1968, Attrition War

[Stick 773]

We had just taken out two MiG-21MF Fishbeds of the Syrian Air-force when my no.4 spotted two more entering into the fight. We were on our side of the border so I decded to light our tails,bug out, and let the newly acquired HAWK SAM's take care of them if they followed.No. 4 Major Zinker disregarded my call to form up, the MiG was already on him and he had no option but to engage. My wingman was low on fuel so I ordered him to return to Ramat David AB. I checked my gauge-the readout was reassuring.But I had no weapons, not even cannon, I had carelesslly sprayed 250 rounds after my 4th confirmed kill, which turned out to be a case of machine over man;the missile got him-so far Im a lousy gunfighter. Nevertheless I thought I'd attempt to shake the MiG off Zinker's tail, so away I went at a little over 600kts chasing a MiG I could never dream of killing. No, Im not remotely Japanese so the thought did not occur then. I crossed the MiG,afterburner ignited hoping he'd come after me instead.Forlorn hope!Zinker presents the ideal target;wallowing at the edge of a stall;the Syrian fires the dreaded 23mm, hits Zinker's Mirage;Zinker bails out over the shores of Lake Tiberias, and then the MiG comes after me!

In the meanwhile his wingman chases my wingman who is now on his short final and sends an Atoll up his exhaust.He too bails out. No.3 is way out of the fight.

I am in full afterburner climbing through 25000 feet at over Mach 1.The Mig is 3 miles behind.We are now over Haifa. I see the smoke trails of two Hawks following us in vain. At 30000 feet and 600lbs of fuel left, Mach 2, I decide to put Mr MiG through his paces. I go vertical;the altimeter spins wildly. I complete the parabola at 56000feet, now considerably slower at about 200kts IAS. I looks down and the MiG is way out of league-he has lost control of his aircraft and is falling like an aspen leaf in the dwindling light of the dusk.

 

 

He bails out and his abandoned MiG now plunges like a moribund eagle toward the hard earth below.

 

 

Shaken, I look for the other MiG. He is nowhere to be seen.

No.3 forms up on my wing and escorts me back to base.

We lost two aircraft, mercifully our roster is still at full stength. Its seems winds of hazard have begun to blow against us.

Butch Ben Yok

Febuary 1968.

Edited September 30, 2008 by Stick

[kesegy 5]

why did that mig driver bail? just cause he was in a spin? i never saw ai do that.

[+allenjb42 4,164]

Do ai pilots bail out if they run out of fuel?

[kesegy 5]

afaik enemy ai can never run out of fuel, so they don't bail, only rtb.

[Stick 773]

Thats why I thought I'd write about it-its a complete mystery! I mean one second he was flying a healthy jet,albiet only at 90kts, and the next second the jet doesnt have anybody in the cockpit!He was out-maneouvred?

[Rambler 1-1 9]

could it have been from a hawk that just barely damaged him? Ir maybe he went over-G in the spin and was damaged then.

[Stick 773]

could it have been from a hawk that just barely damaged him? Ir maybe he went over-G in the spin and was damaged then.

There wasnt any trail at that point.The HAWKs engaged as we were climbing through 30000feet he was well into the chase at that point-in fact he was going a tad faster than me so I decided to find out whether he had the 'wings'