Downtown - D3(B) - USAF AAR

With earlier planning complete it was time to get Rolling Thunder 51 underway

USAF Mission against Viet Tri

Turn 1

The EB-66B and EB-66C Jammers enter ahead of the main raid, accompanied by their CAP escorts. The CAP are orientated on Phuc Yen and Gia Lam while the Jamming is directed towards the two located SAM sites.

Turn 2

The SEAD and MiGCAP enter while the Jammers tease their way into the SAM envelope. While another MiG is reported over Gia Lam

Turn 3

The SEAD crosses the Red River Green flight is getting ready to swing onto the SAM site while the other flight heads further East looking towards the outskirts of Hanoi


PRF rises as the SEAD flight approaches

Jamming orbit established

And the strikers enter

The SAMs go active, which makes this a SAM day.  The MiG warnings are removed. From now on it is the battle of the 'trons. The detected SAM is active and a new site west of Hanoi has come in the air. It isn't located but it's emissions have been. This will become a "SAM Warning" counter later today when my printer has a new cartridge fitted.

In the meantime the SAM site acquires the closest SEAD and despite having all the jamming directed at it, I still roll 19 so the SAM has full acquisition on the the flight.  

In DT the SAM fires as a result of the US movement, so it is cat and mouse in the early period as the Shrikes range is inside that of the SAM.  The SAM will get a shot off first as the flight moves to within 4 hexes (or about 16km)

The launch plume is clearly visible but the SAM sails harmlessly by.  The Weasel crew don't know it yet but they will be buying beer for the EB-66C crew later

The Weasel prepares to fire the Shrike from a range of 2 hexes and the missile drops away from the rail cleanly.  The operator in the SAM control doesn't know what to do and the missile rips into the control van and the secondary explosions wreck the site.  The Weasels can now deal with the secondary site. One of the F-105F is out of Shrike shots so will have to go in close and put some CBU units onto the SAM if the last Weasel's shot misses.

With the main site down the Jamming mission realign and the strike package crosses over the Red River (Hong)

I might not fly much more of this mission.  I was lucky to roll the target I did and there isn't very much SAM coverage in the Eastern part of the Route Package.