Page 10 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 6-19-15

June 19, 2015 NEWS Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
10 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb

This week in history

1965: B-52 goes on first combat mission

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress dropped bombs for the increased structural fatigue. That operational change Coutesy photo
ÀUVWWLPHLQFRPEDWRQ-XQH\HDUVDJR resulted in a number of expensive repairs to extend the
life of the aircraft. nately two of the bombers collided mid-air. Eight of the
Originally designed in 1945, the B-52 was to be an 12 crewmembers and both aircraft were lost. Another
intercontinental high-altitude, straight-wing bomber. During 1964, combat efforts in Southeast Asia in- aircraft developed a mechanical problem and returned
With six engines, its propellers would allow it to cruise FUHDVHG7KHUHIRUH6$&PRGLÀHG%)VZLWKH[WHU- to base. But, the other 27 B-52s struck the one-mile by
at 300 mph at 34,000 feet with a range of 5,000 miles. nal racks. Those racks carried an additional 24 750-pound two-mile target box from between 19,000 and 22,000 feet.
,WVERPEORDGZDVSRXQGV$ÀYHPDQFUHZÁHZ ERPEV6KRUWO\DIWHU6$&PRGLÀHGDQRWKHUDLUFUDIW Just over half of the bombs fell within the target area.
it along with a six-man relief crew. For defense, its 7KRVHPRGLÀFDWLRQVDOORZHGWKHPWRFDUU\VPDOOHUPL[HG
WXUUHWJXQQHUVZRXOGÀUHPPFDQQRQDPPXQLWLRQ loads, or up to 51 500-pounders. SAC also began train- 7KURXJKRXWWKHUHVWRIWKHZDUWKH%VÁHZFRPEDW
The design changed numerous times prior to the start ing its nuclear B-52 crews to drop conventional bombs. RSHUDWLRQV ,Q IDFW 6$&PRGLÀHG WKH 'PRGHO WR GURS
of production. In March 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder began over 108 500-pound bombs.
Southeast Asia. With Rolling Thunder began sustained
1LQH\HDUVODWHU%RHLQJGHOLYHUHGWKHÀUVWSURGXFWLRQ U.S. Air Force bombing operations. Since then, the B-52 has taken part in almost all major
aircraft, a B-52B. It was a swept-wing, eight-engine tur- operations to include Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Iraqi
bojet with a range of 6,900 miles at high altitude. Over Operation Arc Light was the deployment of conven- Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
the next eight years, Boeing delivered over 700 B-52s, tional bombers to Thailand and Guam to support ground
ranging from the B-model to the H-model. combat operations. On June18, 1965, 30 B-52Fs from the &RXUWHV\RI5LFN*ULVHWWK)LJKWHU:LQJ+LVWRU\2I¿FH
9th and 441st bombardment squadrons launched from
,QWKH6RYLHWVVKRWGRZQDKLJKÁ\LQJ8ZLWK Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Their mission was to
a surface-to-air missile. That development caused Stra- carpet bomb a communist stronghold near Saigon, South
tegic Air Command to change its planned employment Vietnam. For the mission, weapons crews loaded a mix
of the B-52 from a high altitude bomber to a low-level of 750- and 1,000-pound bombs.
penetrator. The low altitude approach would help shield
the aircraft from radar and thus surface-to-air missiles. $UULYLQJ HDUO\ RYHU WKH UHQGH]YRXV SRLQW WKH ÀUVW
However, it also caused more stress on the airframe and wave maneuvered to maintain their station. Unfortu-

West Valley’s Premier Now available on
in a digital format!
Children’s Dentistry

%RDUG&HUWLˉHG3HGLDWULF'HQWLVW
%HDXWLIXOO\WKHPHGRIˉFH
)XOO$UFDGH
Movie Theater
Coffee Bar
6WDWHRIWKHDUWFKLOGUHQȠV

GHQWDORIˉFHZLWK
ORZGRVHGLJLWDO[UD\V

KLOJHUVSHGRFRP 6 ‹
6 €‹€
6235360079:0F'RZHOO5G6W)ȧ*RRG\HDU$= 6 †Ž

West Valley’s Premier Check it out!
Orthodontics for Children & Adults ‰
$7
$

:DUPZHOFRPLQJVWDII
([FHOOHQWFXVWRPHUVHUYLFH
&RQYHQLHQWKRXUVDQGORFDWLRQ
)XOOVL]HDUFDGH
&DIH'X0RQGHLQWHUQHWFDIH
5HFRJQL]HGVSHFLDOLVWE\WKH

$PHULFDQ$VVRFRI2UWKRGRQWLFV

2

KLOJHUVRUWKRGRQWLFVFRP

6239353908 ‰
‘
1/LWFKˉHOG5G6Wȧ*RRG\HDU$=