Cold Warriors: The Essex Class in the Cold War

[lordroel]

Sept 4, 2020 11:31:10 GMT ssgtc said:

Sept 4, 2020 10:57:12 GMT stevep said:

  Now why am I thinking this gives Indonesia a temptation to attack WNG before the a/c arrive, but after the crew and their families arrive?  Which is likely to cause anger in the Netherlands, especially if their mistreated.

  Given what's happening in the US I'm now thinking those Essex class to be decommissioned aren't going to be scrapped but are going to see service under a new flag, or possibly more than one if their in good enough condition.  A Dutch fleet with their own CV - unless a further trigger is something happening to that - and two reconstructed Essex class is going to be an interesting challenge, especially with US/UK/other support.

Indonesia isn't quite ready for that yet. They've just started converting to jets and are trying to modernize their military. Once they are operational in the MiG-17Fs they have coming, it won't matter anyway. The Fresco is a huge over match for the Dutch Gloster Meteor F.8s that 322 squadron is equipped with. Hell, the MiG-15 trainers they have on hand are an over match for it.

But still the Dutch Gloster Meteors are nice looking birds.

[ssgtc]

Very pretty. Not so pretty going down in flames

[lordroel]

Sept 4, 2020 18:41:28 GMT ssgtc said:

Very pretty. Not so pretty going down in flames

Especially if the have to head to head with these guys.

[ssgtc]

Sept 4, 2020 19:06:19 GMT lordroel said:

Sept 4, 2020 18:41:28 GMT ssgtc said:

Very pretty. Not so pretty going down in flames

Especially if the have to head to head with these guys.

Worse. Indonesia has MiG-17Fs coming in another month in story

[ssgtc]

August 23, 1957
Norfolk, VA, USA

USS Lake Champlain is eased into dry dock in Norfolk, VA. Her planned, then cancelled, then reauthorized SCB-125A refit is scheduled to take between twenty-four and twenty-six months. After which, she would emerge with an aluminum clad angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, steam catapults and an enlarged forward elevator among other changes.

Air Task Group 182, currently serving as Lake Champlain's Air Group is disestablished concurrent with Lake Champlain's move into drydock. The squadrons that the ATG had "borrowed" are returned to the operational control of their parent Carrier Air Groups. Lake Champlain would have no need of them for the foreseeable future.

[ssgtc]

August 25, 1957
Port of Tanjung Perak, East Java, Indonesia

The Chinese flagged cargo ship SS Sheng Neng arrives at the Port of Tanjung Perak. In her holds she has numerous light industrial products, rice and the first six crated Shenyang F-5 fighters for the Indonesian Air Force. The fighters are the first thing offloaded onto trucks and quickly sent to Iswahyudi Airbase for assembly. Chinese and Soviet technicians are present at the airbase to train the Indonesian ground crews on how to assemble and service the new aircraft.

[ssgtc]

September 1, 1957
Washington, DC, USA

In an effort to reduce costs after reauthorizing Lake Champlain's SCB-125A refit, and as part of the deal negotiated with Congress to get a second Enterprise class carrier ordered, the US Navy announces that USS Leyte (CVS-32) will be decommissioned following the completion of her current deployment to the Mediterranean. Upon her return to her home port of Quonset Point, RI she will offload stores and then sail to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for her preinactivation overhaul.

Authors Note: In OTL, Leyte was not decommissioned until 1959.

[lordroel]

Sept 5, 2020 13:01:13 GMT ssgtc said:

August 25, 1957
Port of Tanjung Perak, East Java, Indonesia

The Chinese flagged cargo ship SS Sheng Neng arrives at the Port of Tanjung Perak. In her holds she has numerous light industrial products, rice and the first six crated Shenyang F-5 fighters for the Indonesian Air Force. The fighters are the first thing offloaded onto trucks and quickly sent to Iswahyudi Airbase for assembly. Chinese and Soviet technicians are present at the airbase to train the Indonesian ground crews on how to assemble and service the new aircraft.

In OTL the Indonesians flew Soviet MiG-17, so here in this TL if i am correct they have the Chinese F-5, are there difference between them as I could only find this image of a Soviet Mig-17.

[ssgtc]

Not really, no. The F-5 is just a license produced copy of the MiG-17F.

[lordroel]

Sept 5, 2020 13:09:12 GMT ssgtc said:

September 1, 1957
Washington, DC, USA

In an effort to reduce costs after reauthorizing Lake Champlain's SCB-125A refit, and as part of the deal negotiated with Congress to get a second Enterprise class carrier ordered, the US Navy announces that USS Leyte (CVS-32) will be decommissioned following the completion of her current deployment to the Mediterranean. Upon her return to her home port of Quonset Point, RI she will offload stores and then sail to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for her preinactivation overhaul.

Authors Note: In OTL, Leyte was not decommissioned until 1959.

So what will Enterprise-class carrier with designation CVN-66 going to be named, after a president ore battle.

[ssgtc]

That will be in a future update.

[ssgtc]

September 5, 1957
Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines

Allen Pope completed his walk around of the Douglas A-20 that had just been reassembled at the large American Air Force Base. He had been recalled from his previous assignment in Vietnam and ordered to the Philippines to take part in a covert CIA operation to support the Indonesian rebels. His part in that would be flying the Havoc to attack government targets as directed by the Permesta rebels.

Unlike the other aircraft on the flight line at Clark which were all clearly identified as US Air Force aircraft, his aircraft was planted a matte black and all it's identifying markings had been obscured. This was not his first rodeo for the CIA. He knew that this was an operation that would never see the light of day if it was performed properly. He could live with that. It was also not his first introduction to combat. He had flown numerous bombing missions over Korea during his service in the Air Force. Now he would be doing the same for the CIA. Though now, his mission also included training Indonesian pilots to fly the aircraft themselves.

Strapping into the cockpit, he turned the twin engines over and let them warm up before taxing to runway 02R. Easing the throttles forward to send the light bomber hurtling down the runway in the late afternoon sun, he carefully watched his airspeed increase to the point where he could lift his aircraft's nose off the runway and take to the air. Leaving the ground behind him, Allen climbed into the sky and felt the freedom of flight once again.
Two hours later, having completed his check flight, he gently set the old bomber down on the runway and returned it to the disused hanger that the CIA had appropriated for their use. He had no complaints about the condition of the aircraft. When the time came, he would be flying this aircraft to a rebel held airfield on Sulawesi and commencing bombing missions for the CIA.

[ssgtc]

September 8, 1957
Port of Tanjung Perak, East Java, Indonesia

The now familiar sight of the Admiral Ushakov once again enters the busy East Javan port. Aboard are the final twelve MiG-15UTI trainers. The first dozen jets are already flying with the Indonesian Air Force, training their pilots in modern aerial combat. Also aboard is a single crated MiG-19PM. The brand new missile armed fighter is a demonstration unit intended to entice Indonesia into buying the new supersonic aircraft. Two of her missiles are also onboard the Soviet Freighter. The Kaliningrad K-5 beam riding missile was no star performer. But against bombers like the Australian Canberras and New Zealand Avengers, they were deadly. If purchased, the MiG-19 would become the first supersonic fighter in service with any country in the Southwest Pacific.

[ssgtc]

September 12, 1957
Iswahyudi Air Force Base, East Java, Indonesia

Four aircraft were forming a classic "string of pearls" as they lined up at two mile intervals while approaching the runway for landing. The twin engine aircraft were completing a ferry flight that had started days earlier in Irkutsk, Russia. As the aircraft touched down one after another, they quickly exited the runway and taxied to the prepared hangers where they were met by the Soviet training detachment and their Indonesian students. Servicing of the aircraft began at once. In the morning, the four planes would be officially transferred to the Indonesian Air Force.

From a control room high up in one of the hangers, President Sukarno smiled. His country now had to means to directly attack the damn Dutch on West Irian. Soon, they would have a full squadron of the aircraft he saw below him. As the lights shined down on the flight of four light bombers, Soviet and Indonesian ground crew started the process of replacing the Soviet Red Star with a red Indonesian roundel on the IL-28s that would soon constitute the striking arm of the Indonesian Air Force.

[lordroel]

Sept 6, 2020 4:28:17 GMT ssgtc said:

From a control room high up in one of the hangers, President Sukarno smiled. His country now had to means to directly attack the damn Dutch on West Irian. Soon, they would have a full squadron of the aircraft he saw below him. As the lights shined down on the flight of four light bombers, Soviet and Indonesian ground crew started the process of replacing the Soviet Red Star with a red Indonesian roundel on the IL-28s that would soon constitute the striking arm of the Indonesian Air Force.

And they look good, now the Netherlands really needs to send more and better fighters to be able to intercept these big boys.