Tramatoa Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Good afternoon all, Can anyone help me out with a quick random question? What would constitute a typical load out for a B52 engaged on Op Barrel Roll? I'm looking at a photo with a clearly defined pattern of 30 plus craters of two different sizes in a roughly straight line which might indicate a mix of 750 & 1000lb iron bombs, certainly not like you would expect from a mass cluster of 500lb ordinance as seen in some Arc Light pictures. Whatever dropped this stick was a long, long way up so I assume it was a B52 but I am happy to be corrected. I know its a bit vague but I can't post the pic. Any help would be most welcome. Thanks, Tramatoa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 The occasional B-52 strike may have happened, but it appears that the overwhelming types of aircraft employed in Barrel Roll (Northern Laos) were tactical types such as T-28, F-4, AC-119, F-100, AC-47, etc. B-52 conventional loadouts during Vietnam were chiefly (but not exclusively) Mk 82 and M117 bombs. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a586115.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 High altitude bombing wasn't a B-52 thing only. There were many TPQ-10/MSQ-77 (Combat Skyspot) radar controlled bombing missions using tactical aircraft. So could have been anything from a pair of A-6's, some F-4's, F-105's etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tramatoa Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 Gentlemen, Thank you so much for the pointers, it never ceases to amaze me how much knowledge this community has. I'd considered the F105 & F4 as possible contenders but the load outs they carried in combat would likely never get near the maximum and whatever caused the craters in this instance was flying a straight track, high up, possibly using a rotary dispenser which has resulted in a series of evenly spaced holes with minimal lateral drift. Hence the assumption that a B52 was the culprit. Fascinating stuff and I have some reading to do tonight to catch up with you. Once again thanks. Tramatoa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tramatoa said: possibly using a rotary dispenser The Common Strategic Rotary Launcher (CSRL) was developed in the 1980's, for the B-52H only, and was not designed to be used with ordinary GP bombs. Back in the 60's, only bombracks were used. 5 hours ago, Tramatoa said: I know its a bit vague but I can't post the pic May I ask why? Edited March 23, 2020 by Creepy Pete grapejuice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) Operation Barrel Roll saw a bit more than occasional strikes by the B-52 force: as part of this operation, the USAF launched operation Good Look, that saw around 2500 individual missions with over 58,000 tons of bombs dropped in a small area of Northen Laos over 3 years. Edited March 23, 2020 by Giorgio N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tramatoa Posted March 24, 2020 Author Share Posted March 24, 2020 Creepy Pete, I was asked for help by someone working on this and I can't put the picture on here at the moment, please accept my apologies. Maybe we can have a proper look at it later in the year as I would like to know a bit more about the sequencing of bomb release. In my youth the closest I got to anything that could go bang was hanging upside down with my head under a Tornado ejector seat trying to find missing canopy hinge nuts, bolts and washers and I make no claims to know anything about things under wings. Again, thanks to everyone for the help. Tramatoa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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