Combat Sky Spot
KE 36215 – During Combat Sky
Spot Mission U.S. Air Force F-105s of the 34th Tactical Fighter
Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, drop 750-pound bombs on a
target in Southeast Asia. December
1968. (Photo by MSgt Roman G. Contos, USAF) US Air
Force Photo
The 388th was flying
out of Korat RTAFB at that time. I’m
not sure why they are flying a radar-directed strike on such a clear day. You
can see that each aircraft has just dropped six 750-pound-bombs, which
normally were carried on a centerline rack.
A Combat Sky Spot allowed American aircraft to level-bomb from above
overcasts or above the effective range of some antiaircraft weapons.
However, you can see from the separation of the aircraft that the bombs
are going to cluster around four distinct points.
Flying a tight formation would put all 24 explosions much closer
together.
I believe such Combat Sky Spots
were directed from various radar sites in Thailand and South Vietnam and Lima
Site 85 in Laos.
