According to Vietnamese records, on the night of Dec. 27, 1972, North Vietnamese Air Force pilot Pham Tuan used MiG-21MF No. 5121 to shoot down a USAF B-52D Stratofortress bomber over Moc Chau
The MiG-21 is among the world’s most renowned jet fighters. This Soviet-designed aircraft made its first flight in 1955 and has been operated in various versions by over 50 countries. Known as the “Fishbed” by Western forces, some models have continued flying into the 21st century. The USSR produced more than 10,000 MiG-21s before halting production in 1985.
During the Southeast Asia War, the MiG-21 proved to be a formidable opponent. It matched US jets in speed and was more maneuverable than its primary rival, the F-4 Phantom II. North Vietnamese MiG-21s shot down around 50 American aircraft, although the US Air Force claimed 68 MiG-21s were destroyed in air battles. The Fishbed also targeted B-52 Stratofortress bombers, which participated in Operation Linebacker II—the largest bombing campaign of the Vietnam War, focusing on Hanoi and Haiphong.
Starting on December 18, the U.S. Air Force launched heavy attacks on military and transportation sites using B-52 bombers and tactical fighters. After 11 days of relentless bombing, North Vietnam agreed to resume peace negotiations in Paris. As a result, the U.S. limited its airstrikes north of the 20th parallel.
On January 15, 1973, the United States declared a halt to all mining, bombing, and other offensive actions against North Vietnam. Throughout the operation, 75 airmen lost their lives, including 33 who died in the 15 B-52 Stratofortress bombers that were shot down—the main aircraft used in Operation Linebacker II.
Vietnamese records state that on the night of December 27, 1972, North Vietnamese Air Force pilot Pham Tuan, flying MiG-21MF No. 5121, shot down a USAF B-52D Stratofortress over Moc Chau. He took off from Noi Bai and later landed at Yen Bai, guided by ground control teams in Moc Chau and Son La. Pham Tuan shared his experience in István Toperczer’s book, “MiG Aces of the Vietnam War.“
“At 22:20 hours, I was given the order to take off from Yen Bai at a heading of 200 degrees and broke through the low, heavy cloud layer at 200-300 meters only to find F-4s in the vicinity. In the meantime, I was informed that the B-52s were approaching Moc Chau, and the GCIs at Son La and Moc Chau were constantly updating me on the distance of the bombers: 60 kilometers, 50 km, and 40 km. As planned, I jettisoned the fuel tank and climbed to 7,000 meters while applying the throttle to increase the speed. The radars were plotting the route of the B-52s and also warned me of the escort F-4s following them. When I saw a yellow light in front of me, I turned left 40 degrees, increased my speed to 1,200 km/h, and climbed to a 10,000-meter altitude where the B-52s were cruising. I radioed to the command: ‘I have the target in sight, tally target, and request order for the attack’. The response of the GCI was, ‘You have permission to fire twice, and then escape quickly’. The Americans were holding formation, keeping approximately two to three kilometers of separation. I made last-minute checks on my missiles, and when I reached the level of the third B-52, I pushed the fire button on the control stick. I launched two heat-seeking missiles from a distance of 2 kilometers. Big flames were visible around the second B-52 when I broke sharply to the left and descended to 2,000 meters before landing at Yen Bai. The attacked formation of B-52s immediately dropped their load and returned to base.”
The loss of Capt. Mize’s B-52D bomber (56-0599) to MiG activity was never confirmed by the USAF, which, instead, claimed that a SAM struck the bomber.
MiG Aces of the Vietnam War is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by Unknown, U.S. Air Force and Wikipedia
Additional source: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
