Helicopter landing in Austria

[Alex Smart]

Locals in Austria would like to know the full story behind this helicopter landing.
Thanks
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c-S...w?usp=drivesdk
Alex

[edNorth]

https://we.tl/t-svNUH1Jw2w



This link of this photo-clipping should work for about a week.


Best
Ed

[ginamod]

Dear Friends

I was handed out a foto and asked for help.
A USA heli landed in the region of Sarnthein, South Tyrol, Italy! on ca 15th Aug. 1961.. Chronicler would like to find out why the USA were there. Inhabitants do not have any more info.
Can you provide us with some more info?

There should be a foto of the heli attached or could be downloaded.
Try via the former contributers Smart and Ednorth.
The foto ist showing the referred USA Army helicopter.
Hope you will succeed viewing the foto.

Many thx for replies in advance
dnalor

[dp_burke]

Irish man here can't help but the aircraft is
Sikorsky H-34A-SI Choctaw >
built as CH-34A >
Converted I believe CH-34C >
Finally converted to a S-58T
Manufacturers serial number 58687 US Military serial number 56-4312(N), Nicaragua Serial number: FAN518(YN), FAS-51(YN)

http://www.rotorspot.nl/product/s58.php

https://www.helis.com/database/model/S-58T/?filc=NI

Note that the number on a US military aircraft of that time should be read as 64312 = 56-4312
The first digit is last digit of fiscal year it was ordered/ bought.

[ginamod]

Hello Dennis,

many thx for your friendly contribution incl. the links.
Evidently you are a great expert on helis, especially on Sikorsky machines.
My main focus are crashed planes from WWII, so I have will study the Sikorskies now as far as possible.
I regret, that images now cannot be opened easily as a visible attachment to the text as in former times.
Kind regards over to green Ireland.

atb

dnalor

[Leendert]

Nearest US Army base was and is at Vicenza, in 1961 housing some Honest John missile battalions.
Time period August 1961 in the middle of the high tensions between Austria and Italy over Südtirol/Alto Adige region. Year saw quite some violent actions there.
On 1 August 1961 a mountain game warden was wounded by shots fired from an Italian army helicopter. Crew thought the man was a Tyrolean partisan...
Have to find the website again which had more news from 1961, but unfortunately not the US CH-34.

Regards,
Leendert

[ginamod]

Dear Leendert,

what an surprising connection to the tensions between Austria and Italy in 1961. Thx a lot for effort and hint.!!
Actually that time folkes in South Tyrol did not dare to ask something and did not move around, police and army everywhere. Prosecution matters of "partisans" were secret and dangerous......
A possible answer why the locals know little about the heli .....
Please look for more details around the 1961 tension and US CH-34.

Aside of this in 2019 the DPAA, a friend of mine from Italian South Tyrol and myself from Austrian Tyrol succeeded in finding a MIA pilot ( Lt. Lowell Twedt)not far from to the site where the referring heli had landed (Sarnthein village) in 1961.

All the best
dnalor

[Leendert]

Perhaps you can use the e-mail address on following link to ask if any further local info is available: https://www.hausdergeschichte.tirol/...er-beschossen/

US Army helicopter unit in Italy was 110th Aviation Company at Boscomantico airfield near Verona. It appears they also inspected US radar posts in the Italian Alps.


Regards,
Leendert

[Leendert]

Some more examples of US Army CH-34s in N. Italy here:
https://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/...ntico%2012.htm

and https://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/...ntico%2013.htm

These were of the 202nd Transportation Company, Boscomantico airfield.

The appearance therefore of a CH-34 at Sarnthein part of overall presence of US Army units in that part of N. Italy...

Regards,
Leendert

[ginamod]

Leendert,
you have great knowledge about US Army branches in Italy.

Probably the heli in Sarnthein was a forced landing, the coincidence with an Italian heli, shooting on a man in the forest was occasionally.

As you correctly mentioned, USA Honest John Battaglions were stationed near Verona and near Brixen, close to Sarnthein.
So helis surely had to fly for military purposes between Verona and Brixen.

Interesting that German Luftwaffe has tested the first helis in 1944 near Innsbruck. Could send you a foto on PM. Cannot upload it to this text since recently.
ATB
dnalor