Historical Documents

Introduction

In 2014, the Heritage Chapter (San Angelo, TX) of the Freedom Through Vigilance Association (FTVA), in association with Angelo State University and ec47.com, approached the history office of what was at that time the USAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance agency in an effort to make public at least some of the historical record as it was written at the time.

The "Top 10" Questions

Since declassification of eight years’ worth of records in any sort of reasonable timeframe seemed an unlikely prospect, it was suggested that a list of ten specific questions be drawn up, for which answers would be provided. Without knowledge of what the squadron histories might contain, the selection of ten events or situations from eight years of operational history was obviously a hit-or-miss proposition. Nonetheless, a “Top 10” list of questions—in no particular order or priority—was drawn up and submitted via our FTVA contact.

Those responses received in the form of extracts from the squadron histories or other contemporary USAFSS documents may be viewed by opening the links below. Received material from other sources (Wikipedia articles and CHECO reports already on hand) has not been reproduced. 

(Note: These are 3-5 mb PDF files and may be slow to download.)

#1. What role did ARDF play in predicting, or failing to predict, the Tet offensive of 1968? Were EC-47 assets specifically tasked to support the defense of Khe Sanh (Operation Niagara, etc.?) Did ARDF contribute significantly to the defense of Khe Sanh? Did USAFSS address these sorts of questions and document the findings?

#2. ARDF played a large role in the planning and execution of the “incursion” into Cambodia in the spring and summer of 1970. The other notable allied ground offensive during this timeframe was Operation Lam Son 719; the ill-fated ARVN thrust along highway 9 into Laos in an attempt to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Tchepone. More information on the specific role of the EC-47 in both these critical operations is needed. 

#3. The EC-47 during the “Easter Offensive” of 1972. Turning back this massive NVA assault is as near a vindication of airpower as can be found in the entire war. The EC-47 must have played a part, but at present we have almost no relative information.

#4. More details are needed on the ARDF contributions specific to the EC-47/6994th, particularly as these details relate to major ground operations such as Cedar Falls/Junction City and the early attempts to disable COSVN.

#5. Along with sensors and other recon assets, ARDF played at least some role in the planning and execution of the annual Commando Hunt truck-busting campaigns in Laos. More detail on the 6994th's relationship with Igloo White/Task Force Alpha is needed. The response noted that "The detachment [Det. 2] participated in a hearability test with Task Force Alpha to check aircraft flying in MACV Area One, Two, and Three." However, nothing from the 6994th histories was received.

#6. Concerning the Cambodian incursion, project Blue Beetle, in which ARDF fixes were passed from EC-47s to "Rustic" (and possibly other) FACs for investigation, is of particular interest from the 6994th standpoint. More specific information on Blue Beetle and an associated project named Contrail is needed to flesh out the story. This response was combined with #2.

#7. ASA's 509th Radio Research Group (RRG) became the focal point for ARDF support of MACV. We do know that the 6994th was a key stakeholder in the ARDF Coordinating Committee (ACC), which was an ad hoc organization set up early on to oversee ASA-USAFSS ARDF operations. The USAFSS perspective on control of ARDF assets (vs. the army and/or NSA) would be most useful.

#8. The 6994th began operations out of NKP in 1969 under project/operation Commando Forge. Evidently considerable diplomatic wrangling was required to convince the Thai government to allow more "spooks" in country. Information relative to the thinking behind the establishment of the NKP detachment is needed.

#9. Of special interest is project Brown Beaver, which was part of a larger Targeting Test Program involving EC-47/FAC cooperation. (Brown Beaver was connected with the now- famous "Raven" FACs.) The response included no material from USAFSS sources but did reference a CHECO report (already on hand but not reproduced here) which does provide useful information.

#10. USAF vs. Army ARDF. One of the more interesting EC-47 sidebars involves a USAFSS/ASA "fly-off" conducted under NSA auspices in Puerto Rico in 1967. Dave Eddy, before his untimely death, provided a good bit of info on this project, but some "official" results would be a most interesting addition.

Summary

The impact of ARDF in the conduct of the Vietnam War has been acknowledged for some time now, although only in very general terms. These snippets from contemporary histories, while totaling less than 70 pages and pertaining to diverse and unconnected topics, nonetheless represent an important breakthrough in that, for the first time, certain operational details and specific contributions made by our EC-47 crews are at last coming to light. Efforts to have more of the classified histories released are ongoing. 

Table Headings Explanations

S/N: The original U.S. Army Air Forces serial number.* The first two digits indicate the fiscal year in which the order for the aircraft was placed. The numbers following the dash represent the numerical sequence of aircraft ordered in that fiscal year. For example, 45-0925, the original HAWK EYE aircraft, was the 925th aircraft to be ordered in fiscal year 1945.

Last 3: The last 3 digits of the S/N. An aid to identification of the complete S/N when only the last 3 digits are known.

Model: The model number of the aircraft after conversion to EC-47. (The aircraft were originally redesignated RC-47, the R standing for Reconnaissance. The designation was later changed to EC-47, the E standing for Special Electronic Mission.) EC-47N models rolled off the WWII assembly line as A models; EC-47Ps were originally B models. (O is not used to avoid confusion with zero.) EC-47Q models were earlier models retrofitted with more powerful R-2000 engines. (Click here for further explanation of EC-47 model designations.)

Mission Configuration: Mission equipment installed as of August, 1969. Aircraft carrying only the X (ARDF) and Y (collection/support) positions were generally referred to as “straight birds” while those fitted with Z1 and Z2 positions were called “Z birds”. The five aircraft fitted with the QRC-346 electronic warfare suite were informally tagged as “Q birds”. These should NOT be confused with the EC-47Q model noted above, although at times these were also called Q Birds. The QRC-346-equipped "jammers" were in fact all EC-47N airframes.

Built as: C-47 was the basic designation of the aircraft, the C indicating that this was the forty-seventh “C” (cargo, or transport) design to be accepted by the Army Air Corps. The initial model designation of USAAC/USAAF aircraft did not include an alpha suffix. Thus the C-47A was actually the second model to be produced. Fairly significant design changes resulted in the B model. Following the model designator is the “block number”. Each block number represented relatively minor variations from the previous block, but not significant enough to warrant a model change. The last two letters represent the manufacturer and plant location. DL indicated Douglas Long Beach, CA, while DK indicated Douglas Oklahoma City, OK.

Delivery date: The approximate date of delivery or acceptance by the USAAF in World War II. (The two events might be separated by a few days.) 

NOTE: This listing will be gradually updated to include links to photographs and additional information.

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     * The term was in fact Air Forces, plural. The AAF (20 June 1941) did not replace the old Air Corps, which remained as an administrative and training arm. Air Force Combat Command (AFCC) would control the war fighting units. The AAF as a whole remained subordinate to the U.S. Army/War Department until the establishmenet of the USAF (singular) under the Department of Defense in 1947.

Project CHECO, originally standing for Contemporary Historical Evaluation of Combat Operations (the meaning of the "C" was later changed to "current") was implemented by Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) as a vehcicle to capture details of USAF operations in Southeast Asia while events were still fresh. In all, more than 200 CHECO monographs were written, covering a wide variety of subjects.

Two  CHECO  reports  dealt  with  the  EC-47.   Together, these reports provide a concise background and summary of
EC-47 operations through mid-1970. Click on the links below to view full-text versions of these reports in pdf format. Individual chapters are bookmarked and can be accessed directly by clicking on the icon on the left side of the viewer window.

Note: These are large files and may load slowly. 

• The EC-47 in Southeast Asia (1968) 

• The EC-47 in SEA, April 1968 - July 1970

Until August, 1971, the EC-47 fleet in Southeast Asia was operated by three Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons (TEWS), all subordinate to the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) headquartered at Saigon’s Tan Son Nhut airbase. Aircraft based at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, were operated by a detachment of the 360th TEWS. 

Squadron histories were compiled “on the spot” by a designated historian and submitted quarterly to the parent wing. The declassified 460th TRW histories are held by the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In addition to narrative descriptions, these documents  contain mission statistics and occasional “sanitized” feedback from the 6994th Security Squadron concerning ARDF results. Unfortunately, most of the 6994th history remains classified. Thus the quarterly TEWS histories, brief as they sometimes are, represent the best available contemporary record of day-to-day EC-47 operations and achievements. 

The pdf files are scans of paper copies. The earliest histories were photocopied at AFHRA, page by laborious page, nearly 20 years ago. Due to time constraints, some pages unrelated to operations were not copied. At some point, we hope to retrieve these histories in their entirety. 

(Note: These emblems were strictly unofficial and often varied in appearance and format.)

360th TEWS	361st TEWS	362nd TEWS

Click on the links below to open individual histories in pdf format.