Chinook Losses due to Satchel Charges

 

          26 February 1969

 

         
Photograph of destroyed CH-47A Chinook at Cu Chi, Republic of Vietnam, tail number unknown.

          CH-47A destroyed by satchel charges, tail number unknown.

 

 

         
Property of the

242nd Aviation Company - "Muleskinners"

(Assault Support Helicopter Company)

Republic of Vietnam
A unit patch from the 242nd Aviation Company - "Muleskinners", from thier days in the Republic of Vietnam.

 

 

             An extract from the history of the 242nd Aviation Company (Assault Support Helicopter Company) - "Muleskinners", 269th Aviation Battalion (Combat), 12th Aviation Group (Combat):

1 January 1969 - 31 December 1969

Prepared by CW2 Lawrence M. Cain, Unit Historical Officer


....Then tragedy struck in the form of a vicious enemy sapper attack on the "North Forty" Chinook parking area. One crew member was killed (SP4 Isaac Stringer, Jr.) and 5 wounded with aircraft losses totaling 9 destroyed, 3 with major damage and 2 with minor damage. Around the clock work by the dedicated men of the 242d returned the unit to fully operational in 10 days...

 

 

             The following is a list of CH-47 Chinook helicopters that were destroyed by North Vietnamese forces with satchel charges during the Vietnam conflict:

 

          64-13106
           
          64-13146
           
          65-08024
           
          66-19012
           
          66-19013
           
          66-19014
           
          66-19015
           
          66-19016
           
          66-19022

 

             All of the tail numbers of the three airframes that received major damage and the two airframes that received minor damage are unknown. If you know, please send us an email. One of the tail numbers was:

 

          66-19023

 

 

          Photographs of damaged Chinooks

 

 

         
A CH-47A damaged in the attack, tail number unknown.

          A CH-47A damaged in the attack, tail number unknown.

 

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Damaged 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Damaged 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Destroyed 242nd ASHC Chinook.

 

         
Damaged and destroyed Muleskinner Chinooks on the flight line at Cu Chi, Republic of Vietnam.

 

 

             Click-N-Go on the link below to view a short video clip of the 242nd ASHC CH-47s burning on the ramp at Cu Chi. Right Click and select "Save Target As" to save the file to your computer.

 

          The Attack at Cu Chi

 

 

          Related Sites

 

          Muleskinner History

 

 

          The CH-47 - 40 years old and still circling the world.

         

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