The North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong used the vast forests of South Vietnam as a shield, which American commanders wanted to strip away to destroy their troop formations, bases, supply depots, and training facilities within. As American involvement in the Vietnam War picked up in early 1965, American commanders began to focus on developing tactics, techniques, and procedures for destroying these forested areas using firebombing raids. The Boi Loi Woods lay just 25 miles northwest of Saigon and the Viet Cong used it as a basing and staging area. It was selected as the first target for a firebombing raid. Planners code-named the mission Operation Sherwood Forest.
The 320th Viet Cong Battalion, the 1st Battalion, 165A Viet Cong Regiment, and elements of the Viet Cong 271st and 273rd Regiments operated in the Boi Loi Woods. A French-owned rubber plantation area, it had extensive undergrowth that provided concealment for the Viet Cong. Flying C-123s modified to spray herbicide, Detachment 1, 315th Troop Carrier Group, dispersed 78,800 gallons of herbicide on the Boi Loi Woods from Jan. 22 to Feb. 18, 1965. American planners hoped the herbicide would kill and dry enough vegetation to create good fire conditions. To initiate the forest fire, B-52 bombers would drop M35 incendiary cluster bombs on March 3, 1965.
As planned, the B-52 bombers took off from Guam and
