Cold Warriors: The Essex Class in the Cold War

[Conspirator]

such a strange battle..... the aircraft choice of course

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

P

Interesting thread. Would make a good prequel to

The Year of Living Dangerously (film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt and Sigourney Weaver.

Points deducted for not writing "Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Sigourney Weaver and Bill Kerr."

 

[SSgtC]

such a strange battle..... the aircraft choice of course

Not that far fetched actually. Indonesia got MiG-17s about a year early give or take while The Netherlands hung onto their Meteors about a year longer than OTL. Both decisions were driven by the situation in West New Guinea deteriorating faster than in OTL. The Dutch needed to get combat aircraft into the theater ASAP. And seeing as they were still in the process of converting to the Hawker Hunter, they made the decision to send an existing Meteor squadron since they already had a robust supply chain for that aircraft while spare parts for the Hunter would be in short supply for the near term. Then add in that, as important as West New Guinea was to The Netherlands, the USSR was right there and a bigger threat. So their European based squadrons got the better fighters first and 322 Squadron in Indonesia got knocked down the que for Hunters. And that's how you get Meteors vs Frescos in 1959

 

[lordroel]

such a strange battle..... the aircraft choice of course

Not that far fetched actually. Indonesia got MiG-17s about a year early give or take while The Netherlands hung onto their Meteors about a year longer than OTL. Both decisions were driven by the situation in West New Guinea deteriorating faster than in OTL. The Dutch needed to get combat aircraft into the theater ASAP. And seeing as they were still in the process of converting to the Hawker Hunter, they made the decision to send an existing Meteor squadron since they already had a robust supply chain for that aircraft while spare parts for the Hunter would be in short supply for the near term. Then add in that, as important as West New Guinea was to The Netherlands, the USSR was right there and a bigger threat. So their European based squadrons got the better fighters first and 322 Squadron in Indonesia got knocked down the que for Hunters. And that's how you get Meteors vs Frescos in 1959

So now i wonder, What If the Dutch send Hunters instead of Meteors, would they have done better in a dog fight.

 

[SSgtC]

such a strange battle..... the aircraft choice of course

Not that far fetched actually. Indonesia got MiG-17s about a year early give or take while The Netherlands hung onto their Meteors about a year longer than OTL. Both decisions were driven by the situation in West New Guinea deteriorating faster than in OTL. The Dutch needed to get combat aircraft into the theater ASAP. And seeing as they were still in the process of converting to the Hawker Hunter, they made the decision to send an existing Meteor squadron since they already had a robust supply chain for that aircraft while spare parts for the Hunter would be in short supply for the near term. Then add in that, as important as West New Guinea was to The Netherlands, the USSR was right there and a bigger threat. So their European based squadrons got the better fighters first and 322 Squadron in Indonesia got knocked down the que for Hunters. And that's how you get Meteors vs Frescos in 1959

So now i wonder, What If the Dutch send Hunters instead of Meteors, would they have done better in a dog fight.

Much better. The Hunter and MiG-17 were roughly equal in terms of performance. The Dutch Air Force probably would have been able to re-engage the bombers instead of being forced into a fighter on fighter engagement.

 

[lordroel]

such a strange battle..... the aircraft choice of course

Not that far fetched actually. Indonesia got MiG-17s about a year early give or take while The Netherlands hung onto their Meteors about a year longer than OTL. Both decisions were driven by the situation in West New Guinea deteriorating faster than in OTL. The Dutch needed to get combat aircraft into the theater ASAP. And seeing as they were still in the process of converting to the Hawker Hunter, they made the decision to send an existing Meteor squadron since they already had a robust supply chain for that aircraft while spare parts for the Hunter would be in short supply for the near term. Then add in that, as important as West New Guinea was to The Netherlands, the USSR was right there and a bigger threat. So their European based squadrons got the better fighters first and 322 Squadron in Indonesia got knocked down the que for Hunters. And that's how you get Meteors vs Frescos in 1959

So now i wonder, What If the Dutch send Hunters instead of Meteors, would they have done better in a dog fight.

Much better. The Hunter and MiG-17 were roughly equal in terms of performance. The Dutch Air Force probably would have been able to re-engage the bombers instead of being forced into a fighter on fighter engagement.

So how quikley if the Netherlands do it can they fly over a squadron of Hunters as replacement of the Meteors.

 

[SSgtC]

So how quikley if the Netherlands do it can they fly over a squadron of Hunters as replacement of the Meteors.

They can't. Well, in a technical sense they probably could. But how are they going to keep them in the air once they get there? They have NOTHING to maintain them with on Biak. Unless the British let them raid their own spare parts cache. If they want Hunters in theater, they need to send them via ship so they can send spare parts with them

 

[Archibald]

In a few words: they are doomed.

 

[lordroel]

In a few words: they are doomed.

So now the land invasion has to begin, ruling the skies is only part of the victory.

 

[Conspirator]

couldnt you sneak your invasion force behind owl island? then wait for night to fall and come out fast and hard for mokmer? there would be hardly any warning. and a small force could take over the base.
Num island would be another option

 

[_Del_]

Wow, I never knew that the SeaMaster had a supersonic dash requirement! Thanks @_Del_

I think the requirement was for Mach .9 on the deck. Should have translated to higher speeds at altitude. The only beasts I can think of doing that at the timeframe involved were the Hustler and Vig.

Edit: forgot the Thud. There may be others

A little off-topic, for our thread, but I remembered touching on this before.

Saw this mentioned in a video from the rotary door bays thread:

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhhs5xrGek&feature=youtu.be


"Martin Test Pilots claim the aircraft broke the sound barrier several times, ...usually when the aircraft was in a shallow dive from about 20,000'..."

Several ways to parse the entire phrase "usually in a shallow dive from about 20,000' " , and I'm not certain which way is correct. Maybe in dives from another altitude, or perhaps in level flight in certain circumstances. Wish it was more particular or I could find another source with the Martin guys' claims. Even better if in their own words.


Also just dug up this reference: American Aviation 12 Sept 1955 p12: "Navy is planning to use more powerful engines than the four Allison J71s plus afterburners to make the production model of the Martin Seamaster supersonic. XP6M-1 with the J71s will attain Mach .95."

 

[SSgtC]

February 13, 1959
Amahai Airfield, Amahai, Indonesia

Major Basarah sat in the ready room of his squadron's temporary home, numb from shock. The attack on Biak Island had been a Phyric Victory, at best. Of the twelve bombers that had launched this morning, only eight had returned to base. A third of their strike force had been shot down by the Dutch fighters. Of the escorting fighters, things were not quite as bad as he had feared. A total of fourteen F-5s had returned to their bases. But three of the planes would never fly again while a further six would require some level of repair before being declared operational again.

So many of the men he had trained with, that he considered a friend, were gone. Shot down over the deep blue ocean. They could not even recover the bodies for burial. It was then that the numbness began to fade, to be replaced by an all consuming rage. They had outnumbered the fucking Dutch three-to-one and had been flying markedly superior fighters, and still the fucking colonizers had torn through their formation like some winged devil. There and then, Basarah swore a holy vow. Never again would he let his men be second best in the air. If this was what a well trained air force could do in an obsolete machine, imagine what the Indonesian Air Force could do when properly trained. Never again would the Indonesian Air Force suffer this kind of loss rate. Not if he had anything to say about it.

 

[SSgtC]

February 13, 1959
Philippine Sea

More new orders from Washington had just arrived. The situation in West New Guinea had gotten worse. A major air battle had been fought this morning for control of the airspace over West New Guinea. A battle that the Dutch had lost. The situation must be dire if the Navy was willing to change his orders again. They had already been diverted to show American interest in the region, but that was apparently not going to be enough. Now they were being ordered to wave their dicks in the face of the Indonesians in the Banda Sea as a "Freedom of Navigation" exercise, nevermind that the area was an active war zone. Why send Yorktown though and not Ticonderoga? She had a full attack Air Group embarked compared the the Anti-Submarine Group on his deck.

When he looked at the plot, he got his answer. Ticonderoga was still days away. She had been diverted back to the Western Pacific from her homeward bound voyage. He felt for the men on board. Tico had been only three days from home when Washington turned her around.

Sighing, Rear Admiral Colestock gave his orders to Yorktown's commanding officer, Captain Bedell. In short order, message lights were blinking transmitting his orders to the rest of the fleet. For the third time in her life, USS Yorktown was heading to a war zone. Captain Bedell gave his orders, the helmsman put her helm over and Yorktown began to head for the Banda Sea.

 

[SSgtC]

February 14, 1959
Amahai Air Field, Amahai, Indonesia

Orders arrived from Jakarta just this morning. They were not orders that anyone wanted to see. The amphibious assault on Biak and then West Irian was being delayed due to the losses that Air Squadrons 11 and 12 had suffered the day before. While a recconasinse aircraft had managed to get a look at Mokmer Airfield, the photos were not of the best quality. It was believed that the Dutch still had at least part of a squadron of fighters left along with other assets and it appeared that, though the runway had been hit, the Dutch were already repairing it. It would take additional strikes by the Air Force to keep the airbase out of action and President Sukarno was unsure if the current Order of Battle was up to the task. Instead, the assault would be delayed until Air Squadron 3 could complete their conversion to the F-5 and be deployed to reinforce what was left of Air Squadrons 11 and 12.

Until then, Colonel Noerjadin had ordered that the surviving pilots and planes conduct continuous training for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Like Major Basarah, he too was determined to see that his men would never come up short again. For Colonel Noerjadin, this had now become personal. He had correctly predicted what tactics the Dutch would use, roughly where they would attack from, and he had positioned his aircraft accordingly. But still the Dutch had ripped them to shreds. The fact that the Dutch fighter force on West Irian was now largely a thing of the past did little to assuage his grief and anger of the losses they had suffered.

By rights, his F-5s should have swept the skies clean of every Dutch fighter with minimal losses. The next time they met the Dutch in the air, things would be different.

 

[SSgtC]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

Steam had been raised in the boilers, the last of the hastily arranged provisions had been hoisted aboard and now the lines were being cast off. HMS Albion was heading to sea. She would sail first past the Riau Islands and then into the Philippine Sea where she would meet up with the USS Ticonderoga before conducting a joint exercise near the Solomons. In the Solomons, they would be joined by the USS Yorktown after she completed her port visit to Sydney.

The intent was to send a very clear message to Indonesia about their actions with regard to West New Guinea. Hopefully, that message would be received and understood. And if not? Well, the United States had another carrier near Japan and Admiral Sir Gerald Gladstone, CINC Far East Fleet, had just been informed that both Ark Royal and Victorious were being issued orders to deploy to Singapore much earlier than had been planned. If Indonesia was serious about prosecuting this war, they would soon find themselves heavily outgunned.

 

[SSgtC]

February 15, 1959
Moscow, Russian SFR, USSR

The Politburo spent the day in meetings to determine what the Soviet Union's response to the outbreak of war in Indonesia. They had of course been briefed on the upcoming operations by their personnel in Jakarta. But for political reasons, they could not be seen to react before the operation began. Radio intercepts, human intelligence and their own surveillance assets had suggested, and later confirmed, that the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom were all deploying significant combat forces into the theater. New Zealand had also moved to a higher state of alert.

A strong naval and air presence was needed to restrain the Western powers. After a full day of discussion, it was decided that orders would be transmitted to Vladivostok ordering a fleet to sea. The fleet would be centered on the three Sverdlov class cruisers assigned to the Pacific fleet. Additionally, one of the Chapayev class cruisers would also be assigned to the fleet. Several Skory and Kotlin class destroyers would serve as the primary escorts.

The surface fleet would serve to keep the attention of the American's and British. And more importantly, they would bee too concerned with what the Red Fleet was doing to interfere in West New Guinea. Five submarines of the Project 613 and 633 types would also be deployed to operate in Indonesian waters. Though how to use the submarines was still being worked out. Several of the more militant members of the Politburo suggested that the submarines be "volunteered" into the Indonesian Navy and be allowed to sink Dutch shipping should it attempt to enter the waters around West New Guinea. Calmer heads prevailed however and the submarines would primarily operate as a secondary deterrent force.

The fleet, under the command of Admiral Vitaly Alekseyevich Fokin, would head to sea within seventy-two hours of the receipt of their orders. But more was needed.

In addition to the fleet heading to see, the 216th Fighter Aviation Regiment, part of the 1st Air Army, would be deployed to Jakarta as part of a "goodwill" tour. The MiG-19s of the Regiment would hopefully serve as an effective deterrent to the United States Nineteenth Air Force in the Philippines.

 

[lordroel]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

Steam had been raised in the boilers, the last of the hastily arranged provisions had been hoisted aboard and now the lines were being cast off. HMS Albion was heading to sea.

Is here fixed-wing complement consisting of OTL:

806 sqn. 8 Sea Hawk FGA6 Fighter-Attack

894 sqn. 12 Sea Venom FAW21 Night/All Weather Fighter

849 sqn. D flt. 4 Skyraider AEW1 Airborne Early Warning

815 sqn. 8 Whirlwind HAS7 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare Ships Flight 1 Dragonfly HR5 Helicopter Search and Rescue

 

[isayyo2]

Popcorn time!

Can the Indonesians strike again before Yorktown arrives? Could the Yorktown even repulse an aerial attack?

Perhaps an attack on Yorktown, however small, shows that CVS airwings are too singular in purpose?


Sidenote from the Iowa Class thread, does anyone have thoughts on a South Dakota midlife refit? They've always been seen as the runt of the litter and cramped on the inside. How about removing the after turret for Mk 7 Talos launcher and use the former turret magazine for berthing and storage; the ships, while slower, would be sufficient for escort Marine Amphibious Groups and as Flagships.

 

[SSgtC]

Can the Indonesians strike again before Yorktown arrives? Could the Yorktown even repulse an aerial attack?

Perhaps an attack on Yorktown, however small, shows that CVS airwings are too singular in purpose?

Short answer? No. During her 1958-59 WESPAC cruise, her entire air group consisted of a single ASW S-2 squadron (VS-37), a single anti-submarine helicopter squadron (HS-2) and 4 F2H-3 Banshees as part of VF-92 Det N. Incidentally, this was the first deployment of a fighter squadron detachment on a CVS

 

[lordroel]

Can the Indonesians strike again before Yorktown arrives? Could the Yorktown even repulse an aerial attack?

Perhaps an attack on Yorktown, however small, shows that CVS airwings are too singular in purpose?

Short answer? No. During her 1958-59 WESPAC cruise, her entire air group consisted of a single ASW S-2 squadron (VS-37), a single anti-submarine helicopter squadron (HS-2) and 4 F2H-3 Banshees as part of VF-92 Det N. Incidentally, this was the first deployment of a fighter squadron detachment on a CVS

Is there coordination between the British and Americans ore are they doing this on their own.

 

[SSgtC]

Can the Indonesians strike again before Yorktown arrives? Could the Yorktown even repulse an aerial attack?

Perhaps an attack on Yorktown, however small, shows that CVS airwings are too singular in purpose?

Short answer? No. During her 1958-59 WESPAC cruise, her entire air group consisted of a single ASW S-2 squadron (VS-37), a single anti-submarine helicopter squadron (HS-2) and 4 F2H-3 Banshees as part of VF-92 Det N. Incidentally, this was the first deployment of a fighter squadron detachment on a CVS

Is there coordination between the British and Americans ore are they doing this on their own.

Nothing detailed, this is kind of being thrown together on the fly. They're trying to get a detailed exercise put together as they go. The idea to focus it on air defense and anti-shipping strikes

 

[starviking]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

The intent was to send a very clear message to Indonesia about their actions with regard to West New Guinea. Hopefully, that message would be received and understood. And if not? Well, the United States had another carrier near Japan and Admiral Sir Gerald Gladstone, CINC Far East Fleet, had just been informed that both Audacious and Victorious were being issued orders to deploy to Singapore much earlier than had been planned. If Indonesia was serious about prosecuting this war, they would soon find themselves heavily outgunned.

So this ATL has a 3rd Audacious-class carrier?

 

[SSgtC]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

The intent was to send a very clear message to Indonesia about their actions with regard to West New Guinea. Hopefully, that message would be received and understood. And if not? Well, the United States had another carrier near Japan and Admiral Sir Gerald Gladstone, CINC Far East Fleet, had just been informed that both Audacious and Victorious were being issued orders to deploy to Singapore much earlier than had been planned. If Indonesia was serious about prosecuting this war, they would soon find themselves heavily outgunned.

So this ATL has a 3rd Audacious-class carrier?

No. It was in my notes from awhile ago. That should be Ark Royal

 

[lordroel]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

The intent was to send a very clear message to Indonesia about their actions with regard to West New Guinea. Hopefully, that message would be received and understood. And if not? Well, the United States had another carrier near Japan and Admiral Sir Gerald Gladstone, CINC Far East Fleet, had just been informed that both Audacious and Victorious were being issued orders to deploy to Singapore much earlier than had been planned. If Indonesia was serious about prosecuting this war, they would soon find themselves heavily outgunned.

So this ATL has a 3rd Audacious-class carrier?

No. It was in my notes from awhile ago. That should be Ark Royal

So you have nothing against here then, just one of your trolls messing up the notes.

 

[SSgtC]

February 14, 1959
Singapore

The intent was to send a very clear message to Indonesia about their actions with regard to West New Guinea. Hopefully, that message would be received and understood. And if not? Well, the United States had another carrier near Japan and Admiral Sir Gerald Gladstone, CINC Far East Fleet, had just been informed that both Audacious and Victorious were being issued orders to deploy to Singapore much earlier than had been planned. If Indonesia was serious about prosecuting this war, they would soon find themselves heavily outgunned.

So this ATL has a 3rd Audacious-class carrier?

No. It was in my notes from awhile ago. That should be Ark Royal

So you have nothing against here then, just one of your trolls messing up the notes.

Trolls meaning me. Lol

 

[Archibald]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpWXg4wKAmY

 

[GTX]

I wonder...is there any chance the Royal Navy could get involved here? Would HMS Ark Royal, perhaps with a rushed into service Supermarine Scimitar, be able to be sent to the area for instance?

 

[SSgtC]

I wonder...is there any chance the Royal Navy could get involved here? Would HMS Ark Royal, perhaps with a rushed into service Supermarine Scimitar, be able to be sent to the area for instance?

The RN is moving up the deployment of both Ark Royal and Victorious.

 

[starviking]

I wonder...is there any chance the Royal Navy could get involved here? Would HMS Ark Royal, perhaps with a rushed into service Supermarine Scimitar, be able to be sent to the area for instance?

Victorious in OTL had Scimitars and Firestreak-capable Sea Venoms in 1958. I wonder if the Scimitars had their sidewinders yet? Then again, in TTL this confrontation has been simmering for almost 2 years - who knows what kit decisions have been made or brought forward in that time? Likely some extra Sidewinder fittings than in OTL

Ark didn’t have Scimitars until 1960, but it would have Sea Venoms and Sea Hawks. Could Ark get Scimitars too? Depends on deliveries - this site gives 39 Scimitars delivered to the end of 1958, so it’s a possibility. They are going to discover a lot of flaws during ops though.

One thing I noticed at the UK Serials site referenced above - the RAF Canadair Sabres were returned to the States 1957-59 and passed on to Italy and Yugoslavia. I wonder if the changed situation in the Far East might lead to some Sabres being retained?

 

[SSgtC]

I wonder...is there any chance the Royal Navy could get involved here? Would HMS Ark Royal, perhaps with a rushed into service Supermarine Scimitar, be able to be sent to the area for instance?

Victorious in OTL had Scimitars and Firestreak-capable Sea Venoms in 1958. I wonder if the Scimitars had their sidewinders yet? Then again, in TTL this confrontation has been simmering for almost 2 years - who knows what kit decisions have been made or brought forward in that time? Likely some extra Sidewinder fittings than in OTL

Ark didn’t have Scimitars until 1960, but it would have Sea Venoms and Sea Hawks. Could Ark get Scimitars too? Depends on deliveries - this site gives 39 Scimitars delivered to the end of 1958, so it’s a possibility. They are going to discover a lot of flaws during ops though.

One thing I noticed at the UK Serials site referenced above - the RAF Canadair Sabres were returned to the States 1957-59 and passed on to Italy and Yugoslavia. I wonder if the changed situation in the Far East might lead to some Sabres being retained?

A few more fighters have sidewinders equipped. The Scimitar is sidewinder capable from the factory and has already been designated to operate the AGM-12 when it enters British service.

The RCAF Sabres are still going back to the US since Canada is preparing to order new supersonic fighters.

 

[Arjen]

Just a thought. The Dutch navy flew 22 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA 50 aircraft from Karel Doorman. Operations of a 5-8 aircraft carrier flight started in 1958. Most of those eventually carried Sidewinders. Any use for your project? Or have you already covered that?

 

[Archibald]

Doorman is presently not available, can't remember why.

 

[SSgtC]

Doorman is presently not available, can't remember why.

Actually, she is. She just finished her modernization and working up.

Just a thought. The Dutch navy flew 22 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA 50 aircraft from Karel Doorman. Operations of a 5-8 aircraft carrier flight started in 1958. Most of those eventually carried Sidewinders. Any use for your project? Or have you already covered that?

That will be covered in an upcoming post. The Dutch response will be coming shortly

 

[lordroel]

Doorman is presently not available, can't remember why.

Actually, she is. She just finished her modernization and working up.

Just a thought. The Dutch navy flew 22 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA 50 aircraft from Karel Doorman. Operations of a 5-8 aircraft carrier flight started in 1958. Most of those eventually carried Sidewinders. Any use for your project? Or have you already covered that?

That will be covered in an upcoming post. The Dutch response will be coming shortly

As long as it dose not end shortly after with a big bang and here sinking.

 

[Volkodav]

RN Seahawks with sidewinders too? It could be a viable retrofit for Sea Venoms or the RAN.

The other thought is with the type of conflict at hand the RANs Gannets could be landed and Seahawks acquired from RN stock (with sidewinders) to form an attack wing.

 

[Arjen]

Conversion of Sea Hawks to carry Sidewinder 1A started in 1959, funded by NATO.

 

[SSgtC]

February 15, 1959
Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines

The lines to the largest ship at Naval Base Subic Bay were singled up and a plume of heat mixed with pale grey smoke issued forth from the tall exhaust stack. All shore leaves had been canceled less than forty-eight hours earlier, which meant that quite a few sailors had to be dragged out of the flesh pots and bars of Angeles City to get them to return to duty. Some of those men were even now nursing some of the worst hangovers of their lives. But none of that mattered to the men up on the bridge of the great ship. The orders had come and they would be followed. Besides, Captain McCampbell figured, ship's captains had been getting cursed by their crews for cutting shore leave short for centuries. Why should this time be any different? One thing was for certain however, his tour as Captain was off to an interesting start.

The United States was sending a message to Indonesia. Already aircraft from the Nineteenth Air Force were arriving at Clark Field and beginning operations from there. Now the Navy was doing their part to warn the Indonesians. Unlike the Air Force which had chosen to remain safely removed from the action, the Navy was heading straight for the belly of the beast. Already Yorktown and her antisubmarine task group were heading into harm's way on a "freedom of navigation exercise," in essence thumbing their noses at the Indonesians in the most threatening/non threatening manner possible. Now it was time to back up the show with some real muscle.

And Bon Homme Richard was just the ship to do it. Unlike her older sister, Bonnie Dick's air group was one of the most capable in the Navy. Carrier Air Group 19 was equipped with F11F-1s, FJ-4Bs, F3H-2s, AD-5s and A3Ds. Whatever the mission, from air superiority to nuclear strike, Bonnie Dick could answer the call. Upon putting to sea, Bon Homme Richard would rendezvous with HMS Albion, Ticonderoga and Yorktown for, in the opinion of Rear Admiral Schoech, a thrown together exercise to hone both navies' land attack capabilities while Yorktown would screen them from submarine surveillance.

 

[SSgtC]

February 16, 1959
Den Helder Naval Base, Netherlands

HNLMS Karel Doorman's planned goodwill cruise to the United States is canceled. Instead, orders are issued informing her commanding officer that Karel Doorman is to prepare for possible combat in the Far East. In accordance with this, war stocks are to be loaded into her magazines and additional spare parts are scheduled to be taken aboard. Her crew is also ordered to be brought up to full wartime strength to ensure she has sufficient damage control capability and her crew will not wear out too quickly under combat conditions. To do this, personnel will be stripped from shore establishments, training billets and other warships that are not in a fit state to deploy. Her Commanding Officer, Captain Adri van Es, reports that Doorman would be ready for sea by February 21st. He was informed that he had until the 19th.

 

[SSgtC]

February 16, 1959
Over the Banda Sea, Western Pacific

An Ilyushin Il-14FK droned over the blue waters of the pacific. The photo-reconnaissance aircraft was not the most advanced aircraft in the world, nor the most capable. But it was what Indonesia had. The crew was highly trained and they had been given a mission by their country. They were to locate the American carrier task force that was operating in the Banda Sea, trail it, and report it's location back up the chain of command.

They were halfway through their planned mission time when the first observer called out a sighting. He had just seen the sun glinting off the wings of an aircraft in the distance. After giving the bearing to the pilot, the twin engined transport banked toward the contact. The luck that had so far blessed Indonesia's war effort against the Netherlands continued to be with them as the Il-14 came up behind the American anti-submarine aircraft and, hopefully, out of their sight.

What they could not prevent the Americans from noticing however, was the radio transmissions coming from their aircraft. The flight crew weighed whether to transmit or not, but in the end decided that this could very well be the best and only contact they would get on their mission. So the radio was powered up and a short, coded message was transmitted back to their base.

In minutes, the American aircraft they were trailing began a series of rapid maneuvers and their converted transport plane was quickly spotted, followed shortly after by the American's sending a message of their own warning their carrier that they had been spotted. In a measure of their professionalism though, there was no acknowledging message from the American carrier sent back to their aircraft, denying the Indonesian aircraft from getting a track on the carrier. But further confirmation would not be needed by their commanders. At an airbase in Surabaya, Indonesia's fleet of Tu-16 bombers began to spool their engines up to teach the Americans a lesson for their insolence.

 

[SSgtC]

February 16, 1959
Banda Sea, Western Pacific

The tension on the bridge of USS Yorktown was so thick, you could practically cut it with a knife. Four of the air group's S2F-1 Trackers were airborne, screening the task group from any possible direction that the Indonesians might try and send ships or aircraft to harass them from. But with limited surface search capabilities and no air search radar, the crews on the Trackers were largely confined to the Mark I Mod 0 eyeball to spot any inbound tracks.

Captain Bedell was cursing the lack of airborne early warning aircraft in his air group. Fortunately for his blood pressure though, the radio began to crackle and a voice was heard over the speakers. The voice said, "Lightning 108 calling Steamboat. Lightning 108 calling Steamboat. Contact! Airborne contact bearing 090 my position. Single aircraft, aircraft type is Crate. No other contacts visible. Repeat. Lightning 108..."

All at once, the tension Captain Bedell had been feeling evaporated, to be replaced by a different kind of tension. The sighting of a reconnaissance aircraft could be a prelude to a much more unpleasant visit. Captain Bedell along with Rear Admiral Colestock had spent the last two days since the change in their orders going over the latest intelligence reports and threat assessments from the CIA and Naval Intelligence. The report that concerned him the most dealt with Indonesia's Air Force. In one of their assessments there was a report that had been supplied by the Australian SIS, it stated that Indonesia was known to have acquired Soviet Badger bombers sometime prior to September, 1958. According to CIA estimates, with the concurrence of several Air Force officers, it was not believed that the Indonesian Air Force would have yet reached operational status with their new bombers.

But judging by the results of the air battle they had just fought with the Dutch, Captain Bedell was not going to take any chances. He had all four of his air group's Banshees spotted on the flight deck with two of them already positioned on the cats and ready to launch. Rear Admiral Colestock agreed with his precautions as well. Better that they be prepared than not.