Downed by the Chinese?

Posted on August 22, 2010


(All images courtesy of Google/LIFE Magazine.)

The image above shows a submerged aircraft near Quemoy. The crew of the floating crane on the right were trying to hoist the aircraft out of the water. All but one related photo in the LIFE magazine archive do not have captions describing what had happened. “RC” is the tailcode for VP-46 of the US Navy, while “0304” reveals that the aircraft is P5M-1 BuNo 130304.

The caption for the next photo says “A large crane pulling up a US Navy plane that was shot down.” The date was August 1958, the time of the 1958 Taiwan Straits crisis.

“12” is the nose number of the downed P5M-1. The ship behind it is USS Onslow AVP-48.

The floating crane is YD-963:

Another P5M-1 (nose number 5) can be seen behind the floating crane:

That P5M-1 (BuNo 127706) was also assigned to VP-46:

Still another VP-46 P5M-1, nose number 8, at the scene, although it is difficult to make out the BuNo (120283?)

A P5M-2 (note its tail) flew over Quemoy. It is difficult to read the nose number or the tail code.

Also attending the downed P5M-1 was ROC Navy destroyer DD-16 Hsien-Yang.

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8 thoughts on “Downed by the Chinese?”

  1. I don’t think it’s near Quemoy. The background islands look like Pescadores (Penghu Islands).

  4. 雪風兄： You are mostly likely correct. It’s hard to imagine a GI doing sun bathing at time of war.

    Bryan: I checked the site when I wrote the post, but could not anything related.

  5. I was aboard a crash boat from USS Onslow when this happened. Not enemy action. Ran beond sea-lane on takeoff and ripped out bottom on coral reef. Was towed to fantail of Onslow to employ ships pumps to keep afloat. Failed and sank in deep water. Barge /crane called in to hoist to surface. Operating near Makung Island, Pescadories Islands Sep 1958. Have a photo of P5M #12 being pumped out by Onslows crash boat while still on coral. This VP group was doing photo recon between Quemoy and the Chinese Mainland of ship/boat movement.

  6. I was the first radioman on twelve boat when this happened. You are correct this happened as a result of pilot trying to take off with a heavy load of fuel and ordinance and ran out of sea and we tore the bottom of the plane off. I managed to salvage a large amount of electronics and transferred it to one of the launches from the Onslow. They towed us out to the Onslow, but the plane was too full of water and sank. Would like to contact any of my crew from that memorable day.

    Al Martinez 949 552-1700

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