The amazing bombing mission of the A-1H Skyraider, NE/572, in October 1965, Vietnam
Source : MidwaySailor.com

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On October 1965, Commander (CDR) Clarence J Stoddard, Executive Officer of VA-25, « The Fist of The Fleet », flying an A-1H Skyraider, NE-572, call sign « Paper Tiger II » from Carrier Air Wing Two aboard USS Midway (CV-41) carried a special bomb to the North Vietnamese in commemoration of the 6-millionth pound of ordnance dropped.
This bomb was unique because of the type... it was a toilet !
Lieutenant Commander Robin Bacon, flying in NE-577, accompanied Stoddard as his Wingman and filmed the drop from his craft. It was said that the weaponized crapper, codenamed Sani-Flush, whistled all the way down.


CDR Stoddard on the A-1H Skyraider NE-572 before taking off from the deck of USS-Midway (CV-41) on Yankee-Station.

The following pictures showed the first biologic bomb used in the Vietnam War – a broken toilet ! :






The flight was a Dixie Station strike (South Vietnam) going to the Delta. When they arrived in the target area and CDR Stoddard was reading the ordnance list to the FAC, he ended with
«…and one code name Sani-Flush…».
The FAC couldn't believe it and joined up to see it. It was dropped in a dive with LCDR Bacon flying tight wing position to film the drop. When it came off, it turned hole to the wind and almost struck his airplane. It made a great ready room movie. The FAC said that it whistled all the way down.
The toilet was a damaged toilet, which was going to be thrown overboard. One of our plane captains rescued it and the ordnance crew made a rack, tailfins and nose fuse for it. Our checkers maintained a position to block the view of the air boss and the Captain while the aircraft was taxiing forward. Just as it was being shot off we got a 1MC message from the bridge :
« What the hell was on 572's right wing ? »
There were a lot of jokes with air intelligence about germ warfare afterwards.
CDR Stoddard was later killed while flying 572 in Oct 1966. He was hit by three SAMs over Vinh.


All photos previously published about this incident show only three bombs & the toilet on the aircraft's right (starboard) wing due to the angles from which the photos were taken. In this screenshot, there are actually four bombs. The three largest ones are M117s & the smallest (2nd from right) is an SUU-30.

VIDEO on Youtube about this Operation Saniflush :



I am sure, that NVAs on the ground were not....amused about it !