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Tachen Islands and the Yellow Sea


330-PS-7151 (USN 654922): AD1 R. K. Drennan, crew member of the AD-5W recently shot down by Communist gunfire and ditched near the Tachen Islands, is transferred by highline from USS Naifeh (DE 352) to USS Wasp (CVA 18), February 16, 1955. Offici...
Caption: 330-PS-7151 (USN 654922): AD1 R. K. Drennan, crew member of the AD-5W recently shot down by Communist gunfire and ditched near the Tachen Islands, is transferred by highline from USS Naifeh (DE 352) to USS Wasp (CVA 18). Photograph received February 16, 1955. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

1955-Tachen Islands

On February 9, 1955, an AD-5W flying from USS Wasp (CVA-18) covering the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists from the Tachen Islands was damaged from anti-aircraft fire when it flew over Chinese territory.  Ditched, the three-man crew was rescued by Nationalist Chinese patrol boats.  The aircraft was attached to VC-11, Det-H.  


USN 709514: PBM-5 “Mariner” testing the hydro-ski on water landings and takeoffs at Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Photograph released December 12, 1955.

1952-1953  Yellow Sea

A PBM-5S2 "Mariner" from VP-731 was attacked on July 31, 1952, by two Chinese MiG-15s over the Yellow Sea resulting in two crewmembers killed and two more seriously wounded.  The PBM-5S2 suffered extensive damage but was able to make it safely to Paengyong-do, Korea.  The PBM-5S2 was based at Iwakuni, Japan. 

On November 7, 1953, a PBM-5A ""Mariner" was over the Yellow Sea.  The entire crew were lost.  Three days later, the People's Republic of China claimed to have shot down a U.S. aircraft over the area.  The possibility exists the Chinese had given the wrong date.  

Published: Tue Apr 21 09:53:24 EDT 2020