Evacuation of Boychenko's Forces from the Ridge

Evacuation of Boychenko's Forces from the Ridge turns an improvised ground attack into the opening for an extraction: Joyce “Tomboy” Flynn's F-14 disrupts the assault on General Sergei Boychenko's position, allowing helicopters from USS Guadalcanal to reach the ridge above Arsincevo. The sequence couples the withdrawal of forces under attack with the recovery of the aircrew at sea, showing how quickly the battle's immediate objective shifts from holding the ridge to getting people out.

The Strafing Run and the Retreat

As Flynn brought her F-14 around for another pass, Matt “Tombstone” Magruder stood behind a wall and exposed himself to fire from below so that he could see. A third PT-76 was struck amid dust and smoke. The aircraft was being used as an unusually effective ground-attack platform, a role described as outside both its normal purpose and Flynn's experience.

The improvised run broke up the naval infantry attack on General Sergei Boychenko's position. Moments later, the Krasilnikov forces fled. The reversal gave the defenders the opening they needed: the threat to the ridge eased enough for evacuation helicopters to move in.

Helicopters Reach the Ridge

Minutes after Flynn's strafing run, helicopters from USS Guadalcanal touched down on the ridge above Arsincevo. Their arrival marks the practical consequence of the air attack: it did not merely disrupt the assault, but opened a route for the evacuation operation to proceed. The evidence establishes the landing and its timing, without specifying how many troops were taken off the ridge or where they were carried.

Recovery at Sea

The evacuation sequence also closes around the pilots. Magruder made it back to the Jefferson, arriving only ten minutes before Flynn and Bruce “Hacker” Kosinski were plucked from the sea south of Kerch by one of the carrier's SH-53 rescue helicopters. The ridge landing and the recovery at sea are distinct parts of the aftermath, linked by the same battle: the attack on Boychenko's position is broken, the evacuation helicopters gain access, and the stranded aircrew are brought back aboard.