The battle of la Drang is over. One column is moving towards Landing Zone Albany (not that far from LZ X-ray) and they are ambushed.

Background:

http://www.lzxray.com/albany_o.htm

I was really eager to have the A1 in the air, check out that loadout:





Once over the battle area everything sounds familiar, another clear in the forest, invisible enemy troops under the jungle canopy and friendly troops in the edge of collapsing.

I started following the leader with some napalm in the border of the clear:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7jybnckAkM

While making my attack pass I see something in the corner of my eye, ROCKETS coming from the trees towards the friendly line!! Some bad guy is there with a RPG or similar.. I take references on the exact spot where the rockets are coming and I throw myself down, select LAU-3 and shoot. Iīm empty of rockets but I donīt see any more shooting, I think I got him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ-QUk0_prw

There is a reason why they call this "Close Air Support":











Everything is very quiet now, I donīt see or hear more shooting. I decide to play a dangerous game, flying lower and lower to attract enemy fire and make them show their position.

When Iīm almost touching the trees someone lost his nerve...



ĄThat was a bit too close for my comfort! I memorized the spot from where the tracers are coming, turn 180 and deliver a couple of phosphorus bombs.



A couple of more passes dropping some kind of clusters and in the second run I saw a huge secondary explosion. After that no more grounf fire, evrything is really calm now.


In my way back home I see big columns of black smoke in the mountain, B52 job I think.

The debrief is very satisfactory, many enemy casualties on every attack run, And the guy with the RPG? yes, he fell in my rocket attack.

Cheers

Tulkas

Great AAR! I have a lot to do today but I think I am going to go fly Short Round again.

By the way, we are running low on ailerons. If you could tell us where that one landed, we might go pick it up.

Really fun read & pics.

heh, close air support...remind me not to fly with you!