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Took us far too long to send this message:
"YOU ARE DIRECTED TO COMMENENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 1300Z ON 18 DEC 1972 A THREE DAY MAXIMUM EFFORT // REPEAT MAXIMUM EFFORT // OF B52 // TACAIR STRIKES IN THE HANOI // HIAPHONG AREAS AGAINST TARGETS CONTAINED IN THE AUTHORIZE TARGET LIST..... BE PREPARED TO EXTEND OPERATIONS PAST THREE DAYS IF DIRECTED. THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS APPLY: A. UTILIZE VISUAL AS WELL AS ALL WEATHER CAPABILITIES. B. UTILIZE ALL RESOURCES WHICH CAN BE SPARED WITHOUT CRITICAL DETRIMENT TO OPERATIONS IN RUN AND SUPPORT OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN CAMBODIA. C. UTILIZE RESTRIKES ON AUTHORIZED TARGETS, AS NECESSARY. NORTH VIETNAMESE AIR ORDER OF BATTLE, AIRFIELDS, AND ACTICE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE SITES MAY BE STRUCT AS TACTICAL SITUATION DICTATES TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS OF ATTACK FORCES AND MINIMIZE LOSSES. D. EXCERISE PRECAUTION TO MINIMIZE RISK TO CIVILIAN CASUALTIES UTILIZING LGB [LASER GUIDED BOMB] WEAPONS AGAINST DESIGNATED TARGETS. AVOID DAMAGE TO THIRD COUNTRY SHIPPING" |
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Non SAC USAF A/C in theater
Aircraft Quantity F-111 48 F-4 99 RF-4 18 F-4C 6 F-4E 24 F-105G 23 EB-66 17 A-7D 72 HC-130 EC-121 F-4D 111 F-4 27 HH-53 SAC A/C in theater Aircraft Quantity B-52D 54 KC-135A 53 (Appox) 10 B-52D 53 B-52G 99 KC-135A 59* (Appox) KC-135A 7 KC-135Q 5/6/12** Giant Bear TTF (SR-71)6 RC-135M KC-135A 25 SR-71A 4 U-2 / DC-130 2 / 2 Results - 729 B-52 strikes dropped over 15K tons of ordnance, destroying 32 military/industrial targets. Non bomber a/c dropped another 5k tons of bombs. 15 B-52 lost, 2 F-111s, 3 F-4s, 2 A-7s, 2 A-6s, 1 EB-66, 1 RA-5C, 1 HH-53. Eight MiGs shot down, two claimed by B-52 tailgunners. Damage to N. Vietnam: Over 500 rail interdictions, 372 pieces of rolling stock and 3 million gallons of petrol destroyed. 80% of N. Vietnam electrical generation out. Logistical imports down to 30k tons a month from ~160k tons prior to the strikes. |
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Quoted:
IIRC the Big Belly B52s were taken out of service years ago to comply with some Arms Control Treaty. The Big Belly mods to the -D model effectively made these planes conventional bomb only. Most of the equipment needed to carry and drop nuclear weapons was removed, freeing up space in the bomb bay. The B-52D served until the late 70's then was scrapped mainly due to their conventional only role. |
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Really nice pictures OP, I was in Vietnam at the time flying daily hunter-killer missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail at the entry points around the tri-border. Once Linebacker II started we saw a marked decrease in the amount of men & materials coming down the trail.
President Nixon was smart to order it and it should have been done much sooner. It got the North Vietnamese to finally negotiate in earnest and the the Paris Peace Accord ending hostilities in Vietnam was signed just a little over a month later. |
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Quoted:
The VCs were 30 days away from surrendering if the bombing was kept up. 30 fucking days and history would have been different. Fuck Jane Fonda! The VC were destroyed in Tet but I heard that the NVA was practically out of action from all the damage the LB raids did. No trucks, no ports, no gas, no electricity. They were dead in the water. Unfortunately by that time the anti-war movement in the US had emboldened them to hold out. |
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Quoted:
The VC were destroyed in Tet but I heard that the NVA was practically out of action from all the damage the LB raids did. No trucks, no ports, no gas, no electricity. They were dead in the water. Unfortunately by that time the anti-war movement in the US had emboldened them to hold out. Quoted:
Quoted:
The VCs were 30 days away from surrendering if the bombing was kept up. 30 fucking days and history would have been different. Fuck Jane Fonda! The VC were destroyed in Tet but I heard that the NVA was practically out of action from all the damage the LB raids did. No trucks, no ports, no gas, no electricity. They were dead in the water. Unfortunately by that time the anti-war movement in the US had emboldened them to hold out. 40 years later and people still don't get the difference between VC and NVA. 
Nevermind the difference types of VC. |
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Quoted:
40 years later and people still don't get the difference between VC and NVA.
Nevermind the difference types of VC. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The VCs were 30 days away from surrendering if the bombing was kept up. 30 fucking days and history would have been different. Fuck Jane Fonda! The VC were destroyed in Tet but I heard that the NVA was practically out of action from all the damage the LB raids did. No trucks, no ports, no gas, no electricity. They were dead in the water. Unfortunately by that time the anti-war movement in the US had emboldened them to hold out. 40 years later and people still don't get the difference between VC and NVA.
Nevermind the difference types of VC. So true, after '68 the indigenous "freedom fighters" from the South fighting to overthrow the democratic government were pretty much all eliminated for the great part. We're there a few little units of VC still around and fighting, yes, but they weren't the ones doing the majority of the fighting. After '68 the North Vietnamese Army, organized and in uniform were the soldiers doing the fighting. I never saw any fighters in black pajamas and coned straw hats the whole time I was there and I went out to meet with the almost every day. |
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Quoted:
The Big Belly mods to the -D model effectively made these planes conventional bomb only. Most of the equipment needed to carry and drop nuclear weapons was removed, freeing up space in the bomb bay. The B-52D served until the late 70's then was scrapped mainly due to their conventional only role. Quoted:
Quoted:
IIRC the Big Belly B52s were taken out of service years ago to comply with some Arms Control Treaty. The Big Belly mods to the -D model effectively made these planes conventional bomb only. Most of the equipment needed to carry and drop nuclear weapons was removed, freeing up space in the bomb bay. The B-52D served until the late 70's then was scrapped mainly due to their conventional only role. When I got to Dyess AFB April '82, They still had D Model BUFFs sitting on the Alert Pad loaded with nukes. They headed to the boneyard a few months later to make room for the H models that Beamy now Crews. Anybody Who was lucky enough to observe a scramble & elephant walk with 5 KC-135A & 5 B-52D's with all 60 J-57's all turning & burning will NEVER forget it! 
The Ol' Crew Chief |