RIPPLE SALVO… #565… What the Commander-in-Chief Pacific had to say: NYT coverage of Admiral Sharp’s classified testimony to the Stennis Sub-Committee…but first…
Good Morning: Day FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE of the air offensive conducted by the United States against North Vietnam in the years 1965-1968. Operation Rolling Thunder was the name…
22 SEPTEMBER 1967… HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a windy Friday in the Big Apple…
FALL IN AMERICA 1967: “AT THE UN GOLDBERG URGES HANOI’S FRIENDS TO ADVISE PEACE–BID CONCILIATORY–U.S. SEEKS ASSURANCE OF MEANINGFUL TALKS IN BOMBING STOPS”… “The United States asked other friends of North Vietnam would they use their influence toward obtaining a peaceful resolution to the conflict, if the Americans were to halt the bombing of the North. Arthur J. Goldberg, Chief United States Delegate to the U.N. also asked North Vietnam give assurances that any peace negotiations would be meaningful and not the occasion for a military build-up or political exploitation to the disadvantage of Washington and its allies.”... Page 1: “Secretary of Treasury Henry Foster appeals for Tax Increase–Warns Congress of Political Defeat and Financial Ruin Unless Rise is Passed”… “The alternative to a tax increase is a ‘economy in shambles.’ “… Page 22: “Beulah Drops 22-Inches of Rain On Texas Area–Heavy Damage is Reported to Citrus Crop–Storm No Longer a Hurricane”… Page 27: “Flop House Care of Aged Charged–Panel Told Many Boarding Houses Neglect the Infirmed”… Page 28: “$170-Million Voted For Appalachia Aid”... “The House-Senate conferees acceded today to the wishes of the House, which earlier voted to approve $170-million in non-highway money to help rejuvenate 13-state Appalachia Region.”... Page 20: “Mother’s Warned of Illegitimacy–Judge in Maryland Rules”... “A Juvenile Court judge precipitated a major test today of Maryland’s laws against illegitimacy by declaring nine children to being in neglect solely because the three mothers had given birth to more than one illegitimate child. He left the children in the custody of their mothers but warned the three women that if they became pregnant again their children would immediately be taken from them.”…
VIETNAM: Page 2: “First Thai Combat Troops Welcomed in Vietnam–Westmoreland Hails Arrival–Rest of 2,500 Man Force in this Week”… Page 3: “American Casualties”… “236 Americans had been killed in fighting last week, most of them near the demilitarized zone. 1,774 were wounded. The totals for the Vietnam war now stand at 13,365 Americans killed in action and 83,443 wounded. BY THE END OF 1967 THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE SACRIFICED 20,057 KILLED IN ACTION. AND AFTER THAT, ANOTHER 38,000 WILL LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOLLOWING THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER THEM…
22 SEPTEMBER 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (23 Sept reporting 22 Sept ops) Page 1: The Gray Lady ran the same report posted on 21 September. Even Chris Hobson has nothing to offer for 22 September…
Never fear, Humble Host has a great Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN strike to fit in the space… Retrieved from the back of the cave is this complete report on the 21 September strike on the two new Haiphong targets–The Kienan Bridge and the Haiphong Railroad and Highway Bridge… 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK…
A summary of the action…
On 21 September 1967 Commander Jim Linder was the strike leader of a coordinated two air wing strike on the strategic Haiphong railroad and highway bridge and the Kienan bridge, which are located one mile and one point five miles respectively from the geographic center of the city of Haiphong, North Vietnam’s second largest city. The strike group from the USS Intrepid was assigned to strike the railroad/highway bridge also and was to precede USS CORAL SEA’s Carrier Air Wing Fifteen strike group by five minutes. The Commander Linder planned to split the group into two elements for the coordinated attack. His element would attack the Kienan bridge while the second element, with WALLEYEs led by Commander Tom Woolcock, was to attack the railroad/highway bridge. The Kienan bridge serves as a vital transportation link between the country’s major seaport and the primary transportation routes serving coastal cities south to the DMZ. This bridge was 680-feet long by 25-feet wide, its seven spans were constructed of steel and concrete along with heavily reinforced approaches. It was a vital communication link in the enemy’s transportation network. The railway/highway bridge was 390-feet long by 18-feet wide and had steel through truss spans along with heavily reinforced approaches. in close proximity to this bridge is a hospital and a suspected prisoner of war complex which severely limited the strike leader in his choice of strike tactics and weapons. Utilizing excellent pre-strike photography as well as experience gained on previous strikes in the immediate area Commander Linder effectively planned the deployment and utilization of his 22-plane strike force. Considerable liaison with the counterpart air wing was necessary to ensure precise timing tactics, as well as the alternate procedures that were highlighted during the preparation and briefing phases.
The enemy defenses in the immediate area consisted of 33 active 85/100mm guns, approximately 50 occupied 37/57mm sites along with hundreds of automatic weapons and small arms available to the enemy. In addition, there were 30 Surface-to-Air sites known to be within lethal range of the two bridge targets.
En route weather consisted of broken cumulus clouds and scattered rain showers. Visibility was 8 to 10 miles. Weather at the target was a low scattered layer of clouds with 10 miles visibility. At the coast in point missile warnings were received as well as indications that surface-to-air missile sites were active. Two surface-to-air missiles were fired immediately but group evasive tactics successfully foiled the missile attack. The Iron hand, or SAM suppressor aircraft, led by Lieutenant Commander Tom Moore then split off from the strike group to cover five known active sites to the north and eight additions sites to the west and south. Although taken under heavy anti-aircraft artillery fire, both Iron Hand sections made successful attacks and scored direct hits on four of the targeted sites.
With the exception of the first two missiles launched at the strike group, no other missile activity was noted. At approximately the same time the Iron Handers detached, Lieutenant Commander Paul Schultz, leading a section of F-4B and a section of A-4C aircraft accelerated ahead of the strike group to commence flak suppression runs. The F-4s made two runs each in the target area scoring hits on four of the AAA sites, while Lieutenant Fred Myers, the wingman of the A-4 section dropped ordnance on a heavily revetted 85mm site located just south of the Kienan bridge.
Dodging lethal flak from the many sites still firing during the final phases of the attack, Commander Linder along with his second division led by Lieutenant Mike Basford, executed a precisely timed, well-coordinated dive bombing attack on the bridge from different quadrants. The bombers delivered their ordnance with devastating accuracy dropping the southern most span of the approach ramp and scoring direct hits on the other spans of the bridge.
Commander Woolcock detached his element at coast-in and proceeded to his pre-briefed target. His approach to the initial attack position was dictated by the special requirements of the WALLEYE weapon and entailed traversing the Kienan airfield perimeter which is heavily defended by 37/57mm AAA. Due to a weapon system malfunction the lead aircraft did not expend his weapon but the carefully briefed back-up pilot Lieutenant Commander Dick Coleman, delivered his weapon accurately and with devastating results in spite of heavy accurate antiaircraft fire. The southern approach to the bridge received sever damage which was verified by excellent aerial photography. No collateral damage in the target area was evident, thus demonstrating the skill with which lethal weapon was delivered. As the strike group exited the RF-8 photo aircraft piloted by the Officer-in-Charge of the VFP-63 detachment on USS Coral Sea, Lieutenant Commander Milt Vescelius, commenced his post strike battle damage assessment run. Encountering a very heavy barrage of 37/57mm and small arms fire at the target the photo aircraft was hit and immediately exploded into flames.
The TARCAP aircraft north of the target area saw the pilot eject and immediately initiated an unsuccessful SAR effort was terminated. Lieutenant Jim Bellis, leading the southern Iron Hand element was vectored immediately to the scene where he flew as low as 100-feet above the terrain in order to verify the location and condition of LCDR Vescelius before he was captured. All aircraft in the vicinity of the downed pilot were taken under heavy fire from numerous 85 and 37 millimeter guns, but were able to exit safely after the SAR effort was terminated. (RTR for 21 Sept, and Ripple Salvo #564, yesterday, provides the story of the rest of Milt Vescelius’ last flight and most likely, last day on earth.)…
The outstanding competence and professional skill displayed in the planning and execution of this major strike were directly responsible for the severe damage to these key transportation links and have resulted in significant reductions in the enemy’s ability to distribute their vital war materials.
Humble Host salutes the many warriors on this mission as old friends, squadron mates, and shipmates who are remembered from the good old, bad old days of strike fighting light attack with highest respect and admiration…
RIPPLE SALVO… #565…. From The New York Times 21 September 1967, Page 1: “ADMIRAL SHARP WARNS U.S. BOMBING HALT WOULD EXTEND WAR”…
“Admiral Ulysses S. C. Sharp, Commander of United States forces in the Pacific has warned Congress that a halt in the bombing of North Vietnam would be a disaster for the United States and would be a disaster for the United States and would extend the war indefinitely. Testifying before the Senate preparedness sub-committee Admiral Sharp also expressed some skepticism about the military value of the anti-infiltration barrier recently authorized by President Johnson. Admiral Sharp cautioned that the mechanical fences would ‘never be a substitute for the bombing of North Vietnam.’ The Admiral predicted that ‘at the present pace’ the Vietnam war would be brought to an end in less than three years. At the same time he complained about the restrictions on the bombing and suggested that one of the best ways to shorten the war would be to increase bombing pressure and to mine the port of Haiphong.
“Admiral Sharp, who is in overall command of United States forces in the Vietnamese war, testified before the subcommittee on August 9 and 10 at the start of its inquiry into the effectiveness of the air war. His prepared statement had previously been made public by the subcommittee and formed the basis of its report late last month calling on the Administration to abandon its policy of ‘carefully controlled’ bombing.
“The subcommittee made public today the questioning of Admiral Sharp. Out of the testimony–heavily censored by the Pentagon–came a more detailed picture of the difference between the military commanders and their civilian superiors over bombing policy.
“Admiral Sharp disclosed that at one point last spring the Administration was considering a cessation of the bombing as a move toward encouraging negotiations with North Vietnam. The proposal was apparently dropped, for the admiral said he has not heard further about it. In emphatic terms, he made it clear that he would be unalterably opposed to any move to stop the bombing. Such a step, he said, ‘generally would be a disaster for the United States, in my opinion’ and would be ‘a great boost for the morale of the North Vietnamese,’ permitting them to operate from a ‘sanctuary’ and to build up their supplies in South Vietnam.
“‘We would immediately face a large increase in loss of American troops in South Vietnam.’ He said, ‘We would be, in my opinion, extending the war indefinitely.’ Admiral Sharp was equally skeptical about the idea being advanced in some Administration and Congressional circles that the construction of the anti-infiltration barrier south ofthe demilitarized zone would eventuall permit a halt in the bombing.
“Noting that the barrier concept had not been conceived in his headquarters, he said it would be of some military value in stopping the movement of men and supplies into South Vietnam. But he went on to say: ‘the most undesirable thing that could happen would be to put this in and then stop the bombing, because immediately everything would flow down there and this obstacle system is only an obstacle system. It is not going to completely stop anything, so that the obstacle system would be very rapidly breached in quantity if we stopped the bombing.
“Repeatedly throughout his testimony, Admiral Sharp, in complaining about Administration restrictions on targets, asserted that there were 107 ‘lucrative’ targets that he had recommended but that had not been approved. However, he disclosed that on the eve of his testimony 16 of the targets, including a key bridge across the Red River at Hanoi, had been added to the approved list. Most of the important targets now out of bounds, he said, are in prohibited zones around Hanoi and Haiphong and some are in the ‘buffer zone’ along the Chinese border. Two he specified were the Phucyen and Gialam airfields, both near Hanoi.
“The contentious in some circles that virtually all important military targets in North Vietnam have been destroyed was disputed by the admiral. He said that of military barracks, 26 per cent had been destroyed; of ammunition depots, 76 percent; petroleum storage, 87 per cent; supply depots, 18 percent; power plants, 78 per cent; maritime ports, 12 per cent; railroad yards, 35 percent; railroad shops, 22 per cent; industrial explosive plants, 100 percent; iron and steel plant, 100 per cent; cement plants, 90 per cent; airfields, 23 per cent; naval bases, 20 per cent; bridges, 56 per cent; command and control installations, 20 per cent.
“Asked what he would do if given authority to do whatever necessary to win, Admiral Sharp outlined the following steps: Close the port of Haiphong by mining, which he described as a feasible and simple operation then bomb all military complexes, power stations, air defense sites, petroleum supplies, transport and industry; institute armed reconnaissance over all lines of communication; finally, give General ‘William C. Westmoreland, commander of United States forces in South Vietnam, additional troops, so the ground war can go on at an accelerated pace.’
“Intelligence estimates supplied to the subcommittee by Admiral Sharp showed that shipments by Communist nations to North Vietnam were increasing, with a growing amount going by rail from Communist China rather than by sea. One rail link from China to North Vietnam, it was disclosed in the testimony, has been adapted to eliminate the need for transferring cargo at the Chinese border. It was also brought out that North Vietnam, which has lost hundreds of railroad cars in the bombing is using cars supplied by China.
“The testimony disclosed that arrangements had recently been made for the North Vietnamese to take possession of Soviet supplied weapons at the Chinese-Soviet border and then to follow the equipment across China. the Russians worked out this arrangement, the subcommittee was told, because ‘they were having problems with the Chinese stealing stuff off the rails.’ “
RTR QUOTE for 22 September: Abraham Lincoln, Speech: “Military glory–the attractive rainbow that rises in showers of blood.”…
Lest we forget… Bear