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[[File:Vietnam People's Air Force MIG-21 (4324).jpg|thumb|The MIG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. This fighter aircraft (flown by various pilots) alone was credited with 14 kills during the Vietnam War.]]
[[File:Vietnam People's Air Force MIG-21 (4324).jpg|thumb|The MIG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. This fighter aircraft (flown by various pilots) alone was credited with 14 kills during the Vietnam War.]]


'''Colonel Tomb''', also "Nguyen Toon" (Nguyễn Tuân) or "[[Colonel]] Toon" was a mythical [[Vietnam People's Air Force|North Vietnam Air Force]] [[Flying ace|fighter ace]] loosely based on a North Vietnamese pilot from the 921st [[Fighter aircraft|Fighter]] [[Regiment]] named [[Nguyen Van Coc]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-29 |title=Inventing the Enemy: Colonel Toon and the Memory of Fighter Combat in Vietnam |url=https://balloonstodrones.com/2018/05/30/inventing-the-enemy-colonel-toon-and-the-memory-of-fighter-combat-in-vietnam/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=From Balloons to Drones |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Duke Cunningham's dogfight with MiGs over North Vietnam {{!}} San Diego Reader |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1984/mar/29/cover-the-deadly-circle/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=www.sandiegoreader.com |language=en}}</ref> "Colonel Toon" is a nickname for the North Vietnamese fighter pilot who allegedly shot down 13 [[United States|American]] aircraft during the [[Vietnam War]]. According to legend, he was killed in action on May 10, 1972, by the [[U.S. Navy]] [[F-4 Phantom]] crew of pilot [[lieutenant|Lt.]] [[Randy "Duke" Cunningham]] and [[radar]] operator [[Lieutenant, junior grade|Lt.(jg)]] [[William P. Driscoll|William "Irish" Driscoll]].<ref name="One Day">Ethell and Price 1990, pp.189–190.</ref><ref>Air Power History 1995 -- Volumes 42-43 - Page 60 "Tactical number 4326 supposedly belonged to the infamous Col. Nguyen Toon (also known as Col. Tomb), and wore thirteen red stars on its nose. At times, Toon's existence has been questioned, for while he led the NVAF in kills, he trailed all ..."</ref><ref>Peter B. Mersky F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War 1998 - Page 60 "The long-running discussion about whether the VPAF's top ace, 'Colonel Tomb', actually existed may at last have been resolved to an extent. There were several skilled VPAF pilots, and there appears to have been at least a dozen aces ..."</ref>
'''Colonel Tomb''', also "Nguyen Toon" (Nguyễn Tuân) or "[[Colonel]] Toon" was a mythical [[Vietnam People's Air Force|North Vietnam Air Force]] [[Flying ace|fighter ace]] loosely based on a North Vietnamese pilot from the 921st [[Fighter aircraft|Fighter]] [[Regiment]] named [[Nguyen Van Coc]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-29 |title=Inventing the Enemy: Colonel Toon and the Memory of Fighter Combat in Vietnam |url=https://balloonstodrones.com/2018/05/30/inventing-the-enemy-colonel-toon-and-the-memory-of-fighter-combat-in-vietnam/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=From Balloons to Drones |language=en}}</ref> "Colonel Toon" is a nickname for the North Vietnamese fighter pilot who allegedly shot down 13 [[United States|American]] aircraft during the [[Vietnam War]]. According to legend, he was killed in action on May 10, 1972, by the [[U.S. Navy]] [[F-4 Phantom]] crew of pilot [[lieutenant|Lt.]] [[Randy "Duke" Cunningham]] and [[radar]] operator [[Lieutenant, junior grade|Lt.(jg)]] [[William P. Driscoll|William "Irish" Driscoll]].<ref name="One Day">Ethell and Price 1990, pp.189–190.</ref><ref>Air Power History 1995 -- Volumes 42-43 - Page 60 "Tactical number 4326 supposedly belonged to the infamous Col. Nguyen Toon (also known as Col. Tomb), and wore thirteen red stars on its nose. At times, Toon's existence has been questioned, for while he led the NVAF in kills, he trailed all ..."</ref><ref>Peter B. Mersky F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War 1998 - Page 60 "The long-running discussion about whether the VPAF's top ace, 'Colonel Tomb', actually existed may at last have been resolved to an extent. There were several skilled VPAF pilots, and there appears to have been at least a dozen aces ..."</ref>


The name "Colonel Tomb" rose to prominence among U.S. Navy aviators during the latter part of the war. Photos of a North Vietnamese [[MiG-17]] with the tail number 3020 bearing numerous red victory stars contributed to the rumor, and was occasionally identified as the Colonel's aircraft. However, it was normal practice in the [[Vietnam People's Air Force|Vietnamese People's Air Force]] to add victory stars to an aircraft for all claims in the aircraft, regardless of the pilot flying it. A photo of a [[MiG-21]], with tail number 4326, was reported in a Vietnamese official magazine to have been flown by at least nine different airmen. This aircraft also had numerous red victory stars. Six of its pilots received the title "Hero of the People's Armed Forces".<ref name="One Day"/> Information on Toon/Tomb's life and career was never published by the North Vietnamese, nor did they release a photo of him. MiG-17 number 3020 was confirmed shot down and destroyed, on May 10, 1972, by Cunningham and Driscoll following a protracted air fight.
The name "Colonel Tomb" rose to prominence among U.S. Navy aviators during the latter part of the war. Photos of a North Vietnamese [[MiG-17]] with the tail number 3020 bearing numerous red victory stars contributed to the rumor, and was occasionally identified as the Colonel's aircraft. However, it was normal practice in the [[Vietnam People's Air Force|Vietnamese People's Air Force]] to add victory stars to an aircraft for all claims in the aircraft, regardless of the pilot flying it. A photo of a [[MiG-21]], with tail number 4326, was reported in a Vietnamese official magazine to have been flown by at least nine different airmen. This aircraft also had numerous red victory stars. Six of its pilots received the title "Hero of the People's Armed Forces".<ref name="One Day"/> Information on Toon/Tomb's life and career was never published by the North Vietnamese, nor did they release a photo of him. MiG-17 number 3020 was confirmed shot down and destroyed, on May 10, 1972, by Cunningham and Driscoll following a protracted air fight.

Revision as of 06:57, 13 June 2022

Not to be confused with Nguyễn Tuân.
The MIG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. This fighter aircraft (flown by various pilots) alone was credited with 14 kills during the Vietnam War.

Colonel Tomb, also "Nguyen Toon" (Nguyễn Tuân) or "Colonel Toon" was a mythical North Vietnam Air Force fighter ace loosely based on a North Vietnamese pilot from the 921st Fighter Regiment named Nguyen Van Coc.[1] "Colonel Toon" is a nickname for the North Vietnamese fighter pilot who allegedly shot down 13 American aircraft during the Vietnam War. According to legend, he was killed in action on May 10, 1972, by the U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom crew of pilot Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and radar operator Lt.(jg) William "Irish" Driscoll.[2][3][4]

The name "Colonel Tomb" rose to prominence among U.S. Navy aviators during the latter part of the war. Photos of a North Vietnamese MiG-17 with the tail number 3020 bearing numerous red victory stars contributed to the rumor, and was occasionally identified as the Colonel's aircraft. However, it was normal practice in the Vietnamese People's Air Force to add victory stars to an aircraft for all claims in the aircraft, regardless of the pilot flying it. A photo of a MiG-21, with tail number 4326, was reported in a Vietnamese official magazine to have been flown by at least nine different airmen. This aircraft also had numerous red victory stars. Six of its pilots received the title "Hero of the People's Armed Forces".[2] Information on Toon/Tomb's life and career was never published by the North Vietnamese, nor did they release a photo of him. MiG-17 number 3020 was confirmed shot down and destroyed, on May 10, 1972, by Cunningham and Driscoll following a protracted air fight.

Much of the information the U.S. obtained about the North Vietnamese air force came from radio signals intelligence or "SigInt", which monitored enemy radio transmissions. Though Tuân is a Vietnamese name, Toon and Tomb are not. It is likely that a name similar in sound to Tomb was used as a radio callsign, and was responsible for the creation of the story of a Colonel Tomb.[2] Complex psychological factors have also contributed to the story of the epic aerial duel, against the Vietnamese fighter pilot and his demise.[5]

In mainstream media

The story of the epic aerial combat duel between North Vietnamese MiG-17 pilot Colonel Tomb and the American F-4 crew of Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Lt.(jg) William P. Driscoll was popularly featured with CGI-based reenactment of the battle scenes on The History Channel in the premier episode of the television series Dogfights.[6][7][8]

"I could see a Gomer leather helmet, Gomer goggles, Gomer scarf...and his intent Gomer expression... I began to feel numb. My stomach grabbed at me in knots. There was no fear in this guy's eyes as we zoomed some 8000 feet straight up."

— Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, describing his canopy-to-canopy encounter with Colonel Tomb in the pilot episode of Dogfights and in his combat memoirs of May 10, 1972[9][10]

May 10, 1972, by VPAF records

The 'MiG-17F' no. 3020 was a license-made Shenyang J-5 attached to the VPAF's 923rd Fighter Regiment, and was flown by at least two of the six VPAF's MiG-17 fighter aces, including Nguyễn Văn Bảy and Lê Hải; both of whom survived the war, with Lê retiring as a Senior Colonel.[11] Like all combat-ready VPAF MiG-17s, these were painted a green and brown camouflage by 1967, and were affectionately called con rắn (snakes) by their ground crew.[12] The beginning of the Operation Linebacker air interdiction campaign against North Vietnam in May of 1972 proved to be especially bloody for both sides of the air war; four of the 923rd FR's MiG-17s were dispatched against a large strike-force of A-6 Intruders, A-7 Corsairs IIs and F-4 Phantom IIs targeting the bridges around Hải Dương on 10 May 1972. Although outnumbered, the VPAF pilots attacked the strike-force, and in the ensuing melee, MiG-17 pilot Do Hang was shot down by AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles fired from Lt. Duke Cunningham/Lt.jg Willy Driscoll's F-4, and although the MiG-17 pilot Do Hang was able to eject, he was then killed by 20mm gunfire from the American fighter aircraft making strafing passes at him while descending underneath his parachute; two more MiG-17s were shot-down by the F-4s of Lt. Cunningham and Lt. Connelly, and pilots Nguyen Van Tho and Tra Van Kiem both KIA, while the MiG-17 piloted by Ta Dong Trung, who pursued the A-7s out to sea without scoring any hits, was able to return to base, the only survivor of the 923rd FR this battle.[13]

The F-4s however, now flying about 10km north of Hải Dương, were intercepted by a pair of MiG-21MFs piloted by Vu Duc Hop and Le Thanh Dao of the new 927th FR whom were effectively vectored by GCI against the Phantoms; Vu Duc Hop and Le Thanh Dao each firing R-3S "Atoll" missiles at their selected targets, had found their marks respectively against the F-4s of Lt. Cunningham/Lt.jg Driscoll and Cdr. Blackburn/Lt. Rudloff, and while Cunningham/Driscoll were able eject out at sea where they were rescued, Blackburn/Rudloff were seen to have successfully ejected from their stricken Phantom, and while their parachutes were observed to have gone down over land by the Americans, only Lt. Rudloff was ever on the POW manifest by North Vietnamese records.[14][15][16][17][18] The remains of Cdr. Harry L. Blackburn were returned to the Americans on 10 April 1986 and positively identified as his later that year.[19]

Notable USAF/USN and VPAF losses/victories on 10 May 1972

List of notable kills/losses of the air battles of this day in the Vietnam War.[20][21][22][23]

Crew member(s) Service/Unit Kills/Total Status
Lt. R.H. Cunningham / Lt.(jg) Randy Driscoll, F-4 USN 2 kills (the MiG-17s of Do and Nguyen or Tra)/5 total Shot down/rescued
Lt. M. Connelly / Lt. T. Blonski, F-4 USN 1 kill (the MiG-17 of Nguyen or Tra)/2 total
Cdr. H.L. Blackburn / Lt. S. Rudloff, F-4 USN Cdr. Blackburn (KIA)/Lt. Rudloff (POW)
Do Hang, MiG-17 VPAF KIA (strafed to death by under parachute after ejection)
Le Thanh Dao, MiG-21 VPAF 1 kill (F-4 of Blackburn/Rudloff)/6 total
Vu Duc Hop, MiG-21 VPAF 1 kill (F-4 of Cunningham/Driscoll)
Maj. R. Lodge / Capt. R. Locher, F-4 USAF 3 kills/3 total Maj. Lodge (KIA)/Capt. Locher (rescued)
Dang Ngoc Ngu, MiG-21 VPAF 1 kill/7 total (KIA, 8 July 1972)
Nguyen Van Phuc, MiG-19 VPAF 1 kill (F-4 of Lodge/Locher)
Cao Son Khao, MiG-19 VPAF 1 kill KIA

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Inventing the Enemy: Colonel Toon and the Memory of Fighter Combat in Vietnam". From Balloons to Drones. 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  2. ^ a b c Ethell and Price 1990, pp.189–190.
  3. ^ Air Power History 1995 -- Volumes 42-43 - Page 60 "Tactical number 4326 supposedly belonged to the infamous Col. Nguyen Toon (also known as Col. Tomb), and wore thirteen red stars on its nose. At times, Toon's existence has been questioned, for while he led the NVAF in kills, he trailed all ..."
  4. ^ Peter B. Mersky F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War 1998 - Page 60 "The long-running discussion about whether the VPAF's top ace, 'Colonel Tomb', actually existed may at last have been resolved to an extent. There were several skilled VPAF pilots, and there appears to have been at least a dozen aces ..."
  5. ^ Haskins, Dr. Michael (2018-05-29). "Inventing the Enemy: Colonel Toon and the Memory of Fighter Combat in Vietnam". From Balloons to Drones. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  6. ^ "Watch Dogfights Full Episodes, Video & More | History Vault". watch.historyvault.com. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  7. ^ Dogfights (TV Series 2005– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-05-31
  8. ^ Dogfights, retrieved 2022-05-31
  9. ^ "When Duke Was King". Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2022-05-31. The American aviators called their adversaries "Gomers," after the hapless TV character Gomer Pyle. Cunningham says he saw the pilot "...with his beady little Gomer eyes, Gomer hat, Gomer goggles, and Gomer scarf."
  10. ^ "When Duke Was King". https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1984/mar/29/cover-the-deadly-circle/. Retrieved 2022-05-31. I could see a Gomer leather helmet, Gomer goggles, Gomer scarf...and his intent Gomer expression," Cunningham writes in his book about the air war. "I began to feel numb. My stomach grabbed at me in knots. There was no fear in this guy's eyes as we zoomed some 8000 feet straight up. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  11. ^ Toperczer, 2015, pp. 146-147.
  12. ^ "Vietnamese Lethal Snakes".
  13. ^ Toperczer, 2015, pp. 174-175.
  14. ^ "Name That Toon - Was North Vietnam's Most Feared Flying Ace A Myth?". MilitaryHistoryNow.com. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2022-05-10. Some sources have argued that the famous North Vietnamese flier was a complete fabrication. Hanoi propagandists supposedly conjured up the deadly ace to bolster morale on the home front or possibly to scare American pilots. Others claim that the mythical pilot wasn't a concoction of enemy publicists at all, but rather a figment of American pilots' imaginations.
  15. ^ Hankins, Dr. Michael (2018-05-29). "Inventing the Enemy: Colonel Toon and the Memory of Fighter Combat in Vietnam". From Balloons to Drones. Retrieved 2022-05-10. The existence of Colonel Toon in the mind of an American pilot may have provided a psychological comfort zone if a North Vietnamese pilot should out-fly him or, even worse, shoot him down... Why does this controversy – and others like it – continue to plague the memory of the Vietnam War? Possibly because losing a war is psychologically devastating... Toon may not exist, but what he represents as a way of dealing with the psychological trauma of warfare, is all too real.
  16. ^ Toperczer, 2015, pp. 175, 240.
  17. ^ "Vietnamese Aces - MiG-17 and MiG-21 pilots". acepilots.com. Retrieved 2022-05-10. Readers familiar with American military aviation may have heard of the legendary Vietnamese ace, Col. Toon (or Col. Tomb). Why is he not listed here? Because, he was precisely that, "legendary"... he was a figment of the American fighter pilots' imagination and ready room chatter. (In fairness to the Americans, "Col. Toon" may have been shorthand for any good Vietnamese pilot, like any solo nighttime nuisance bomber in WW2 was called "Washing Machine Charlie.")
  18. ^ "Bio, Rudloff, Stephen A." www.pownetwork.org. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  19. ^ "Vietnam Air Losses Search Results". www.vietnamairlosses.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01. Both crew were seen to eject and to land only about 100 yards apart. Lt Rudloff was temporarily blinded during the incident and was taken to the Hanoi Hilton but he had no further direct contact with his pilot... A report that Cdr Blackburn committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide pill circulated after the prisoners returned from Hanoi, but this seems fanciful and cannot be substantiated. His remains were handed over by the Vietnamese government on 10 April 1986 and positively identified in November of that year.
  20. ^ Toperczer, 2015, pp. 240.
  21. ^ "Phantom Over North Vietnam". Defense Media Network. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  22. ^ "Name That Toon - Was North Vietnam's Most Feared Flying Ace A Myth?". MilitaryHistoryNow.com. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2022-05-10. Some sources have argued that the famous North Vietnamese flier was a complete fabrication. Hanoi propagandists supposedly conjured up the deadly ace to bolster morale on the home front or possibly to scare American pilots. Others claim that the mythical pilot wasn't a concoction of enemy publicists at all, but rather a figment of American pilots' imaginations.
  23. ^ "Phantom over North Vietnam".
  24. ^ Beachum, Lateshia (2 May 2022). "The 'Ghost of Kyiv' was never alive, Ukrainian air force says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  25. ^ Laurence, Peter (2 May 2022). "How Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' legendary pilot was born". BBC. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  26. ^ Lajka, Arijeta (2 May 2022). "'A super-hero legend': Ukraine admits 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot is a myth". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2 May 2022.

References

  • Ethell, Jeffrey and Alfred Price. One Day in a Long War. London:Guild Publishing, 1990.

Further reading

  • Toperczer, István, "MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War", Osprey Publishing Limited, Botley, Oxford, UK, 2001, ISBN 1-84176-162-1.
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