Operation Bolo Maps

Ubon AB location in Thailand

Operation Bolo

Operation Bolo

While the F-105 fighter-bomber could hold its own over the skies of North Vietnam early in Operation Rolling Thunder, the introduction of the Russian-built MiG-21 advanced fighter changed the equation. These newer, faster MiGs proved to be an increasing threat to USAF F-105 bombing missions over the DRV during the last four months of 1966. By the end of 1966, MiG-21s had intercepted 192 US fighter-bombers, causing 107 to jettison their bomb loads. To counter this threat, the 8th TFW commander, Col. Robin Olds, developed a plan to send flights of the faster air-to-air F-4s armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles north in the same sorts of formations as the slower fighter-bombers and deceive the MiGs into believing they were F-105s, hoping to draw the MiGs into air-to-air combat.

Although marginal weather on the designated date of January 2, 1967, delayed the start of the mission, and only three flights of F-4s--twelve aircraft in all--reached the target area, the North Vietnamese MiGs took the bait. Initially slow to react, the MiG-21s finally began to attack what they thought were heavily laden F-105s. A furious 15-minute dogfight ensued before the MiGs broke off contact. All 28 F-4s returned safely to base, but the North Vietnamese lost seven MiG-21s, nearly half of their 16-plane inventory, to the American missiles. The MiGs retaliated by attacking an RF-4 reconnaissance aircraft, which led to another deception on January 6 when two F-4s flew close enough together to make a single blip on DRV radar. Bounced by four MiG-21s, the F-4s shot down two of these MiGs.

Although bad weather had prevented full execution of the plan, it achieved its primary objective of reducing US aerial losses over North Vietnam. With the small number of MiG-21s remaining, the DRV air Force had no choice but to stand down from operations for a three-month period.

Resources:

Web Site: Robin Olds, Mastermind of Operation Bolo

Web Site: 8th TFW Day-to-Day History, 1967

Web Site: Boyne, Bolo MiG Sweep