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26 The Enemy’s Worst Nightmare Was Named Spectre During the course of the war the U.S. Air Force introduced a series of large, fixed-wing, multiengine gunships that provided close and accurate fire support to troops on the ground.1 From the perspective of the soldier those big gunships were a life-saving weapon that could be depended on to deliver a tremendous volume of fire when and where most needed. With each new generation of gunships came improved communications systems, day and night targeting systems, weapons systems, and computer technology to pull it all together. One of the features common to all those aircraft was how their weapons systems fired out the left side. That allowed the pilots to circle and keep an eye on the target while the crew cranked out the rounds. Each version shared several other common features that made them particularly valuable to troops calling for their assistance. They all carried a great deal of fuel so they could loiter over the battlefield for hours. They carried a big load of flares and could illuminate very effectively for long periods of time. Their size also allowed them to bring a lot of ammunition to the fight. Of great importance, gunships were also equipped with FM radios so troops on the ground could talk directly to the air crews, minimizing potential confusion or misunderstandings. The devastating volume and pinpoint accuracy of the fire those aircraft delivered, plus their responsiveness, often spelled the difference between life and death for soldiers. Just the sound of those big engines droning high overhead could have an admonitory effect on the enemy, particularly when they came to realize the gunships could find and kill them day or night. The U.S. Air Force gunships I called on to provide close fire support during my first tour in Vietnam were converted twin-engine C-47 transports using the call sign Spooky. The troops also knew Spooky, now an AC-47, as Puff the Magic Dragon because of the ripping roar and fiery display the air- 130 Chapter 26 craft’s three 7.62 miniguns made when they were turned on. Updated gatling guns, their spinning barrels hosed down the target area at a rate of 6,000 rounds a minute per gun. Puff was particularly impressive after dark when the torrents of red tracers seemed to sweep out of the night sky and scour the earth like a monster’s breath. Puff the Magic Dragon was a very popular and reassuring friend when most needed.2 That aircraft was replaced by Shadow, a modification of the venerable old twin engine/twin tail Flying Boxcar. In addition to a lot of loiter time and a big load of ammunition and flares, the redesignated AC-119 Shadow also carried a giant spotlight and a night observation sight that allowed the crew to more accurately engage targets after dark. When cornered by Shadow, the enemy found the aircraft’s four 7.62 miniguns a lethal experience. Another version of the AC-119 gunship called Stinger was equipped with a pair of 20 mm multi-barrel gatling-type cannons as well as four 7.62 miniguns. Stinger was built primarily to kill truck convoys on the Ho Chi Minh trail, but Shadow and Stinger were both important steps toward the development of the big brother of them all, the truly magnificent four-engine AC-130 Spectre.3 That newer and much more lethal gunship had been deployed prior to my service with the Vietnamese Airborne. The version of Spectre in use at that time was the prototype of the space-age AC-130 found in the arsenal today. But even that first model provided a quantum improvement in everything ground troops wanted and needed from a big gunship. The jump in capability included Spectre’s armament, which was truly awe inspiring. The aircraft carried a pair of 20 mm Vulcan cannons, a Bofors 40 mm cannon, and a 105 mm howitzer. The crew often used the 40 mm cannon to zero in on a target and then they would follow up with rounds from the 105 mm howitzer . That gun was in its own special category of aerial fire support, providing a precise and deadly hammer that made a serious statement on the battlefield . Spectre also came equipped with a low-light television camera plus other equipment that amplified ambient light very effectively. Those various capabilities were all tied into a computerized fire control...

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