Years later, Gao Xiang, a first-class combat hero, will still clearly remember the day of the air battle on September 20, 1965. The first time he participated in the battle, he shot down the US F104C fighter, created a miracle, shocked the world, and he also became famous in the first battle.
It was Monday and the weather was nice, windy and sunny. Gao Xiang, captain of the 2nd Brigade of the 10th Regiment of the Fourth Naval Aviation Division, Huang Fengsheng and Zhao Sitai, deputy commanders, and Wang Xiude, commander of the squadron, were responsible for the daytime combat duty that day.
At that time, Vietnam was divided into South Vietnam and North Vietnam, with the United States supporting South Vietnam and China supporting North Vietnam. The US military took the opportunity to send planes to continuously violate China's territorial waters and airspace and carry out reconnaissance and provocations. Therefore, aviation units must be responsible for combat duty at the first, second, and third levels. The second level of combat duty is that the pilot and ground crew are guarding around the duty aircraft, and the aircraft is ready to take off at any time, and can quickly transfer to the first class when there is a situation. The first-level combat duty is the pilot sitting on the fighter, the engine on, taking off at any time.
What Gao Xiang and his teammates did that day was a first-class combat readiness duty.
At 10:47, a battle siren suddenly sounded over the airfield, and two American F104C fighters invaded the air over yingge Sea in China's Beibu Gulf.
Gao Xiang and his wingman received the task of attacking. At 10:58, as the flares rose, Gao Xiang and the wingman roared into the blue sky.
According to the instructions of the ground radar, Gao Xiang and the wingman piloted by Huang Fengsheng rushed ahead of schedule to the position where the US plane might enter China's airspace and hid in the clouds at a high place to observe.
Not long after, I saw a small fighter flying unhurriedly over the Yingge Sea in China's Beibu Gulf, and on closer inspection, it was the American F-104C fighter! It flew in an S-shape, entered the airspace for a while, and then immediately disengaged, constantly playing the game of "wiping the edge ball".
At this time, Huang Fengsheng and Gao Xiang on the wingman called: "Didn't you say two?" How about one? Gao Xiang replied: "Call it a few, you pay attention to the vigilance, I will first fight down the one I see!" ”
It should be known that the American F-104C fighter was the most advanced supersonic fighter in the world at that time, it was small and exquisite, with a wingspan of only 6.68 meters, a maximum speed of 2400 kilometers per hour, a maximum height of 30,000 meters, in addition to being equipped with artillery, it also carried 4 short-range "Sidewinder" short-range air-to-air missiles that were very advanced at that time.
The J-6 is the first generation of Jet Fighter produced in China, which was only handed over to the Air Force in 1964, and the top speed is only half of the F-104C, which is not a small gap with the F-104C in all aspects.
But at that time, Gao Xiang did not have the slightest fear, and he secretly decided that even if he hit it, he would also crash it.
At 11:19, enemy aircraft once again invaded our airspace and raised to 10,500 meters to cross the southern tip of the Leizhou Peninsula at 65 degrees. Gao Xiang and the wingman quickly dropped the auxiliary fuel tank and drove in pursuit.
At 11:28, Gao Xiang followed the guidance of the command post, turned right to continue to meet the enemy, and flattened the aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 meters. And reported: "The enemy plane is 30 kilometers ahead on the left. ”
At 11:31, Gao Xiang was only 8,000 meters away from the enemy plane. He found that the enemy plane turned right and flew toward Hainan Island, and Gao Xiang took the opportunity to cut the enemy's turning radius, approached the enemy plane, and occupied a favorable position for attack.
At that time, the distance between the two aircraft had entered the effective range of the J-6, but if the gun was fired too early, it was possible for the enemy aircraft to escape. The operational concept of our fighter pilots is to annihilate the enemy in close combat and "see red with bayonets."
Gao Xiang bit the enemy plane to death, 900 meters, 800 meters, 600 meters...
291 meters, fire! Strings of shells swept from 3 barrels in long lines towards the F-104C. Hit straight until the distance is 39 meters before disengaged.
The U.S. F-104C fighter exploded in the air and shot down in black smoke.
Because the two sides were too close, Gao Xiang's plane was directly damaged by the fragments of the US aircraft explosion in as many as 13 places, and the right engine was stopped, and the fuselage began to shake violently. He calmly relied on another engine, piloted the injured plane, and returned triumphantly with Huang Fengsheng. At 11:48, landed safely.
This is the first time that the U.S. F-104C fighter has been shot down since it was designed and built.
American radio then said in shock that the F104C fighter was the most advanced aircraft in the world, and its shooting down made the Johnson administration incomprehensible.
Gao Xiang became famous in the First World War, he was credited with first-class merit, and the regiment he belonged to was awarded the glorious title of "Sea and Air Eagle Regiment" by his superiors.
The downed F-104C pilot Philip M. Major E. Smith, after parachuting, fell into the sea of seven continents east of Wenchang and was captured alive by the old militiaman Fu Qihe, a member of the former Qiongya Column.
During the interrogation, Smith said with some trepidation: "Shooting at such a close distance is too terrible, too terrible." This was a battle I didn't dare to look at, I didn't dare to think about. ”
A few days later, Xiao Jinguang, commander of the Navy, sent a special plane to bring Gao Xiang, Huang Fengsheng, and some other combat meritorious personnel to Beijing to attend the National Day viewing ceremony. On October 3, Premier Zhou Enlai received Gao Xiang and others at the Great Hall of the People. Subsequently, Gao Xiang and his comrades-in-arms were received by Chairman Mao.
Gao Xiang's heroic deeds, because of the military secrets and other reasons, were not vigorously publicized at that time. It was not until the J-6 was fully retired in 2010 that this history was gradually declassified.
Gao Xiang is now 90 years old, in good health, and his memories of talking about the past are still fresh. After he left his retirement, he has been settling in Qingdao, and what he cannot forget most is the blue sky and the fighter.