The Kronenbourg Express

The Kronenbourg Express “Earle, this is the most fun I have had since 1947!”

By CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.)

In the mid 1970s, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Twelve’s (HM12) mission statement included maintaining two four-aircraft detachments ready to deploy worldwide within 96 hours of notification for up to 90 days.

To exercise the detachment concept, in early August 1977, HM-12’s Detachment Two set out to the Mediterranean for four months of shore-based operations and three multi-national mine warfare exercises with the Italian, French and Spanish Navies. After loading four RH-53D Helicopters, a couple of AMCM sleds, a handful of CONEX boxes full of minesweeping gear, tools and spare parts onto a small squadron’s worth of C-5A Galaxy Transports, we were bound for our staging airfield, NSA Naples, Italy.

Making a few unexpected stops along the way, the final C-5 arrived on 16 August 1977 (when we learned that Elvis had permanently left the building). Over the next five days, we rebuilt the helos, prepped the pack-up for ground transportation, planned our flight, and commenced our Southern European liberty. Our earliest lesson learned was finding out that Pepinos was not Pepperoni, rather it was the name of the restaurant and therefore their deluxe “harbordredge” pizza. First liberty lesson learned.

Our first operating site, the Italian Naval Helicopter Station, Luni, near La Spezia, was an easy 320-mile flight up the coast. For us though, abeam Italy’s flagship airport, a steady BIM light on our lead aircraft required attention. Italian Air Traffic Control vectored the flight straight into runway seven, diverting airliners from every corner of the earth. Boldly noted on charts and directives, Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport is “military-prohibited.” An armed escort (and hundreds of other vehicles) escorted us to a wellguarded parking ramp. Phone calls to ASCOMED and the American Embassy…and dozen Zippos and ballcaps later… we were taxiing to the duty runway. We finished our flight without further incident.

While operating in the Mediterranean was great, liberty was even better. In October, we relocated to the French Naval Helicopter Base, St Mandrier, a sleepy village next to a French Navy helicopter base across the bay from the Port of Toulon. The flying was challenging, the weather nice, the liberty, superb. Our crew found the lifestyle at the village a bit sedate but that water taxis made hourly runs to the port of Toulon. There the national beer, Kronenbourg, was cold and plentiful, and the food, though different was equally good. The nightly liberty barge earned the name the ‘Kronenbourg Express.’

About that time, our squadron XO visited the detachment to fly and see how we were doing. Concurrent with his visit, a senior naval civilian writer and editor (Proceedings and NWC Review) was on a sweep of Europe, talking to senior officers in London, Stuttgart, Gaeta, and Naples. He had heard that a US Navy unit was in the middle of a French mine warfare exercise, so as an expert on naval strategy, decided to link up with Det 2 and see our capabilities for himself. The XO and OIC welcomed him, briefed him on the exercise, toured the aircraft and AMCM equipment, and talked to the crew. After a full day with us and in the late afternoon, he asked about dinner plans. Knowing that he had been wined and dined with Admirals and Generals, one of the JOs explained that the best food was across the harbor, where the beer was cold, the baguettes were fresh, and the music was loud. We called it the “Kronenbourg Express” and it was just a water taxi ride away. With a hearty “Let’s do it,” they embarked on the next water taxi.

The next day, the XO and OIC escorted the gentleman to the Nice airport for his flight back to America. At the gate, after all the handshakes and au revoirs, the gentleman looked at the XO and said “Earle, this is the most fun I have had since 1947!”

November found us in Rota, flying and sweeping. Finally, in early December 1977, we packed up all our AMCM stuff and sent two birds home via C-5A. The other two birds, the IMRL and AVCAL flew to Sigonella… to join VR-24, thereby establishing the VOD Squad, paving the way for the establishment of HC-4 Heavy Lift Black Stallions in May 1983.

But like our admirer, being part of HM-12, VR-24 and HC-4 and operating throughout the Med, Africa and Middle East…it was more fun since …well, there has been nothing like it.