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31 USAF B-52 Stratofortress Bombers were lost in the Vietnam War; however the US Air Force only acknowledges 30. North Vietnamese Air Force MIG-21 pilot, Lt. Gen. Pham Tuan reportedly shot down a B-52 with an Air to Air missile on 26 December 1972, during the Nixon's Christmas Bombing over North Vietnam. However, the USAF states that that B-52 was shot down by part of Hanoi's Air Defense Ground Systems; a SAM (Surface to Air Missile).
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BlakeApproximately 30 (some sources state 31) B52 Stratofortress's were lost in the Vietnam War. Nearly half of them were shot down by SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) during the last month of 1972 during President Nixon's "Christmas Bombing" campaign (operation linebacker & Linebacker II). One NVAF MiG21 pilot, MAJ Pham Tuan claimed a B52 kill with his air to air missile on 26 Dec '72. If the aerial victory could be confirmed, he would be the only airman in history to have downed a B52 in combat. The USAF confirmed that a Stratofortress had been downed on that date and location; but credited the shoot down to a SAM. MAJ Pham Tuan went on to become Vietnam's first cosmonaut when he and Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko were launched into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 23 July 1980.
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The most spectacular footage that may have been censored by the government, since it hasn't been seen again; but it was aired on television many years ago (10 or 20 yrs). Flights of B52 Stratofortress bombers over North Vietnam, possibly during President Nixon's Linebacker II campaign. One or more of the B52's were shown in flight being struck by SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles). One B52 in particular was struck where the wing connected with the fuselage and the bomber's wing folded upwards as the aircraft began it's downward dive to earth. During that air campaign, two NVAF MiG-21s were shot down by B52 tail gunners (confirmed aerial kills) and one NVAF MiG-21 claimed a B52 kill. All B52's probably had cameras during that mission, as B52's were critical...and camera coverage was necessary to correct errors and review after action analysis. Consequenly, some of those aforementioned actions may have also been aired during that sequence.
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The B17, B24, and B29s were the heavy bombers of WWII. The B52 was the heavy bomber of the Vietnam War.
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