OPERATION BOLO
During the last months of 1966 the MiG-21s of the VPAF (deployed in the 921st Fighter Regiment) became very active and succesfully intercepting the F-105 formations of the USAF. So, the Air Force decided to make an important effort to neutralize the MiG threat: the effort known as Operation Bolo.
The idea and planning of this operation was the masterpiece of a living legend among the US F-4 pilots in SEA: Colonel Robin Olds. He was an Ace during WWII, credited with 12 kills, and now at 44 years old - he was the CO of the 8th TFW (nicknamed The Wolf Pack). He was an old-fashioned fighter pilot: impulsive, rough, hard-drinking, but a natural leader and an intuitive tactician.
He realized that the F-105 and F-4 formations used the same approaches time after time, and the SIGINT analysts in Hanoi became expert in identifying the more vulnerable F-105 "Thuds" from the F-4 Phantoms, from their radio frequencies and call signs. So Olds decided to fly a large F-4 formation using the same routes, formation, altitude, and callsigns as the F-105s, hoping that the MiG-21s would be guided towards them, expecting to find Thunderchiefs, and when they realized the truth, it would be too late for them.
The missions was an outstanding sucess, for they ended with 7 Mig-21 shotdown, with no losses to F-4 Phantoms. Olds was credited with one kill. A great victory obtained by USAF that day.
But in spite of the great victory obtained by USAF that day, the VPAF showed an evolving force that learned from its mistakes, and it turned back to the fight again and again, sometimes with a high degree of success, as the USAF losses in air combat in the next months of 1967 clearly show.
Olds coments about his kill:
The battle started when the MiGs began to get out of the cloud cover. Unfortunately for me, the first one appeared in my six oclock, but I was lucky. The flight behind me saw the MiG and tried to divert its attention. I broke to the left, sharply enough to get away of his line of fire, hoping that my wingman would take care of him. Meanwhile another MiG came out of the clouds, turning widely about my 11 oclock at a distance of 2,000 yards. He went into the clouds again and I tried to follow.
A third enemy plane appeared in my 10 oclock, from the left to the right: in simple words, almost in the opposite direction. The first MiG zoomed away and I engaged the afterburner to get in an attack position against this new enemy. I reared up my aircraft in a 45 degree angle, inside his turn. He was turning to the left, so I pulled the stick and barrel-rolled to the right.
Thanks to this maneuver, I found myself above him, half upside down. I held it until the MiG finished his turn, calculating the time so that, if I could keep on turning behind him, I would get on his tail, with a deflection angle of 20 degrees, at a distance of 1,500 yards. That was exactly what happened. He never saw me. Behind and lower than him, I could clearly see his silhoutte against the sun when I launched two Sidewinders. One of them impacted and tore apart his right wing.
On February 06 2007
9 Views
piojamdq79
On 21/11/2007
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jack44o
On 09/11/2007
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daichu1
On 01/11/2007
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deepace
On 19/10/2007
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microsol_06
On 06/10/2007
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time4life
On 02/08/2007
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lorinha132
On 26/07/2007
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ballsoffire
On 18/03/2007
Thanks for passing by.!nics by by the way .:Dand great info.!good luck!Salu2Balls Of Fire
Soles Del Pantano
On 21/02/2007
Soles del pantano se prepara con nuevos temas y nuevos shows para este 2007. Somos Charly: Guitarras Martin: Voz Jorge: Bateria Cocote: Bajo Willy H. :Teclados contacto: solesdelpantano@hotmail.com solesdelpantano@yahoo.com.ar Escucha los temas! <A HREF="http://www.purevolume.com/solesdelpantano" TARGET=_top>http://www.purevolume.com/solesdelpantano</A> Visitanos <A HREF="http://www.solesdelpantano.com.ar" TARGET=_top>http://www.solesdelpantano.com.ar</A> <A HREF="http://www.fotolog.net/solesdelpantanoo" TARGET=_top>http://www.fotolog.net/solesdelpantanoo</A> El video de la cancion "Crimenes de todo tipo" <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/solesdelpantano" TARGET=_top>http://www.youtube.com/user/solesdelpantano</A>
Lukas
On 09/02/2007
Wow, really good picture! I would have never noticed that it was MiG.Good information ;)Greetings!Lukas! =D<A HREF="http://www.fotolog.com/dogfight" TARGET=_top>http://www.fotolog.com/dogfight</A><A HREF="http://www.fotolog.com/wild_weasel" TARGET=_top>http://www.fotolog.com/wild_weasel</A>
bastogne_raw
On 07/02/2007
lo unico fomedelos phantomsy fue un erros quedespues pagarones que no le pusieronun cañon como arma secundariaen un principioobviamente se les hicieron modificacionessaludosf/f
skyhawk_a4
On 07/02/2007
our air force is not operating the sabres...they were replaced by mirages... and the a4before the sabres , we have operated gloster meteorin 50/40 years, we were the best air force in south america... and now.. :S
skyhawk_a4
On 06/02/2007
they are now the A4 FIGHTINGHAWK ; the best A4 in latin america i think...if you are interested , i think that i got some videos of them..saludos!
skyhawk_a4
On 06/02/2007
Our A-4 are 32 units bought by us in the '90 . They were before the A-4 Skyhawks from the US Navy. They were at the Arizona's Desert. We bought them and we upgrated them thanks to Lockeed Martin Argentina. Those upgrades are about tecnology and those kind of things... Example, a Digital HUD with Radar alert and those things...like HOTAS commands.the problem is... Weapons ( we dont got sidewinders in abundance and for all planes... they are adapted to use matra magic r550, the same that use our mirages ) and they dont got BVR...But they have demostrated that in our hands they are very capable, in some ocations they have destroyed some brazilian f5 in CRUSEX operation... with any cassualty.they are operating in VILLA REYNOLDS, at the 5 hunter group.At buenos aires are operating the Mirage family... they are our protectors :)thanks you for posting...sorry if my english is not the best...saludos desde argentina! seve
skyhawk_a4
On 06/02/2007
very nice pictureand... as usually... very detailed information ... i think that this is characteristic from this fotolog.i hope you are fine.plase post into my fotolog, i have posted a picture about an a-4skyhawk, maybe it could like it ...saludos y suerte, desde argentina.seve
aircombat
On 06/02/2007
Note that in the picture (very tiny) it is a Mig-21 poping up over the cloud deck.
