Combat in the Sky: Airpower and the Defense of North Vietnam, 1965-1973 by Dong Sy Hu’ung
Combat in the Sky: Airpower and the Defense of North Vietnam, 1965-1973, Dong Sy Hu’ung, 2023, ISBN 9781612510279, 408 pp.
This book is different than most books read by users of this blog, but not all users, since the author is a former enemy of the United States and flew for the Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF)— i.e. North Vietnam’s air force—during the Vietnam War. Additionally, Hu’ng is an educated man and a former high ranking combat leader.
Hu’ng’s reality of the Vietnam Air War is perceived similarly and differently than those authors from the United States. He interestingly relates fighter interception strategy as it evolved throughout the war. Hu’ng reviewed many archives and log books to sort out wins and losses recorded by both sides to rectify the records (see the appendices). As an experienced combat aviator he markedly relates why combat reports cannot help but be in error no matter which side has done the reporting.
Hu’ng’s interpretation on Operation Bolo’s results seem separate from the reality of the United States Air Force (USAF). A setback versus a major victory. Hu’ng stipulates that VPAF fighters were grounded but does not consider it a defeat. The VPAF revised its tactics and got back in the game from his viewpoint. That the USAF was able to freely bomb for a significant period of time does not enter into his equation. War often does not make sense and asymmetric war even less so, it would appear.
A reality check though is when B-52 rear gunner shot down MiG fighters. Seemingly this did happen as there is evidence in witness reports from neighboring mission aircraft. Hu’ng states the archives present no such results so there was in fact no downing of MiG aircraft by B-52 gunners. Clearly one side is correct and the other not. The famed duel by the U.S. Navy’s Randy Cunningham also differs in description but understandably so.
The author’s description of fighter intercepts is riveting. MiG-21s, MiG-19s and MiG-17s are all represented in this book. They show how fighter direction between the VPAF and United States forces were starkly different. Notable differences lie with how much control within the cockpit the VPAF ground controllers had—directing when to drop tanks and even when to go into afterburner, for example.
His admiration and respect for fighter pilots of either air force is genuine and carries throughout the book. Being a translation from his native language the book is, naturally, dedicated to the combat pilots of the VPAF during the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War to Vietnam). Except where USAF and Vietnam archives may disagree the author writes objectively, the way a military author would write. A slight bias creeps in on occasion when a VPAF pilot “dies a heroic death” in a skillfully described combat by Hu’ng—yet no United States pilot killed in an aerial combat was described with the same respect. This bias is understandable and does not appear to obscure Hu’ng’s perspective, however.
Combat in the Sky: Airpower and the Defense of North Vietnam, 1965-1973 also has appendices which are informative—often comparing Vietnam data with Unites Sates data—as well as interesting to review. The index is also unusually specific. This book is original material and represented as honestly as can be had from the author. His perspective should be respected and recalled when interpreting events in the Vietnam Air War written by native English speakers—all to be enlighten to the psychology of asymmetric warfare.
Travel for Aircraft 