USAF Patch Bomb Vietnam c 307 SW Strategic Wing Bullet Shot 1972 B 52 U Tapao RTNA

USAF Patch SAC 307 SW Strategic Wing Operation Bullet Shot B 52D B 52G U Tapao RTNA Build Up For Vietnam Missions Patch 1972 B 52 Buffs Thai Made embroidered on twill cut edge 62mm by 91mm two and seven sixteenth inches by three and five eighth inches.

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History

Operation Bullet Shot was initiated by Strategic Air Command in February 1972 in response to intelligence reporting the increased traffic on the Ho Chi Minh Trail by the North Vietnamese for infiltration into South Vietnam and the build-up of North Vietnamese forces just north of the DMZ in
preparation for what would become known as the Easter Invasion. The Operation was to build up the B-52 forces at Andersen AFB Guam to significantly increase bombing missions over Vietnam and would eventually involve every B-52D unit and over half of Sacs entire strategic bomber force.

Operation Bullet Shot gave 43 Strategic Wing its own Guam based B-52 force instead of aircraft being only available on a rotational or TDY basis.

Bullet Shot I on 7 February 1972 provided 29 B-52Ds from 7 Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB 96 SAW at Dyess AFB and 306 Bomb Wing at McCoy AFB.

Bullet Shot II on 4 April 1972 added 22 B-52Ds from 22 Bomb Wing at March AFB and 99 Bomb Wing at Westover AFB.

Bullet Shot IIA on 8 April 1972 was for an additional 6 B-52Ds from 22 Bomb Wing at March AFB and 99 Bomb Wing at Westover AFB.

Bullet Shot III on 11 April 1972 provided 28 B-52Gs from 2 Bomb Wing Barksdale AFB.

Bullet Shot IV on 6 May provided 5 B-52Gs and on 21 May 1972 an additional 7 B-52Gs.

Bullet Shot V on 23 May 1972 provided 58 B-52Gs

Due to the large numbers of aircraft now at Anderson AFB Guam the B-52Gs assigned to the specially established 72 Strategic Wing Provisional activated at Anderson AFB on 1 June 1972. By July 1972 a force of almost 50 B-52Ds 100 B-52Gs and over 12000 personnel were bedded down at Anderson AFB capable of 3150 sorties per month instead of the 1200 sorties a month carried out prior to Operation Bullet Shot. The Bullet Shot bombers participated in bombing raids against enemy targets all over Vietnam including north of the demilitarized zone.

Additional B 52s were deployed to U Tapao RTNA under 307 SW Strategic Wing with 364 Bomb Squadron Provisional 365 Bomb Squadron Provisional and the Young Tiger Tanker Task Force. Bombing operations continued to 1974 while air refuelling finished in September 1975 when 307 SW was inactivated.

This patch dates from 1967.