Operation Linebacker Featured Epic Vietnam War Air-to-air Combat

To bolster its beleaguered Army of nan Republic of Vietnam ally, nan U.S. subject sent airpower assets successful force.

As I’ve based on passionately successful aggregate articles, Operation Linebacker II, nan alleged “Christmas bombing” of Hanoi and Haiphong Harbor successful North Vietnam successful December 1972 (though it was technically a region successful nan bombing connected Christmas Day proper) astir won the Vietnam War for nan United States of America; this is simply a position that I’ll take sides ‘til nan time that I die, aliases arsenic nan Collin Raye opus goes, “That’s My Story and I’m Stickin’ To It!“

Of course, nan “Linebacker II” explanation intends location besides had to beryllium a Linebacker I. Operation Linebacker I—which took spot from May 9 to October 23, 1972—didn’t nutrient nan same salutary strategical effects that nan “sequel” (so to speak) did, but it did nutrient immoderate of nan astir epic air-to-air battles of the Vietnam War this broadside of January 1967’s Operation Bolo. Let’s now delve deeper into nan original Operation Linebacker.

The Impetus for Linebacker I

The impetus for Linebacker I was somewhat reactive successful quality arsenic opposed to nan much proactive tone of Linebacker II, arsenic nan first Linebacker was devised to antagonistic nan Communist North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA’s) Easter Offensive, which was launched connected March 30, 1972, successful an effort to divided South Vietnam. As Rebecca Grant elaborated successful a June 2012 article for Air & Space Forces Magazine:

“[T]he federation relied connected airpower to halt North Vietnam’s biggest accepted penetration of nan Vietnam War … From a highest of much than 500,000 forces successful state successful 1968, nan US had reduced troops to 156,000 by January 1972, pulling 179,000 successful 1971 alone. Plans called for dropping to 67,000 by July … Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap had rearmed nan North successful nan years since nan grounded Tet Offensive of 1968. A unit of 3 divisions, pinch astir 30,000 men and 200 Soviet T-54 tanks, crossed nan demilitarized zone. Within a fewer days, attacks began on 3 fronts, mounted from complete nan separator successful Laos. The scheme called for a accelerated triumph to divided South Vietnam into 3 parts and springiness nan North power of Saigon, superior of nan South.”

America’s Airpower Response

To bolster their beleaguered Army of nan Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) ally, nan U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps sent airpower assets successful what turned retired to beryllium nan first sustained bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam by anticommunist forces since nan conclusion of Operation Rolling Thunder in November 1968. Among nan warbirds that answered nan telephone to work were 176 USAF F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers; 12 USAF F-105 Thunderchief (AKA nan “Thud”) fighter-bombers; 209 B-52 Stratofortress (aka nan “BUFF”) strategical bombers; an chartless number of USAF 1st Special Operations Squadron A-1 Skyraider prop-driven crushed onslaught planes; 4 USN bearer aerial wings totaling astir 140 craft (F-4 and F-8 Crusader fighter jets plus A-7 Corsair II, A-6 Intruder, and A-4 Skyhawk ground-attack aircraft); and 3 squadrons of USMC F-4s fighters.

Operation Linebacker’s Battlefield Results

As historiographer Earl H. Tilford Jr. successful his 1991 book Setup, the Linebacker strikes “would halt nan penetration and truthful devastate North Vietnam’s subject capabilities that Hanoi would beryllium compelled to discuss earnestly for nan first clip since bid talks began successful 1968.” To put that successful statistical perspective, 41,653 Linebacker sorties dropped 155,548 tons of bombs.

And past location was nan air-to-air combat constituent of nan operation. As noted by the Air Force Historical Support Division, “North Vietnamese MiGs gave conflict passim Linebacker but they grounded to summation power of nan sky, successful portion because American radar detected force interceptors rising from runways, enabling controllers to nonstop Air Force F-4s and Navy fighters against them.”

For nan liking of fairness and balance, it should beryllium noted that nan USN had a much favorable termination ratio than its USAF comrades-in-arms against nan Vietnamese People’s Air Force (VPAF), pinch nan erstwhile work claiming a 6:1 air-to-air termination ratio during nan first 2 months of nan run whilst nan USAF had a paltry 1:1 termination ratio during that aforesaid first timeframe earlier yet improving to a 4:1 rate. American aviators claimed sixty-three force warbirds changeable down, whilst nan VPAF only admitted to losing forty-seven planes—twenty-six MiG-21 “Fishbeds”, five MiG-19 “Farmers,” and sixteen MiG-17 “Frescoes”—whilst alleging to person changeable down a whopping 651 U.S. warplanes and sinking aliases damaging eighty USN warships for bully measure! For their part, charismatic U.S. subject records show 134 craft mislaid from each causes, i.e., combat (enemy fighters, triple-A fire, and surface-to-air missiles) and operational accidents.

Most importantly from a bragging authorities standpoint, Operation Linebacker I was nan venue by which some nan USN and USAF produced their first aces (five aliases much force craft destroyed successful air-to-air combat) of nan Vietnam War:

• On nan very first time of nan operation, nan move duo of aviator USN lieutenant Randall “Duke” Cunningham and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant William P. “Willy Irish” Driscoll became the first U.S. aerial aces of nan Vietnam War from immoderate branch of work erstwhile they downed their 5th MiG.
• Not to beryllium outdone, connected August 28, 1972, USAF capt. (later brig. gen.) Richard S. “Rich” Ritchie, the first USAF ace of nan war, not to mention nan only Air Force aviator ace of nan conflict (the different 2 USAF aces of nan warfare were Weapons System Officers, aliases “Wizzos”) attained his first shootdown.
• Speaking of those 2 USAF “Wizzo” aces, Capt. Charles B. “Chuck” DeBellevue bagged 2 MiGs connected September 9, 1972, bringing his expansive full to six and frankincense making him America’s apical “MiG Killer” successful Vietnam. Last but not least, Capt. Jeffrey S. “Fang” Feinstein sewage his 5th termination connected October 13, 1972, making him nan past American airman to go a Vietnam aerial ace and earning himself nan Air Force Cross for his troubles.

About nan Author: Christian D. Orr

Christian D. Orr is simply a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ). He is simply a erstwhile Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal rule enforcement officer, and backstage subject contractor (with assignments worked successful Iraq, nan United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and nan Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. successful International Relations from nan University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. successful Intelligence Studies (concentration successful Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has besides been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is simply a Companion of nan Order of the Naval Order of nan United States (NOUS). If you’d for illustration to prime his encephalon further, you tin ofttimes find him astatine the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge successful Manassas, Virginia, partaking of good stogies and bully value quality camaraderie.

Image: Ken Hackman, USAF – National Museum of nan U.S. Air Force photograph 090605-F-1234P-090, Public Domain