Salute!
@SAS, et al
The Vee definitely had problems at the end of Linebacker II, the "Twelve" Days of Christmas in 1972.
Flew three missions to Hanoi that battle and last one was a hoot. We had hit a wharehouse that alledgedly had missiles and apparently done good.
My last mission was a "sky puke" 28 or 29 December( aka Loran drop on the wing of a Double Ugly due to bad wx. Flight ahead of us tried visual and I have the audio of that goatrope). SA-2's were launched, but few guided and some went into a "chinese pinwheel" right after launch.
So our thots were they had used so many that they did not have enuf time to fully inspect and prep the new ones right from the crates. Worked for me, as I had seen one explode right in front of me just a few days before.
I would take all the
PR about the missiles with a pinch of salt, except the AIM-9L ( ask the Falkland Harrier folks and Israeli pilots about that).
Gums sends...