General Doubts Red Chinese Would Bomb South Viet

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-04859A.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-04859A

Title

General Doubts Red Chinese Would Bomb South Viet

Description

Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about Maj. General Moore's insistance that the Chinese will not bomb South Vietnam, page 12

Transcript

--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
General Doubts Red Chinese
Would Try to Bomb South Viet
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON
Chinese Communist air-
craft that could fly as far
south as Saigon would have
had a limited bombing ca-
pacity, according to a high-
ranking United States Air
Force officer.
The Chinese (Commu-
nists) have alreraft that can
fly as far south as Balgon."
sald Maj. Gen. Joseph H.
Moore, "but it would be a
serious question whether they
would undertake it."
Gen. Moore said the bomb-
Ing capacity of Chinese Com-
munist aircraft would be re-
duced because of the flying
distance between Balgon and
North Vietnamese or Chinese
bases. Baigon is about 800
miles south of Hanol, capital
of North Viet Nam, and 700
miles from a major Chinese
air base on
Communist
Hainan Island. He said North
Vietnamese aircraft are only
transports and trainers.
The 50-year-old Air Force
general, commander of the
24 Air Division based in
Balgon, controls all U. 8. Air
Force aircraft in both Bouth
Jets,
Viet Nam and Thailand. This identified tracks on radar
Includes propeller-driven air-screens have appeared, but
eraft used
in Viet Nam's
"each time
we get up there,
we find only friendly air-
counter-Insurgency war, F-100
photo-reconnaissance
craft."
and P-102 jet Interceptors
and B-57 jet fighter-bombers
brought in last week to pro-
vide air defense against Com-
munist aireraft which might
have retaliated against Amer-
ican bombings of North Viet
Nam. The U. 8. Navy air-
craft used in defending U. 8.
destroyers against attack and
In bombing North Viet Nam
are part of the 7th Fleet.
'HOW LONG?
Gen. Moore said he did not
know how long the American
jet
Jet Interceptors and
fighter-bombers rushed here
last week would remain in
Bouth Viet Nam.
"I don't know when they'll
consider the crisis past." Gen.
Moore said. "But the com-
mander in the field has to be
ready for any contingency."
He said that the frequent
"scrambling" of the newly-
arrived American Jet Inter-
ceptors and fighter-bombers
has been routine to keep pilots
In practice and to check the
aircraft. He said that un-
The unspecified number of
F-102 Delta Dagger jet inter-
ceptors and B-57 jet fighter-
bombers were sent to Bouth
Viet Nam last week to provide
aerial defense in case of
North Vietnamese or Chinese
Communist counterattack.
The 1954 Geneva agreements
ending the French Indo-
China War prohibits the bas-
ing of jet aircraft in either
North or Bouth Viet Nam,
but for the past year Amer-
ican photo reconnaissance
jets have been "transited" in
Baigon and in northern cities
of the Vietnamese republic,
PHASE III
Gen. Moore said the Geneva
agreements would rule out
use of the newly-arrived jets
In the counter-insurgency war
In Bouth Viet Nam. But he
said the Jets, if necessary.
would be useful in care the
Viet Cong guerrillas increased
the pace and intensity of their
war to the point of entering
the conventional warfare
stage called Phase III.
"It's nonsense to say that
Jets are too fast (for counter
guerrilla war)," Gen. Moore
said. "Jets can be flown as
slowly as prop planes and can
deliver their ordnance more
accurately. They provide &
firmer platform. And jets can
work at greater speeds when
they encounter heavier ground
fire.
"But as long as we have
no air opposition (in South
Viet Nam), we can fly any
thing-prop planes and re-
connaissance planes, which
are most useful here. They
fly from short felds and do
not need a lot of installa
tions."
Gen. Moore said the bulid-
up of American defensive Jet
aircraft
was fast and success-
ful
not only in Viet Nam, but
also in
Thailand. He said
there
are good communica
tions links and interlocking
radar nets between Viet Nam
and Thailand.
"Every time we have an
exercise, we learn lessons,"
Gen.
Moore said. "But there's
nothing to indicate & change
in our procedures. Movements
like this
are second nature
to
the units involved. They
are
used to making long
moves
on short notice."

Date

1964, Aug. 16

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--China; Moore, Joseph Harold, 1914-2006; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Aerial operations; Bombing, Aerial

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Container

B186

Format

newspaper clippings

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English