Earlier that same year, the U.S. had launched Operation Linebacker I to disrupt the flow of supplies supporting North Vietnam’s Easter Offensive. However, when negotiations in Paris broke down in December, the United States escalated its air campaign dramatically. An enormous force was assembled: 99 B-52Gs and 53 B-52Ds stationed in Guam, along with another 54 B-52Ds based at U-Tapao in Thailand. These heavy bombers, supported by tactical aircraft from the Seventh Air Force and the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 77, launched continuous waves of strikes on Hanoi, Haiphong, and other key targets in northern Vietnam.
Over the course of 12 days and nights—excluding Christmas Day—more than 20,000 tons of ordnance were dropped, devastating industrial areas, rail lines, power plants, and air defense sites. In total, U.S. aircraft flew over 740 B-52 sorties and more than 1,000 tactical missions. Despite official claims of precision targeting, many bombs fell on civilian areas. Notable tragedies included the bombing of Bach Mai Hospital and Kham Thien Street, where hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands of homes destroyed. Estimates suggest that around 1,600 Vietnamese lost their lives during the operation.
North Vietnam’s air defenses responded fiercely, using radar-guided surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. They claimed to have shot down 81 U.S. aircraft, including 34 B-52 bombers and five F-111 jets. American sources acknowledged the loss of 16 B-52s—still a significant blow, given the aircraft’s reputation as the nearly invulnerable “Flying Fortress.”
Though the bombings caused immense destruction, they also achieved their political goal. Within weeks, peace negotiations resumed in Paris, leading to the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973. Operation Linebacker II remains one of the most controversial and consequential air campaigns of the Vietnam War, remembered both for its military intensity and its tragic human cost.
Operation Linebacker II: The “Christmas Bombings” of the Vietnam War
