Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS
firings from 30 per month in the first 11 months of air operations
over the north to 270 per month between July 1966 and
October 1967. SAM firings peaked in the latter month when
the North Vietnamese launched 590 to 740 SAMs, the most fired
until the Linebacker II operations of 1972. From October 1967
to the bombing halt on 1 April 1968, SAM firings averaged 220
each month. During this period, the American Airmen observed
5,366–6,037 SAMs, which downed 115–28 aircraft. 17
Despite the increase in SAM firings, their effectiveness diminished.
In 1965, it took almost 18 SAMs to down each American
aircraft, a figure that rose to 35 in 1966, to 57 in 1967, and to
107 in 1968. A number of factors contributed to this decline. 18
The Airmen quickly learned that the SA-2 could be outmaneuvered.
The Soviets designed the SA-2 to destroy high-flying,
nonmaneuvering, strategic bombers; but until 1972, it engaged
primarily low-flying, maneuvering, tactical fighters. On clear
days, alert Airmen could spot SA-2 launches, as the missile
was large, appeared to most flyers as a flying telephone pole,
and left a visible smoke trail (fig. 58). The pilots would rapidly
dive toward the missile, and when it changed direction to follow
the aircraft, the pilot would pull up as abruptly and as
sharply as possible. The SA-2 could not follow such maneuvers.
However, such action required sufficient warning, proper
timing, and, of course, nerve and skill. To give pilots adequate
time to maneuver, procedures prohibited the pilots from flying
too close to clouds between them and the ground. Later, the
Airmen received electronic devices that gave a visual and aural
warning when SAM radar was tracking them. 19
In addition, the American Airmen directly took on the missiles.
On 27 July, 46 US Air Force fighter-bombers attacked
two missile sites and met disaster. The Central Intelligence
Agency reported that they hit the wrong targets. Worse, North
Vietnamese gunners downed three aircraft while a midair collision
accounted for two others. Naval aviators had a similar
experience, as they were unable to find one SAM site and lost
six aircraft. Nevertheless, the anti-SAM attacks continued. In
the first nine months of 1966, the Airmen launched 75 strikes
against 60 sites and claimed to have destroyed 25 and damaged
25. Such attacks proved unprofitable because of the tough de-
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