Ho Chi Minh Trail 1964 73 Steel Tiger, Barrel Roll, And The Secret Air Wars In Vietnam And Laos

Description

Any possible US victory in Vietnam depended on two very different air campaigns, both aimed at cutting the Communists' supply lines on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In northern Laos, this was Operation Barrel Roll - much of which was improvised, highly secret, and sometimes completely unofficial. Here, daring pilots flew antiquated but effective prop-driven A-26As and T-28s against the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao. Ex-USAF "Raven" FACs flew Cessna spotter aircraft deep behind enemy lines on behalf of the CIA and mercenary tribesmen, while reconnaissance and rescue aircrews flew perilous missions in support. Steel Tiger, the campaign further south, was much better resourced - but still, the US had to devise tactics and technology for an air war against near-invisible guerrillas, truckers, and porters. This was the campaign that brought the first B-52 Arc Light strikes, and a fearsome new series of American fixed-wing gunships, from the AC-47 Spooky to the AC-130 Spectre. This fascinating book unveils how this decade-long, cat-and-mouse air war was fought, and why the United States' huge efforts were never enough to cut the Trail. Includes: Battlescenes, Bird's-Eye Views, Maps and Diagrams, Expert Analysis Book jacket.