North Vietnamese Army. Not the South Viet Army; the South Vietnamese Army was never intentionally targeted by B52s. The reason the NVA (North Viet Army) feared (and respected) the Stratofortess's was because of the following:
1. The only way to shoot down a Stratofortress was by either their NVAF MiG21 interceptors (which the NVAF claimed shooting down two B52s in December 1972; denied by the USAF) or by their SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles), which they did shoot down several (confirmed by the USAF).
2. Those two weapon systems were not deployed to South Vietnam. Consequently the NVA were at the mercy of the B52s.
3. The B52 could not be seen from the ground, sometimes only their vapor trails could be seen. Therefore, when the NVA were struck by an "Arc Light" (B52 mission) it was simply sudden death (no warnings). In addition, one Stratofortress could carry 108 750lb bombs (HE=High Explosive), and they normally flew in cells of 3, which would be saturating a battalion of NVA with 324 high explosive bombs within 20 seconds. With no way to fight back (except with MiG21 & SAMs) the B52 was the NVA's worst nightmare.
The Vietnam War was the B52s first war; commencing with Rolling Thunder in 1965.
1. US Navy-Tonkin Gulf Incident; a naval battle between the North Vietnamese Navy 135th Torpedo Boat Squadron and the US Navy's destroyer USS Maddox. This engagement plus the 04 August 1964 incident started the conventional war with North Vietnam. 2. US Army-Operation Lam Son 719, the US Army's last major offensive of the Vietnam War in 1971. 3. US Air Force-Operation Linebacker II, the Strategic Air Commands (B52s) maximum effort bombing campaign to break the back of the North Vietnamese high command in 1972.
With Kennedy gone, WWII Generals got the green light to turn Vietnam from a guerrilla war into a WWII conventional war...with B52s, tanks, and a battleship (USS New Jersey).
1. B52s over Hanoi (Operations Linebacker & Linebacker II) 2. Into Cambodia (Cambodian Incursion/Invasion) 3. Into Laos (Laos invasion: Operation Lam Son 719)
1. The VC were effective, until they were eliminated (as an effective force) when they surfaced (and conducted conventional warfare) during the TET offensive of '68. 2. The war shifted into general warfare (escalated into conventional warfare) when the regular NVA (North Vietnamese Army) absorbed most of the fighting. By 1971, the NVA were fighting with PT76 and T54/55 tanks against ARVN units. 3. Warfare over the skies of North Vietnam had always been conventional hi-tech jet warfare. E.g. B-52's verses MiG-21's etc. At least two MiG-21s were shot down by B-52 tail gunners. Note: 21st century B52s no longer have manned tail gunners.
love shack - B52s
yes
The B-52s.
Love Shack.
My Own Private Idaho
Set back in the middle of a field down the Atlanta Highway.
The flinstones.
They waited for the B52s to leave; then invaded the south.
to be cool or radical
The Vietnam War was the B52s first war; commencing with Rolling Thunder in 1965.
Iraq Lobster is a take off on Rock Lobster by the B52s
Shiny Happy People by REM and Kate Pierson (from the B52s).