Subject: THE DEADLY RAILROAD BRIDGES
From: Ed Rasimus
Date: 2/3/04 6:38 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On 03 Feb 2004 04:02:17 GMT, (ArtKramr) wrote:

Subject: THE DEADLY RAILROAD BRIDGES
From: Ed Rasimus

Flak suppression was a standard mission. It could be done by one
member in a flight of four, loaded with CBU being given the task or a
flight of four within a strike package of four or five flights having
the job. An area munition like CBU-24, 52 or 58 was very effective at
flak suppression. While it wouldn't insure a "gun kill" it was very
good at "gunner kill."

Defense suppression is always part of the task and ignoring the guns
is usually not a good tactic.

Ed Rasimus

Did they have flak towers in Nam?


Arthur Kramer

No flak towers. They had an integrated air defense system with radar
early warning, SA-2 SAMs, ground radar controlled interceptors with
guns and missiles, and a range of guns from 12.7/14.5 automatic
weapons through 23mm high rate cannon, 37/57mm radar and optically
guided AAA and 85mm/100mm big guns.

No flak towers, but lots of well coordinated flak.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

Sounds worse than we had it. Most of the time we just had 88's to worry about.
Then there were those days when I thought it might be a good idea to get a
change of MOS to PX officer. Fat chance.(grin)




Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer