Raid!

This is coolbert:

Here are several other instances, post-World War Two [WW2], of ranger/commando/special operations units able to attack and destroy military aircraft on the ground.

Attacks, at least on one occasion, the reaction to, resulted in consequences that were far-reaching!

1. Bien Hoa air base, South Vietnam - - 1 November, 1964.

Viet Cong/North Vietnamese [?] [VC/NVA] sappers successfully attack the Bien Hoa air base, South Vietnam. Destroy five and damage fifteen American B-57 light bomber aircraft parked on the tarmac. Attacked by a VC/NVA special operations unit of the highest caliber, those B-57 bombers being destroyed by a combination of mortar fire AND DEMOLITION SATCHEL CHARGES THROWN BY SAPPERS WHO PENETRATED THE AIRBASE PERIMETER AND MADE IT ONTO THE FLIGHT LINE!

[those satchel charges like unto a Lewes bomb,?!]

A direct action mission of the VC/NVA, successful, that resulted in a very big black eye for the U.S. military.

As a result of this raid [in large measure] by the VC/NVA force, President Johnson made the decision to initiate Operation Barrel Roll. Retaliatory bombing missions by U.S. aircraft BEYOND THE BORDER OF SOUTH VIETNAM!!


And at the time, the worst part of all WAS THE HUMILIATION!! ENEMY UNITS ABLE TO PENETRATE AN AIRBASE PERIMETER DEFENSE AND WITH SUCH EASE DESTROY OR DAMAGE SO MANY AIRCRAFT!!


2. Pebble Island Raid, Falkland Islands, 14 May 1982.

In this particular instance, a direct action mission of the British SAS. Special Air Services. Another ranger/commando/special operations unit that "specializes" in destroying enemy aircraft on the ground, following the tradition first began during WW2 in the north African desert campaign. Here, we have the raiders targeting Argentinian aircraft parked on the ground, the airfield at Pebble Island!

Again, as with Bien Hoa, we find the combined arms style attack to be most effective! Indirect mortar fire - - and troops on the ground, the latter rushing up to the parked aircraft, flinging demolition satchel charges that also have an incendiary nature [?], the attackers escaping almost unscathed.

And, once again, we have the defender left humiliated, with a pile of burnt-out hulks all that remains of a once proud air capacity!

"when you least expect them, is when they are most likely to appear!!" - - anonymous.

coolbert.