Operation Rolling Thunder
A strategic bombing campaign known as Operation Rolling Thunder, U.S. military
aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam from March 1965 to October
1968. This massive bombardment was meant to put military pressure on North
Vietnam’s Communist leaders and reduce their capacity to wage war against the
U.S.-supported government of South Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder marked the
first sustained American assault on North Vietnamese territory and represented a
major expansion of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
They believe that it boosted morale, contradictory to its initial intentions,
because of the rapid reconstruction efforts of the North Vietnamese. North
Vietnam, inevitably, built “bomb-proof” shelters and tunnels to protect its
citizens and transport supplies for the soldiers of North Vietnam. Over 500,000
North Vietnamese were employed to repair damaged roads, bridges, and railroads.
As a result, the flow of troops and supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam
doubled during Operation Thunder. All in all, Operation Thunder was a
costly project that did not return a significant profit to the United States as
projected.
aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam from March 1965 to October
1968. This massive bombardment was meant to put military pressure on North
Vietnam’s Communist leaders and reduce their capacity to wage war against the
U.S.-supported government of South Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder marked the
first sustained American assault on North Vietnamese territory and represented a
major expansion of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
They believe that it boosted morale, contradictory to its initial intentions,
because of the rapid reconstruction efforts of the North Vietnamese. North
Vietnam, inevitably, built “bomb-proof” shelters and tunnels to protect its
citizens and transport supplies for the soldiers of North Vietnam. Over 500,000
North Vietnamese were employed to repair damaged roads, bridges, and railroads.
As a result, the flow of troops and supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam
doubled during Operation Thunder. All in all, Operation Thunder was a
costly project that did not return a significant profit to the United States as
projected.