Bombing of Hanoi The Ten Thousand Day War : Season 1 Episode 20

Episode Twenty covers the December Bombing of Hanoi. America's last offensive act in Vietnam, Nixon is trying to force a peaceful resolution to the war, but Hanoi delays. The first B-52 mission of 101 planes carrying over 100 bombs apiece drop them over Hanoi. Sam missiles bring down three B-52's. The next day they fire over 200 missiles and bring down none. The next day was a night mission, they again fire over 200 missiles bringing down 6 B-52's, It was called our darkest hour. After day four, total US losses was 9 B-52's and four F-111 bombers. Hanoi is almost defenseless against B-52's. Congress threatened Nixon with a halt to the bombing, Nixon promises that Hanoi will come to the table by January 2nd, Hanoi stalls for a later date. Nixon now orders the most massive bombing raids of the war. 120 B-52's, the bombers are over Hanoi for only 15 minutes but drop over 100,000 tons of bombs over each of the next 9 days. Hanoi tells Nixon that they will be back at the table in five days. Nixon calls off the bombing after only 12 days. Before the bombing campaign the North was intransigent, unwilling to compromise. After, they were very cooperative. They wanted the war over as soon as possible.