Date:	Monday 31 January 1966
Time:	14:48H
Type:	McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II
Owner/operator:	VF-114, US Navy
Registration:	152233
MSN:	850
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	4 miles from USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea -   Vietnam
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea
Destination airport:	USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
McDonnell Douglas F4H-1 (F-4B-21-MC) Phantom II Bu.No 152233/'402-NH', VF-114, US Navy (call sign "Linfield 402')

Written off (destroyed) January 31, 1966 on combat operations over Vietnam: On an armed reconnaissance mission. Crashed after being disabled by AAA while attacking a bridge near Ban Soppeng, south of the Mu Gia Pass in on the Laos/North Vietnam border: The aircraft’s hydraulic system was badly damaged, the pilot LT W. Klumpp attempted to maintain control but when still four miles out from the carrier (the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63)), 'Linfield 402' suffered a "complete hydraulic failure" and crashed at sea. A Kaman UH-2 Seasprite plane-guard helicopter, from HC-1 Det 1, Unit C, Kitty Hawk and a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King, Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron from (HS)-2, embarked in antisubmarine warfare support aircraft carrier Hornet (CVS-12), rescued the men at about 15:00. Both helicopters recovered aboard Kitty Hawk at 15:10.

Both crew members--LT William “ Fritz” Klumpp II (pilot) and LT(JG) Joseph "Joe" N. Stineman (RIO)--ejected, both survived and both were picked up as described above. LT Klumpp was on his 30th mission and went on to complete 106 more by the end of May 1966.

The USS Kitty Hawk was overhauled in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, then trained along the western seaboard of the US. She sailed from San Diego, California on 19 October 1965, for Hawaii thence to Subic Bay, Philippines, where she prepared for combat operations off the coast of Vietnam.

1. US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1964-68 By Peter E. Davies
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html
3. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-4.html
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115212455/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-4_PHANTOM_USA/f4_phantom_US_1959-1965.htm
5. https://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/AndersonChuck/4053.htm
6. https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=430
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-114#Vietnam_War
8. http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzNavySearch.pl?target=+F-4&series=3
9. https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/0263cyb.jpg
10. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/kitty-hawk-cva-63-ii.html
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kitty_Hawk_(CV-63)#1965_to_1972
12. USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) deck log.

Two U.S. Navy McDonnell F-4G Phantom II aircraft of Fighter Squadron VF-213 "Black Lions" on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) during that carrier's deployment to Vietnam from 19 October 1965 to 13 June 1966. The U.S. Navy experimented with aircraft camouflage and painted half of the aircraft of Attack Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) with dark green colours to blend in with the Vietnamese jungle. The results proved inconclusive for the U.S. Navy, whereas the U.S. Air Force concluded that the camouflage was effective. U.S. Navy planes would not be camouflaged until the 1980s. Two F-4B Phantoms of VF-114 "Aardvarks" are painted in the standard paint scheme. The destroyer USS Massey (DD-778) is visible in the background.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Jun-2022 22:26	Dr. John Smith	Added