RIPPLE SALVO… #525… Stennis Hearings stir LBJ to expand targeting… in other words, the Rolling Thunder operators were political pawns… but first…
Good Morning: Day FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE of a day-to-day review of the 3-year air war in the skies of North Vietnam…
13 AUGUST 1967… From The New York Times on a cloudy, cool Sunday in New York City…
VIETNAM: Page 1: “JOHNSON ORDERS NEW TARGET LIST IN VIETNAM RAIDS–CURBS ARE EASED–HE ACTS AS PRESSURES RISE IN CONGRESS–HANOI BRIDGE HIT”… dateline 12 August. by Hedrick Smith…
“President Johnson gave authorization Tuesday (8 Aug) night for American air attacks against a new group of targets in North Vietnam. The sources say the President evidently responded to Congressional pressure after learning that the Senate Preparedness Committee planned hearings on bombing restrictions and after Representative Gerald R. Ford of Michigan, the Republican leader in the House called Tuesday for an end to these restrictions. The President was reported to have given approval for the new package of targets to Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp, the United States commander in the Pacific, who has responsibility for air and sea activity against North Vietnam. The move by Mr. Johnson brings the first significant intensification of the air war on North Vietnam since April and May when targets within the city limits of Hanoi and Haiphong were struck for the first time.
“On Wednesday morning Admiral Sharp began his testimony before the committee, several of whose members have demanded sharp increase in the air war against North Vietnam. During his testimony in closed session, Admiral Sharp was reported to have disclosed the President’s authorization of air strikes against targets previously off-limits to American planes. The first strikes carried out under these new orders, Government officials said, were the raids yesterday (11 Aug) on the Paul Doumer Bridge which stretches from the northeast edge of Hanoi’s city limits across the Red River.
“Officials said the new list of targets included a number of transportation and industrial installations in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas and along the vital rail lines from Hanoi to the China border. It was not disclosed whether the Presidents authorization would permit strikes against the facilities of Haiphong. Officials also said the President could withdraw the larger authorization any time. In the past, the White House has imposed limitations on targets in the Hanoi-Haiphong areas for political reasons largely to minimize civilian casualties and to avoid giving propaganda openings to the Communists. United States civilian officials have also spoken of the high risk to American pilots in attacking sensitive targets in highly populated and heavily defended areas in and around North Vietnam’s two major cities.
“Further, attacks on Hanoi and Haiphong could endanger foreign ships calling on North Vietnam’s principal port. But for some time the Joint Chief’s of Staff have generally supported requests by Admiral Sharp to attack more than 150 major military and industrial targets in North Vietnam. His requests have covered the port facilities at Haiphong, Hanoi, Cam Pha, Hongai, canal locks in the Red River basin, air defense command and control centers in Hanoi and Haiphong, airfields a Phucyen and Gialam just outside Hanoi, as well as North Vietnamese hydroelectric facilities.
“It was not disclosed whether the President had recently granted authority for some raids in this restricted zone, but officials hinted that this might be the case. They spoke of authorization for new raids in northeastern North Vietnam.
“Under the intensification ordered by Mr. Johnson of the air campaign in the North comes at a time when South Vietnamese military leaders campaigning for the Presidential election have suggested a pause in American bombing after the voting next month (3 Sept). Administration officials insist that no pause is planned although they concede that once the elections are over, Washington will probably review its bombing policy, especially if Hanoi shows any interest in negotiations with the South Vietnamese Government. American military officers indicate that they do not object to a new pause provided there is some evidence that events have made Hanoi ripe for some kind of talks. Some officers are reportedly insisting that if there is a pause there should be no fixed time period, leaving the United States free to resume the air war if Hanoi tries to take advantage of the pause for mass resupply of its forces.
“In its recent public statements North Vietnamese leaders have shown no signs of weakness and no willingness to compromise, officials said. Quiet diplomatic peace probes, continuing even now, have also run into an adamant insistence in Hanoi on terms unacceptable to the Johnson Administration, they said.
“Several important articles recently by the North Vietnamese military commanders have been more truculent than previously and, if anything, more confident about North Vietnamese ability to win an ultimate military victory officials said. Some Government officials suspect however, that the shrill tone in these military journals suggests there is a debate going on in the North Vietnamese leadership. Some Washington analysts believe that the army militants may be arguing against another faction of Hanoi leadership that has misgivings about the course of the war and the wisdom of pursuing a frontal military clash with the United States.”…
Page 1: “HANOI ASKS ACTION AGAINST BOMBING”… “North Vietnam appealed to all Socialists nations today to act energetically to check the American’s ‘bloody hands,’ the Foreign Ministry announced. The Ministry statement on the bombings in the Hanoi areas today (12 Aug) and yesterday (11th) said:
“The Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam appeals to the governments and peoples of brother Socialist nations and countries that love peace and justice in the world to condemn severely the steps taken by the Americans in escalation of their criminal war and to act energetically to check their bloody hands.”
“The Ministry said: ‘…more than 100 persons were killed or wounded; and numerous homes were destroyed in the center and outskirts of Hanoi. It added that nine U.S. aircraft, according to the first reports, were shot down and a certain number of pilots captured. The statement charged the United States with trying to shake the morale of the Vietnamese people by bombing populated areas. ‘The U.S. imperialists have thus insolently challenged the peace and justice-loving public opinion in the world and grossly trampled on the 1954 agreements on Vietnam and international law.’ The statement reiterated North Vietnam’s demands that the United States immediately stop all acts of war and withdraw all American and allied troops from Vietnam.”
13 August 1967…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times Page 8: “7 MIG Clashes Reported”...”American planes fought seven times with MIG-17s over Hanoi yesterday (12th) during heavy air strikes. No aircraft had been shot down on either side. Two American planes, had been shot down in other area of North Vietnam.”… NYT (14 Aug reporting 13 Aug ops): Page 1: Four column picture caption: “Air Force photo shows hits made during attack on bridge at Hanoi…Eastern part of bridge, which spans navigable channel was destroyed.”…Page 1: “U.S. PLANES BOMB TARGETS 10 MILES FROM CHINESE BORDER–HIT RAIL YARD AND BRIDGE IN CLOSEST STRIKES TO BORDER–SPAN FALLS IN RIVER–3RD DAY OF HEAVY RAIDS”... “United States fighter-bombers struck two targets within ten miles of the Chinese Communist border today in the third day of intensified air strikes against North Vietnam. Air Force and Navy pilots had bombed a railroad and highway bridge at Langson in the closest strikes to the Chinese border since the air war began in February 1965. American pilots attacking the northern end of the northeast rail connection between Hanoi and China also bombed railroad yards at Langgai and at Langdang, 19 and 26 miles from the border…the closest previous strike was at Caonung railroad yard 30 miles from the border. Navy pilots knocked the entire center span of the Langson Bridge into the Kycung River. Air Force pilots pounded a nearby railroad yard and reported the yard was left in unserviceable condition. In other air action B-52 Stratofortresses bombed three times inside the demilitarized zone…targets: troops, artillery and antiaircraft artillery positions, bunkers, trenches and storage areas. new intensification of the air war began Friday (11 Aug) with an attack that cut a span of the Paul Doumer, or Longbein Bridge, which crosses the Red River at Hanoi and carries both highway and rail traffic from both Haiphong and China. the next day (12 Aug) the Air Force pilots struck the bridge crossing the Canal des Rapides, five miles east of Hanoi. The pilots fought with MIG-17s seven times with no losses on either side.
“Two Air Force planes– an RF-4 Phantom reconnaissance jet and an F-105 Thunderchief were shot down by ground force in the Hanoi area. The three pilots are reported missing. (Hanoi says two U.S. jets were shot down on the 13th and one of the pilots was captured. North Vietnam now counts a total of downed U.S. aircraft at 2,180.” (U.S. count at less than 1/3 the NVN count)…
“Navy pilots bombed the Kienan airbase about five miles northwest of Haiphong. They reported hitting petroleum and ammunition storage areas, a helicopter landing area and aircraft parking areas. No reports of MIGs in the air or on the ground. Other Navy pilots reported that 26 buildings had been destroyed or damaged on a military barracks area 33 miles south of Hanoi. Navy pilots also reported damaging a surface-to-air missile site 11 miles southeast of Hanoi and an army barracks 35 miles northwest of Hanoi.
“Air Force pilots reportedly knocked out 3 85-mm anti-aircraft sites and a surface-to-air missile site 13 miles northwest of Hanoi.”
“Vietnam: Air Losses”(Chris Hobson) There were two fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 13 August 1967…
(1) LCDR LEO GREGORY HYATT and LTJG WAYNE KEITH GOODERMOTE were flying an RA-5C of the RVAH-12 Speartips embarked in USS Constellation on a post-stike BDA run following a strike on the rail yards near Langson, 10 miles from the China Border. After accelerating to 702 knots for the photo recce pass and entering the target area the Vigilante was hit by ground fire and set afire. Immediate ejection was safely accomplished but the pair of naval aviators were captured at touchdown. LCDR HYATT and LTJG GOODERMOTE were interned as POWs in Hanoi until released in March 1973.
(2) CAPTAIN WESLEY ROBERT PHENEGAR was flying an A-4E of the VMA-223 Bulldogs and MAG-12 out of Chu Lai and did not survive an engine failure while returning from a combat mission. The crash site was in Quang Tin province… No further info available to Humble Host, but surely there is more to this 50-year old tragedy…
RIPPLE SALVO… #525… brouhaha: “an uproar”… “a state of commotion , excitement, or violent disturbance.”
In August 1967 Washington was fully focused on the air war. The Stennis hearings brought flocks of Hawks and Doves to town to sound off on how to get the Vietnam war over, one way or another. The media analysts and experts took it from there. Positions hardened. In the process, LBJ became “an uncertain trumpet.” An uncertain sound “having no definite meaning: whereas it ought to be so marked that one succession of notes on the trumpet should summon the soldiers to attack, another to retreat, another, to some other evolution.” Our Commander-in-Chief could not please everyone, but he chose notes that pleased no one. And in the process the warriors of Rolling Thunder were transformed from the rooks, knights and bishops they were trained and motivated to be, into expendable pawns to be employed and expended as political chaff. LBJ lost his lip in August 1967…
RTR QUOTE for 13 August 1967: EMERSON, Essays: “But the President has paid dear for his White House. It has commonly cost him all his peace and the best of his manly attributes.”…
Lest we forget… Bear