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      • Chris Hobson
      • Dave Lovelady
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    • Background to the Wars in Southeast Asia
    • 1961 to 1964: Civil War in Laos/Early Operations in South Vietnam
    • 1965: Escalation of the War/Start of Rolling Thunder
    • 1966: Rolling Thunder Gets into its Stride
    • 1967: Rolling Thunder - The Peak Year
    • 1968: Tet, Khe Sanh, and the End of Rolling Thunder
    • 1969: Interdiction on the Ho Chi Minh Trail
    • 1970: The Year of Withdrawal
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    • 1972: The Spring Invasion/Linebacker Campaigns
    • 1973: Winding Up the War
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The End of Rolling Thunder (Nov 1968)

On 31 October 1968 President Johnson, under growing pressure from public opinion at home and no signs that the North Vietnamese were about to back down, announced that the bombing of North Vietnam would cease the following day. The Rolling Thunder bombing campaign against North Vietnam had started on 2 March 1965 but during its 44-month history its overall effectiveness was severely restricted by political limitations and the resourcefulness of the North Vietnamese. So began a three-and-a-half year bombing halt against North Vietnam that would last until April 1972. In the meantime reconnaissance missions could still be flown and these were often escorted by F-4s or F-105s. The defences in North Vietnam at the time of the bombing halt were formidable and consisted of 8,000 anti-aircraft guns, 400 radars, 150 MiGs and 40 SA-2 sites. During the halt the North Vietnamese took the opportunity to reinforce their air defences in all areas in case the Americans should resume their bombing.

 

 

 

 

 

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© Chris Hobson and David Lovelady. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
      • Chris Hobson
      • Dave Lovelady
    • About the Book
    • About the Data
    • About this Site
  • Sidelines
    • Background to the Wars in Southeast Asia
    • 1961 to 1964: Civil War in Laos/Early Operations in South Vietnam
    • 1965: Escalation of the War/Start of Rolling Thunder
    • 1966: Rolling Thunder Gets into its Stride
    • 1967: Rolling Thunder - The Peak Year
    • 1968: Tet, Khe Sanh, and the End of Rolling Thunder
    • 1969: Interdiction on the Ho Chi Minh Trail
    • 1970: The Year of Withdrawal
    • 1971: A Much Reduced Presence
    • 1972: The Spring Invasion/Linebacker Campaigns
    • 1973: Winding Up the War
  • Statistics
    • Loss Statistics
    • Losses Due to Air Base Attacks
    • Losses Due to Accidents on the Ground or Aboard Ship
    • US Air Force Loss Statistics
    • US Navy Loss Statistics
    • US Marine Corps Loss Statistics
  • Details
    • Order of Battle
    • Index of Names
    • Abbreviations and Glossary of Operations, Code Names, and Projects
    • Bibliography
  • Searching the Database
    • Hints on How to Search
    • Notes and Caveats
    • Searching for Call Signs
    • Search Forms
  • Photo Gallery
  • Contact Us
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