Terror from the sky
Terror from the sky
| Parameters | B52 D | B52 G |
| Length | 47.70 m | 49.04 m |
| Height | 14.73 m | 12.39 m |
| Wingspan | 56.39 m | 56.39 m |
| Gross Weight | 204,081 Kg | 221,315 Kg |
| No. of Engines | 8 | 8 |
| Ordnance Weight | 31,000 Kg | 31,000 Kg |
| Cruise Speed | 847 Km/h | 819 Km/h |
| Ceiling | 15,056 m | 12,191 m |
Each B52 carries 8 to 13 Electronic Counter Measures (ECM), devices
that jam enemy's radars of all possible frequencies from AAA, SAM or MIG.
When flying in a cell of three aircrafts in the night, behind a chaff corridor,
it guarantees that the enemy (except the Vietnamese gunners!) has no way
to detect the coordinates of each aircraft.
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In one of the last nights of the bombing campaign, 23 h, 27 Dec, this
B52 "reached", with full bomb load, the ultimate target - only 500m from
Ho Chi Minh's house which was the spiritual heart of the North Vietnamese
fighters. One of its engines fell in the Hanoi Zoo just one hundred steps
from the Presidential Palace.
The stratofortress was shot by Battalion 72 that was moved from Hai Phong area to strengthen Hanoi during Xmas. SAM operators deserved to be heroes, sustaining attacks by tactic aircrafts in absolute silence. SAM sites were not allowed to turn their radars and radios on during normal tactic attacks. |
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The final rest of the Stratofortress shown above in Ngoc Ha village. |
Hanoi returns fire: SAM and anti-aircraft fire in a cold December night
1972.
Photo by Doan Cong Tinh, army photo reporter.