Thanh Hoa Bridge

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Thanh Hoa bridge

Thanh hoa bridge after it was hit by Laser-guided bombs

Date	4 April 1965 - 13 May 1972
Location	Near Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam
Result	U.S. victory

Combatants

United States

North Vietnam

Casualties

11 Aircraft destroyed

Unknown

Vietnam War
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The Thanh Hoa Bridge, spanning the Song Ma river, is situated three miles south of Thanh Hóa, the capital of Thanh Hoa Province in Vietnam. The Vietnamese gave it the nickname Ham Rong(Dragon's jaw). Between 1965 and 1972, during the Vietnam war, it was the objective of many unsuccessful attacks by US Air Force and US Navy aircraft. Eventually, in 1972, it was destroyed by F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers using laser-guided bombs.

1 The bridge
2 Operation Rolling Thunder
3 US Navy attacks
4 Operation Carolina Moon
5 The final blow
6 Aftermath and losses
7 References
8 External links

[edit] The bridge

Originally built by the French during the colonial era in Vietnam, the Thanh Hoa bridge was sabotaged by the Viet Minh in 1945. From 1957, the Vietnamese started rebuilding it.

It was a metallic construction, resting on a central concrete pier, and on concrete abutments at each extremity. Completed in 1964, and inaugurated by Ho Chi Minh himself, the final bridge was 540 feet long, 56 feet wide, and about 50 feet above the river.

Allowing the passage of both road and rail traffic, it was a vital link between different regions of North Vietnam, and when the war started, became a strategic passage for supplies and reinforcements sent to the Viet Cong fighting in South Vietnam.

[edit] Operation Rolling Thunder

With the beginnning of Operation Rolling Thunder (the bombing campaign against strategic targets in North Vietnam), the Thanh Hóa bridge became a primary target for the US Air Force. The Vietnamese, realising the importance of the bridge, had set up an impressive air defense network, five Air defense Regiments being stationed in the area. The first -and largest- strike package to be sent aginst the bridge was codenamed 9-Alpha. Led by Colonel Robinson Risner, it comprised 79 aircraft, including 45 F-105 Thunderchiefs. Other types were F-100 Super Sabres charged with fighter escort, RF-101 Voodoos for reconnaissance and tanker aircraft. Launched on April 3, 1965, the attack saw all strike aircraft deliver their payload. Unfortunately for the Americans, the Bullpup missiles that were fired had too small a warhead to inflict any damage on the bridge. Some F-105s carried 750 lb bombs, but these were less precise, and when they did hit the bridge, caused only minor damage. Some bombs fell on nearby roads causing the traffic to be stopped for a few hours. This was the only result of the raid at the cost of two aircraft -one F-100 and one RF-101- shot down. Risners Thunderchief was damaged by cannon fire, but he managed to fly safely back to Da Nang.

In the face of this failure, a new attack was scheduled for the next day. This time 80 planes were engaged, including 48 F-105s, carrrying only 750 lb bombs, as the inadequacy of the Bullpup had been fully demonstrated. Once again, the raid was carried out with great precision, but despite having been hit by more than 300 bombs, the Than Hoa bridge still stood. Minor damage caused the circulation to be interrupted for a few days. This modest success cost the US Air Force three F-105s: one lost to ground fire and two shot down by Mig-17s.

[edit] US Navy attacks

With the establishment of the Route Package system, the Thanh Hoa area was allocated to the US Navy. Between 1965 and 1968, until US President Lyndon B. Johnson temporarily called off air raids against North Vietnam, the bridge was a regular objective for navy Alpha strikes. Different types of aircraft were engaged including A-3 Skywarriors, A-4 Skyhawks, A-6 Intruders, F-4 Phantoms and F-8 Crusaders. Several types of weapons were launched at the bridge including AGM-62 Walleye missiles, but none had the precision and power to destroy it permanently. Several times, traffic over the bridge was interrupted, but every time, the North Vietnamese dutifully repaired the damage.

[edit] Operation Carolina Moon

In May 1966, an innovative attack, Operation Carolina Moon, was planned by the US Air Force. A new weapon was to be used: a large magnetic mine, that implemented a new energy mass-focusing concept. The plan was to float the mines down the river, till they reached the bridge, where the magnetic sensors would set off the charges, hopefully wrecking it permanently. The only aircraft with a large enough hold to carry these weapons was the slow-flying C-130 Hercules transport, so the operation was due to take place at night, to reduce its vulnerability.

On the night of May 30, a first Hercules dropped 5 mines. A North Vietnamese prisoner later revealed that 4 of the 5 mines had in fact exploded under the bridge, but not caused any significant damage. However at the time the Americans did not know this, as after-mission reconnaissance had showed the bridge still standing, and a second raid was planned, with a different crew, for the following night. This second attempt turned to disaster: the Hercules was hit during its low-level run and crashed, killing the entire crew. An F-4 engaged in a diversionary attack nearby was also brought down and its crew lost.

[edit] The final blow

F-4 Phantoms carrying laser-guided bombs

Between 1968 and 1972, bombing of North Vietnam was discontinued, enabling the North vietnamese to repair their infrastuctures, including the Thanh Hoa bridge. With the communist invasion of South Vietnam in 1972, a new bombing campaign was instituted: Operation Linebacker.

On April 27, 12 Phantoms of the 8th Tactical fighter wing,based at Ubon, Thailand attacked the Thanh Hoa bridge. 8 of their number carried laser-guided bombs. The raid was carried out without hitch, and when the dust of the explosions had cleared, it became apparent that the bridge had been dislodged from its western abutment, dropping one half into the river. To complete its destruction, a second attack was scheduled for the 13 of May. This time 14 Phantoms were engaged, with LGBs of up to 2000 lbs aimed at the central pillar supporting the bridge. Once again the attack was successful and the "Dragon's jaw" was rendered completely unusable. The US command, however, was not satisfied, and ordered a final attack on the 6th of October. This time US Navy A-4s successfully delivered six 2000lb LGBs on the target. After this, the Thanh Hoa bridge was considered permanently destroyed and removed from the target list.

[edit] Aftermath and losses

The North Vietnamese made various fanciful claims as to how many planes they shot down, but the US recognizes the loss of only 11 aircraft during attacks against the bridge. However, the concentration of air defense assets also took its toll on passing aircraft and in total an estimated 104 American pilots were shot down over a 75 square mile area around the bridge during the war.

873 air sorties were expended against the bridge and it was hit by hundreds of bombs and missiles before being finally destroyed. It became something of a symbol of resistance for the North Vietnamese, and various legends of invincibility were attached to it. For the US planners, it became an obsession, and many raids were planned against it, despite their unpopularity with the pilots.

Its destruction proved the effectiveness of precision-guided munitions, opening the way to a new era of aerial warfare.