The Daisy Cutter, officially known as the BLU-82/B, was a
large conventional bomb used by the US military, primarily during the Vietnam War. It was designed to clear dense jungle vegetation and create immediate landing zones for helicopters and improve visibility for ground operations in challenging terrains.
The bomb weighed 15,000 pounds and contained a 12,600-pound explosive mixture. It was designed to detonate just above the ground, creating a powerful blast that cleared a large area (around 260-300 feet in diameter) while minimizing cratering.
Over 100 Daisy Cutters were used in Southeast Asia to create jungle landing zones, and on some occasions, they were also employed as anti-personnel weapons.
'I hope Lane’s book becomes a bestseller and turns
into a movie so a grateful nation today can honor
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My C130 instructor nav. Was the last navigator to call the drop on the blu 82. As part of the uss mayaguez rescue operation in Cambodia. My drop charts still had the specs for the blu- 82
ReplyDeleteDaisy cutters were another of those good ideas that looked good on paper but fell short in reality. They did blast a nice clearing that would accommodate one or two Hueys, but all of those trees that got blasted down had to go somewhere. They wound up forming a 30'-50' high abatis around the clearing that required considerable chainsaw work before the first troop could leave the LZ.
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