This mostly audio with some video is interesting and instructive... and will make the adrenaline pump if you are familiar.
It occurred during the "Christmas Raids", those 11 nights of Linebacker II in 1972 designed to end the Vietnam War.
What impresses me? The professionalism and relative calm of these guys. On all previous missions, the B-52s never encountered serious enemy defenses. Now suddenly during these 11 nights over Hanoi, they encountered the most well defended target since WWII. They were FNGs to this. Moreover, they had to fly what they knew were bad tactics ordered from Omaha and not in field commanders.
Most every background sound in this is an enemy radar trying to kill them, and the loud emergency beepers only contribute to the Fog of War. Yet these guys remain relatively calm, working the job. [In fact, I have sadly heard heavier breathing from an F/O in the airlines on a SAN approach]
Listen, and view: http://www.military.com/video/opera...ar/in-a-b-52-bomber-over-hanoi/1539017129001/
It occurred during the "Christmas Raids", those 11 nights of Linebacker II in 1972 designed to end the Vietnam War.
What impresses me? The professionalism and relative calm of these guys. On all previous missions, the B-52s never encountered serious enemy defenses. Now suddenly during these 11 nights over Hanoi, they encountered the most well defended target since WWII. They were FNGs to this. Moreover, they had to fly what they knew were bad tactics ordered from Omaha and not in field commanders.
Most every background sound in this is an enemy radar trying to kill them, and the loud emergency beepers only contribute to the Fog of War. Yet these guys remain relatively calm, working the job. [In fact, I have sadly heard heavier breathing from an F/O in the airlines on a SAN approach]
Listen, and view: http://www.military.com/video/opera...ar/in-a-b-52-bomber-over-hanoi/1539017129001/
In only 11 days: "Overall Air Force losses included fifteen B-52s, two F-4s, two F-111s, and one HH-53 search and rescue helicopter. Navy losses included two A-7s, two A-6s, one RA-5, and one F-4. Seventeen of these losses were attributed to SA-2 missiles, three to daytime MiG attacks, three to antiaircraft artillery, and three to unknown causes."