Operation Linebacker II 1972: The B-52s are sent to Hanoi

Osprey Air Campaign #6

by Marshall L. Michel III

After the failed April 1972 invasion of South Vietnam and the heavy US tactical bombing raids in the Hanoi area, the North Vietnamese agreed to return to the Paris peace talks, yet very quickly these negotiations stalled.

In an attempt to end the war quickly and "persuade" the North Vietnamese to return to the negotiating table, President Nixon ordered the Air Force to send the US' ultimate conventional weapon, the B-52 bomber, against their capital, Hanoi. Bristling with the latest Soviet air defense missiles, it was the most heavily defended target in Vietnam. Taking place in late December, this campaign was soon dubbed the "Christmas Bombings."

Using specially commissioned artwork and maps, ex-USAF fighter colonel Marshall Michel describes Linebacker II , the climax of the air war over Vietnam, and history's only example of how America's best Cold War bombers performed against contemporary Soviet air defenses.

Genres: Aviation, History

96 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2018

About the author

Marshall L. Michel III, USAF (Ret.) served as a combat pilot during the Vietnam War, flying 321 missions in F4 Phantoms and RF-4s.

Reviews

[Vladimiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ottimo libro, molto chiaro e dettagliato, oltre che ricco di immagini e mappe, degno stile Osprey, insomma.

E' anche abbastanza equilibrato nelle conclusioni finali e ho apprezzato quando parla dell'"articolo di fede" dei militari americani che in Vietnam non hanno perso, ma gli è stato impedito di vincere.

L'unica carenza è quella di tutti gli altri: le fonti vietnamite citate sono solo due. Attendo ancora insomma una storia scritta da occidentali ma che abbondi delle fonti "altre".

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2018, Operation Linebacker II 1972 - The B-52s are sent to Hanoi' is number 6 in the 'Air Campaign' series of aviation histories from publisher Osprey. As with others in the series, this volume crams a lot into a short book with a well detailed and illustrated description of the USAF B-52 Bomber aircrafts role in Operation Linebacker II, a campaign that saw key targets in the city of Hanoi being targeted in an effort to get the North Vietnamese government to the negotiating table to discuss a favourable outcome to the Vietnam War. A fascinating description of an air combat campaign with all of the inevitability of a slow motion car crash.

[Luka Novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice continuation of Rolling Thunder 1965-68: Vietnam's Most Controversial Air Campaign. This books benefits from the fact that groundwork has already been established and can focus on the subject. There is only briefest "capabilities overview", mostly dealing with changes between 1968 and 1972. And then book focuses on day to day (well night to night) operations. Also campaign being short one each night can get more attention.

It's also commendable that author tries to show what was happening on "the other side of the hill", i.e. tell what Vietnamese were doing and why, their reactions to US moves, their calcualtions etc.

Overall it's a nice book. It's not a detailed study but Osprey books never are. It's a good, broad overview. It's perfect for somebody who is generally interested in campaign as it gives good account of it. Or for somebody looking to beef up their knowledge, in that case it serves as good foundation.

Recommended.