Fixed Wing Gunships

The following links may be of interest. None are the result of "link exchange" programs.

• The Spectre Association -- Link to The Spectre Association website.

• The AC-119 Gunship Homepage -- Link to The AC-119 Gunship Homepage. Includes the AC-119 Gunship Association.

• S. S. MAYAGUEZ -- Link to an excellent page about the efforts to rescue the crew of the S. S. MAYAGUEZ from Cambodia. Covers the role of the Spectre gunships in that effort.

• Spirit 03 -- Poignant tribute page to the crew of Spirit 03, lost in the Gulf war.

• Gunships -- Table of radio call signs for the different variants in Vietnam. Includes unit, mission, aircraft and comments.

• Gunships -- History of the fixed wing gunship programs, including aircraft serial numbers and program names.

• Russian Aviation Page: Soviet Gunships -- Description of the development of the TU-2 Tupelov gunships in 1947, which foreshadowed the AC-47 "Puff The Magic Dragon" gunship.

• The Aviation Zone -- Factsheet featuring detailed specifications, historical information, an large image gallery and links.

• USAF Museum -- The story behind the creation of Spooky and other "dragon ships."

• The Awesome Power of Air Force Gunships -- April 1999 article in the Air Force Association Journal on the early history and development of fixed wing gunships.

• Commo Bunker -- Link to the Commo bunker, the web site belonging to my good friend Charlie Andrews. Charlie was a man among men, and a warrior among warriors. This link is permanently broken, but remains as a tribute to my friend Charlie, who received life's final orders on 11/15/1999.

• Official USAF history of the 1st Special Operations Squadron –– Gunnery testing and training, 1939–1942. Flew administrative flights, 1949–1952 and 1953–1954. Combat in Southeast Asia, 8 Jul 1963–7 Nov 1972 and 15 Dec 1972–28 Jan 1973. Trained Vietnamese Air Force pilots in counterinsurgency operations, Jul 1963–Nov 1972.

• Official USAF history of the 4th Special Operations Squadron –– Ferried aircraft to locations in Alaska, Africa, and Europe, Apr 1942–Feb 1944; also airlifted cargo, and evacuated wounded to US military hospitals. Combat in Vietnam, c. 20 Nov 1965–30 Nov 1969. Provided an auxiliary command post and a communications link for the Fifteenth Air Force and SAC, 1 Apr 1970–30 Sep 1992. No mention of the AC–130U gunship role, although the AC/FC–47 mission is included.

• Official USAF history of the 5th Special Operations Squadron –– A lesser–known unit, it transported men and supplies to and evacuated casualties from forward areas in Southwest and Western Pacific, Dec 1944–Sep 1945. Conducted psychological operations and humanitarian programs during Vietnam conflict, 1965–1969. Trained for special operations, inflight refueling of special operations helicopters, and resupply missions, using modified C–130 aircraft, 1995–. Periodically deployed to support special operations contingency operations worldwide.

• Official USAF history of the 6th Special Operations Squadron –– Combat in CBI, 17 Oct 1944–8 May 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, 1 Mar 1968–15 Nov 1969. Replacement training for US and allied pilots in A–37 aircraft, Jan 1970–Sep 1974.

• Official USAF history of the 7th Special Operations Squadron –– Aerial support for training ground forces, Jul 1942–Nov 1943. Courier operations in ETO, 10 Mar–May 1945. Special operations training, May 1964–. Supported Coalition forces in Southwest Asia conflict, Jan–Mar 1991; later resupplied Kurds in Northern Iraq.

• Official USAF history of the 8th Special Operations Squadron –– Combat as corps observation unit with IV and VI Army Corps, c. 25 Aug–11 Nov 1918. Mexican border patrol, Aug 1919–Jun 1921. Antisubmarine patrols, Dec 1941–Jan 1942; Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 1 Apr–29 Jul 1942 and 24 May 1943–12 Aug 1945; Korea, 27 Jun 1950–27 Jul 1953; Southeast Asia, Apr 1964–Sep 1972. Participated in Iranian hostage rescue attempt, Apr 1980. Combat in Grenada, 24 Oct–3 Nov 1983; Panama, 20 Dec 1989–14 Jan 1990; Southwest Asia, 16 Jan–17 Mar 1991.

• Official USAF history of the 9th Special Operations Squadron –– Combat in Western Pacific, 27 Jan–14 Aug 1945. No personnel assigned, 25 Apr 1947–18 Oct 1948. While retaining combat capability, trained B–52 crews for Strategic Air Command 15 Jul 1959–Sep 1963. Combat in Southeast Asia, Mar 1967–Jan 1972. Trained for special operations, refueling and resupply missions using modified C–130 aircraft, 1988–. Combat in Panama, 20 Dec 1989–14 Jan 1990 and Southwest Asia, 16 Jan–5 Apr 1991.

• Official USAF history of the 15th Special Operations Squadron –– Antisubmarine patrols, Oct 1942–Sep 1943. Combat in Western Pacific, 16 Jun–14 Aug 1945. Combat and combat rescue in Southeast Asia, 15 Mar 1968–31 Oct 1970.

• Official USAF history of the 16th Special Operations Squadron –– Ferried aircraft from factories to units in US and Canada and conducted pilot training Apr 1942–Apr 1944. Combat aerial transportation from India to Burma and China, Dec 1944–Oct 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, Nov 1968–Jul 1974; Grenada, 24 Oct–23 Nov 1983; Panama, 20 Dec 1989–14 Jan 1990; and Southwest Asia, Jan–27 May 1991. Check out the official emblem while you are there.

• Official USAF history of the 17th Special Operations Squadron –– Antisubmarine patrols off west coast of US, c. May–c. Sep 1942; Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 28 Jan 1944–25 Jul 1945. Not manned, 1952–1953. Combat in Southeast Asia, 1 Jun 1969–30 Sep 1971. Disaster relief missions in the Philippines, 16–31 Jul 1990.

• Official USAF history of the 19th Special Operations Squadron –– Antisubmarine patrols over Pacific Ocean, Dec 1941–Mar 1942. Combat in southwestern and western Pacific, 6 Apr 1942–9 Jan 1943 and 27 Jul 1943–3 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 13 Jul–19 Oct 1950. Combat missions in Vietnam, Mar 1965–30 Apr 1971. Earned Navy PUC for supporting U.S. Marines defending Khe Sanh, Jan–Mar 1968. Since May 1996, trained for special operations.

• Official USAF history of the 20th Special Operations Squadron –– Trained in aerial reconnaissance, Mar 1942–Dec 1943. Combat in CBI, 31 Jan 1944–5 May 1945. Trained using special operations helicopters, 1956–1960. Combat in Southeast Asia, Dec 1965–Mar 1972. Trained in special operations and conducted humanitarian missions, 1976–. Combat in Panama, Dec 1989–Jan 1990, and Kuwait, Jan–Feb 1991.

• Official USAF history of the 21st Special Operations Squadron –– Combat in the Philippine Islands, 8 Dec 1941–c. 1 May 1942; ground echelon fought as infantry unit in Bataan, 18 Jan–c. 8 Apr 1942. Carried as an active unit but was not operational from the fall of the Philippines until inactivation. Combat in Southeast Asia, Nov 1967–Aug 1973. Airlifted personnel from Saigon, Apr 1975 and airlifted US Marines in rescue of the SS Mayaquez, May 1975. Provided support to coalition forces during Southwest Asia conflict, Jan–Mar 1991 and later.

• Official USAF history of the 31st Special Operations Squadron –– Combat rescue in Southeast Asia, 1965–1966. Operated Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) for Thirteenth Air Force, Apr 1967–Jul 1975. Disaster relief missions in the Philippines, 16–31 Jul 1990.

• Official USAF history of the 67th Special Operations Squadron –– Rescue and recovery operations in the European area, including spacecraft recovery in the Atlantic, Oct 1952–Mar 1960 and May 1961–Jun 1988. Supported special operations forces conducting NATO operations over Northern Iraq, 1991 and 1993.

• Official USAF history of the 512th Special Operations Squadron –– Combat in MTO and ETO, 1 Nov 1942–15 Apr 1943; not fully manned or equipped, 10 Nov 1945–26 Mar 1946. Not manned, 23 May 1947–20 Sep 1948. Weather reconnaissance during the Korean War, c. 1 Jul 1950–Feb 1951. Primarily trained in electronic countermeasures, c. Nov 1952–Mar 1965.

• Official USAF history of the 550th Special Operations Squadron –– Developed, conducted, and monitored helicopter flying training, 1971–1987, in addition to search and rescue missions, 1976–1987. Special operations training, 1987–.

• Official USAF history of the 551st Special Operations Squadron –– Conducted flying training in helicopters, and responsible for special operations contingencies and humanitarian rescue missions, 1971–present.

• Official USAF history of the 711th Special Operations Squadron –– Combat in ETO, 24 Dec 1943–21 Apr 1945. Airlift of personnel and cargo, as well as airdropping U.S. Army paratroops during exercises and training, 1971– 1974. In late 1974 began training for special operations missions using AC–130 gunships. Provided missile range support, 1979–1989, and NASA space shuttle support, 1981–1988. Flew pre–strike reconnaissance, fire support, escort, and airbase defense sorties during U.S. invasion of Panama, 8 Dec 1989–7 Jan 1990. Combat in Southwest Asia, 9 Feb–Mar 1991. Primary mission changed in late 1995 to providing long–range clandestine delivery of special operations forces and equipment. Periodically deployed personnel and aircraft to support special operations contingency operations worldwide, as well as numerous humanitarian missions. Beginning 1 Oct 1997, provided flight portion of MC–130E Combat Talon I training for both AFSOC and AFRC.