I was visiting one of our carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin in mid-66 when they showed off a new squadron of A6’s, launching to go drop some munitions up north. They had an admiral aboard, and were proudly showing him the latest and greatest.

The launch went well until the last A6 caught the catapult. When the hold-back coupling broke the plane took off OK, but the shock broke loose a 500-lb bomb which dropped onto the deck and slowly skidded along the angle deck behind the airplane, and it eventually went over the side into the water. We who were up on the railing looked at each other with raised eyebrows……

The admiral was not impressed.
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