|
Re: Col-Tomb toon
Geoff
Presumably Toperczer is quoting some official/semi-official Vietnamese source in this case.
I have no idea how crowded the sky actually was at each given time over NV, but being killed by friendly fire would not be the first time in history. Good point.
If anything goes like a red thread reading about US losses in the air, anywhere, at least since WW 2 is that if there is a fraction of chance to claim either AA-fire or (later) GAM missiles "did it", they do so.
Both Korea and Vietnam are prime examples of how the "chance/coincidence factor" had to be highlighted at all times, while any kind of planned skill from an enemy is downplayed to the maximum. For a top notch pilot, being at the wrong place at exactly the wrong moment (AA-fire/GAM strike) is acceptable, but being shot down in air combat is for some reason not.
The official US view seems to be "we-never-make-any-mistakes-like-that" rather than face different facts.
Cheers
Stig
|