Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the ensign flown to identify a pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy ). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or “Death's Head”, often accompanied by other elements, on a black field, sometimes called the “Death's Head flag” or just the “black flag” .
141-613: Strike Fighter Squadron 103 (VFA-103) , nicknamed the Jolly Rogers , is an aviation unit of the United States Navy established in 1952. VFA-103 flies the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and is based at Naval Air Station Oceana , Virginia (US) . The squadron's radio callsign is Victory and it is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven . The original VF-103 squadron insignia was a cloverleaf, and
282-424: A POW until the end of the war. The pilot, Lieutenant Devon Jones, was able to evade capture and, after eight hours deep in enemy territory, was rescued by USAF Special Operations Forces . On 1 October 1995, VF-84 was disestablished bringing an end to the Jolly Rogers . Not wanting the Jolly Rogers insignia to fade away from U.S. Naval Aviation , VF-103 requested to do away with their "Slugger" moniker and adopt
423-436: A leading edge sweep of 45° and was equipped with blown flaps for better low-speed handling. Wind tunnel testing had revealed lateral instability, requiring the addition of 5° dihedral to the wings. To avoid redesigning the titanium central section of the aircraft, McDonnell engineers angled up only the outer portions of the wings by 12°, which averaged to the required 5° over the entire wingspan. The wings also received
564-492: A "black flag", i.e. the Jolly Roger, and a "red flag", often called a bloody flag . When closing on a target ship, the pirate ship would normally fly a false flag or no colours until they had their prey within firing range. Like other vessels, pirate ships usually stocked a variety of flags for various purposes. When the pirates' intended victim was within range, the black flag would be raised, often simultaneously with
705-469: A Chinese MiG-17. The Phantom was then shot down, probably by an AIM-7 Sparrow from one of its wingmen. There continues to be controversy over whether the Phantom was shot down by MiG guns or, as enemy reports later indicated, an AIM-7 Sparrow III from one of Murphy's and Fegan's wingmen. On 17 June 1965, an F-4B from VF-21 Freelancers piloted by Commander Louis Page and Lieutenant John C. Smith shot down
846-564: A Hellfire, but the missile successfully hit the building, neutralizing the enemy fire that the US troops were receiving. The F-14 crew was ordered to two drop additional GBU-12 laser-guided bombs on the building, leveling the structure. During another mission, air support was requested for Marines fighting on the ground. An F-14 from VF-103 provided close air support and suffered a ruptured hydraulic line. The F-14 declared an in flight emergency and landed without incident at Al Asad Air Base. Repairs took
987-472: A Jolly Roger flag typically include (some rarer than others): Pirates sometimes used a national flag symbolize their nationality or their allegiance to a nation. Jolly Roger variations possibly existed as a type of personal calling card to be associated with a certain pirate crew's reputation and thus make enemies surrender more easily, however, this is not mentioned by period sources. Flag motifs could often not be made out at longer ranges, thus, flag details
1128-548: A U.S. Navy-initiated refurbishment program called "Project Bee Line" with 228 converted by 1978. The F-4S model resulted from the refurbishment of 265 F-4Js with J79-GE-17 smokeless engines of 17,900 lbf (79.379 kN), AWG-10B radar with digitized circuitry for improved performance and reliability, Honeywell AN/AVG-8 Visual Target Acquisition Set or VTAS (world's first operational Helmet Sighting System), classified avionics improvements, airframe reinforcement and leading edge slats for enhanced maneuvering. The USMC also operated
1269-890: A black flag with skull, crossbones, and hourglass is attributed to pirate captain Emanuel Wynn in 1700, according to a wide variety of secondary sources. Reportedly, these secondary sources are based on the account of Captain John Cranby of HMS Poole and are verified at the London Public Record Office . With the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, many privateers turned to piracy. They still used red and black flags, but now they decorated them with their own designs. Edward England, for example, flew three different flags: from his mainmast
1410-572: A black flag – was used during the 1710s by a number of pirate captains, including Black Sam Bellamy , Edward England , and John Taylor . It became the most commonly used pirate flag during the 1720s, although other designs were also in use. Use of the term Jolly Roger in reference to pirate flags goes back to at least Charles Johnson 's A General History of the Pyrates , published in Britain in 1724 and in fact has no connection to
1551-417: A can-opener, referencing an incident where an Italian destroyer attempted to ram the submarine, but ended up worse off because of damage to the destroyer's hull by the submarine's hydroplanes , while HMS United added a stork and baby when the boat's commander became a father while on patrol. Flying the Jolly Roger continued in the late 20th century and on into the 21st. HMS Conqueror raised
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#17327810395901692-569: A cost of 73 Phantoms lost in combat (seven to enemy aircraft, 13 to SAMs and 53 to AAA ). An additional 54 Phantoms were lost in mishaps. In 1984, all Navy F-4Ns were retired from Fleet service in deployable USN squadrons and by 1987 the last F-4Ss were retired from deployable USN squadrons. On 25 March 1986, an F-4S belonging to the VF-151 Vigilantes , became the last active duty U.S. Navy Phantom to launch from an aircraft carrier, in this case, Midway . On 18 October 1986, an F-4S from
1833-629: A few days on the base as the starboard engine had to be removed and later the crew flew the F-14 back to the John F. Kennedy. After a last deployment USS John F. Kennedy with CVW-17 and returning to NAS Oceana in December 2004, VF-103 retired their F-14B Tomcats and began transition to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and transfer to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7). Following their transition to
1974-515: A gun on the aircraft." For a brief period, doctrine held that turning combat would be impossible at supersonic speeds and little effort was made to teach pilots air combat maneuvering . In reality, engagements quickly became subsonic, as pilots would slow down in an effort to get behind their adversaries. Furthermore, the relatively new heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles at the time were frequently reported as unreliable and pilots had to fire multiple missiles just to hit one enemy fighter. To compound
2115-576: A log book held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France . The entry describes pirates using the flag, not on a ship but on land. 17th and 18th century colonial governors usually required privateers to fly a specific version of the British flag, the 1606 Union Jack with a white crest in the middle, also distinguishing them from naval vessels. Before this time, British privateers such as Sir Henry Morgan sailed under English colours. An early use of
2256-559: A long range night intercept by VF-74 and VF-103, the 737 was forced to land at Naval Air Station Sigonella , Sicily . The terrorists were taken into Italian custody, tried and sentenced. VF-103 and the rest of the airwing participated in Operation Attain Document and Operation El Dorado Canyon in the spring of 1986. In 1989, VF-103 transitioned to the F-14A+ (later redesignated F-14B). In August 1990 when Kuwait
2397-610: A major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force, the F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel ( Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ) roles in
2538-414: A pirate. Just possessing or using a Jolly Roger was considered proof that one was a criminal pirate rather than something more legitimate; only a pirate would dare fly the Jolly Roger, as he was already under threat of execution. Before 1700, pirates flew a plain black flag together with the red (“bloody”) flag, the use of emblems first taking the scene in the 18th century. Key elements commonly found on
2679-474: A rated Air Force Navigator qualified as a weapon/targeting systems officer (later designated as weapon systems officer or WSO) in the rear seat instead of another pilot. On 10 July 1965, F-4Cs of the 45th TFS, 15th TFW, scored the USAF's first victories against North Vietnamese MiG-17s using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. On 26 April 1966, an F-4C from the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron scored
2820-434: A sea mine: a number inside the mine indicated how many such missions. A lighthouse or torch symbolised the boat's use as a navigational marker for an invasion force; the latter more particularly associated with Operation Torch . Rescue of personnel from downed aircraft or sunken ships was marked by a lifebuoy . Unique symbols are used to denote one-off incidents: for example, the Jolly Roger of HMS Proteus included
2961-413: A ship: red bars indicated warships, white bars represented merchant vessels, and black bars with a white "U" stood for U-boats . A dagger indicated a ' cloak and dagger ' operation: typically the delivery or recovery of shore parties from enemy territory. Stars (sometimes surrounding crossed cannon ) stood for occasions where the deck gun was fired. Minelaying operations were shown by the silhouette of
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#17327810395903102-670: A signature combat aircraft of the Cold War . The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints , including air-to-air missiles , air-to-ground missiles , and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was initially designed without an internal cannon. Some later models incorporated an internal M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record and an absolute altitude record. The F-4
3243-498: A skilled pilot to engage and disengage from the fight at will. MiGs usually could outturn the F-4 because of the high drag on the Phantom's airframe; as a massive fighter aircraft designed to fire radar-guided missiles from beyond visual range , the F-4 lacked the agility of its Soviet opponents and was subject to adverse yaw during hard maneuvering. Although the F-4 was subject to irrecoverable spins during aileron rolls, pilots reported
3384-442: A skull and crossbones. Richard Hawkins, who was captured by pirates in 1724, reported that the pirates had a black flag bearing the figure of a skeleton stabbing a heart with a spear, which they named "Jolly Roger". This description closely resembles the flags of a number of Golden Age pirates. It is sometimes claimed that the term derives from "Joli Rouge" ("Pretty Red") in reference to a red flag used by French privateers . This
3525-406: A stylised Jolly Roger, featuring a grinning skull adorned with sunglasses and a halo. The cover of Iron Maiden 's album A Matter of Life and Death (2006) includes a version of a Jolly Roger depicting a helmeted Eddie and two assault rifles instead of bones, hanging from a tank. On the cover of Michael Jackson 's album Dangerous (1991), the Jolly Roger can be seen on the left side with
3666-464: A successful maintenance and workup cycle, VFA-103 embarked with CVW-7 on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on 22 June 2012 for a scheduled nine-month deployment in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations. However, due to changes in operational requirements, VFA-103, CVW-7 and Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to NAS Oceana on 21 December 2012, to perform maintenance in preparation of returning to sea shortly thereafter. VFA-103 returned to sea on 21 February 2013 after
3807-473: A successful patrol by HMS Osiris , during which she sank the Italian destroyer Palestro , the submarine returned to Alexandria , but was ordered to remain outside the boom net until the motorboat assigned to the leader of the 1st Submarine Flotilla had come alongside. The flotilla leader wanted to recognise the boat's achievement, so had a Jolly Roger made and delivered to Osiris . After this,
3948-399: A successful patrol: it would be hoisted as the boat passed the boom net, and remain raised until sunset. Symbols on the flag indicated the history of the submarine, and it was the responsibility of the boat's personnel to keep the flag updated. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum (which, as of 2004, possessed fifteen Jolly Rogers) recognises 20 unique symbols. A bar denotes the torpedoing of
4089-401: A top speed of Mach 1.97. On 19 September 1953, McDonnell approached the United States Navy with a proposal for the "Super Demon". Uniquely, the aircraft was to be modular, as it could be fitted with one- or two-seat noses for different missions, with different nose cones to accommodate radar, photo cameras, four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon, or 56 FFAR unguided rockets in addition to
4230-477: A warning shot, communicating the pirates' identity to the target ship in order to persuade them to surrender without a fight. Surrendering without a fight meant that they would cooperate with the pirate's demands and allow them to rifle through their cargo, which was sometimes rewarded with some cargo being left alone. To signal "yes", the victim ship would have to take down their own flag, in naval terminology called "striking their flag". Followed by warning shots, if
4371-457: Is also commonly used by private PMC contractors, in form of patches velcroed on uniforms and tactical jackets. The Jolly Roger flag became a cliché of pirate fiction in the 19th century. The " Golden Age of Piracy " ended by the mid-18th century, and piracy was widely suppressed by the 1800s, although the problem of Barbary pirates persisted until the French conquest of Algeria in 1830. By
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4512-594: Is sometimes attributed to red blood, symbolizing violent pirates, ready to kill. An early reference to "Old Roger" (a humorous of familiar name for the devil, or death) is found in a news report in the Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer (London, Saturday, 19 October 1723; Issue LVII, p. 2, col. 1): Parts of the West-Indies. Rhode-Island, July 26. This Day, 26 of the Pirates taken by his Majesty Ship
4653-577: The Greyhound , Captain Solgard , were executed here. Some of them delivered what they had to say in writing, and most of them said something at the Place of Execution, advising all People, young ones especially, to take warning by their unhappy Fate, and to avoid the crimes that brought them to it. Their black Flag, under which they had committed abundance of Pyracies and Murders, was affix'd to one Corner of
4794-567: The 1989 Philippine coup attempt . The F-4s were ordered to buzz the rebel planes at their base, fire at them if any tried to take off, and shoot them down if they did. The buzzing by the US F-4s soon caused the coup to collapse. On December 2, President Bush reported that on 1 December, US fighter aircraft from Clark Air Base assisted Aquino repel a coup attempt. On 15 August 1990, 24 F-4G Wild Weasel Vs and six RF-4Cs were deployed to Isa Air Base , Bahrain , for Operation Desert Storm . The F-4G
4935-527: The Barbary pirates of the period, which would connect the black colour of the Jolly Roger to the Muslim Black Standard (black flag). But an early reference to Muslim corsairs flying a skull symbol, in the context of a 1625 slave raid on Cornwall, explicitly refers to the symbols being shown on a green flag . There are mentions of Francis Drake 's flying a black flag as early as 1585, but
5076-772: The Black Knights of VMFA-314 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California becoming the first operational squadron. Marine Phantoms of VMFA-323 , flying from Puerto Rico , provided air cover during Operation Power Pack for the evacuation of US citizens from the Dominican Republic and assisted the 508th Infantry Regiment in taking and securing a position east of the Duarte bridge. Marine Phantoms from VMFA-531 Grey Ghosts were assigned to Da Nang Air Base on South Vietnam 's northeast coast on 10 May 1965 and were initially assigned to provide air defense for
5217-586: The Estonian Land Forces , uses the Jolly Roger as its insignia. Three distinct U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84, and VF-103, since redesignated as VFA-103 . While these are distinctly different squadrons that have no lineal linkage, they all share the same Jolly Roger name, the skull and crossbones insignia and traditions. At least twice in 2017,
5358-454: The F-105 force underwent severe attrition between 1965 and 1968, the bombing role of the F-4 proportionately increased until after November 1970 (when the last F-105D was withdrawn from combat) it became the primary USAF tactical ordnance delivery system. In October 1972 the first squadron of EF-4C Wild Weasel aircraft deployed to Thailand on temporary duty. The "E" prefix was later dropped and
5499-517: The Jolly Rogers name and insignia that had been previously used by VF-84. Also in 1995, VF-103 conducted the fleet feasibility testing of the U.S. Air Force 's LANTIRN targeting pod in a rapid prototyping initiative that led to adoption of the LANTIRN for the Tomcat community. When they deployed with USS Enterprise in the summer of 1996, VF-103 became the first Tomcat squadron to introduce
5640-807: The North Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch . VF-103 supported Coalition forces in Afghanistan flying Close Air Support , Forward Air Controller and TARPS missions. VF-103 was already on their way home by the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in early 2003. VF-103 returned to the Persian Gulf for its final Tomcat cruise with USS John F. Kennedy on 10 July 2004 and ten days later
5781-470: The USS Jimmy Carter , an American attack submarine modified to support special forces operations, returned to its home port flying a Jolly Roger. The flag was traditionally an indicative of a successful mission. The three American destroyers named USS Kidd have all flown the Jolly Roger; they were named for US Navy Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd , not for William Kidd . The Jolly Roger
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5922-696: The USS ; Coral Sea participated in Operation Eagle Claw , the attempted rescue of American hostages from Iran, with orders to shoot down any Iranian aircraft. The Phantoms were painted with an orange stripe enclosed by two black stripes in order to distinguish the American F-4s from the Iranian F-4s. The operation was called off in the early stages of execution. The VMCJ-1 Golden Hawks (later VMAQ-1 and VMAQ-4 which had
6063-814: The VF-202 Superheats , a Naval Reserve fighter squadron, made the last-ever Phantom carrier landing while operating aboard America . In 1987, the last of the Naval Reserve-operated F-4S aircraft were replaced by F-14As. The last Phantoms in service with the Navy were QF-4N and QF-4S target drones operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center at NAS Point Mugu , California. These were subsequently retired in 2004. The Marine Corps received its first F-4Bs in June 1962, with
6204-560: The Victorian era , the pirate threat had receded enough for it to become a topos of boyish adventure fiction, notably influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson 's adventure novel Treasure Island (1883). Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Pirates of Penzance (which debuted on 31 December 1879) introduced pirates as comedic characters, and since the later 20th century, pirates sporting the Jolly Roger flag were often depicted as cartoonish or silly characters. J.M. Barrie also used it as
6345-416: The arresting gear as he (mistakenly) reduced thrust to idle. He then slammed the throttle to full afterburner, the engine's response time being enough to return to full thrust quickly, and he was able get the Phantom airborne again successfully ( bolter ). The J79 produced noticeable amounts of black smoke (at mid-throttle/cruise settings), a severe disadvantage in that it made it easier for the enemy to spot
6486-648: The fall of the Shah , in the Iran–Iraq War . The F-4 remains in active service with the air forces of Iran , Greece , and Turkey . The aircraft has most recently been in service against the Islamic State group in the Middle East. In 1952, McDonnell's Chief of Aerodynamics, Dave Lewis , was appointed by CEO Jim McDonnell to be the company's preliminary design manager. With no new aircraft competitions on
6627-634: The recognizable skull and crossbones insignia, choosing to feature the original VF-17 patches, colors, and tail fin. The Jolly Rogers' F/A-18Fs were seen launching from USS Harry Truman in June 2016 participating in Operation Inherent Resolve , striking Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria, with multiple aircraft exhibiting signs of heavy combat, with a number of front fuselages being covered with bomb silhouettes representing munitions being dropped in combat air strikes. A fictional version of
6768-881: The "Rivet Haste" program in early 1968, and by 1972 the AIM-7E-2 "Dogfight Sparrow" had become the preferred missile for USAF pilots. Like other Vietnam War Phantoms, the F-4Ds were urgently fitted with radar warning receivers to detect the Soviet-built S-75 Dvina SAMs. From the initial deployment of the F-4C to Southeast Asia, USAF Phantoms performed both air superiority and ground attack roles, supporting not only ground troops in South Vietnam, but also conducting bombing sorties in Laos and North Vietnam. As
6909-428: The "comparatively rapid adoption of the piratical black flag among a group of men operating across thousands of miles of ocean", suggesting that the skull-and-crossbone design became standardized at about the same time as the term Jolly Roger was adopted as its name. By 1730, the diversity of symbols in prior use had been mostly replaced by the standard design. Pirates did not fly the Jolly Roger at all times. The flag
7050-466: The 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. The USAF quickly embraced the design and became the largest Phantom user. The first Phantoms that the USAF operated were F-4Bs loaned from the Navy, with 27 jets delivered to the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida, in November 1963. The first operational unit was the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing , who received
7191-623: The 1991 Gulf War , finally leaving combat service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both U.S. flight demonstration teams: the United States Air Force Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the United States Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts , while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms, acquired before
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#17327810395907332-566: The Air Force officially ended use of the type. To show off their new fighter, the Navy led a series of record-breaking flights early in Phantom development: All in all, the Phantom set 16 world records. Five of the speed records remained unbeaten until the F-15 Eagle appeared in 1975. The F-4 Phantom is a tandem-seat fighter-bomber designed as a carrier-based interceptor to fill the U.S. Navy's fleet defense fighter role. Innovations in
7473-610: The British Admiralty to have the crews of enemy submarines captured during wartime hanged as pirates. In September 1914, the British submarine HMS E9 successfully torpedoed the German cruiser SMS Hela . Remembering Wilson's statements, commanding officer Max Horton instructed his submariners to manufacture a Jolly Roger, which was flown from the submarine as she entered port. Each successful patrol saw Horton's submarine fly an additional Jolly Roger until there
7614-699: The Caribbean , the Black Pearl flies a flag of skull over two crossed swords. In Black Sails , the Jolly Roger is shown at the very end as Jack Rackham 's new flag. Adam and the Ants ' album Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) includes the song, "Jolly Roger". Kenny Chesney 's single " Pirate Flag " is on his fourteenth studio album Life on a Rock (2013). The cover of indie rock band Half Man Half Biscuit 's 2005 album Achtung Bono shows
7755-537: The Caribbean between August and November 1953. The air group was then reassigned to USS Coral Sea and VF-103 was equipped with the F9F-8B. The carrier was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea between August 1956 and February 1957. This was the last time that VF-103 operated from a straight-deck carrier. In 1957, VF-103 was one of the first squadrons to transition to the supersonic F8U-1 Crusader , and
7896-746: The Corps." VMFP-3 disestablished in August 1990 after the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System was introduced for the F/A-18D Hornet . The F-4 continued to equip fighter-attack squadrons in both active and reserve Marine Corps units throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and into the early 1990s. In the early 1980s, these squadrons began to transition to the F/A-18 Hornet, starting with
8037-556: The F-4 included an advanced pulse-Doppler radar and extensive use of titanium in its airframe. Despite imposing dimensions and a maximum takeoff weight of over 60,000 lb (27,000 kg), the F-4 has a top speed Mach 2.23 and an initial climb rate of over 41,000 ft/min (210 m/s). The F-4's nine external hardpoints have a capability of up to 18,650 pounds (8,480 kg) of weapons, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles , and unguided, guided, and thermonuclear weapons . Like other interceptors of its day,
8178-412: The F-4 was designed without an internal cannon. The baseline performance of a Mach 2-class fighter with long-range and a bomber-sized payload would be the template for the next generation of large and light/middle-weight fighters optimized for daylight air combat. "Speed is life" was F-4 pilots' slogan, as the Phantom's greatest advantage in air combat was acceleration and thrust, which permitted
8319-638: The F-4. USAF F-4C/D/E crews claimed 107.5 MiG kills in Southeast Asia (50 by Sparrow, 31 by Sidewinder, five by Falcon, 15.5 by gun, and six by other means). On 31 January 1972, the 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron , 183d Tactical Fighter Group of the Illinois Air National Guard became the first Air National Guard (ANG) unit to transition to Phantoms from Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks . Phantoms would eventually equip numerous tactical fighter and tactical reconnaissance units in
8460-743: The F-4E. Note: Original amounts were in 1965 U.S. dollars. The figures in these tables have been adjusted for inflation to the current year. On 30 December 1960, VF-121 Pacemakers at NAS Miramar became the first Phantom operator with its F4H-1Fs (F-4As). The VF-74 Be-devilers at NAS Oceana became the first deployable Phantom squadron when it received its F4H-1s (F-4Bs) on 8 July 1961. The squadron completed carrier qualifications in October 1961 and Phantom's first full carrier deployment between August 1962 and March 1963 aboard Forrestal . The second deployable U.S. Atlantic Fleet squadron to receive F-4Bs
8601-688: The F/A-18F, the squadron was officially re-designated as VFA-103 in February 2005. The first deployment with the F/A-18F commenced in 2006 and ended in the spring of 2007. During the cruise with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower , VFA-103 and VFA-143 supported Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and operations off the Somali coast, and combined with VFA-131 and VFA-83 , they dropped 140 precision guided weapons and performed nearly 70 strafing runs. For their outstanding performance on this deployment, VFA-103
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#17327810395908742-414: The F4H " Satan " and " Mithras ". In the end, the aircraft was given the less controversial name "Phantom II", the first "Phantom" being another McDonnell jet fighter, the FH-1 Phantom . The Phantom II was briefly given the designation F-110A and named "Spectre" by the USAF and the Tri-Service aircraft designation system , F-4, was adopted in September 1962. Early in production, the radar was upgraded to
8883-405: The F4H was declared the winner. Delays with the J79-GE-8 engines meant that the first production aircraft were fitted with J79-GE-2 and −2A engines, each having 16,100 lbf (71.8 kN) of afterburning thrust. In 1959, the Phantom began carrier suitability trials with the first complete launch-recovery cycle performed on 15 February 1960 from Independence . There were proposals to name
9024-407: The Gallows. It had in it the Portraiture of Death, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and a Dart in the other, striking into a Heart, and three Drops of Blood delineated as falling from it. This Flag they called Old Roger , and us'd to say, They would live and die under it . The first recorded uses of the skull-and-crossbones symbol on naval flags date to the 17th century. It possibly originated among
9165-441: The Jolly Roger and other pirate related themes in their music. Their third album is named Under Jolly Roger . Another "pirate" metal band Alestorm also uses Jolly Roger and other pirate related themes in their music. McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine , all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that
9306-526: The LANTIRN targeting pod to operational service. The LANTIRN radically improved the F-14's strike capabilities by providing an autonomous precision strike capability. In 1997 VF-103 transferred from USS Enterprise to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower , and set sail to former Yugoslavia in June 1998 in support of NATO operations in Kosovo . In November, the carrier moved to the Persian Gulf in response to aggressive Iraqi posturing. In June 2002, VF-103 and its carrier USS George Washington deployed to
9447-413: The Persian Gulf. On 30 July 2009, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk after almost a six-month deployment. VFA-103 and the rest of CVW-7 embarked on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on 2 January 2010 for a six-month deployment in support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations. On 27 July 2010, the squadron returned home to NAS Oceana after completion of their latest deployment. After
9588-411: The Phantom for 19 years. From 1965 to 1980, VF-103 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) . Even longer was the assignment to USS Saratoga , from 1965 to 1994, since 1984 as part of CVW-17 . VF-103 was aboard Saratoga for 15 deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, plus a single one aboard Forrestal in 1982. VF-103 flew the F-4B until transitioning to the F-4J in 1968. In 1981, the squadron
9729-464: The RF-4B with reconnaissance cameras with 46 built; the RF-4B flew alone and unarmed, with a requirement to fly straight and level at 5,000 feet while taking photographs. They relied on the shortcomings of the anti-aircraft defenses to survive as they were unable to make evasive maneuvers. Phantom II production ended in the United States in 1979 after 5,195 had been built (5,057 by McDonnell Douglas and 138 in Japan by Mitsubishi). Of these, 2,874 went to
9870-512: The U.S. fighters simply could not put up much resistance. During the 1958 Mediterranean cruise, British pilots were surprised when VF-103 tore through their formation of Canberras before they even had a chance to start their simulated attack. USS Forrestal and VF-103 were deployed to the Mediterranean Sea during the 1958 Lebanon crisis but the crisis had abated before the carrier reached its station. A regular deployment followed between September 1958 and March 1959. Future astronaut John W. Young
10011-540: The US Navy's focus on air-to-air interception in the Fleet Air Defense (FAD) mission, the USAF emphasized both an air-to-air and an air-to-ground fighter-bomber role. With McNamara's unification of designations on 18 September 1962, the Phantom became the F-4 with the naval version designated F-4B and USAF F-4C. The first Air Force Phantom flew on 27 May 1963, exceeding Mach 2 on its maiden flight. The F-4J improved both air-to-air and ground-attack capability; deliveries begun in 1966 and ended in 1972 with 522 built. It
10152-589: The USAF active, ANG, and Air Force Reserve (AFRES). On 2 June 1972, a Phantom flying at supersonic speed shot down a MiG-19 over Thud Ridge in Vietnam with its cannon. At a recorded speed of Mach 1.2, Major Phil Handley's shoot down was the first and only recorded gun kill while flying at supersonic speeds. In early December 1989, USAF F-4s, from Clark Air Base , participated in Operation Classic Resolve, President Bush's response to
10293-565: The USAF's first F-4Cs in January 1964, achieving initial operational capability (IOC) in October 1964. The first USAF Phantoms to participate in the Vietnam War were F-4Cs from the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron , who deployed to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand, in April 1965. Unlike the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, which flew the Phantom with a Naval Aviator (pilot) in
10434-534: The USAF, 1,264 to the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest to foreign customers. The last U.S.-built F-4 went to South Korea, while the last F-4 built was an F-4EJ built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan and delivered on 20 May 1981. As of 2008, 631 Phantoms were in service worldwide, while the Phantoms were in use as a target drone (specifically QF-4Cs) operated by the U.S. military until 21 December 2016, when
10575-533: The USMC. They soon began close air support missions (CAS) and VMFA-314, VMFA-232 Red Devils , VMFA-323 Death Rattlers and VMFA-542 Bengals soon arrived at the primitive airfield. Marine F-4 pilots claimed three enemy MiGs (two while on exchange duty with the USAF) at the cost of 75 aircraft lost in combat, mostly to ground fire, and four in accidents. Marine Phantoms from VMFA-323 and VMFA-531 operating from
10716-623: The Vietnam war an urgent airfield was needed at Quảng Trị by the United States forces. U.S. Seabee Battalions 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 74, 121, and 133 all sent detachments of men and equipment to get the job done. Construction of the airfield necessitated the removal of 11,000 graves. Those detachments dubbed themselves the Ghost Battalion and chose the Jolly Roger for the Battalion's colors. The Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion , part of
10857-722: The Westinghouse AN/APQ-72 , an AN/APQ-50 with a larger radar antenna, necessitating the bulbous nose, and the canopy was reworked to improve visibility and make the rear cockpit less claustrophobic . During its career the Phantom underwent many changes in the form of numerous variants developed. The USN operated the F4H-1 (re-designated F-4A in 1962) with J79-GE-2 and -2A engines of 16,100 lbf (71.62 kN) thrust and later builds receiving -8 engines. A total of 45 F-4As were built; none saw combat, and most ended up as test or training aircraft. The USN and USMC received
10998-530: The air wing's strike packages, reconnaissance and bomb damage assessment and combat air patrols. On the fourth day of the war, while on an escort mission, a VF-103 F-14A+ was shot down by what is believed to be an SA-2 "Guideline" surface-to-air missile . After ejecting from his aircraft, the Radar Intercept Officer, Lieutenant Larry Slade, was captured by Iraqi troops and held in Baghdad as
11139-505: The aircraft tailfins had a horizontal yellow arrow outlined in black. Later a stylized aircraft darting through the leaf was added, along with a baseball bat. The baseball bat stemmed from an early skipper who often carried one with him. In 1991, VF-103's aircraft used the squadron insignia for tail-art, in place of the bold arrow. When the Sluggers became the Jolly Rogers following the disestablishment of VF-84 (1955–95) , they adopted
11280-510: The aircraft to be very responsive and easy to fly on the edge of its performance envelope . In 1972, the F-4E model was upgraded with leading edge slats on the wing, greatly improving high angle of attack maneuverability at the expense of top speed. The J79 had a reduced time lag between the pilot advancing the throttle, from idle to maximum thrust, and the engine producing maximum thrust compared to earlier engines. While landing on USS Midway (CV-41) John Chesire's tailhook missed
11421-572: The aircraft was simply known as the F-4C Wild Weasel. Sixteen squadrons of Phantoms were permanently deployed to Indochina between 1965 and 1973, and 17 others deployed on temporary combat assignments. Peak numbers of combat F-4s occurred in 1972, when 353 were based in Thailand. A total of 445 Air Force Phantom fighter-bombers were lost, 370 in combat and 193 of those over North Vietnam (33 to MiGs, 30 to SAMs and 307 to AAA). The RF-4C
11562-542: The aircraft. Two decades after the aircraft entered service this was solved on the F-4S, which was fitted with the −10A engine variant with a smokeless combustor . The lack of an internal gun "was the biggest mistake on the F-4", Chesire said; "Bullets are cheap and tend to go where you aim them. I needed a gun, and I really wished I had one." Marine Corps General John R. Dailey recalled that "everyone in RF-4s wished they had
11703-478: The alteration of a skull over two swords. The re-issued version of the Megadeth album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985), shows a stylized Vic Rattlehead skull on top of crossed swords and crossed bones. This was based on Mustaine's original drawing for the cover which the band did not have enough money to produce at the time. The "pirate" German metal band Running Wild often references
11844-589: The black flag depicted above; from his foremast a red version of the same; and from his ensign staff the English national flag. Just as variations on the Jolly Roger design existed, red flags sometimes incorporated yellow stripes or images symbolic of death. Coloured pennants and ribbons could also be used alongside flags. Marcus Rediker (1987) claims that most pirates active between 1716 and 1726 were part of one of two large interconnected groups sharing many similarities in organisation. He states that this accounts for
11985-400: The catapult portion of a takeoff. On 25 July 1955, the Navy ordered two XF4H-1 test aircraft and five YF4H-1 pre-production examples. The Phantom made its maiden flight on 27 May 1958 with Robert C. Little at the controls. A hydraulic problem precluded the retraction of the landing gear, but subsequent flights went more smoothly. Early testing resulted in redesign of the air intakes, including
12126-969: The command of Robin Olds , executed Operation Bolo , a response to heavy losses sustained during Operation Rolling Thunder . Olds' and his flight flew out of Ubon in Thailand and simulated an F-105 strike force. In response, the VPAF sent up MiG-21s to shoot down the Phantoms. The ensuing battle resulted in the VPAF losing half of their MiG-21 fleet with no losses from the American side. Early aircraft suffered from leaks in wing fuel tanks that required re-sealing after each flight and 85 aircraft were found to have cracks in outer wing ribs and stringers. There were also problems with aileron control cylinders, electrical connectors, and engine compartment fires. Reconnaissance RF-4Cs made their debut in Vietnam on 30 October 1965, flying
12267-425: The commanders of submarine flotillas began to hand out the flags to successful submarines. Although some sources claim that all British submarines used the flag, the practice was not taken up by those submarine commanders who saw it as boastful and potentially inaccurate, as sinkings could not always be confirmed. During the war, British submarines were entitled to fly the Jolly Roger on the day of their return from
12408-562: The company received a letter of intent for two YAH-1 prototypes. Then on 26 May 1955, four Navy officers arrived at the McDonnell offices and, within an hour, presented the company with an entirely new set of requirements. Because the Navy already had the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for ground attack and F-8 Crusader for dogfighting, the project now had to fulfill the need for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor. A second crewman
12549-440: The distinctive " dogtooth " for improved control at high angles of attack . The all-moving tailplane was given 23° of anhedral to improve control at high angles of attack, while still keeping the tailplane clear of the engine exhaust. In addition, air intakes were equipped with one fixed ramp and one variable geometry ramp with angle scheduled to give maximum pressure recovery between Mach 1.4 and Mach 2.2. Airflow matching between
12690-472: The distinctive addition of 12,500 holes to "bleed off" the slow-moving boundary layer air from the surface of each intake ramp. Series production aircraft also featured splitter plates to divert the boundary layer away from the engine intakes. The aircraft was soon in competition with the XF8U-3 Crusader III . Due to cockpit workload, the Navy wanted a two-seat aircraft and on 17 December 1958
12831-526: The enemy did not strike their own flag to signal surrender, the pirates would raise the red flag, which would signal that the cargo would be taken by force and that "no quarter would be given" to prisoners. If the pirates had several ships, the raising of the bloody flag could also act as the signal "to attack" for the rest of the ships. The pirate captain Jean Thomas Dulaien would wait for the enemy to fire three or more cannon shots after raising
12972-510: The famous white skull-and-crossbones. The Jolly Rogers have always displayed some of the most recognizable squadron markings in the world: sinister white skull-and-crossbones on all-black tails, with gold bands wrapped around the tip of the tail fins, and black bands with gold chevrons (known as vagabonds strips from the Crusader days of VF-84 ) run down the sides of the forward fuselage. Four distinct U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used
13113-416: The first North Vietnamese MiG of the war. On 10 May 1972, Lieutenant Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Lieutenant (junior grade) William P. Driscoll flying an F-4J, call sign Showtime 100 , shot down three MiG-17s to become the first American flying aces of the war. Their fifth victory was believed at the time to be over a mysterious North Vietnamese ace, Colonel Nguyen Toon , now considered mythical. On
13254-728: The first Phantom combat sortie of the Vietnam War on 5 August 1964, flying bomber escort in Operation Pierce Arrow . Navy fighter pilots were unused to flying with a non-pilot RIO, but learned from air combat in Vietnam the benefits of the GiB "guy in back" or "voice in the luggage compartment" helping with the workload. The first Phantom air-to-air victory of the war took place on 9 April 1965 when an F-4B from VF-96 Fighting Falcons piloted by Lieutenant (junior grade) Terence M. Murphy and his RIO, Ensign Ronald Fegan, shot down
13395-428: The first aerial victory by a U.S. aircrew over a North Vietnamese MiG-21 "Fishbed" . On 24 July 1965, another Phantom from the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron became the first American aircraft to be downed by an enemy SAM , and on 5 October 1966 an 8th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4C became the first U.S. jet lost to an air-to-air missile, fired by a MiG-21. On 2 January 1967, F-4Cs of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, under
13536-600: The first definitive Phantom, the F-4B which was equipped with the Westinghouse APQ-72 radar (pulse only), a Texas Instruments AAA-4 Infrared search and track pod under the nose, an AN/AJB-3 bombing system and powered by J79-GE-8,-8A and -8B engines of 10,900 lbf (48.5 kN) dry and 16,950 lbf (75.4 kN) afterburner (reheat) with the first flight on 25 March 1961. 649 F-4Bs were built with deliveries beginning in 1961 and VF-121 Pacemakers receiving
13677-504: The first examples at NAS Miramar . The USAF received Phantoms as the result of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara 's push to create a unified fighter for all branches of the US military. After an F-4B won the "Operation Highspeed" fly-off against the Convair F-106 Delta Dart , the USAF borrowed two Naval F-4Bs, temporarily designating them F-110A in January 1962, and developed requirements for their own version. Unlike
13818-574: The flag decorated with the silhouette of a cruiser to recognise her successful attack on the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano during the Falklands War . Several submarines returning from missions where Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired fly Jolly Rogers with tomahawk axes depicted, with crossed tomahawks indicating an unspecified number of firings, or individual axes for each successful launch. The Jolly Roger has been adopted as
13959-466: The front seat and a naval flight officer as a radar intercept officer (RIO) in the back seat, the USAF initially flew its Phantoms with a rated Air Force Pilot in front and back seats. Pilots usually did not like flying in the back seat; while the GIB, or "guy in back", could fly and ostensibly land the aircraft, he had fewer flight instruments and a very restricted forward view. The Air Force later assigned
14100-472: The given name Roger . Johnson specifically cites two pirates as having named their flag "Jolly Roger": Bartholomew Roberts in June 1721 and Francis Spriggs in December 1723. While Spriggs and Roberts used the same name for their flags, their flag designs were very different, suggesting that already "Jolly Roger" was a generic term for black pirate flags rather than a name for any single specific design. Neither Spriggs' nor Roberts' Jolly Roger consisted of
14241-872: The hazardous post-strike reconnaissance missions. The USAF Thunderbirds used the F-4E from the 1969 season until 1974. Although the F-4C was essentially identical to the Navy/Marine Corps F-4B in-flight performance and carried the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, USAF-tailored F-4Ds initially arrived in June 1967 equipped with AIM-4 Falcons . However, the Falcon, like its predecessors, was designed to shoot down heavy bombers flying straight and level. Its reliability proved no better than others and its complex firing sequence and limited seeker-head cooling time made it virtually useless in combat against agile fighters. The F-4Ds reverted to using Sidewinders under
14382-470: The historicity of this tradition has been called into question. Contemporary accounts show Peter Easton using a plain black flag in 1612; a plain black flag was also used by Captain Martel's pirates in 1716, Charles Vane , and Richard Worley in 1718, and Howell Davis in 1719. An early record of the skull-and-crossbones design being used on a (red) flag by pirates is found in a 6 December 1687 entry in
14523-484: The horizon, internal studies concluded the Navy had the greatest need for a new and different aircraft type: an attack fighter. In 1953, McDonnell Aircraft began work on revising its F3H Demon naval fighter, seeking expanded capabilities and better performance. The company developed several projects, including a variant powered by a Wright J67 engine, and variants powered by two Wright J65 engines, or two General Electric J79 engines. The J79-powered version promised
14664-473: The inlet and engine was achieved by bypassing the engine as secondary air into the exhaust nozzle. All-weather intercept capability was achieved with the AN/APQ-50 radar. To meet requirements for carrier operations, the landing gear was designed to withstand landings with a maximum sink rate of 23 ft/s (7 m/s), while the nose strut could extend by 20 in (51 cm) to increase angle of attack on
14805-498: The introduction of the SUU-23 , virtually assuring a miss in a maneuvering fight. Some Marine Corps aircraft carried two pods for strafing. In addition to the loss of performance due to drag, combat showed the externally mounted cannon to be inaccurate unless frequently boresighted , yet far more cost-effective than missiles. The lack of a cannon was finally addressed by adding an internally mounted 20 mm (.79 in) M61A1 Vulcan on
14946-658: The logo of the Royal Navy Submarine Service . The practice, while commonly associated with British submarines, is not restricted to them. During World War II, Allied submariners working with Royal Navy fleets adopted the process from their British counterparts. While operating in the Mediterranean, the Polish submarines ORP Sokół and ORP Dzik were presented with Jolly Rogers by General Władysław Sikorski , and continued to update them during
15087-404: The merchant ships they attacked, merchant ships may have been more willing to attempt resisting these "legitimate" attackers than their piratical counterparts. To achieve their goal of taking prizes without a costly fight, it was therefore important for pirates to distinguish themselves from these other ships also taking prizes on the seas. Flying a Jolly Roger was a reliable way of proving oneself
15228-473: The name and insignia of the Jolly Roger : VF-17 , VF-61 , VF-84 , and VF-103, since redesignated as VFA-103. While these are distinctly different squadrons that have no lineal linkage, they all share the same Jolly Roger name, the skull and crossbones insignia and traditions. After disestablishment of VF-84 in 1995, the Jolly Rogers name and insignia were adopted by VF-103, which later became VFA-103,
15369-601: The name of Captain Hook 's pirate ship in Peter and Wendy (1904 play and 1911 novel); it was thus used in most adaptations of the character, including ABC 's television series Once Upon a Time (2011–2018). Additionally, the Jolly Roger is depicted in Eiichiro Oda 's manga One Piece , in which the pirate crews in the series have different designs that reflects the appearance of the captain ( Straw Hat Pirates for example,
15510-456: The nine hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage. The Navy was sufficiently interested to order a full-scale mock-up of the F3H-G/H, but felt that the upcoming Grumman XF9F-9 and Vought XF8U-1 already satisfied the need for a supersonic fighter. The McDonnell design was therefore reworked into an all-weather fighter-bomber with 11 external hardpoints for weapons and on 18 October 1954,
15651-490: The old RM tailcode) flew the first photo recon mission with an RF-4B variant on 3 November 1966 from Da Nang and remained there until 1970 with no RF-4B losses and only one aircraft damaged by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire. VMCJ-2 and VMCJ-3 (now VMAQ-3 ) provided aircraft for VMCJ-1 in Da Nang and VMFP-3 was formed in 1975 at MCAS El Toro , CA consolidating all USMC RF-4Bs in one unit that became known as "The Eyes of
15792-476: The problem, rules of engagement in Vietnam precluded long-range missile attacks in most instances, as visual identification was normally required. Many pilots found themselves on the tail of an enemy aircraft, but too close to fire short-range Falcons or Sidewinders. Although by 1965 USAF F-4Cs began carrying SUU-16 external gunpods containing a 20 mm (.79 in) M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannon, USAF cockpits were not equipped with lead-computing gunsights until
15933-425: The protagonist crew, having the classic skull with cross bones wearing a straw hat like the main character, Monkey D. Luffy ) or a personal theme of the crew (Black Cat Pirates for example, one of the antagonist crews, having the head of a black cat with cross bones). In the film The Island (1980), the Jolly Roger is a skull with a red dot and crossbones with an hourglass on the bottom. In Disney's Pirates of
16074-429: The red flag before giving the order to attack with no quarter given. An early claim of the black and red flag-combo was made in the mid-18th century by Richard Hawkins, however, the cited content may simply relate to different pirate captains, their ships, their chosen flag and particular operating practices. The bloody flag was already an established naval flag and was not unique to piracy. In view of these models, it
16215-463: The return flight, the Phantom was damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile. To avoid being captured, Cunningham and Driscoll flew their burning aircraft using only the rudder and afterburner (the damage to the aircraft rendered conventional control nearly impossible), until they could eject over water. During the war, U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom squadrons participated in 84 combat tours with F-4Bs, F-4Js, and F-4Ns. The Navy claimed 40 air-to-air victories at
16356-652: The same squadron that introduced the F-4 to the Marine Corps, VMFA-314 at MCAS El Toro, California. On 18 January 1992, the last Marine Corps Phantom, an F-4S in the Marine Corps Reserve , was retired by the Cowboys of VMFA-112 at NAS Dallas , Texas, after which the squadron was re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets. In USAF service, the F-4 was initially designated the F-110A prior to the introduction of
16497-461: The short turnaround, and along with the rest of CVW-7 and Carrier Strike Group Eight, supported operations in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations. After a combined eleven months at sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Persian Gulf presence operations, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana on 3 July 2013. In honor of the Jolly Rogers' 70th anniversary, the squadron undertook a redesign of
16638-537: The squadron bombed an insurgent position. The unit participated in Operation Phantom Fury in October 2004 to provide aerial support over Fallujah for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and Iraqi Army soldiers. During one mission an F-14 from VF-103 provided laser designation for an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter's AGM-114 Hellfire missile to destroy a building where insurgents had taken cover. This operation had never previously been attempted with
16779-577: The squadron, the "Jolly Wrenches", appeared in the Disney aviation film Planes , using the same livery, but the skull and crossbones are replaced by a piston-head and wrenches. In 2024, the Navy Midshipmen football Team revealed uniforms inspired by the Jolly Rogers will be worn during the annual Army-Navy Game . Jolly Roger The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today – the skull and crossbones symbol on
16920-623: The subject of this article. There has been only one squadron designated VF-103. VF-103 (the "Sluggers") were activated on 1 May 1952 and equipped with the FG-1D Corsair . The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 10 (CVG-10) and made a short cruise aboard USS Lake Champlain in late 1952. Thereafter, VF-103 transitioned to the F9F-6 Cougar and adopted the nickname "Flying Cougars". CVG-10 went aboard USS Randolph for her shakedown cruise following her reactivation to
17061-484: The war. At least one British surface ship recorded their U-boat kills through silhouettes on a Jolly Roger. The Australian submarine HMAS Onslow flew the Jolly Roger in 1980, following her successful participation in the Kangaroo 3 wargame as an opposing submarine : the flag bore the silhouettes of the seven surface ships involved, as during the exercise, Onslow had successfully 'sunk' all seven. During
17202-402: The war. On 9 September 1972, WSO Capt Charles B. DeBellevue became the highest-scoring American ace of the war with six victories. and WSO Capt Jeffrey Feinstein became the last USAF ace of the war on 13 October 1972. Upon return to the United States, DeBellevue and Feinstein were assigned to undergraduate pilot training (Feinstein was given a vision waiver) and requalified as USAF pilots in
17343-534: Was a squadron member during this cruise. VF-103 was reequipped with the F8U-2 (F-8C after 1962) and reassigned to CVG-8 , although still assigned to USS Forrestal . Three other deployments to the Mediterranean followed in 1960, 1961 and 1964–1965. The squadron was reequipped with the F-8E in 1964. The 1964–1965 cruise was significant, as VF-103 flew both the F-8E and the newly introduced F-4B Phantom II . VF-103 would fly
17484-538: Was added to operate the powerful radar; designers believed that air combat in the next war would overload solo pilots with information. The XF4H-1 was designed to carry four semi-recessed AAM-N-6 Sparrow III radar-guided missiles, and to be powered by two J79-GE-8 engines. As in the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo , the engines sat low in the fuselage to maximize internal fuel capacity and ingested air through fixed geometry intakes . The thin-section wing had
17625-781: Was awarded the AIRLANT Battle "E" for both 2006 & 2007, as well as the Wade McClusky Award as the best Attack Squadron in the US Navy for 2007. VFA-103 temporarily embarked with CVW-17 in 2008 as USS George Washington sailed to the Pacific Ocean to replace USS Kitty Hawk in Japan . On 21 February 2009 VFA-103 and CVW-7 embarked aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for a deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations in
17766-640: Was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy . Proving highly adaptable, it entered service with the Navy in 1961 before it was adopted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force , and by the mid-1960s it had become a major part of their air arms. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history , and cementing its position as
17907-658: Was equipped with J79-GE-10 engines with 17,844 lbf (79.374 kN) thrust, the Westinghouse AN/AWG-10 Fire Control System (making the F-4J the first fighter in the world with operational look-down/shoot-down capability), a new integrated missile control system and the AN/AJB-7 bombing system for expanded ground attack capability. The F-4N (updated F-4Bs) with smokeless engines and F-4J aerodynamic improvements started in 1972 under
18048-563: Was flown by Maj Mike Webb and Maj Gary Leeder of the Idaho ANG. Like the Navy, the Air Force also operated QF-4 target drones, serving with the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida, and Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico. Replacing the QF-106, the QF-4 program achieved IOC in 1997, with the last QF-106 being shot down on 20 February 1997. It was expected that
18189-482: Was important for a prey ship to know that its assailant was a pirate, and not a privateer or government vessel, as the latter two generally had to abide by a rule that if a crew resisted, but then surrendered, it could not be executed: An angry pirate therefore posed a greater danger to merchant ships than an angry Spanish coast guard or privateer vessel. Because of this, although, like pirate ships, Spanish coast guard vessels and privateers were almost always stronger than
18330-433: Was intended as communication of the pirates' identity, which gave target ships an opportunity to decide to surrender without a fight. For example, in June 1720, when Bartholomew Roberts sailed into the harbour at Trepassey , Newfoundland with black flags flying, the crews of all 22 vessels in the harbour abandoned their ships in panic. It is claimed that the Jolly Roger was part of a flag signal combination, comprising
18471-545: Was invaded by Iraq , USS Saratoga was in the Mediterranean and soon joined USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea . VF-84 was part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Battle Group during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. VF-103 and VF-74 worked together to develop the fighter tactics which were used during the Gulf War . When the war started in January 1991, VF-103 conducted fighter escort for
18612-526: Was lost in a fatal accident before the start of hostilities. One F-4G was lost when enemy fire damaged the fuel tanks and the aircraft ran out of fuel near a friendly airbase. The last USAF Phantoms, F-4G Wild Weasel Vs from 561st Fighter Squadron , were retired on 26 March 1996. The last operational flight of the F-4G Wild Weasel was from the 190th Fighter Squadron , Idaho Air National Guard , in April 1996. The last operational USAF/ANG F-4 to land
18753-647: Was more likely an internal mark of identity for the crew. Historically, most pirates reused the same designs as their peers, possibly to partake in the reputation of others, eventually leading to designs such as the skull and crossbones becoming the norm. Following the introduction of submarines in several navies circa 1900, Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson , the First Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy , stated that submarines were "underhanded, unfair, and damned un-English", and that he would convince
18894-617: Was no more room for flags, at which point Horton had a large Jolly Roger manufactured, onto which symbols indicating E9 ' s achievements were sewn. A small number of other submarines adopted the practice: HMS E12 flew a red flag with the skull and crossbones on return from a foray into the Dardanelles in June 1915, and the first known photograph of the practice was taken in July 1916 aboard HMS H5 . The practice restarted during World War II . In October 1940, following
19035-476: Was operated by four squadrons, and of the 83 losses, 72 were in combat including 38 over North Vietnam (seven to SAMs and 65 to AAA). By war's end, the U.S. Air Force had lost a total of 528 F-4 and RF-4C Phantoms. When combined with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps losses of 233 Phantoms, 761 F-4/RF-4 Phantoms were lost in the Vietnam War. On 28 August 1972, Captain Steve Ritchie became the first USAF ace of
19176-481: Was reequipped with the F-4S. When North Vietnam launched its Easter Offensive invasion of South Vietnam , USS Saratoga was deployed to the coast of Vietnam to participate in Operation Linebacker . On 10 August 1972, Lieutenant Commander Robert Tucker and Lieutenant Junior Grade Stanley Edens shot down a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 with an AIM-7 Sparrow missile during a night interception. It
19317-540: Was renamed "Sluggers". Once the transition was completed they were teamed up with VF-102 on board USS Forrestal . Prior to the introduction of the Crusader jets, U.S. Navy carrier battle groups were often embarrassed by British bombers during allied exercises as the RAF English Electric Canberras had always been able to make mock attacks on U.S. carriers with impunity. At the time,
19458-689: Was the VF-102 Diamondbacks , who promptly took their new aircraft on the shakedown cruise of Enterprise . The first deployable U.S. Pacific Fleet squadron to receive the F-4B was the VF-114 Aardvarks , which participated in the September 1962 cruise aboard USS Kitty Hawk . By the time of the Tonkin Gulf incident , 13 of 31 deployable navy squadrons were armed with the type. F-4Bs from Constellation made
19599-660: Was the first night MiG kill by using the Sparrow. In January 1983, VF-103 was among the last fighter squadrons to transition to the F-14A Tomcat . The squadron conducted the first East Coast fighter squadron's low altitude AIM-54 Phoenix missile shoot a month later. In October 1985, VF-103 and VF-74 participated in the interception of the Egyptian Boeing 737 carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers. During
19740-428: Was the only aircraft in the USAF inventory equipped for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, and was needed to protect coalition aircraft from Iraq's extensive air defense system. The RF-4C was the only aircraft equipped with the ultra-long-range KS-127 LOROP (long-range oblique photography) camera and was used for a variety of reconnaissance missions. In spite of flying almost daily missions, only one RF-4C
19881-514: Was used extensively during the Vietnam War . It served as the principal air superiority fighter for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles late in the war. During the Vietnam War, all five American servicemen who became aces – one U.S. Air Force pilot, two weapon systems officers (WSOs), one U.S. Navy pilot and one radar intercept officer (RIO) – did so in F-4s. The F-4 continued to form
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