The Audio file is the actual audio from the Operation Ivory Coast - Son Tay Prison Raid
Mission Overview, Rescue Attempt - The Son Tay Raid
On 21, November 1970, the United States conducted a joint-service operation to rescue American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Son Tay prison camp in North Vietnam. This daring operation, authorized by President Richard Nixon, was carried out with the intention of sending a message to the North Vietnamese government that the US was willing to go to great lengths to ensure the well-being of its soldiers.
Planning for the raid was extensive and involved over 100 aircraft and many support and planning personnel. The operation was a joint-service mission involving the Air Force, Army Special Forces, and Navy. The Air Force assault group, consisting of assault, attack, tanker, air defense suppression, and command and control aircraft, was responsible for flying the Army Special Forces troops to Son Tay under the cover of darkness, rescuing the POWs, and leaving. The Navy was tasked with creating a diversion by flying over Haiphong Harbor on the coast northeast of Hanoi and dropping flares to simulate an attack.
Intelligence analysts believed that as many as 55 prisoners were being held at the Son Tay prison camp, which was located only 23 miles west of Hanoi. The teams trained extensively at Eglin AFB, Florida, where they used a full-size mockup of the camp and a scale model on display in this exhibit.
On the night of the raid, six helicopters, two large support aircraft, and five small attack planes took off from Thailand. Navy carrier aircraft created a diversion over the Haiphong area. The raiders approached Son Tay at low level, arriving at about 2:18 a.m. The first helicopter over the camp destroyed guard towers and barracks with a hail of mini-gun fire. The next helicopter made a planned, controlled crash landing in the middle of the camp, and Green Berets piled out to rescue prisoners from their cells. A third helicopter landed outside the camp, firing on barracks and delivering more Army Green Berets. The fourth helicopter had mistakenly landed at a similar-looking compound nearby but recovered quickly by exchanging attack roles.
Unfortunately, the raiders found that the prison camp held no POWs. They reported "negative items" (no POWs) on the radio, boarded two helicopters and withdrew. As the force left North Vietnam, one Wild Weasel F-105 fighter was hit with a surface-to-air missile. Its crew ejected over Laos, and two of the returning Son Tay helicopters quickly rescued them.
Despite not rescuing any prisoners, the raid was considered a success. It forced North Vietnam to consolidate their prisoners in fewer locations, making communication and organization among the POWs easier. It also provided a much-needed morale boost for the POWs who felt that their country had not forgotten them. The Son Tay raid demonstrated the US's willingness and ability to carry out exceptional operations to ensure the well-being of its soldiers.
The Son Tay raid was one of the most complex and dangerous missions of the Southeast Asia War. It served as a model of organization, cooperation, and flexible execution and laid the groundwork for future joint forces operations.
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