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Jim Parks (FTG2, 71 - 74) recounted for Jim Treadway the attack of the MiGs during the 1972
deployment to Vietnam.
As I recall, it was shortly after 10
p.m. and I was almost asleep when the general quarters alarm
sounded. I jumped up, and only put my pants on, thinking that
this was just another false alarm, then rushed to my battle
station at the Mount 31 gun director. I was the first one at the
AA station, so I began plugging in the sound powered phones.
Suddenly, the forecastle lit up with an explosion of flame and
sounds. For a brief few seconds, I was afraid that we had been
hit! Then I saw the Terrier missile streaking away, and I knew
that for the moment, I was OK. Others began arriving at the AA
station, and I switched my sound powered phones to the weapons
circuit. I immediately heard the weapons officer shouting
"Mount 31 commence fire! I flipped my phones to the gun
circuit, and passed the order to GMG3 Bill Price, the Mount 31
gun captain. Just then, the AA officers arrived, and began
donning flak jackets, and phones. I relayed to them the commence
fire order that had been given, turned, and began shooting port
side.
The Vietnamese picked a great night for an attack, it was a
moonless night, with a high overcast, absolutely no light
whatsoever. I had no idea what I was shooting at, but I shot
anyway. I had my phones switched back on the weapons circuit when
I heard the cease fire order. We stopped the firing, and for the
next few minutes all was calm. This only gave me time to worry;
because I knew that the 5-inch gun director had broken down only
a few days before, and it would be another week or two before the
new amplydine could be shipped from the states, and installed.
CIC must have been a busy place that night. The Biddle began
turning sharply, and on the weapons circuit, I heard the weapons
officer tell the 5 inch crew that there were gun boats
approaching the ship, and to swing the gun in that general
direction. Captain Edward Carter III had ordered the Biddle to
turn her port side toward the enemy. Suddenly, the order
"All guns. commence fire port side" rang through the
sound powered phones. I relayed the order to the gun captain, and
we began shooting. Half blinded by the Terrier missile launch, I
was quite surprised that I could see through my director sights
that the proximity shells that we were firing were exploding,
they must have been near a target! The exploding shells were
confirmed later by the gun captain, GMG3 Bill Price. Once again,
Terrier missiles shot off the forecastle, and the 5-inch gun was
pounding away at the gunboats.
I learned later, that the USS
Biddle was the first ship since W.W.II to put up a barrage of
fire against an enemy. The gunboats approaching the Biddle
turned and sped away as soon as the 5-inch gun began shooting at
them. I also learned that the first round of Terrier missiles
downed one MIG, and that those proximity shells that the 3-inch
was shooting probably downed the 2nd MIG. Although the
other three MIG’s tucked tail and ran back to shore, we
stayed at general quarters for at least another half-hour, and
maybe longer. After we secured, I went below to my compartment,
and slept peacefully that night. The Biddle crew had performed
flawlessly, I owe my life to everyone aboard that night.
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