Col. Robin Olds briefed F-4Cs of the 555th TFS/8th TFW to fly in tight formation along a flightpath regularly used by unarmed RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft photographing targets in Hanoi
By late 1966, the U.S. Air Force was barred from striking North Vietnamese airfields and was limited to engaging enemy aircraft only in the air. The situation was made even harder by the tactics of North Vietnamese MiGs, which targeted bomb-carrying F-105s and attacked only when conditions favored them. In response, Col. Robin Olds, commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, and the wing’s tactics officer, Capt. John “J.B.” Stone, created a clever strategy to bait and ambush MiG-21s from the North Vietnamese 921st Fighter Regiment by making their formation appear to be an F-105 bombing mission.
On January 2, 1967, F-4 aircraft from the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing flew into North Vietnam from the west, following the same route, altitude, and formation typically used in an F-105 bombing mission. They also carried and used the same electronic jamming pods employed by F-105s. The deception worked: North Vietnamese MiGs rose to intercept what they believed was an incoming F-105 strike. Meanwhile, F-4s from the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing entered from the east to cut off the MiGs’ retreat to China and circle their airfields, keeping them from landing.
Although overcast weather created some difficulties, Operation Bolo was a major success. In just 12 minutes of combat, seven North Vietnamese MiG-21s were shot down—though North Vietnamese records list the number as five—representing roughly half of their active force, while the U.S. Air Force suffered no losses.
According to István Toperczer in MiG-21 “Fishbed” Opposing Rolling Thunder 1966–68, Colonel Olds developed another tactic four days later, on January 6, to inflict further losses on the 921st Fighter Regiment. He instructed F-4Cs from the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, to fly in a tight formation along a route normally used by unarmed RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft photographing targets around Hanoi. After North Vietnamese radar detected the formation and identified it as reconnaissance planes, a ground-controlled intercept command post ordered MiG-21s into the air at 9:24 a.m. Tran Hanh, Mai Van Cuong, Dong Van De, and Nguyen Van Coc launched from Noi Bai and climbed through heavy clouds to intercept what they believed were RF-4Cs. Coc later described what happened next:
“That day, I was flying in the No. 4 position as wingman for Dong Van De [in the No. 3 jet]. Right after we broke through the top of the cloud layer, I heard Mai Van Cuong [in the No. 2 jet] report that he had spotted F-4s behind us. Tran Hanh also saw the enemy aircraft, and immediately realizing we had flown into a trap, he ordered the flight to turn hard to the right. De and I were still in the process of trying to form up after heading through the cloud in loose formation, which meant we were not yet able to make the turn.”
“Having pulled my control column hard over in order to turn inside my flight lead, I was able to see two missiles trailing white smoke flash beneath the belly of my MiG and head straight for De’s jet [‘Red 4025’], which was on the outside of the turn. I shouted, ‘Eject! Eject! Eject!’ and De left his jet. His ejection was not successful, however, and he did not survive.”
“Hanh ordered the flight to dive back through the cloud layer, and when I broke out below the undercast, I found myself over the Tam Dao mountains. I saw a MiG diving toward the ground, and I again shouted, ‘Eject,’ but the aircraft crashed moments later. It turned out that Cuong had already ejected from his aircraft while he was still in cloud.”
Hanh and Coc were subsequently told to head back, and both returned safely to Noi Bai. De’s MiG-21 was struck by an AIM-7 missile launched by Capt. R. M. Pascoe and 1st Lt. N. E. Wells, while Cuong’s aircraft, Red 4023, was shot down by a Sparrow missile fired by Maj. T. M. Hirsch and 1st Lt. R. J. Strasswimmer.
After just two engagements, nine MiG-21s had been lost without any enemy aircraft being reported destroyed in return. In response, VPAF Command immediately halted all combat missions by the 921st Fighter Regiment and directed a full review of its tactics.
MiG-21 “Fishbed” Opposing Rolling Thunder 1966–68 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by U.S. Air Force
