Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #382… THE PIECEMEAL ADDITIONS TO THE ROLLING THUNDER 54 TARGET LIST”’ and a note to the President…”…achievement of around-the-clock capability is imperative…” but first…
Good Morning: Day THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO of remembering the gallantry and sacrifice of America’s tactical aviators who carried the Vietnam War to the North Vietnam homeland…
22 MARCH 1967… HEAD LINES and LEADS from the Ogden Standard-Examiner an a sunny Wednesday in the Wasatch…
Page 1: “U.S. To Continue Peace Quest Despite Ho Rebuff LBJ Says”…”President Johnson said he will persist in efforts to seek peace with North Vietnam despite ‘regrettable rebuffs.’ But Administration officials see Hanoi’s rejection and its release of a personal Johnson proposal for peace as a bad sign…Johnson learned upon his return home from Guam, of Hanoi’s publication Tuesday of a secret exchange of letters he had with President Ho Chi Minh of North Vietnam six weeks ago. ‘We shall persevere in our efforts to find an honorable peace. Until that is achieved, we shall of course continue to do our duty in Vietnam.’ Officials said the North Vietnamese government had been informed that Johnson’s proposals for talks–and for steps to de-escalate the war–is still open. But they saw no prospect of its acceptance anytime soon.”… Page 1: “Savage Assault Costly to Viet Cong”…”The Communist regiment that was shattered on Tuesday in one of the Vietnam war sharpest pitched battles lost at least 596 dead, and many more dead bodies were dragged by the Viet Cong from the battlefield. The U.S. infantry commander Colonel John A. Bender said ‘one of our platoons saw the Vietcong carry at least 100 bodies back into the jungle.’…” Page 1: “Snow Returns to Northeast: …Nine inches of snow in New York City and heavy snow from New Jersey to Maine.”… Page 1: “Antimissile Approved by Senate”... “The Senate has again endorsed a U.S. anti-ballistic missile system–and started scrapping over which sites should be covered.”… Page 3: “Police Spurn N.Y. Offer; Will Post Pickets But Stop Short of Strike”…”Union delegates representing 24,000 New York policemen have turned down a new contract offer and voted to begin picketing the city hall… The action follows a similar contract rejection by city fire fighters who will strike on Monday.”… Page 7: “Torrey Canyon Oil Slick Shifts, Spares Resorts”… Page 7: “Third COMSAT Satellite to Take Orbit Tonight”... Page 7: “Begin Desegregation By Fall, U.S. Court Warns Alabama”... “A three judge federal court today ordered 99 Alabama school systems–all those not already under court order–to begin desegregation next fall and directed state officials to take affirmative steps to end all racial discrimination in the schools.”… Sports Page 1C: “Cassius Prohibitive Favorite Over Folley”... “Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) makes ninth defense in New York ring against opponent Zora Folley. Meanwhile, Clay takes his Selective Service appeal to a U.S. court…another round in his long and involved efforts to stay out of the U.S. Army. Clay has exhausted all his appeals through the selective Service System and has now gone to the Federal courts. His army induction is scheduled for 11 April.”…
Page 4: “AIR BLOWS EFFECTIVE? EXPERTS CLASH”… “The Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of the Navy disagreed under congressional questioning whether U.S. air power is being used effectively against North Vietnam. Admiral David McDonald says it isn’t. Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitzke maintains it is. The difference of opinions emerged this week with public release of testimony given February 1 before Senate committees considering defense spending proposals. Senator Stuart Symington asked CNO McDonald whether ‘under present rules and regulations are we using our air power effectively in North Vietnam? ‘Not in the most effective manner, no, sir.’ He did not amplify. Symington responded that something ought to be done to counter what he called ‘the effective denigration effort being carried on by critics who say the air raids are of little value. Then the Senator asked Secretary Nitze to say he hoped the secretaries would back up the military in pushing for better use of American air power against high value targets. Nitze responded: ‘I just wouldn’t want the impression left that I don’t think it is being used effectively.’ The secretary stated, ‘I think it is being used effectively.’ … ‘That,’ Symington responded, ‘is probably one of the problems.’… Continuing the exchange later Nitze acknowledged there is a separate question of ‘whether the military effect would be greater if you hit other targets. Nitze: ‘When you get to the question of expanding the target system, then you do run into considerations other than pure military effectiveness. Administration officials have indicated Hanoi’s airfields and the port of Haiphong have been spared because attacks on them might lead to increased Soviet and Chinese aid to North Vietnam.’ “…
22 MARCH 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…Ogden S-E (23 Mar reporting 22 Mar ops) Page 2: “Air operations over North Vietnam were hampered again Wednesday by thick weather which limited pilots to 55 missions, one of the lowest days of the year. Nearly all of the attacks were on the supply lines along the coast north of the demilitarized zone. One strike went into the zone where U.S. intelligence said the communists were building up supplies, particularly the mortar shells they have been firing so heavily recently.the raid in the northern sector of the zone set off a thunderous explosion.”… “Vietnam:Air Losses” (Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 22 March 1967… (Bear in the air for #42 with 6-MK-81s in supply area in Pack 2 Vinh)….
RIPPLE SALVO… #382… The strategy of gradualism, or, “a slice or two of the salami at a time,” remained in effect into the spring of 1967.” The combination of “the slows” of gradualism and the northeast monsoonal weather resulted in an air campaign that was failing on all accounts. The flow of men and material from the north to the south met all the requirements of the enemy forces in the South. Morale of the enemy in the north was holding steady. The enemy rejected all offers to negotiate. The tempo of our bombing campaign required fixing… the fix: another slice of salami… The following is from “The Pentagon Papers,” Gravel, Vol 4, pg 151 ...
“Shortly after the President’s return from (Guam) he received a memo from the Chairman of the JCS, General Wheeler, describing the current status of targets authorized under ROLLING THUNDER 54. While most of the targets authorized had been struck, including the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel plant and its associated thermal power facility, bad weather was preventing the kind of sustained campaign against the approved industrial targets that the JCS would have liked. The Thai Nguyen complex, for instance, had been scheduled for attack 51 times by March 21, but only 4 of these could be carried out, the rest being canceled because of adverse weather. Piecemeal (slices os salami) additions to the authorized target list continued through the month of April. On April 8 ROLLING THUNDER program 55 was approved, adding the Kep airfield; the Hanoi power transformer near the center of town; and the Haiphong cement plant, POL storage, and ammunition dump to the target list along with more bridges, railroad yards and vehicle parts elsewhere in the country. The restrictions on Hanoi and Haiphong perimeters were relaxed to permit the destruction of these new targets.
“In spite of the approval of these new ‘high value’ industrial targets that the JCS and CINCPAC had lusted after for so long, the Chairman in his monthly progress report to the President in April could report little progress. Unusually bade weather conditions had forced the cancelation of large numbers of sorties and most of the targets had been struck insufficiently or not at all. (From the report to the President)…
“In addition to broadening the NVN target base, increased pressure must be attained by achieving greater effectiveness in destruction of targets, maintaining continuous harassment during periods of darkness and marginal attack weather, and generating surge strike capabilities during periods of visual attack conditions. In view of the increased hostility of NVN air environment, achievement of around-the-clock strike capability is imperative to effect maximum possible degradation of the NVN air defense system which, in turn, will increase over-all attack effectiveness. As radar bombing/pathfinder capabilities are expanded and techniques perfected, the opportunity to employ additional strike forces effectively in sustained operations will improve significantly.’… “… end quote from the PP…
Wars are fought “come as you are.” Night, all-weather, precision strike, and around-the-clock strike ops were required for the Rolling Thunder campaign. Significant deficiencies limited our effectiveness through 1966. The need for urgent fixes was recognized. Was it too late to save Rolling Thunder?… Stay tuned… The next eight months of war in the air over North Vietnam are about to get brutal…. RTR will be there one day at a time…
CAG’s QUOTES for 22 March: NAPOLEON:”Strategy is the art of making use of time and space.”… PATTON : “I am confident that your disciplined valor and high training will bring victory.”…
Lest we forget… Bear.
