VP-26 Last VP-26 Post

VP-26. The V stands for heavier than air aircraft. The P stands for patrol. One of the main things we are patrolling for is USSR fishing trawlers. This is the 1960s and the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republics are engaged in what was referred to as the Cold War. Their trawlers did fish and many of them were also equipped with a wide variety of suspicious looking antennas. Our job was to photograph any trawlers we saw anywhere in the worlds oceans. The photos were sent to Naval Intelligence where records were kept on each trawler and photos from any patrol aircraft or ship were then compared to the photos already compiled on each trawler to note any changes to the trawlers. The changes were then noted in identification manuals.

The cameras we used were big bulky ones at about one square foot. The photos were taken by opening the port (left) side after station window, sticking the camera out of the window and pushing a lever on the right side of the camera forward and quickly pulling it back as cued by the pilot. On the left side of the camera was a strap you slid your left hand through so you could hang onto the camera if it slipped, so it didn't fall out the window! The timing of taking the photo by snapping the lever was crucial.

The timing was cued by the pilot. The aircraft would be flying about 100 feet over the ocean headed toward the trawler. When the trawler reached the aircraft the pilot called MARK over the headphones, then when the trawler passed under the wing he called mark, mark, mark, and you'd quickly snap the lever. Many times several passes would have to be made to obtain a clear photo. Gatch, our ordnanceman, came up with a great idea. After we made the first pass, we'd be standing there holding the bags of trash that the crew had passed back to the afterstation. At mark, mark, mark, out the bags of trash would go. After awhile we got pretty good at the timing and gettin close to the trawlers! After a few months of that, LT Frederick called back asking, "Lambert, why are the men on the trawlers shaking their fists at us when we make multiple runs?" We'd be laughing so hard it was hard to answer him! Eventually an article was published in the Armed Forces News titled "Russian Ambassador Files Complaint of Harassment by Navy Military Aircraft."Gee, wonder what that was about?"

Here are the aircrew rosters for the two Rota, Spain deployments. May not be important to the reader but it was a lot of work to obtain these names and it's important to list them.

First deployment.
Aircraft Commander: Lieutenant Frederick
Co-pilot: Lieutenant Junior Grade Mills
3rd pilot/Navigator: Ensign Malone
Plane Captain/Flight Engineer: Aviation Machinist Mate Second Class Hensley
Plane Captain/Flight Engineer: Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class Watson
Jezebel/Juliet Operator/Electronic Systems Supervisor: Aviation Electronics Technician First Class Herrick
Radar/Radio Operator: Aviation Electronic Technician Second Class Hale
Radio/Radar Operator: Aviation Electronic Technician Third Class Dickerson
ECM Operator/Electrician: Aviation Electricians Mate Airman: Lambert
Ordnanceman: Airman Gatch

Second deployment.
Aircraft Commander: LT Frederick
Co-pilot: LTJG Mills
3rd pilot/Navigator: LTJG Malone
PC/FL: AD3 Watson
PC/FL Trainee: AD2 Erickson
Jezebel/Juliet Operator: AT1 Herrick
Radar/Radio Operator: AT2 Hale
Radio/Radar Operator: AT3 Guernsey
ECM Operator/Electrician: AE3 Lambert
Ordnanceman: Aviation Ordnance Mate Airman Geiter

Photos of three Russian trawlers. Note the differences in antennas.