Why did the US lose so many aircraft in Vietnam?

Among the first USAF losses were more Firebees. By mid-1965, several manned aircraft were lost due to ground fire, lack of fuel, mishaps, and other causes, and many aircrews were already prisoners of war. The increasing pace of flights provided a target-rich environment for North Vietnam.

Why did the US strategy fail in Vietnam?

The Amercians bombed strategic targets in North Vietnam to stop the supply of troops and weapons to the South. There were not many industrial targets in the North so this was ineffective - bombs often missed targets and hit schools and hospitals.

How many planes did America lose in Vietnam?

The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs ). The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973.

How many US aircraft were lost to SAMs in Vietnam?

The following is a list of 205 U.S. aircraft lost to surface-to-air missiles during the Vietnam War (confirmed by the U.S.) Vietnam War: Summary of U.S. fixed-wing aircraft (excluding allied aircraft) Lost to SAMs by year, 1965–1973.

How many b52s did we lose in Vietnam?

The Air Force lost 15 B-52 bombers, which amounted to a loss rate of less than two percent. Of 92 B-52 crew members involved in the losses, 26 were recovered, 25 came up missing in action, 33 became prisoners of war, and eight were either killed in action or later died of wounds.

How did the U.S. Fail in Vietnam? | Animated History

Was the B24 better than the B 17?

The B17 could be operated at speeds as slow as 135 mph, whereas the B24 became dangerous below 160 mph. Both aircraft could take a beating and still fly. Still, the design of the B24 did place limits on its ability to safely perform emergency landings.

Has a B-52 ever been shot down?

The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile near Vinh on the day when B-52s flew their heaviest raids of the war over North Vietnam. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date.

How many MiG 21 shot down in Vietnam?

1972: U.S. claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Soviet General Fesenko, the main Soviet adviser to the North Vietnamese Air Force in 1972, recorded 34 MiG-21s destroyed in 1972.

How many a6 Intruders were lost in Vietnam?

A-6 Intruder - Operational History

During the course of operations over Vietnam, a total of 84 A-6 Intruders were lost with the majority (56) downed by anti-aircraft artillery and other ground fire.

Did the US have air superiority in Vietnam?

USAF and USN fighters confronted the MiGs in two phases: 1965-1968 and 1972-1973, separated by an interval when operations over North Vietnam were halted during negotiations attempting to end the war. US pilots and aircraft were clearly superior, and they had an overwhelming advantage in numbers.

What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?

# 1: The 23rd Infantry Division

The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967.

Did the USAF Technology Fail in Vietnam?

7 More than half (397) of the 753 F- 105Ds and Fs built were lost in the war. Over all, the F- 105 had the high est loss rate of any US aircraft oper at ing in Southeast Asia and over North Vietnam.

Why were soldiers treated poorly after Vietnam?

American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular.

Why didnt we invade North Vietnam?

So Americans decided not to take the war to North Vietnam on ground because of fears of Chinese intervention. Whether Peking's threats were genuine or not, American presidents prudently refused to risk such high odds. North Vietnam remained inviolable to ground attack.

Did the US ever lose a war?

US lost five major wars after 1945

However, the US was unable to get any significant victory in its wars abroad. America fought five major wars after 1945 including Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan in addition to some minor wars in Somalia, Yemen, and Libya.

Were F 15s used in Vietnam?

The F-15 can trace its origins to the early Vietnam War, when the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fought each other over future tactical aircraft. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible, even if performance compromises were involved.

How many Cobra helicopters were shot down in Vietnam?

A sobering statistic: Out of 1,419 Loaches built, 842 were destroyed in Vietnam, most shot down and many others succumbing to crashes resulting from low-level flying. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost.

Did Russian pilots fight in Vietnam?

During the Korean War, Russian pilots had flown in Chinese and North Korean air force units. Thousands of Russian technical advisers assisted North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War. But post-war, no Russians have claimed to have flown in air-to-air combat in Vietnam.

Was a b2 ever shot down?

23, 2008 at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam the video in this post shows the first ever crash of a U.S. Air Force (USAF) B-2 Spirit Stealth strategic bomber. Two pilots from the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman AFB, Mo., were on board B-2 Spirit of Kansas, 89-0127 and ejected.

How many kills did Robin olds have in Vietnam?

Two weeks later, on May 20, he destroyed two MiG-17s in what one of his pilots described as a "vengeful chase" after they shot down his wingman during a large dogfight, bringing his total to 16 confirmed kills (12 in World War II and four in Vietnam) and making him a triple ace.

Who shot down the first MiG in Vietnam?

June 17, 1965

Two U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom aircrews record the first confirmed U.S. air-to-air kills of the Vietnam War. The Phantoms, of Fighter Squadron 21 from the carrier USS Midway, shoot down two North Vietnamese MiG-17s using air-to-air missiles.

How many helicopters were shot down in Vietnam?

According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed.

Was the B-52 effective in Vietnam?

During Operation Linebacker II, 741 B-52 sorties were dispatched to bomb North Vietnam; 729 completed their missions. B-52s dropped 15,237 tons of ordnance on 18 industrial and 14 military targets (including eight SAM sites) while fighter-bombers added another 5,000 tons of bombs to the tally.