December 13, 2017 | 20:58 (GMT+7)
Exhibition on victory over B-52s
PANO - The Air Defense-Air Force Service opened an exhibition entitled “Defeating B-52s” on December 12 in Hanoi to mark the 45 years since the “Hanoi-Dien Bien Phu in the Air” (called Christmas Bombing or Operation Linebacker II by the US) Victory, the 73rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the 28th Whole People’s Defense Festive Day.
On display are more than 300 documents, objects and photos highlighting the process of the 12-day-and-night campaign, the operation organization of the Air Defense-Air Force Service, troops and people, especially those posted to the key Hanoi Capital in December 1972.
Among the exhibits, besides images of the appearance of the first B-52s in the sky over Hanoi, of the first missiles fired at the enemy aircraft formation, of pilot Vu Xuan Thieu bravely sacrificing his life after shooting down the enemy B-52, the exhibition also presents a red book titled “How to shoot down B-52s”, screens of documentaries, namely “Hanoi-Dien Bien Phu in the Air”, “For the National Sky”, and “Half Century Defending the National Airspace”.
Attentively, a radar receiving signals of B-52s, contributing to the good preparation of Hanoi’s troops and people some 35 minutes ahead the aircraft’s appearance, a launching pad where missiles were fired to down B-52s in the evening of December 18, 1972, a MiG-21 which shot down B-52s at night on December 27, 2972 are also exhibited.
The exhibition is a confirmation of the Hanoi Capital’s troops and people’s professionalism and combat capability in the fight against the US air strike in December 1972, encouraging air defense-air force troops to exert their efforts to fulfill all assigned missions and to firmly defend the Fatherland’s airspace.
Source: PANO/HNM
Translated by Mai Huong