Why did the US bomb Hanoi?

Allison stated years later that the operation had been mainly politically driven, as a negotiation tool to "bring the point home". Many historians of the Vietnam War follow the lead of President Nixon, who claimed that Hanoi's representatives had walked out of the talks, refusing to continue the negotiations.

Why did the US bomb Vietnam?

The operation began primarily as a diplomatic signal to impress Hanoi with America's determination, essentially a warning that the violence would escalate until Ho Chi Minh "blinked," and secondly it was intended to bolster the sagging morale of the South Vietnamese.

Why did the US not bomb Hanoi?

Two reasons: At first Strategic Air Command objected because their bombers had to be converted to deliver conventional weapons meaning they could no longer be used in the nuclear role. The second reason is that of the B-52 models used, the D and F couldn't handle the stress of flying so many sorties.

Why did Operation Rolling Thunder happen?

Operation Rolling Thunder was the coordinated military air campaign during the Vietnam War from March of 1965 to October 1968. The intention was to pressure Communist leaders to end the aggression and to limit their ability to wage war against United States allies, especially South Vietnam.

How many b52s shot down in Vietnam?

A total of 18 B-52s were lost in combat during the Vietnam War, most as a result of surface-to-air missile (SAM) strikes over North Vietnam. Further, 12 aircraft were lost in other operational circumstances, including the two lost on July 7, 1967.

Operation Linebacker II - The B-52s go to Hanoi, 1972 - Animated

Did a B-52 shoot down a MiG?

No B-52s were lost to communist aircraft, but during Operation Linebacker II, two B-52D tail gunners, Staff Sgt. Samuel Turner and Airman 1st Class Albert Moore, each shot down a MiG-21 on separate missions.

Why was the B-52 so special?

Today, the B-52 is the only jet in active service to run eight powerful Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines, which allow the mighty BUFF to carry 70,000 pounds of ordnance an astonishing 8,800 miles without refueling. It's also found use outside the nuclear realm thanks to its payload and loitering capabilities.

Why did Rolling Thunder fail?

The Air Force simply could not effectively interdict North Vietnam's supply routes to the South. In Clausewitzisn terms, rolling thunder failed because it was not an effective political instrument- it did not achieve its stated goal of compelling to North Vietnamese to do our will.

Why did the U.S. lose so many aircraft in Vietnam?

Some of the issues were technological, while others were bureaucratic and even political. The truth is, America lost aircraft and pilots over Vietnam not because of a single incorrect conclusion (“dogfights are over”), but rather because of a litany of errors that were – largely – made with the best of intentions.

How many U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam?

The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008.

How many Vietcong died?

The Viet Cong lost around 1.1 million combatants. Around 2 million civilians were killed in the territories of North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It is suspected that over 1.2 million of these deaths were murders. Aid sent from other nations to the South Vietnamese effort waged about 5,000 total deaths.

Why didn't usa nuke Vietnam?

There were several constraints on using nuclear weapons, however, including the risk of escalation, political costs, and moral considerations.

Did the US almost nuke Vietnam?

Prior to 1968, the nearest the United States came to deploying nuclear weapons in Vietnam was in early 1954 when the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu was in danger of being overrun by an independence movement led by communist Viet Minh forces, the predecessor to the North Vietnamese Army. President Dwight D.

Could the US have won the Vietnam War?

There is a broad consensus among professional historians that the Vietnam War was effectively unwinnable. Even the revisionists admit their minority status, though some claim that it's because of a deep-seated liberal bias within the academic history profession.

What if the Vietnam War never happened?

What would have happened if the United States didn't fight in the Vietnam War? If the U.S. had stayed out of the war in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and the North Vietnamese Army would have marched through Saigon some time between 1965 and 1968. Their southern opposition, the Diems, would have long since fled to Europe.

Why was South Vietnam so weak?

Then there was the weakness, if not virtual absence, of a functioning general staff; inadequate leadership and insufficient technical training on the part of local commanders; ubiquitious ammunition shortages; and poor intelligence.

Why can't the US defeat Vietnam?

From a military perspective, the U.S. was ill-prepared for the type of war it faced in Vietnam. The U.S. military, designed for conventional warfare against clearly defined enemies, struggled to adapt to the guerrilla tactics used by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army.

Why couldn t the US win in Vietnam?

The US army had superior conventional weapons but they were ineffective against a country that was not industrialized and an army which employed guerrilla tactics and used the dense jungle as cover.

How many F-4 were lost in Vietnam?

By war's end, the U.S. Air Force had lost a total of 528 F-4 and RF-4C Phantoms. When combined with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps losses of 233 Phantoms, 761 F-4/RF-4 Phantoms were lost in the Vietnam War. On 28 August 1972, Captain Steve Ritchie became the first USAF ace of the war.

Is Vietnam a communist?

Vietnam is a socialist republic with a one-party system led by the Communist Party. The CPV espouses Marxism–Leninism and Hồ Chí Minh Thought, the ideologies of the late Hồ Chí Minh. The two ideologies serve as guidance for the activities of the party and state.

Does Rolling Thunder still exist?

I ncorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a class 501(c) (4) non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States and members abroad. While many members of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. are veterans and many ride motorcycles, neither qualification is a prerequisite.

Does the Ho Chi Minh Trail still exist?

Sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail still exist today, and parts of it have been incorporated into the Ho Chi Minh Highway, a paved road that connects the north and south regions of Vietnam.

Can B-52 fly supersonic?

Nope. It is a subsonic aircraft. It doesn't have enough power to go supersonic.

Is the B-1 better than the B-52?

The B-1 is the most lethal jet made. It can carry 24 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), four more than its legacy father, the B-52. Initially, the B-1 was set to replace the B-52 but when the B-52 became a standoff cruise missile launch platform it was given new life and an extended role as a deterrent weapon.

Did a B-52 drop a nuke?

The 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash was an accident that occurred near Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States, on 24 January 1961. A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress carrying two 3.8-megaton Mark 39 nuclear bombs broke up in mid-air, dropping its nuclear payload in the process.