B-52 Arc Light
KKE 25634 – A B-52 bomber
drops 1,000 and 750-pound bombs on a target 25 miles from Bien Hoa AB,
Vietnam. 1 December 1966. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
Bombs can be seen falling
from this B-52 and another aircraft from the cell that is out of the top of
the picture. Normally B-52s flew
in cells of 3 aircraft, and I believe each carried 108 bombs internally and on
pylons between the fuselage and the inboard engines.
One of my B-52 friends took one look at this picture and immediately
focused in on the refueling receptacle still being open just aft of the
cockpit.
B-52s originally flew missions all the way from Guam,
which was about 1000 miles beyond the Philippines. Beginning in March 1967, B-52s began flying missions from U-Tapao,
on the coast south of Bangkok. Unfortunately,
Russian Trawlers off Guam monitored all takeoffs, and other security leaks,
often tipped off Viet Cong in the target areas.
Nevertheless, strikes from the high-flying B-52s became one of the most
terrifying weapons for our enemies.
