Video: Dec. 20, 1972 (3:38)

(Monday, December 20, 1972; during Operation Linebacker II, part of the Vietnam War) — Four American B-52Gs and three B-52Ds were lost today in the first and third waves of “The Christmas Bombings” of the Hanoi area of North Vietnam. A fourth D model, returning to Thailand, crashed in Laos. Only two of the eight downed crews were recovered by search and rescue aircraft.

The repetitious nature of the previous evening’s strike profiles had allowed North Vietnamese air defense forces to anticipate strike patterns and to salvo 34 missiles into the target area.