212. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)1
1123—Telecon/Incoming—Dr Kissinger (WH)
HAK—What’s the situation?
JCS—Things went real well last night (daytime out there) and it looks like we might have about 48 hours more.2
HAK—How many sorties did you have up there?
JCS—They had over 200 strike plus support package and we only lost one aircraft which we’ll rescue the crew and that was a Navy one—no Air Force losses. They got down to the two key targets that we have been watching and took care of those.
HAK—Did they take care of the power station?
JCS—Yes, so we are going to kind of mop up on them tonight. So it went I thought exceedingly well during the night time (daytime out there) and I am really pleased with it and we are going right ahead and it looks like we might have another couple of good days, at least one more, and maybe two.
HAK—Did you have any big ones3 up there?
JCS—At night time there and they’ll be going again pretty soon (I won’t say when) but we are continuing that.
HAK—I know you cut that down.
JCS—That’s right for a sustained basis and I am just reviewing what has been done. We got some good BDA now.
HAK—Like what?
JCS—Several photographs which show that we have been very effective. I’ll hold these pictures for you but these are only for Monday4 as I don’t have photographs for the last ones.
[Page 797]HAK—When I get back Saturday5 morning maybe I can have those for me. The President is pretty disturbed about these military people “popping off” about no military targets and it’s all psychological. That’s the George Wilson story.6 You see it?
JCS—That’s right but we aren’t saying any such thing because, as a matter of fact, that is not the case and you will see what we are doing is all in the military category. I don’t know how you are going to control George Wilson about who he is talking about but these guys always are going to say things like that, Henry, and there isn’t any way you control those kind of reports. But last night was (Washington time) and daytime out there a most successful and good operation.
HAK—You are going to put another package of the big ones in there during our daytime?
JCS—Their nighttime, right, we’ll do that every day, of course.
HAK—Spread those across the country from now on?
JCS—That’s right and now we are going to start working on some of these prime LOC’s.
HAK—Exactly.
JCS—But I was very pleased with what happened last night.
HAK—Terrific, okay, I’ll report that, thank you, Tom.
JCS—I’ll be here all the time if you want to know anything.
HAK—Good, thank you.
- Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Top Secret.↩
- Moorer was referring to the daytime air strikes against North Vietnam on December 20, and not nighttime strikes in which B–52s had the leading role. Although the daytime strikes hit many of the same targets bombed at night, the aircraft taking part also focused on protecting other airplanes carrying out the daytime bombing mission and suppressing the missile sites in the Hanoi-Haiphong region to make the nighttime runs safer for the B–52s. On average, almost 50 daytime missions took place daily during the 11-day campaign. (Boyne, “Linebacker II,” p. 54)↩
- A reference to B–52s.↩
- December 18.↩
- December 23.↩
- Wilson’s article, “Officials Split on Bombing: Key Issue Is What U.S. Can Attain,” appeared on page A1 in The Washington Post that morning.↩