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ill 7-11 Air Power Studies Centre The RAAF in the War in Vietnam The Proceedings of the 1998 RAAF History Conference Held in Canberra on 30 October 1998 Edited by John Mordike O Commonwealth of Australia 1999 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without permission from AusInfo. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Manager, Legislative Services, AusInfo, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601. Disclaimer The views are those of the authors and conference participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defence, the Royal Australian Air Force of the Government of ~istralia. Release This document is approved for official release. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry RAAF History Conference, (1988: Canberra, A.C.T.) The RAAF in the war in Vietnam: the proceedings of the 1998 RAAF History Conference ISBN 0 642 26537 2 1. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force - History - Congresses. 2. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -Aerial operations, Australian - Congresses. 3. Vietnam - History - 1945-1975 -Congresses. I. Mordike, John Leonard. 11. Title. Designed by Defence Publications ops: 35709199 Published and distributed by: Air Power Studies Centre RAAF Base Fairbaim ACT 2600 Australia Telephone: (02) 6287 6563 Facsimile: (02) 6287 6382 e-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledgments Notes on Contributors Opening Address Air Vice-Marshal B.J. Espeland Setting the Scene - An Overview of Australia's Involvement in the War in Vietnam Dr Peter Edwards The Platoon Commander's War Major General J.C. Hartley No 9 Squadron Operations and Panel Discussion Air Commodore B.I. Lane Air Commodore D.C. Long Group Captain C.A. Beatty Group Captain M. Haxell (Ret'd) Relevance, Excellence, Turbulence Mr David Gardner 2 Squadron in Vietnam Wing Commander J.W. Bennett Forward Air Control Operations in South Vietnam Air Vice-Marshal G.W. Neil (Ret'd) RTFV-35 Squadron Vietnam: 8 August 1964 - 19 February 1972 71 Group Captain R.J. Connor Phantoms Group Captain L.A. Naylor (Ret'd) C130 Operations, No 5 Airfield Construction Squadron, Airfield Defence, 83 Logistics, Photographic Interpreters Mr D. Wilson The Homefront and the Homecoming Dr J.L. Mordike Closure Air Marshal E.J. McComack PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Papers have been printed as presented by authors, with only minor changes to achieve some consistency in layout, spelling and terminology. The transcripts of the discussions which followed the presentation of the papers have been edited for relevance. My special thanks to Mrs Sandra Di Guglielrno for her dedicated editorial assistance and her valuable administrative support. I wish to also thank Mr John Hunter for undertaking the task of transcribing the conference proceedings. John Mordike March 1999 NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS Air Marshal E.J. McCormack, A0 Air Marshal Errol McCormack joined the RAAF in 1962 as an aircrew cadet and was commissioned in 1963. As a junior officer he served in Malaysia and Singapore during Confrontation, Thailand as part of SEATO forces, Vietnam during the war and the United States on exchange duty with the US Air Force. As a senior officer he completed staff appointments in operations and operational requirements and as Air Attache, Washington and Deputy Chief of Aii Force. He has commanded at unit (No 1 Squadron, F1 1 l), wing (No 82 Wing, F1 11) and operational (FPDA Integrated Air Defence System) levels. Air Marshal McCormack attended both RAM and Joint Services Staff Colleges and served on the directing staff of both institutions. Air Vice-Marshal B.J. Espeland, AM Xi Vice-Marshal Espeland joined the RAAF on 24 January 1966 as a Cadet Aircrew. On successful completion of No 19 Academy Course and No 75 Pilots Course, Air Vice-Marshal Espeland was posted to No 36 Squadron to fly C130A aircraft before undertaking No 63 Flying Instructors Course in 1975. He subsequently held several flying instructional posts which culminated in him being appointed as Chief Flying Instructor, Central Flying School in 1980. Air Vice-Marshal Espeland attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in 1981 before taking up a staff appointment within the Directorate of Personnel - Officers. Following promotion to Wing Commander in 1983, he enjoyed a three year tenure as Military Secretary and Comptroller to the Governor-General before returning to flying duties as Commanding Officer of the Central Flying School from 1986 to 1988. During part of this period he also held the position of Officer Temporarily Commanding RAAF Base East Sale. With the introduction of the PCI9A aircraft into service with the RAAF, Air Vice- Marshal Espeland assumed the appointment of Leader of the Pilot Training Design Team within Support Command. He then attended the United States Air War College before returning to Australia in 1990 as Director of the Air Power Studies Centre. In August 1991, he took up the dual post of Officer Commanding RAM Fairbaim and Commandant RAAF Staff College and held those appointments until January 1994 when, with the formation of the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, he moved into the position of Deputy Director of Studies (C) on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore. On 11 December 1995 he assumed the position of Air Officer Commanding Training Command. Air Vice-Marshal Espeland was promoted to two star rank on taking up his current appointment as Deputy Chief of Air Force on 7 May 1998. During his career Air Vice-Marshal Espeland has served as wingman with, and later leader of, the RAAF Acrobatic Team, the Roulettes. He has also held joint command through his appointment as Orange Force Commander in Exercise Kangaroo 92. In 1989 Air Vice-Marshal Espeland was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Royal Australian Air Force. Dr Peter Edwards Dr Peter Edwards is the Official Historian of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975. He is the author of Crises and Commitments: The Politics and Diplomacy ofAustralia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1965 and A Nation at War: Australian Politics, Society and Diplomacy during the Vietnam War 1965-1975, as well as being general editor of the series. A Nation at War was awarded the Colin Roderick Award by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies for the best Australian book of 1997. A former Rbodes Scholar and Harkness Fellow, Dr Edwards has published extensively on twentieth century international history, especially Australian foreign relations, Europe between the two World Wars, and Australian-American relations. Dr Edwards is currently the Executive Director of the Australian Centre for American Studies, located at the University of Sydney. He is also Senior Consulting Historian at the Australian War Memorial. Major General J.C. Hartley, A0 Major General John Hartley was born on the 5th January 1943 and was educated at Nambour High School. He was commissioned from the Royal Military College, Duntroon into the Royal Australian Infantry in 1965. He joined the 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment in 1966, serving with the Battalion in Vietnam in 1966167. During this operational tour he was twice wounded and twice Mentioned in Dispatches. On return to Australia in 1967 he was appointed Aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding Northern Command. Major General H&ley returned to Vietnam in 1970 where he served as an Adviser to the South Vietnam Army. During this second tour he was seriously wounded and, as a result of his wounds, was repatriated back to Australia. He then served in a variety of staff and training appointments between 1972 and 1984. Highlights of these appointments include postings as an exchange officer in Hawaii, Directing Staff at the Australian Army Command and Staff College, Staff Officer Grade One (Operations) at Headquarters 1st Division and Senior Instructor at the School of Military Intelligence. Major General Hartley has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and is a graduate of the Australian Staff College and the Joint Services Staff College. In December 1984 he was promoted to Colonel and held the dual appointments of Commander, Albury Wodonga Military Area and Commandant of the Army Apprentices' School. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987 for his services in this dual appointment. In 198'7188 he attended the US Army War College. On his return to Australia he was promoted to Brigadier and became the Military Secretary, an appointment he held until January 1991. He was promoted to Major General in 1991 and appointed General Officer Commanding Training Command. In recognition of his contribution during this appointment he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 1992 Major General Hartley became the Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation. On 30 September 1995 he assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army. On 22 June 1998, he assumed his current appointment of Land Commander Australia. Air Commodore B.I. Lane, AFC (Ret'd) Air Commodore Bruce Lane graduated from flying training in 1960. In 1964 he was posted to No 9 Squadron at Fairbairn to fly Iroquois helicopters. He served with No 5 Squadron at Buttenvorth for six months during 1964-65 and was posted to Vietnam with No 9 Squadron when it was originally deployed in 1966. On return he completed the Flying Instructors' Course at East Sale before returning to No 5 Squadron, then based at Fairbairn, as a flying instructor. On the return of No 9 Squadron to Ambedey, he was posted to that Squadron, initially as a flight commander and subsequently as the operations officer.