Historical Report Narrative

JANUARY - JUNE 1951

Detachment Number TWO, based at Naval Air Station, Barber's Point, has continued to serve the Hawaiian Area in an outstanding manner. The Detachments missions consisted mostly of torpedo photo and tracking flights, mine search, and photo .flights, with a number of demonstration flights.

On Armed Forces Day this Squadron participated in conducting heli- copter rescues from life rafts in the San Diego Bay, with the base of operation being the U.S.S. RENDOVA. (CVE-114) which was docked at the Naval Air Station, North Island.

An HO33S-1 type helicopter was also displayed at U.S.M.C., Camp Del Mar where open house was held by the Marine Corps. The Commanding General commented that the presence of the helicopter added greatly to the success of the open house. Helicopters have been used to a great extent to search out, locate, marrk, and in some cases destroy mines all along both coasts of Korea. At the present, HO3S-1 type helicopters are operatiing off LST type ships under the control of ComMinRon THREE.

When small mine sweep boats are required to sweep channels or bay areas, the helicopter proceeds the sweeps, spotting any mines that may possibly be in the sweeps' path. On several occasions the helicopters have saved the sweeps from destruction by warning them that mines are dead ahead, giving the sweeps time to turn.

The helicopter is a good device for spotting moored mines due to its slow moving ability; however there are also some difficulties that have been encountered which tend to reduce the efficiency of this type mission.

On cloudy days or when the water is rough, moored mines are diflicult to spot; the best hours for search being approyinia.tely 1000 to 1400 hours while the sun is high. This leaves very little time for operating during the day.

To make up for the above shortcomings, the Commanding Officer of this Squadron has made a valuable suggestion on the use of the (AQS) type sonar equipment.

Communications between the small mine sweeps and. the helicopters are unsatisfactory due to the mine sweep's not having VHF radio equipment. When a mine is spotted ahead of the sweep, the helicopter lets down and hovers over the mine, more or less forcing the sweep to turn to keep from running into the helicopter.

It has been noted that the presence of a helicopter working with the mine sweeps -will automatically bolster the crew's morale.

During this reporting period, one hundred forty-three (143) helicopter rescues were effected by this squadron. This total is derived from the Helicopter Rescue Reports'' and personal letters which are.; received at the squadron. It is felt that slightly more than the above-mentioned figure were rescued, but the reports have not, as yet, reached the squadron.

Each year when the winter season presents itself, some helicopter pilot and crewman experiences the difficulty of rescuing a person from frigid waters; the person usually being so numbed by the effects of the water that he cannot put himself into the hoisting sling. When this situation occurs the crewman is lowered into the water to assist the dis- abled person into the sling.

After the crewman has placed the sling on the disabled person, he is hoisted up level with the cabin door. If he is too weak to help himself into the cabin he must be carried on the sling until a landing can be made with the helicopter. While all this takes place the helicopter crew- man. remains in the water waiting for the return of the helicopter.

This situation, is caused due to the limited load that the HO3S-l type helicopter will carry. This problem will be eliminated when the new type (HUP) helicopter comes into service, however, until the HUP is in service with the fleet, we still have the problen: of how to hoist both the crewman and the disabled person, into the helicopter.

Many varied ideas have been exercised, but none to complete satis- faction. At present, the crewmen of Unit Number THREE based aboard the U.S.S. PRINCETON (CV-37) are using the "frog" suits. With this type suit the crewman can withstand the cold water for a considerable time, but the frog suit was not designed for continuous wear. The exposure suits the pilots wear are not water-tight around the wrist and neck. This type also leaves the hands, most important, and head unprotected. What is needed is a water-tight suit which will give protection to the entire body except a portion of the face. The suit should be of a light, tough material so as not to tear while climbing in and out of the aircraft. It should be designed for continuous wear. Possibly a combination of the frog suit and the exposure suit would prove satisfactory for the crewman's protection. A good exposure suit would give some added protection in the water, giving the helicopter time to pick up his crewman Irom the water.

Helicopters operating in the Korean Area are often called upon to accomplish rescues behind the enemy lines, and while doing so have received an assortment of bullet holes in the aircraft. To date, no aircraft nor pilot of this squadron have been lost due to enemy gunfire or action.

When a helicopter pilot is called upon to go behind the enemy lines he requests a fighter escort. LCLR G. W. BOLT's letter covers some interesting points concerning the subject of rescues under gunfire.

Seventeen (17) members of this squadron received twenty-one (21) awards during this reporting period; seven D.F.C.'s, twelve (I2) Air medals, one (l) Navy Marine Corps medal, and one (l) Commendation Ribbon. All these awards have been presented for heroic rescues; or outstanding service performed in. the Korean Area.

In addition, twenty-six (26) "Winged S" Sikorsky Rescue Awards have been issued.

At Commanding Officer's monthly personnel inspection, 1 June 1951, eleven (11) pilots and crewmen received a total of thirteen (13) awards. This was a record of awards to be presented at one presentation by this squadron.

The Commanding Officer conducted an inspection tour of Western Pacific helicopter units. The report of his inspection tour is considered of great interest in that the conclusions and recommendations made in his report can be used for .future planning and betterment of this squadron and the missions it is required to perform.

It is also felt that some of the material in the report could be of interest and value to other commands for the purpose of furthering heli- copter aviation.

Due to the large number of newly reported -pilots in the squaoron, it was necessary to organize a training program to supplement the heli- copter flight training received at helicopter Training Unit, Pensacola Florida, and also Air Force Base, San Marcos, Texas. It is the policy of this squadron to have each pilot accumulate a total of eighty (80) helicopter hours in type before detaching them with Fleet units in the Korean Area.