Guys, I hope you'll be forgiving here, as my camera was out of action for three months, in which time I started-and finished, my F-4AU conversion from the Hasegawa F-4E (1/72). This model depicts F-4AU "213" in Port Moresby during the East Timor war of 1975-76. Here is a short description of the war, for all of you who aren't sufficiently versed in Australian military history. It also includes a detailed description of the dogfight, which is pulled from a military report written after the fight.
After the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in December 1975, the Australian government, under increasing external stress, decided to intervene, starting with airpower, then moving on with paratroops and securing ground incrementally. Quickly after the declaration of war by Australia, a Soviet backed ceasefire was signed between Indonesia and Australia. In these initial strikes, F-4AU fighters (Modified F-4E and F-4C fighters) from 77 Squadron RAAF carried out a number of counter attacks on Indonesian positions at Dili. This F-4AU (213) on it's 3rd mission into occupied territory, had the first RAAF aircrew lost in the war, piloted by Jonothan Stanbridg, the WSO, Arthur Steele, was hit by MiG-21 fire, and bled out on the return flight, which resulted in the Phantom being nicknamed "666", much to the distaste of the crew of C-5 "Shuttlin' Sheila", ID number 666. The replacement, a Canadian, Danny Michaels, known as "Canuck" in the Australian camps. This F-4AU carried ECM rigs, and a special, top secret laser guided pathfinding technology, which simoultaneosly mapped the terrain, and marked out landing sites for the home command radar operators, who subsequently passed on this information to the C-130s, C-5s and Sea Kings which the troops would land out of.
On the final day of fighting, 213 scored her first air to air kill, after her and her sister aircraft "Royal Flush" were engaged in a brutal dogfight with two MiG-23s and four MiG-21s. Royal Flush took lead in the chase, and 213 stayed back and waited to take missile shots. The MiG-21s, with a primary mission of protecting the MiG-23s, began a "wagon wheel" maneuver, where they circled eachother, trying to lure the Phantoms into a deadly ring of MiGs. Royal Flush, fancying her chances, made a "boom and zoom" missile shot, though the gs sustained from trying to avoid the MiG ring meant that the sidewinders didn't get a proper lock, though one did detonate and damage the aileron controls of one MiG, who sharply turned towards base, with hydraulic fluids running out of the wings. 213 took her chance and came in right behind the temporarily undefended MiG, left by his counterpart, and fired a sidewinder salvo of two, one sped past, but the other detonated and tore the tail off the MiG. During this time, the -23s had bugged out back to base, and now it was a two on two fight, the Phantoms fancying their chances against the MiGs.
Royal Flush turned towards Darwin, appearing to bug out, but after diving to the deck, she made an Immelman turn and fired her two Aim-7 Sparrow missiles, 213 watched in awe as the radar guided missiles hit home and destroyed a second MiG. The last MiG reamaining now had two Phantoms on her tail, with a total of two sparrows and four sidewinders remaining, against the MiG's cannons. Royal Flush headed towards home, the crew elated about their MiG kills, not paying attention to the MiG-21 that had shot out of the sky behind them. 213 followed on full afterburner behind the MiG, who began to turn violently, though Royal Flush continued to fly home. The MiG broke again, now both him and 213 closing on Royal Flush. Royal Flush still not realising, was a sitting duck, and the MiG evaded 213, diving into the clouds, and resurfacing behind Royal Flush, 30 mm cannon shells tearing through Royal Flush, her wings ripping off and tumbling towards the sea.
The MiG had run out of ammunition after the fight with Royal Flush, 213 not knowing that earlier the MiG had shot down two F-111Bs and one Mirage III+ on that mission, and including his A-7 killl, Royal Flush just made this MiG "328" the first Indonesian jet ace. 213 pulled out right beside the MiG and the pilot and WSO exchanged glances, the MiG sending a sneaky salute and breaking away for Dili. Rattled, 213 headed home, feeling rather down after the loss of Royal Flush (later a confirmation for the first MiG who was leaking hydraulic fuel as a kill took the crew's total to 3) even after their own MiG kill, when they arrived, their flightsuits were drenched with sweat and the control column was slimy with sweat. The rattled crew were shaking and couldn't even undo their own seat straps.
The crew of Royal Flush had ejected north of Darwin, btu had both drowned in the cords of their parachutes. At this news, Stanbridge broke down. Royal Flush's WSO had been his brother, Tom "Hawk" Stanbridge... For now, the war was over, but 27 RAAF aircrew had been killed in only weeks, the highest ratio since WW2. The crews of F-4AU "Royal Flush" and "213" both received Conspicuous Gallantry Medals, which were at the time second highest gallantry medal, behind the Victoria Cross. In 1991, after its outstanding gallantry in the face of the enemy during both the East Timor war and the Falklands War, 77 Squadron RAAF was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation from the Australian government for it's role in the two wars.
The Pics of J. Stanbridge and D. Michaels' F-4AU before the mission. After field exercises a week prior to the intervetnion, the F-4AUs had their camouflage quickly modified to a dark green on red brown and light grey green, rather than dark brown on red brown and light grey green. The aircraft also suffered extremely harsh conditions after becoming stationed in Port Moresby, and suffered high amounts of weathering, from the humid summer climate and the muddy terrain of the East Timorese jungle.
Cheers all! Enjoy