B-26 Combat Tactics in Vietnam 1961-1963
Prior to discussing any combat tactics, it is necessary to define the weapons system and its applications. The majority of the Douglass B-26B aircraft assigned to Detachment 2A, First Air Commando Group in Vietnam. The two gun turrets had been removed, along with a significant portion of the original armor plating. The gunners compartment was stripped of all but a simple seat and safety belt, along with other weight-saving measures, and only very essential equipment remained throughout the aircraft The strike model aircraft had three hard points under each wing, either 6 or 8 forward-firing 50 caliber machine guns in the nose, a fully usable bomb bay and a K-19 Vertical camera behind the bomb bay. The only communications gear consisted of an eight-button uhf and an antiquated ADF navigation system.
The aircraft was unpressurized with rudimentary heating supplied by the engines and no air conditioning with little space in the cockpit for any storage whatsoever. The crew wore survival vests with a side arm of choice and very little survival items
Single control with yoke set up.
The standard ordnance configuration consisted of six 500-lb. of napalm, 400 rounds of 50-cal armor-piecing incendiary (API) rounds (every seventh round was a tracer) of ammunition in each gun, twelve 100-lb general purpose bombs, and twelve 120-lb fragmentation cluster bombs, along with a significant reel of camera film. It carried enough fuel to provide loiter time of five hours over a target. Alternatively we often carried two 2.75” rocket pods, 750-lb. cans of napalm and 250-lb or 500-lb. under the wings contact or delayed-fuse general purpose bombs in the bomb bay or under the wings – depending on the mission requirements.
The cockpit layout was fairly standard to accommodate a pilot, side-by-side with one crewmember, usually a navigator and a very small jump seat behind the center console. All aircraft controls were easily accessed by the pilot with a removable aluminum table under a small camera control panel in front of the right seat. There was a fixed reticule gun sight in the pilot’s wind screen and a bomb intrevelometer just outboard of the pilot’s left hip. Ordnance controls were located on and overhead panel between the two halves of the clam shell canopy.
The tactics evolved over time with the increase in skills of the crew and always dictated by the terrain. Missions typically consisted of a single B-26 with an occasional two-ship mission when a target demanded; generally to support ground troops in contact.
The mission profiles consisted of interdiction, close air support, air cover, and alert response. The first three missions were generally ~fragged~ with alert “scrambled” with minimum notice. In all cases mission preparations was standard. Upon reaching the target area, contact with either the airborne or ground Forward Air Controller (FAC) was established to determine the location and description of the targets. When determined, the pilot would plan the attack vectors and proceed with weapons delivery. In most cases, weapons selection would be commanded by the pilot and selected and armed by the navigator/crewmember on each pass. A napalm pass would require low level approach at 300+ knots with weapons delivery initiated by a control wheel bomb release button. A bomb pass could be conducted by either a level pass at any selected altitude or a high angle, high speed dive (usually 20-350 dive angle at 300-350 knots). In most cases, the pilot would fire a short burst of machine gun fire to discourage any return fire. The gun sights were generally unreliable and usually augmented by grease pencil marks on the windscreen following the initial weapons pass.
The air cover mission consisted of flying over a truck convoy or train for 3-5 hours at 2-5000 feet altitude with an occasional low pass over the projected ground route/tracks. The cockpit, with no cooling, would become nearly unbearable with temperatures well above 1300 F.
The alert mission would initiate from a crew scramble from a trailer at any hour of the day or night to relieve forces in contact. (this mission covered only the southern/flat portions of Vietnam) as most of the country geography was too rugged for safe operation after dark. The crew would lunch, proceed to the target area, pick up any visual clues, i.e. fire arrows, establish any ground contact and attempt to disrupt any ongoing enemy attacks, occasionally upported by a C-123 or C-47 flare aircraft. Otherwise, the most effective tactic was to release one napalm to establish a visible ground reference.
Crew:
- 1/Lt. Andrew W. Biancur, Pilot
- 2/Lt. Wells T. Jackson, Navigator