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

AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS
In all, during Linebacker II, B-52s dropped about 15,000
tons of bombs, while tactical aircraft added another 5,000
tons of bombs. 55 Because there were only 12 hours of visual
conditions during the 12-day operation, the Airmen aimed the
bulk of their ordnance by nonvisual techniques using radar
and LORAN. 56
Despite North Vietnamese claims of 81 aircraft destroyed (38
B-52s), Linebacker II cost 27 aircraft, 15 of which were B-52s. 57
Compared to the 3 percent expected losses, the overall loss rate
of below 2 percent and a B-52 loss rate slightly above 2 percent
were acceptable. 58 Thus, Airmen favorably compared the
loss rates in Vietnam and especially those of Linebacker II with
those in World War II and Korea. Such a comparison, however,
overlooks the fact that Vietnam-era aircraft were much more
expensive than their predecessors, while inventories and aircraft
production were much smaller. 59
The American Airmen throttled two parts of the North Vietnamese
air defenses. The small Communist air force launched
32 aircraft, attempted interceptions with 20, but scored no
hits on the B-52s, and downed only two F-4s for the loss of six
MiGs. 60 American tactics of airfield suppression, fighter escort,
ECM, night attacks, high-altitude operations, and bad
weather nullified the MiGs. All but the first two tactics were
also successful in neutering North Vietnamese AAA, which
damaged only one B-52 and downed three tactical aircraft. 61
But, if the American Airmen adequately handled the fighter
and flak threats, the same cannot be said of the SAMs.
During Linebacker II, the North Vietnamese fired 1,285 SAMs,
which downed all 15 B-52s lost and three other aircraft. 62 The
American Airmen, however, did not target the SAM sites until
the sixth day of operations (23 December) and did not attack
them again until 27 December, when B-52s and F-111s attacked
the most effective single SAM site. 63 US Air Force
hunter-killer units also attacked this site, designated by the
Americans as VN 549, with at least nine AGM-45s and two
AGM-78s. But VN 549 survived, and, therefore, on 27 December
briefers instructed the American bomber crews to fly well
clear of it. Rumors circulated that it was manned by Chinese
gunners. The B-52 and F-111 attacks on SAM sites continued
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