Operation Rolling Thunder Research Papers

Operation Rolling Thunder is one of the largest US air force to strike the NVA (the North Vietnamese Army) during the Vietnam War. It was intended to destroy many industrial buildings in NVA's homeland to cripple their supplies, productions, and others. This would help to reduce the NVA's supplies to their army into the South Vietnam. However, it was the worst and ineffective ways because the NVA has a stronghold with mainly an air defense. This shows with more powerful and effective coordination plans. Even the NVA has suffered major damaged and huge lost of the civilians, it able to rebuild the productions, bridges, and others that are destroyed by the US bombers and fighters. It promoted the NVA to continue fighting more by courage and

Well, here is several facts that the NVA has advantages. Before the Operation Rolling Thunder began, they need help from two most powerful communists country to help boosting NVA's defense and supporting their army in South Vietnam. China and Soviet Union are beginning to supplies and aid to the NVA to booster their defense in tones of ways ("The Rise of North Vietnam's Air Defenses | HistoryNet."). The NVA is different from the US and allied army because of the wiliness and courage to fight all the way to the end (Gilmore 81). One of the supplies that the NVA received is an air-defense missiles with anti-guns (“Operation Rolling Thunder”). The NVA also needs a lot of fighters to counter-enemy planes, which it created a NVA's Air force ("The Rise of North Vietnam's Air Defenses | HistoryNet."). As it continues, NVA have receive an additional airplanes from Soviet Union, like MIG 17 and MIG 21 model (Kamps 27). At the same time the Soviet and Chinese are given the NVA a training camp for the Air Force to meet standard requirement ("The Rise of North Vietnam's Air Defenses | HistoryNet."). As progress, the Soviet doe send a missile for Anti-Aircraft defense to deploy for the NVA to repeal any US fighters or bombers (Kamps 27). During the Operation Rolling Thunder, many of the NVA civilians are helping to repair the productions, rebuilding the bridges and

One person named Jerry Hoblit is one of the US pilot that experience the closest encounter of NVA's anti-aircraft missile system (Gilmore 27). He experience when he has to get close with his bomb to mark the target while trying to avoid the missile lock from air-defense. Even he tried to evade the missile (which the flares didn't invent it that time to countermeasure), the missile continues to follow his plane until it run out of fuel (Gilmore 29). Another story from US pilot is Leo Thorsness who's respond for supporting and escort the US fighters during the Operation Rolling Thunder. However, he was under threat from multiples of enemies aircraft even incoming missile (Gilmore 30). Before the Operation Rolling Thunder have begin, a elite force Farm Gate trained most of the ARVN pilots to be skillful for operating air force of the ARVN ( Page 49). As the NVA's defense lock on the US fighters for a target, he operate his anti-defense missile, dive in and destroying it immanently (Gilmore 31). Another US pilot Leo Thorsness seen horror of his fellows taken direct hit in enemy lines and he will be next (Gilmore 35). Ed Larson was one of the US planes to escort an air force group. Then, he's evading incoming enemy fire (Gilmore 32). Ed and other pilot were hit by enemy anti-aircraft gun and escape into open sea (Gilmore 33). Next pilot who has to fly during the storm