Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base

Bombing of Tan Son Nhat Airport
Part of Fall of Saigon, Vietnam War
Date April 28, 1975 Location Tan Son Nhat Air Base, South Vietnam Result North Vietnamese and PRG victory
Belligerents
South Vietnam	North Vietnam Provisional Revolutionary Government
Commanders and leaders
Nguyen Huu Tan	Nguyen Van Luc
Units involved
5th Air Force Division	Quyet Thang Squadron
Strength
1 air force division	1 squadron
Casualties and losses
5+ aircraft damaged or destroyed	None

The bombing of Tan Son Nhat Air Base occurred on April 28, 1975, just two days before the Fall of Saigon. The bombing operation was carried out by the Vietnam People's Air Force Quyet Thang Squadron, which was manned by North Vietnamese pilots and South Vietnamese defectors.

When North Vietnam launched the Ho Chi Minh Campaign against South Vietnam in 1975, the threat posed by surface to air missiles and AAA meant that despite its paper strength the Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) was unable to play a decisive role in the defense of South Vietnam. In a well-known incident, South Vietnamese pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung bombed the Presidential Palace in Saigon, instead of North Vietnamese troops. Less than a month later, the same pilot led a flight of captured South Vietnamese A-37 aircraft and bombed Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Background

By the end of 1972 South Vietnam possessed the fourth largest air force in the world, with 2,075 aircraft and over 61,000 personnel.

Although the Paris Peace Accords of 1973 were supposed to end the war in Vietnam, fighting continued between South Vietnam and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. Despite a pledge of support from U.S. President Richard Nixon, military aid to South Vietnam was sharply reduced. RVNAF operations were severely affected by cutbacks in military aid, as they were forced to reduce flying hours by 51% and reduce the bomb loads on fighter aircraft from four to two pieces of ordnance.

North Vietnam continued to build-up its combat units in South Vietnam. With the threat of U.S. airpower removed, the North Vietnamese military moved anti-aircraft units into South Vietnam, and deployed a sophisticated air-defence network that included the long-range SA-2 surface-to-air missile system, radar-guided anti-aircraft guns and the SA-7 Grail shoulder-launched missile The strong presence of North Vietnamese anti-aircraft units, which covered much of the northern provinces of South Vietnam, forced RVNAF reconnaissance and fighter aircraft to fly at higher altitudes to avoid being hit by surface-to-air missiles. Consequently, when North Vietnam went on the offensive again in 1975, the VNAF was severely handicapped.

A-37 fighter-bombers, similar to these aircraft of the South Vietnamese Air Force, were captured by the North Vietnamese was selected to be the basis of the VPAF Quyet Thang Squadron in 1975 for their attack on Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Prelude

The Ho Chi Minh Campaign commenced on March 9, 1975 and by mid-March the Army of the Republic of Vietnam had withdrawn from theCentral Highlands. The VNAF 6th Air Force Division had been given only 48 hours to evacuate its aircraft and personnel from Pleiku Air Base leaving 64 aircraft intact, including 36 aircraft in flyable storage, and no attempt were made to put those aircraft into commission.

On March 27 with South Vietnamese forces of I Corps facing imminent defeat, RVNAF Brigadier-General Nguyen Duc Khanh, commander of the RVNAF 1st Air Force Division,was ordered to evacuate all flyable aircraft from Hue and Da Nang.

On March 28 North Vietnamese forces closed in on Da Nang, and they subjected Da Nang Air Base to heavy artillery bombardment. Under adverse conditions, the RVNAF was able to fly about 130 aircraft out of the city, but they had to abandon 180 aircraft, including 33 A-37 Dragonflys, due to chaos, confusion, poor discipline and the break down of airfield security. On March 29, the North Vietnamese captured Da Nang, followed by Quy Nhon on April 1 and Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang on April 2. At Phan Rang Air Base, remnants of the RVNAF continued to battle North Vietnamese troops for two days after ground units of the ARVN had given up the fight. Elements of the ARVN Airborne Division were also committed into the fight, but they were overwhelmed by the North Vietnamese and Phan Rang was captured on April 16.

Battle

Attack on the Presidential Palace

On April 8, a formation of three RVNAF F-5E Tiger fighter-bombers lined up at Bien Hoa Air Base, each armed with four 250-pound bombs, for an attack on North Vietnamese positions in Binh Thuan Province. Before the second aircraft took off, First Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung, who piloted the third F-5, reported his aircraft was experiencing afterburner problems. When the second aircraft departed, Trung also took off, but flew towards Saigon instead of joining the formation. At around 8.30am Trung dived upon on the Presidential Palace and dropped two bombs; the first bomb landed on the Palace grounds and caused some damage, but the second bomb failed to explode. Trung climbed to over 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) before making a second pass, this time both bombs exploded, causing minor structural damage but no casualties. After the attack, Trung flew out of Saigon and landed at the petroleum storage facility at Nha Be on the outskirts of the city, where he removed the ammunition for the 20mm cannon.

Shortly afterwards Trung took off again and flew out to Phuoc Long Province, which was occupied by the Provisional Revolutionary Government since North Vietnamese troops had captured it earlier in the year, and he was warmly received by North Vietnamese soldiers. The North Vietnamese claimed that Trung had been a Viet Cong agent since 1969, and was infiltrated into the RVNAF where he served with the RVNAF 540th Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Air Force Division. Trung later revealed that he was originally from Ben Tre Province in the Mekong region, where his father had served as the district secretary of the Communist Party. In 1963 Trung’s father was killed and his body was mutilated by the South Vietnamese police. Angered by the death of his father, Trung vowed to take revenge on the South Vietnamese Government, so in 1969 he secretly joined the Viet Cong after he had been accepted into the RVNAF.

Preperation for the mission

Prior to the bombing of the Presidential Palace, North Vietnamese General Van Tien Dung and his field commanders had been discussing the possibility of deploying units of the Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF), to attack high-value South Vietnamese targets in support of North Vietnamese ground troops. Use of the Soviet MiG-17 fighter was considered, North Vietnamese pilots already had signficant familiarity and combat experience with the type. However, moving MiGs from their bases in North Vietnam was problematic; South Vietnamese defenses were falling much faster than anticipated, there was simply little time in which to deploy the MiGs in support of North Vietnamese units encircling Saigon. However, the North Vietnamese had captured a large number of U.S.-made aircraft from the South Vietnamese Air Force following their earlier victories at Ban Me Thout and Da Nang, so it was decided to use captured aircraft instead.

The decision to use the captured aircraft presented a challenge for the North Vietnamese Air Force, because they lacked experience in flying U.S.-made aircraft. Furthermore, North Vietnamese pilots were not proficient in the English language, most had trained on Soviet equipment using the Russian language. Upon receiving news of Trung’s actions on April 8, Dung decided that Trung would provide conversion training so that a group of North Vietnamese pilots would be able to fly the A-37 Dragonfly, the type selected for an upcoming operation. Trung was sent out to Da Nang where he was joined by Lieutenants Tran Van On and Tran Van Xanh, both were former fighter pilots of the South Vietnamese Air Force, captured alive when Da Nang capitulated on March 29. Trung, Xanh and On was tasked with translating manuals from English to the Vietnamese language, as well as translating instructions onboard the A-37 to Vietnamese.

On April 19, the North Vietnamese Air Force Command was ordered to prepare for an operation in South Vietnam, so a group of North Vietnamese pilots from the 4th Squadron of the VPAF 923rd Fighter Regiment was selected to undertake conversion training in Da Nang and form a new squadron for the operation. The selected group was led by Upper Captain Nguyen Van Luc along with Tu De, Tran Cao Thang, Han Van Quang and Hoang Mai Vuong. Together with former South Vietnamese pilots Trung and On, the selected group of North Vietnamese pilots would form the Quyet Thang (“Determined to Win”) Squadron. On April 22 the North Vietnamese pilots arrived in Da Nang and they began training on two A-37 aircraft that were restored to flying condition with support from Trung, On, Xanh and a few South Vietnamese technicians who were also captured during the Hue-Da Nang Campaign. In just five days, the North Vietnamese pilots were able to independently fly the A-37 without support from the former South Vietnamese Air Force personnel.

As the North Vietnamese pilots were completing the final phases of their conversion training, the VPAF Command chose to attack Tan Son Nhat Airport, primarily the military section of the airport. On the afternoon of April 27 the North Vietnamese pilots, together with the South Vietnamese trainers, were flown out to Phu Cat Air Base in Binh Dinh Province where Major-General Le Van Tri—commander of the Vietnam People’s Air Force—briefed them on the upcoming operation. Tri also instructed the pilots to ensure that their bomb loads should not hit civilian areas in Saigon. From the original group of trainees, Luc, De, Quang, Vuong, Trung and On were selected to take part in the attack on Tan Son Nhat. Meanwhile, On and Xanh were also instructed to test-fly five captured A-37 bombers, which would be the mainstay of the Quyet Thang Squadron. On the morning of April 28, the Quyet Thang Squadron became operational with Luc as the squadron’s commander, when it was transferred to Thanh Son airfield in Ninh Thuan Province.

The attack

At Thanh Son airfield, Luc submitted the squadron’s plan of attack to the VPAF Command. Accordingly, Trung would lead the formation in the first aircraft because he was familiar with the skies over Saigon. De were positioned behind Trung in the second aircraft, followed by Luc in the third, Vuong and On together in the fourth and Quang were to be the last aircraft in the formation. At around 4.05pm on April 28, the five A-37 bombers of the Quyet Thang Squadron, each armed with four 250-pound bombs, took off from Thanh Son airfield and each aircraft flew between 600 meters (2,000 ft) and 800 meters (2,600 ft) apart from each other. To save fuel over the 400 kilometers (250 mi) distance between Thanh Son and Saigon, the five-aircraft formation had to fly at a height of just 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). Their first navigation point was Vung Tau, from where the formation would turn towards Tan Son Nhat Airport. When the squadron flew over Bien Hoa Air Base, two South Vietnamese AD-6 Skyraiders were sighted conducting bombing sorties near the area, but they were not allowed to engage.

Shortly after 5.00pm the North Vietnamese-operated A-37 formation were able to approach their target openly, which was crowded with military aircraft, as they were still wearing South Vietnamese code numbers. From about 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) above the target Trung dived down on the military section of Tan Son Nhat Airport, but the bombs could not be released from the pylons, so Trung was forced to pull his aircraft up again. Next in line was De, who was able to drop his entire bomb load on the target. Luc dived upon on the target, but he too experienced problems with the weapons release system, so only two bombs were dropped. After the last two aircraft piloted by Vuong, Quang and On had successfully hit their targets, they continued to strafe aircraft on the ground with gunfire. Trung and Luc made another pass, but again their bombs could not be released from the pylon.

By that stage the South Vietnamese had already responded by firing their anti-aircraft guns, so Luc ordered the squadron to withdraw as Trung made one final attempt at dropping his load using emergency mode. A few surviving South Vietnamese F-5A Freedom Fighters were scrambled to chase the attackers, but the North Vietnamese got away without any damage. On the return trip Quang led the formation, followed by Luc, De and Vuong and On. Trung, who had flown back for the third bombing attempt, was trailing the rest of the group. As they flew over Phan Thiet, they had to fly at a lower attitude to avoid mistakenly being hit by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft weapons. When the formation came within 40 kilometers (25 mi) of Thanh Son airfield, De was granted permission to land first because he only had about 600 liters (130 imp gal; 160 U.S. gal) of fuel left. Squadron commander Luc was next to land, followed by Vuong and On, then Quang. Trung, who had led the attack during the mission, was the last aircraft to arrive back at base.

Aftermath

Just after 6.00pm all the pilots of the VPAF Quyet Thang Squadron had gathered at Thanh Son airfield, which marked North Vietnam’s first successful air attack against Saigon during the entire Vietnam conflict. The attack on Tan Son Nhat generated hysteria and panic, as the airport was one of the few remaining routes of escape still open for the South Vietnamese during the final days of the Vietnam War. The true extent of the damage is unknown, but 24 South Vietnamese aircraft were either destroyed or damaged. Official Vietnamese history claimed that about 200 South Vietnamese soldiers were killed in the attack. In spite of the bombing, some South Vietnamese Air Force pilots continued to sortie against the North Vietnamese troops encircling Saigon during the last days of the war.

On April 29, a single South Vietnamese AC-119 gunship took off from Tan Son Nhat Air Base to cover the helicopters that were conducting evacuations. Throughout the day, the AC-119 continously suppressed North Vietnamese fire around different parts of the beleaguered capital, until eventually struck by an SA-7 Grail. Several South Vietnamese pilots were able to evacuate their families using the assets of their former country, escaping to U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand. Between April 22 and April 30, 1975, 132 aircraft which belonged to the defunct South Vietnamese Air Force were evacuated to Thailand; of which 4 were F-5A and 22 were F-5E models, as well as 27 A-37 Dragonflies. Those aircraft that were left behind after April 1975 were pressed into service with the VPAF 937th Fighter Regiment, later seeing extensive combat service in Cambodia during the 1980s.

See also

• Republic of Vietnam Air Force
• Tan Son Nhat Airport
• Vietnam People's Air Force

References

• Boniface, Roger (2008). MiGs over North Vietnam: The Vietnam People’s Air Force in Combat, 1965–75. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811706964. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Burchett, Wilfred G. (1978). Catapult to Freedom. Charlottesville: Quartet Books. ISBN 9780704321564. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Darling, Kev (2005). Tweet and the Dragonfly the Story of the Cessna A-37 and T-37. La Vergne: Lightning Source Inc. ISBN 1411647483. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Duong, Hao (1980). A Tragic Chapter. Hanoi: People’s Army Publishing House. OCLC 10022184.
• Heat, William P. (2007). Shadow and Stinger: Developing the AC-119G/K Gunships in the Vietnam War. Houston: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 9781585445776. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Momyer, William W. (1985). The Vietnamese Air Force, 1951–1975: An Analysis of its Role in Combat and Fourteen Hours at Koh Tang. Washington D.C.: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799285. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Tambini, Anthony J. (2001). F-5 Tigers over Vietnam. Boston: Branden Books. ISBN 0828320594. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Van, Tien Dung (1977). Our Great Spring Victory: Account of the Liberation of South Vietnam. New York: Monthly Review Press. ISBN 9780853454090. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)