BEST HIT was a NATO competition in which the air forces of Italy, Greece and Turkey took part ( together with a joint “guest-team” assembled from USAFE´s 401 Tactical Fighter Wing ,Torrejon, Spain and U.S. Navy squadrons VA-15 and VA-87 , while on deployment to the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt in the Mediterranean Sea)
Best Hit was held three times: the first one was in 1971 in Turkey, the 2nd was in Larissa, Greece (this report) and the third and last was in Istrana, Italy (see our report elsewhere on this site: heading Base Visits/ Exercises 1965-2000).
On July 18,19 and 20 , 1972 Hans and Frank were allowed to visit the NATO-AIRSOUTH Weapons Meet at Larissa AB in Greece.
It brought together participants from the USAF in Europe (401 TFW , Torrejon, Spain , equipped with F-4E Phantom II´s), the U.S.Navy ( Carrier Attack Wing 6 , USS Roosevelt , equipped with A-7 Corsair II´s) , the Italian AF (14th sq., Treviso , equipped with Fiat G-91´s,), the Turkish AF ( 191 sq., Balikesir , equipped with F-104 Starfighters ) and the Hellenic AF of Greece (349 sq.,Larissa , equipped with Northrop F-5´s).
This photo-report covers most of the participating aircraft and also shows a few pictures of resident and/or visiting HAF aircraft.
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- brochure-cover BEST HIT 1972 (coll.HE)
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- Larissa gate-guard was this Thunderjet 19752 (FK)
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- 22325/FG-325 Starfighter Turkish AF (FK)
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- RF-5A 97173 HAF (FK)
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- Beechcraft U-21 Ute 15891 of the USArmy (FK)
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- 13644, F-104G TurkishAF (FK)
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- C-47 316406 of the HAF (FK)
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- Starfighter 12621/FG-621 of 191 sq. TurkishAF (FK)
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- 2-9, Fiat G-91R ItalAF no. 14 Gruppo (FK)
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- 154452/402, A-7B Corsair II of VA-87 USNavy (FK)
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- 69-238, F-4E USAF 401 TFW (FK)
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- RF-5A 97164 of 349 sqn HAF (FK)
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- FG-613 F-104G Starfighter (FK)
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- Starfighter TurkishAF (FK)
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- A-7B Corsair 154440/404 (FK)
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- Turkish F-104G & Greek RF-5A (FK)
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- F-5B 89092 HAF (FK)
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- 97166, RF-5A HAF (FK)
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- Bell UH-1 HAF 70-4510 (HE)
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- Bell UH-1 HAF 70-4507 (HE)
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- Agusta-Bell 206 (OH-58) HAF 70-8260 (HE)
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- Lockheed T-33 HAF 21501(resident) (HE)
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- Lockheed T-33 HAF 21496 (resident) (HE)
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- Douglas C-47 HAF (resident) (HE)
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- Beechcraft U-21 U.S.Army 15891 (visiting) (HE)
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- Beechcraft U-21 15891 U.S.Army (visiting) (HE)
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- F-5B HAF 89092 (judge team) (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 01620 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 01621 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 97164 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 01621 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF line (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 01621 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 97165 (HE)
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- RF-5A HAF 97167 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF (+RF-5A HAF) (FK)
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- F-104 Turkish AF + Bell UH-1 HAF (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-12613 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-12613 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22313 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22336 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22328 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF 2-31(HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF 2-31(HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF + A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF 2-4 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R , It.AF 2-3 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R , It.AF 2-3 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF 2-3 (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE TJ 68-382 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE TJ 68-375 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE TJ 68-404 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE 68-404 TJ 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE 69-238 TJ (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE 69-238 TJ (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy 154513 306 (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy 154415 303 (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy 154440 404 (HE)
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- A-7 U.S.Navy 154452 402 (HE)
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- F-4E TJ 68-404 USAFE 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE TJ 68-382 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE TJ 69-238 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-12621 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF 12732 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22313 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22325 (HE)
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- F-104 Turkish AF FG-22336 (HE)
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- Northrop F-5 HAF 97166 (HE)
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- F-5A HAF 69137 (visiting) (HE)
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- official score board Best Hit 1972 (HE)
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- RF-5A 97166 HAF (HE)
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- F-5B HAF 89090 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R 2-9 Ital.AF (HE)
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- flightline F-104 TuAF (HE)
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- F-104 TUAF FG-12613 (HE’ (HE)
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- A-7 Corsair II USN (HE)
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- A-7 Corsair II USN (HE)
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- C-47 HAF KN672 (HE)
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- Fl.line F-104 TuAF (HE)
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- C-47 HAF 316406 (HE)
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- F-5B HAF 89089 )HE)
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- Fiat G.91R 2-3 ital.AF (HE)
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- F-4E USAFE 401 TFW (HE)
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- F-104 TuAF FG-22336 (HE)
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- C-47 HAF KN672 (HE)
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- Fiat G.91R It.AF 2-9 (HE)
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- RF-5A 01621 HAF (HE)
Good afternoon from Athens Greece.
You have written in the site above,by Hans and Frank on May 3, 2019, some information about best hit Larissa AFB in 1972
I was a participant in this competition and I have some pictures and a text concerning the above.
I can If you agree to send you the pictures free and the text in order to attach in your article.
General retire
Dionysios Kouris
Regards
I have 2 medals from Eskisehir 1971 and Larissa 1972 can anyone tell me more about them by chance??
I was stationed in Larissa Greece during the 1972 best hit NATO target practice. We maintained a large bomb storage area and other war related supplies, SSGT Dennis Weidenbach USAF 1968-1975.
Ad Istrana partecipò il 101mo gruppo CBR dell’8 stormo con G91Y. Il capitano Luigi Bonavolontá vinse il titolo di miglior tiratore.
Thank you.
Errata corrige: Lampo 18
? Don’t know what you mean.