This photograph, taken in 1966 by Lt. Col. Cecil J. Poss, captures an Air Force B-66 Destroyer leading a formation of four F-105 Thunderchief aircraft dropping bombs over a military target through low cloud cover in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam.


 


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Today in 1965, during the Vietnam War, operation Rolling Thunder was launched against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) in a long, unrelenting aerial bombardment campaign by the US 2nd Air Division, US Navy and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force that continued from 2nd March 1965 to 2nd November 1968.


Originally intended as an eight-week campaign to demoralise the North Vietnamese people and put pressure on the North Vietnam government, this prolonged attack became the most extensive air campaign in U.S. history with an estimated 634,000 tons of bombs dropped during its 39 month span.


If you’d like to find out more about the F-105 Thunderchief aircraft used by the United States Air Force for the majority of its bombing missions during Operation Rolling Thunder why not check out our Air Vanguard title, Republic F-105 Thunderchief?


The original image can be seen here.