Operation Linebacker II

Operation Linebacker II was a U.S. military bombing campaign in December 1972 during the Vietnam War, aimed at pressuring North Vietnam to negotiate an end to the conflict. Also called the "Christmas Bombing," it involved heavy, targeted airstrikes on key North Vietnamese infrastructure and military sites in Hanoi and Haiphong. The operation used advanced B-52 bombers and was one of the most intense bombing campaigns of the war, intended to weaken North Vietnam's ability to continue fighting and compel them to return to peace negotiations. It lasted 11 days and caused significant destruction and casualties.