971 and SQNLDR Ken Smith astride Snoopy's Kennel celebrates being the RAAF's first Phantom pilot
to attain 1,000 Hours on F-4 fighters. This total includes about 700 Hours on exchange with the USAF.The first pilot to attain
1,000 hours on Phantoms was the then SQNLDR Lyall Klaffer which included flight time in the recce RF-4C.Refer to
the list below of RAAF Phantom Phlyers

SQNLDR Smith celebrates with SQNLDR Robert Montgomery Smith on Snoopy's kennel

 

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WGCDR Lyall Klaffer and AVM Brian Eaton about to board an RAAF F-4E in 1973.

Lyall Klaffer served in Korea from 8 July 1950 to 7 April 1951 flying a Mustang in 105 operations over Korea. He was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross for his "aerial achievement over Korea on 13/12/1950" He later served in Vietnam and retired an Air Commodore

Flying 3 Sqn Mustang crashed at RAAF Fairbairn,ACT on 15/09/49 after colliding with another Mustang The Mustangs were trying to avoid 3 Sqn Wirraway A20-754 which had entered the Mustangs airspace.The Mustang A68-89 flown by a fellow 3 Sqn pilot who did not survive.
Flew 77 Sqn P-51D Mustangs in the Korean War on 105 operations.
Flying a 78 Wing Vampire crashed after an aborted take off from El Adem Airfield, Libya on 24/11/52.
SQN LDR Klaffer has the distinction of being the first RAAF pilot to fly an F-4 Phantom.
Flew RF-4C's with the 16th TRS / 460th TRW during the Vietnam War (51 Ops).
First RAAF Pilot to attain 1,000 hours on F-4 Phantoms was the then SQN LDR Lyall Klaffer whilst on exchange with the USAF flying RF-4C's. Klaffer is also the only RAAF pilot to fly over Hanoi during the Vietnam War whllst based at Ubon,Thailand during the late 1960's.
Retired an Air Commodore, OAM AFC MID* DFC(US) Air Medal (US)

Pilot Officer Lyall Robert Klaffer, of 77 Squadron RAAF, after returning from a combat mission in one of the unit’s P51 Mustang fighter aircraft

SQNLDR Lyall Klaffer with fellow crew members from the 16th TRS,USAF on the SQNLDRs last day at Tan Son Nhut Air Base South Vietnam

SQNLDR Lyall Klaffer RAAF and COL Victor Cabas USAF, the 363rd TRWs CO
celebrate 1,000 Hours flying time by SQNLDR Klaffer in the RF-4C.

Air Vice Marshal Brian Alexander Eaton, CB, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC joined the RAAF in 1938
In 1943 he departed Australia for North Africa fearful that the fighting would be over before he arrived. He posted in to No. 1 Middle East Training School in January 1943 prior to taking up duties with No. 3 Squadron RAAF, which was then engaged in the Battle of Tunisia.

Eaton's combat career began inauspiciously, when he was shot down three times in the space of ten days. On the first occasion, his P-40 Kittyhawk was hit by 20 mm cannon shells from an enemy fighter that he never saw. He later recalled, "I was too busy getting the kite down to be frightened. But my God was I surprised." Eaton brought his crippled aircraft in for a forced landing at El Hamma—in the midst of a tank battle between German and New Zealand forces. After the fighting had died down he made his way over to the New Zealanders, who gave him a lift back to his air base. The second time he was shot down, his plane was struck by 88 mm anti-aircraft fire, necessitating another crash landing, this time behind enemy lines. Sympathetic Arab tribesmen smuggled him past the Germans and back to his airfield. Two days later, his P-40 was hit by fire from an Me 109 that dived at him from out of the sun. He was able to glide back to base, 80 miles away, but on arriving found that it was under attack by German bombers. He decided he had no other option than to land the damaged plane among the exploding bombs, and managed to do so without mishap. His series of narrow escapes engendered a spirit of fatalism, and a habit of keeping his emotions severely in check while on duty: "I just couldn't see myself living when so many were dying. It was something which, at the time, didn't bear much dwelling.

On 16 February 1944, the day after the contentious destruction of Monte Cassino, Eaton took No. 3 Squadron through a break in the bad weather to attack the ruined monastery, the only one of No. 239 Wing's units to successfully bomb its target that day. He handed over command of No. 3 Squadron later that month, and was transferred to No. 1 Mobile Operations Room Unit as forward air controller for the final assault on Monte Cassino. The run of luck that Eaton experienced in his first weeks of air combat in Tunisia continued on the ground in Italy. He survived three months of constant artillery fire, including an occasion when a shell exploded directly above his observation post, striking down a British officer standing next to him. He also came under machine-gun fire when he took a wrong turn one day and drove into the German lines, but again escaped unhurt.[He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 7 April, in recognition of his leadership of No. 3 Squadron in North Africa, Malta, Sicily and Italy
Flying Kiityhaks and Mustangs Eaton was unofficially credited with shooting down as many as seven enemy aircraft during the Mediterranean campaigns, but was never listed among Australian flying aces. Many of the missions that he undertook with No. 3 Squadron and in command of No. 239 Wing were ground attack or anti-shipping sorties, rather than air-to-air combat. He was also known as a leader who, when opportunities did arise to engage other aircraft, would attempt to manoeuvre his rookie pilots into position to make a "kill", rather than take the shot himself. On 12 June, he was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order for "Outstanding skill and leadership against heavy odds". His war service also earned him the US Silver Star.

In 1951 he landed a Vampire jet fighter at Point Cook with one flat tyre and one wheel retracted, after its undercarriage had become jammed. The plane skidded off the runway but Eaton was able to walk away, reportedly remarking "Well, I didn't wreck it"

I
Squadron Leader Brian Eaton, Commanding Officer of No. 3 Squadron RAAF by Kiityhawk fighter.

Wing Commander Eaton in a No. 77 Squadron Meteor during a visit to Korea, October 1951

 

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FLTLT Barry Schulz with a USAF 57th Fighter Weapons Wing F-4E at Nellis AFB,Nevada. Schulz
wears a black and yellow check cravat and similarly adorned helmet as worn by 57th FWW crews.

FLTLT Barry Schulz poses with a USAF Fighter Weapons School F-4E at Nellis AFB,Nevada in 1972
Flew RAAF Sabres
Flew RAAF Mirages
Flew as a USAF Forward Air Controller in O-2s during the Vietnam War.
Flew USAF F-4E on exchange at Fighter Weapons School,Nellis AFB,Nevada 1971 and 1973.
Flew RAAF F-18 Hornets
Later WGCDR Schulz AFC

 

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RAAF SQNLDR Al Reed at Shaw AFB,South Carolina in 1967 during a F-4 Instructor Conversion Course.
At RAAF Amberley in April 1972 Reed attained 1,000 Phantom flight hours in RF-4Cs and F-4Es.

 

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The RAAF did not deploy it's Phantoms to Vietnam but RAAF pilots served with USAF phantom sqns during the war.

Senior Airman Doldo USAF (l) and SQNLDR Reed
with "Carolina Kangaroo".

MAJ Melton and SQNLDR Al Reed board the "Carolina Kangaroo".
The 12th TRS /460 TRW was based at Tan Son Nhut Air Base,South Vietnam.

MAJ Jim Melton USAF Navigator (l) and SQNLDR Al Reed (r).Note the aircraft name "CAROLINA KANGAROO" "HAVE CAMERA - WILL TRAVEL"
stencilled on their RF-4C. MAJ Melton hailed from North Carolina hence the aircraft name.

MAJ Melton and SQNLDR Al Reed sit on the starboard 370 US Gallon drop tank...which also features the aircraft name and motto.

The USAF kindly supplied SQNLDR Reed a brand new RF-4C

SQNLDR Reed celebrates 100 combat missions on November 5th 1968. Reed flew most of his missions in 'Carolina Kangaroo",but was
sometimes assigned other squadron aircraft. RF-4C 67-0448 now resides in storage at AMARC, Davis Monthan AFB,Arizona

SQNLDR Al Reed, RAAF in the cockpit of 'his" RF-4C 67-0448 "Carolina Kangaroo" after his 100th mission, but prior to the traditional hose down after such an achievement

SQNLDR Al Reed, RAAF gets the traditional hose down after completing 100 missions.

SQNLDR Reed with some USAF buddies, wearing their "Party Suits"

Alan Reed
Flew RAAF Canberras
Flew USAF RF-4Cs with the 12th TRS/460th TRW during the Vietnam War (100 Ops).
Second CO 6 Sqn RAAF F-4Es from 05/07/71.
Flew in excess of 1,000 hours on F-4 Phantoms.
Also flew RAAF F-111s as Air Staff Officer Amberley.
AIRCDRE Reed Air Attache Washington DC,USA.
Retired as Air Vice Marshall AO DFC with Oak Leaf Cluster (US).

 

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Major Casper 'Cas' Bierman USAF (left) and PLTOFF Dave Rogers (right) then a RAAF 79 Sqn Sabre pilot.
PLTOFF Rogers scored a ride in a 45th TFS 8th TFW F-4C 64-0700 at Ubon AFB, Thailand 1965.
79 sqn sabres provided air cover for Ambon AFB

Flew RAAF Sabres
Original RAAF F-111 crew in 1968.
Fourth CO (Temp) 1 Sqn RAAF F-4Es from 23/02/73.
CO 6 Sqn RAAF F-111s.
Pilot onboard F-111C A8-141/6 Sqn crashed into Hauracki Gulf near Auckland,New Zealand after fire 25/10/78.
Rogers and Navigator Peter Growder ejected OK.
Later Air Vice Marshall Rogers

 

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RAAF F-4E Phantom A69-7213 Cn 3871 on static display, with weapons (Mk82 500lb dumb bombs), at RAAF Laverton The occasion was the RAAF 50th Anniversary Air Display.

 

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Exercise in Darwin with RAF Vulcans

 

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RAAF museum Point Cook

 

[billwong]

interesting...

 

[Rutger]

Great post. I'm quite an F-4 phanatic. Please notice the short gun muzzles, later replaced by the lengthened gun muzzle. Odd as the combination of Mirages and Phantoms might seem: the Israëli Air Force operated (with remarkable succes) both Mirages and Phantoms in the same era.
The F-4 was a true fighter, and quite incomparable to the F-111. The 111 however earned it's place and like the F-4, its departure was much regretted. The F-18 couldn't do what the 111 was capable of.

 

[ausreenactor]

LOTS of time and effort in that post mate! Some sensational moustaches too! Well done.

 

[SuinBruin]

Love the deep dive, thanks for posting.