"Favorite Battle Involving Helicopters?" Topic

What is your favorite historical battle in which helicopters were used? (If not during the battle, then transporting the troops to the battle.)

Has to be Ia Drang Valley.

This battle would work for a Best Vietnam movie poll too!

SS Mayaguez Incident (May 1975 – last battle of Vietnam War) vs.
Khmer Rouge (Combodia then called Kampouchea by commies) – involving Civilians (Container ship crew), U.S. Air Force (helicopters) U.S.Navy (ships) and U.S. Marines (storming the beaches.

Hostomel Airport

Lots of different helicopters and defended LZ.

Russians should have diverted to alternative LZ maybe half a kilometer away, landed troops then continued attack on foot. Instead they circled the airport and took heavy casualties because they had no plan B.

Lots of what ifs…

Apocalypse Now!

Ia Drang Valley +1

Operation PARAQUAT (formally PARAQUET) – Royal Navy helicopters using machines guns and anti-tank missiles against an Argentinian submarine, the SANTA FE.

Two better known movies showing helicopters of the First Cavalry attacking. The movie about Hal Moore is better than Duvalls movie back in the 1970s.

The attack on Blofeld's mountaintop HQ in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"

Blue Thunder. Malcohm McDowell vs Roy Schieder.

Ia Drang, I am fascinated by Mogadishu in 1994

Battle of Ia Drang

Getting a refund from the seller after a quadcopter falls apart and hits the ground two minutes into its first flight.

Yeah, I'd say Ia Drang …

Personal favorite would be the Fireforce missions flown by the Rhodesians. Not just one action.

I have always wanted to do the Battle of Mogadishu in 28mm on a 1:1 scale. I have several projects ahead of it, but I will eventually get around to doing it.

etotheipi for the win

Battle of Al Burquan 1991.

Iraqi forces in the Al Burquan oil field counterattacked into the flank of First Marine Division as it assaulted into Kuwait.

H Battery 3rd Battalion 14th Marines was leapfrogging forward to it's next firing position when the 1st MarDiv reoriented it's attack to hit the Iraqi assault. H 3/14 didn't get the word and ended up in front of 1st MarDiv.

A battalion sized attack of Iraqi armor was headed towards the Marine artillery. The battery had Seven guns firing indirect south, and one gun firing direct fire north. The Marines manning the guns collected all the AT-4s and satchel charges in the battery and formed a line to oppose the Iraqi attack. Things did not look good.

A flight of four Cobra gunships showed up at this critical moment. Two were armed with TOWs and two with rocket pods. All four had their 20mm cannon as well. Those four helos hovered directly over the gun line and fired every piece of ordinance they had. 32 TOWs, eight rocket pods, and a few thousand rounds of 20mm.

As the helos pulled out to rearm and refuel, a platoon of Hummers armed with TOWs showed up.

Without those helos it's entirely possible that I wouldn't have survived that day.

Sooooo, hands down, my favorite. :-)

I was thinking of the Royal Navy attack on the Santa Fe too.

Dn Jackson +1

Thanks Legion

Hey you were there ! You held the line, and the Cobras made the Iraqis pay the price.

Operation Game Warden, Vietnam
Navy Seawolves flying UH1B Hueys supporting PBRs
(I don't think the combat engagements had particular battle names)

YouTube link

I already said Hostomel but I thought some of you might appreciate this if you have not seen it.

Dn Jackson, awesome and harrowing story.
Joe