Bomb being fuzed on A-1H of VA-25 on USS Midway (CVA-41) 1965

A U.S. Navy crew member replaces a fuse on a 250 lb. bomb on a Douglas A-1H Skyraider (NE-572, BuNo 135297) "Paper Tiger II" (which was a temporary name used for just this one flight) of Attack Squadron VA-25 Fist of the Fleet being readied for a mission over the Mekong Delta in October 1965. VA-25 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41). To commemorate the mark of having delivered 6,000,000 lb. (2721.56 to) of ordnance NE-572 was equipped with a special "bomb", a toilet! The toilet was a damaged toilet, which was going to be thrown overboard. One of the plane captains of VA-25 saved it and the ordnance crew made a rack, tailfins and nose fuse for it. VA-25 personnell maintained a position to block the view of the Air Boss and the ship's Captain while the aircraft was taxiing forward to the catapult. The plane was piloted by X/O Cdr. Clarence W. Stoddard, wingman was LCdr. Robin Bacon (in NE-577, BuNo 139768, with Lt. Clint Johnson shot down a MiG-17 on 20 June 1965).

Date

1965-10

Photographer / author

USN

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

photograph

Original size

1,035 × 765 pixels

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