(BUFDRVR) wrote:

The only combat losses experienced for most of the
Arc Light campaigns were mid-airs between B-52s (arguably a result of
poor judgement).

A little unfair Ed. SAC crews were trained day in and day out on single ship
nuclear ops, then thrown into three ship cells over the Pacific enroute to
Vietnam doing A/R with up to 6 tankers. Much of what they experienced are now
NOTES, CAUTIONS and WARNINGS in B-52 Air Refueling T.O.s. For what its worth,
there were 12 B-52s lost prior to 1972. Out of those 12, four were lost in two
seperate mid-airs, each mid-air happening in or around the Pac Air Refueling
Tracks. Nearly as many (3) were lost to Lightning strikes.

Wasn't trying to be unfair. I've got great respect for the guys who
did the job they were assigned and even greater respect for the ones
who happened to get the call on December 18, 1972.

But, the fact of the matter is that there were no B-52s lost to enemy
action until Linebacker. Long missions, max loads, bad weather, lots
of tanking, all are hazardous in and of themselves.

I hope you'll agree that the guy who did the 180 back into his own
cell in weather probably wasn't using the best of situational
awareness.

We always laughed, in the fighter wings in Thailand that were going
North, that the little birds were doing the strategic mission while
the BUFFs were going tactical in-country. Strange war....


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (ret)
***"When Thunder Rolled:
*** An F-105 Pilot Over N. Vietnam"
*** from Smithsonian Books
ISBN: 1588341038