ColonelCharles Barbin DeBellevue (born August 15, 1945) is a retired officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). In 1972, DeBellevue became one of only five Americans to achieve flying ace status during the Vietnam War and the first as a USAF Weapon Systems Officer (WSO), an integral part of two-man aircrews with the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons during aerial combat.[1] He was credited with a total of six MiG kills, the most earned by any U.S. aviator during the Vietnam War,[1] and is a recipient of the Air Force Cross.
An advantage that the "Triple Nickel Squadron" pilots and WSOs had over other U.S. aircrews was that eight of their F-4D Phantoms had the top-secret APX-80 electronic set installed, known by its code-name "Combat Tree". Combat Tree could read the IFF signals of the transponders built into the MiGs so that North VietnameseGCI radar could discriminate its aircraft from that of the Americans. Displayed on a scope in the WSO's cockpit, Combat Tree gave the Phantoms the ability to identify and locate MiGs when they were still beyond visual range (BVR).
May 10, 1972, MiG Kill 1
Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II marked as 555th TFS 66-7463, flown by Ritchie and DeBellevue for their first of 4 kills together and Ritchie's 5th kill which was DeBellevue's 4th kill
Ritchie and DeBellevue's assignment on May 10, 1972, the first major day of air combat in Operation Linebacker, was as element leader (Oyster 03) of one of two flights of the F-4D MiGCap for the morning strike force. Oyster flight had three of its Phantoms equipped with Combat Tree IFF interrogators and two days previously its flight lead, Major Robert Lodge and his WSO Captain Roger Locher had scored their second MiG kill to lead all USAF crews then flying in Southeast Asia.
At 09:42, forewarned 19 minutes earlier by the EC-121 "Disco" over Laos and then by "Red Crown", the U.S. Navy radar picket ship USSChicago, Oyster flight engaged an equal number of MiG-21s head-on, scattering them. Oyster flight shot down three and nearly got the fourth, but fell victim to a MiG tactic dubbed "Kuban tactics" after those of the Soviet World War II ace Pokryshkin,[2] in which a GCI-controlled flight of MiG-19s trailed so that they could be steered behind the American fighters maneuvering to attack the MiG-21s. The F-4 flown by Lodge and Locher was shot down. Lodge was killed while Locher ejected and was rescued three weeks later. Almost simultaneously Ritchie and DeBellevue rolled into a firing position behind the remaining MiG-21 of the original four with a radar lock, launched two AIM-7 Sparrow missiles and scored a kill with the second.[3][4][5]
July 8, 1972, MiG Kills 2 and 3
Captains Steve Ritchie (left) and Charles DeBellevue prepare for a mission in their F-4 Phantom. They are two of the three Air Force aces from the Vietnam War and each received a full credit for four of the same kills.
USAF strike and chaff forces suffered a severe series of losses to MiGs between June 24 and July 5 (seven F-4s) without killing a MiG in return. As a counter-measure, 7th Air Force added a second Disco EC-121 to its airborne radar coverage, positioning it over the Gulf of Tonkin.
On July 8, 1972, Ritchie and DeBellevue were leading Paula flight in gun-equipped F-4Es instead of the Combat Tree F-4Ds they usually flew, on a MiGCAP to cover the exit of the strike force. While they were west of Phu Tho and south of Yen Bai, the EC-121 vectored them to intercept MiG-21s returning to base after damaging one of the US chaff escorts. The MiGs were still approximately 4 miles (6.4km) away and Ritchie turned the flight south to cross the Black River. As they closed, Disco gave them warning that the MiG return had "merged" with the Paula flight's return on his screen. Ritchie reversed course, observed the first MiG at his 10 o'clock position and turned left to meet it head-on.
MiG killers head for a pre-mission briefing at Udorn. Captains DeBellevue and Ritchie (front row) and Lt Col Baily and Capt Feinstein (back row).
When Ritchie passed the first MiG-21, he recalled the engagement of May 10 and waited to see if there was a trailing MiG. When he observed the second MiG, which he also passed head-on, he reversed hard left to engage. The MiG turned to its right to evade the attack, an unusual maneuver and Ritchie used a vertical separation move to gain position on its rear quarter. DeBellevue obtained a solid boresight (dogfighting) radar lock on it while at the MiG's 5 o'clock and although fired from the edge of their flight envelopes, both AIM-7s struck home.
The first MiG had also turned back and was attacking the last F-4 in Ritchie's flight from behind, an often fatal consequence to US aircraft employing the then-standard "fluid four" tactical formation. Ritchie made a hard turn across the curving intercept of the MiG, again coming out at its 5 o'clock and the MiG, apparently perceiving the threat, broke hard right and dove away. Ritchie fired an AIM-7 from inside its minimum range and at the limit of its capability to turn. Expecting the Sparrow to miss, he was trying to switch to a gun attack in the relatively unfamiliar F-4E he was flying that day when the missile exploded the MiG, 1 minute and 29 seconds after the first kill.[6][7][8]
A competition to become the Air Force's first Vietnam "ace" developed between Ritchie and Captain Jeffrey S. Feinstein, a WSO in another one of the 432nd's squadrons, the 13th TFS, who scored his 3rd and 4th kills on July 18 and July 29. Each had a claim denied by Seventh Air Force's Enemy Aircraft Claims Evaluation Board, Ritchie and DeBellevue for a claim of a MiG-21 on June 13 and Feinstein for a claim June 9.[6]
August 28, 1972, MiG Kill 4
Ritchie's final victory (his 5th making him an "ace") with DeBellevue (his 4th) came on August 28, 1972, while leading Buick flight, a MiGCAP for a strike north of Hanoi. During the preceding month, 7th Air Force had instituted daily centralized mission debriefings of leaders and planners from all fighter wings called "Linebacker Conferences".[9] Ritchie had just started his flight of Combat Tree Phantoms on its return to base (Ritchie and DeBellevue were flying F-4D AF Serial No. 66-7463, in which they had scored their first kill). Red Crown, now the USSLong Beach, alerted the strike force to "Blue Bandits" (MiG-21s) 30 miles (48km) southwest of Hanoi, along the route back to Thailand. Approaching the area of the reported contact at 15,000 feet (4,600m), Ritchie recalled recent Linebacker Conference information that MiGs had returned to using high altitude tactics and suspected the MiGs were high. Buick and Vega flights, both of the MiGCAP, flew toward the reported location.[10]
DeBellevue picked up the MiGs on the Phantom's onboard radar and using Combat Tree, discovered that the MiGs were 10 miles (16km) behind Olds flight, another flight of MiGCAP fighters returning to base. Ritchie called in the contact to warn Olds flight. Ritchie, concerned that MiGs might be at an altitude above them, made continuous requests for altitude readings to both Disco and Red Crown. He received location, heading and speed data on the MiGs (now determined to be returning north at high speed to their base) but not altitude as Buick flight closed to within 15 miles (24km) of the MiGs. DeBellevue's radar then painted the MiGs dead ahead at 25,000 feet (7,600m) and Ritchie ordered the flight to light afterburners. DeBellevue warned Ritchie they were closing fast and were in range. About the same time Ritchie saw the MiGs himself headed in the opposite direction.[11]
Attacking in a climbing curve behind the MiG-21's with his AIM-7 guidance radar locked on, Ritchie was given continuous range updates by DeBellevue. With his Phantom barely making enough speed to overtake the targets, Ritchie launched two AIM-7s from over 4 miles (6.4km) away. The firing parameters of the two shots were out of the missiles' performance envelope, an attempt to influence the MiGs to turn and thus shorten the range. Both shots not only missed but failed to influence the opponents. Moments later, tracking one MiG visually by the contrail it was making, Ritchie fired his remaining two Sparrows, also at long range. The first missed, but the MiG made a hard turn and actually shortened the range and was destroyed by the second.[6][12] Short on fuel, Ritchie elected not to try to pursue the second MiG-21.
September 9, 1972, "Ace Day", MiG Kills 5 and 6
Captains Steve Ritchie and Chuck DeBellevue at Tan Son Nhut Air Base
During Linebacker strikes on September 9, 1972, a flight of four F-4Ds on MiGCAP west of Hanoi shot down three MiGs. Following his fifth kill, Ritchie had been removed from active combat. Two were MiG-19s downed by the new team of Capt John A. Madden, Jr. and his WSO DeBellevue. For Madden, the victories constituted his first and second MiG kills, but for DeBellevue they were numbers five and six, moving him up as the leading MiG destroyer of the war and elevating him to "Ace" status. When DeBellevue acquired the MiGs on radar, the flight maneuvered to attack. Madden and DeBellevue made the first move. They got a visual on the MiG about 5 miles (8.0km) out on final approach with his gear and flaps down. Getting a lock on him, they fired missiles but they missed. They were coming in from the side-rear and slipped up next to that MiG no more than 500 feet (150m) apart. "He got a visual on us, snatched up his flaps and hit afterburner, accelerating out. It became obvious we weren't going to get another shot at the MiG", says DeBellevue.[13]
DeBellevue describes the next two engagements as follows: "We acquired the MiG's on radar and positioned as we picked them up visually. We used a slicing low-speed yo-yo to position behind the MiG-19's and started turning hard with them. We fired one AIM-9 Sidewinder missile which detonated 25 feet (7.6m) from one of the MiG-19's. We switched the attack to the other MiG-19 and one turn later we fired an AIM-9 at him. I observed the missile impact the tail of the MiG. The MiG continued normally for the next few seconds, then began a slow roll and spiraled downward, impacting the ground with a large fireball."[14]
Madden and DeBellevue returned to their base thinking they had destroyed only the second MiG-19. Only later did investigation reveal that they were the only aircrew to shoot at a MiG-19 which crashed and burned on the runway at Phuc Yen that day. That gave them two MiG-19 kills for the day and brought DeBellevue's total to six MiG kills, the most earned during the war.[15]
During his combat tour, DeBellevue logged 550 combat hours while flying 220 combat missions, 96 of which were over North Vietnam. His skill as a weapon systems officer was recognized when he and the other two Air Force "Aces", Ritchie and Feinstein, received the 1972 Mackay Trophy.[16] He also received the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Armed Forces Award and the Eugene M. Zuckert Achievement Award.
MiG credits
The six MiG kills credited to DeBellevue in 1972 are:[17]
Date (1972)
Pilot
Weapon systems officer
Aircraft
Tail code
Call sign
Wpn
Kill
May 10
Capt Richard S. Ritchie
Capt Charles B. DeBellevue
F-4D 66-7463
OY
Oyster 03
AIM-7
MiG-21
July 8
Capt R.S. Ritchie
Capt C.B. DeBellevue
F-4E 67-0362
ED
Paula 01
AIM-7
MiG-21
July 8
Capt R.S. Ritchie
Capt C.B. DeBellevue
F-4E 67-0362
ED
Paula 01
AIM-7
MiG-21
August 28
Capt. R.S. Ritchie
Capt C.B. DeBellevue
F-4D 66-7463
OY
Buick 01
AIM-7
MiG-21
September 9
Capt John A. Madden, Jr.
Capt C.B. DeBellevue
F-4D 66-0267
OY
Olds 01
AIM-9
MiG-19
September 9
Capt J.A. Madden, Jr.
Capt C.B. DeBellevue
F-4D 66-0267
OY
Olds 01
AIM-9
MiG-19
Disposition of aircraft
The aircraft in which DeBellevue flew when he achieved his six MiG kills:[18]
F-4D, AF Serial No. 66-0267: Damaged by Hurricane Andrew at Homestead AFB, Florida, August 24, 1992. It was rebuilt using spare parts from two F-4Cs and placed back on display at the now renamed Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.
The night of his fifth and sixth victories, DeBellevue was given transfer papers while being toasted at the military officers' club, as the Air Force removed aces from combat.[20] He was ordered by the Air Force to enter pilot training at Williams AFB, Arizona, in November 1972, or accept his Discharge. His stated desire to train WSOs fell second to the Air Force determination that the highest ranking ace of the Vietnam War would not be a non-pilot.
DeBellevue was the last American Ace on active duty[20] when he retired from active duty as a full Colonel, while serving as Commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 440 at the University of Missouri on February 1, 1998 after 30 years of military service.
On May 20, 2015, DeBellevue was one of 77 American Aces to receive the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony in Washington D.C. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor Congress can bestow on behalf of the American people.[22]
On March 6, 2023, DeBellevue, was presented with AFA’s Citation Award at the AFA Warfare Symposium.[23]
Military decorations
During his lengthy career, DeBellevue earned many decorations, including:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Captain Charles B. DeBellevue (AFSN: 0-3210693), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-4D Weapon Systems Officer in the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in action on 9 September 1972. On that date, while protecting a large strike force attacking a high priority target deep in hostile territory, Captain DeBellevue engaged and destroyed a hostile aircraft. Through superior judgment and use of aircraft capabilities and in complete disregard for his own safety, Captain DeBellevue was successful in destroying his fifth hostile aircraft, a North Vietnamese MiG-19. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Captain DeBellevue reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.[24]
↑ Sherwood, John D. (1999). Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience. Free Press. pp.231–232. ISBN0-312-97962-2.
↑ Ethell, Jeffrey; Price, Alfred (1989). One Day in a Very Long War: May 10, 1972, Air Combat, North Vietnam. Random House. pp.55–61, 141. ISBN978-0-517-07934-8.
↑ "Years 1966 and 1967". USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to Present. Archived from the original on 2009-01-30. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it entered service with the Navy in 1961 before it was adopted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, and by the mid-1960s it had become a major part of their air arms. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history, and cementing its position as a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War.
The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. Development began in 1946; the weapon was first tested in 1949. The missile entered service with the USAF in 1956.
Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against North Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War.
Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie served as an officer in the United States Air Force and the Colorado Air National Guard, and a general officer in the Air Force Reserve. Ritchie joined Navy Commander Randy Cunningham as the only two pilots among the five American aces during the Vietnam War. Ritchie is a recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force.
Nguyễn Văn Cốc is a former North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter ace of the Vietnamese People's Air Force's 921st Fighter Regiment.
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Nguyễn Văn Bảy, was a Vietnamese jet fighter ace for the Vietnam People's Air Force during the Vietnam War. Piloting a MiG-17F while assigned to the 923rd Fighter Regiment, Bay claimed 7 aerial combat victories while engaged against aircraft of the USAF and USN: 2 F-8s, 1 F-4B, 1 A-4C and 1 F-105D. Of the 7 claimed victories, 5 are acknowledged by American documents. Of 16 VPAF aces during Vietnam War, only Bay, Luu Huy Chao, and Le Hai solely flew MiG-17s.
Phạm Thanh Ngân, is a former MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force. Phạm Thanh Ngân flew with the 921st Fighter Regiment and tied for second-most kills amongst Vietnam War fighter aces at eight.
Đặng Ngọc Ngự, †, was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force who flew with the 921st fighter regiment and tied for third place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with seven kills.
Lê Thanh Đạo was a MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force. He flew with the 921st and 927th fighter regiment and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
"We took off from Noi Bai Airbase ascending to an altitude of 3,500m toward Ba Vi... we discovered the enemy Phantoms and intercepted two aircraft in a pair, and I prepared to launch my missile, when another F-4 hit my MiG-21 and I had to eject immediately. While I was descending, a Phantom fired a burst from their cannon which made many holes in my parachute... I had fallen and crashed into a big rock at high speed. I was unconscious for two days; both legs and vertebra were broken... locals made a stretcher from my parachute and transported me a distance of 9km where an Mi-6 helicopter brought me to Hospital No. 108 where I stayed for 4 months... I was only able to return to flight duty after a year."
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, he flew with the 921st fighter regiment from 1968-72 and the 927th fighter regiment from 1972-75, and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
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References
Ethell, Jeffrey and Price, Alfred. (1989) One Day in a Very Long War: May 10, 1972, Air Combat, North Vietnam. Random House. ISBN978-0-517-07934-8
Sherwood, John D. (1999) Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience. St. Martins Press. ISBN0-312-97962-2
Michel, Marshall L. (2004). Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965–1972, Naval Institute Press, ISBN1-55750-585-3
Nordeen, Lon, Jr. (1986) Air Warfare in the Missile Age, Smithsonian Institution. ISBN0-87474-680-9
USAF Fighter Weapons School, Project Red Baron III. (1974) Air-to-Air Encounters in Southeast Asia, Volume II, Part I.
"Colonel Charles DeBellevue". History and Heritage of the United States Air Force. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
Corbin, A1C Jacob (April 11, 2007). "Vietnam ace talks about AF experience". Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas: 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs, United States Air Force. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved 2007-05-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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