emg Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Was looking into service records of Iranian Tomcats and came across this http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=1 Starting in 1971 the "Phantoms" flown by mixed US-Iranian crews would average about two sorties per month penetrating Soviet airspace...(snip) Available sources seem to indicate that a few cases aside [7] the US-Persian reconnaissance flights encountered little to no interference from the Soviets. But it was not always so, 28 November 1973 being one of the occasions when they were actively challenged On that day a RF-4C with Maj. Shokouhnia at the controls and Col. John Saunders in the back seat - the former an Iranian while the latter American - was intercepted by a Soviet MiG-21SMT flown by Capt. Gennady Eliseev. What happened next was a supersonic chase with the Soviet pilot actually opening fire on the RF-4C. Yet despite firing off his entire combat load of two R-3S (AA-2 Atoll) air-to-air missiles Capt. Eliseev was unable to bring the reconnaissance aircraft down, for by launching 54 flares (all that were carried) as well as vigorously maneuvering the Phantom's pilot managed to avoid being hit. With both air-to-air missiles expended there was nothing the Soviet pilot could do and the RF-4C's crew could consider themselves safe - or so it seemed. Yet it was not to be so for Capt. Eliseev was out of ordnance but definitely not short on zealous combativeness. Before moving on it has to be pointed out, that while taking evasive action the Phantom had lost airspeed allowing the MiG to close the distance. Now came the most dramatic moment as the Soviet fighter struck the RF-4C's from below impacting on the left side close to the engine nozzles resulting in the Phantom's tail being seriously damaged if not outright severed. Edited January 22, 2015 by emg
redterror Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 "Damn the atolls, full speed ahead!" That seems like it'd be a fun mission to fly - race to the border!
SUBS17 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Did they make it back to base or was the aircraft lost on both sides? [sIGPIC] [/sIGPIC]
emg Posted January 23, 2015 Author Posted January 23, 2015 . While Capt. Eliseev took his final thoughts to his grave - for he was killed in the collision - such an aimed blow could hardly be accidental. Therefore it can be safely stated that the Soviet pilot rammed the RF-4C intentionally. As most readers familiar with the basics of aerodynamics will know an aircraft with a conventional layout can not be controlled if its tail is gone. This is precisely what happened to the Phantom which entered an uncontrollable dive. Its crew could do nothing but save their lives and Col. Saunders as well as Maj. Shokouhnia ejected. Both made a safe parachute descent but were aprehanded by the Soviets once they reached the ground. Meanwhile their aircraft crashed and since the engines kept running it hit the ground at high speed being completely destroyed on impact. When interrogated by the Soviets both captured airmen steadfastly maintained that they had been on a training flight and strayed over the Soviet Union by accident. [8] Since the opposite could not be proven with the evidence of reconnaissance activity reduced to unrecognisable wreckage [9] the Soviets grudgingly accepted this version of events. Col. Saunders and Maj. Shokouhnia were saved from a long stay in the "workers' and peasants' paradise" by a fortunate coincidence. It so happened that at about the same time a capsule from a Soviet reconnaissance satellite containing data gathered in orbit landed on the "wrong" side of the border coming down in Iran. Under the circumstance the Soviets readily agreed to exchange it for two seemingly incompetent airmen who could not keep their bearings. ---- "Damn the atolls, full speed ahead!" That seems like it'd be a fun mission to fly - race to the border! I know, right!
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