# Airborne evacuations where evacuating aircraft were under direct attack

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airborne-evacuations-where-evacuating-aircraft-were-under-direct-attack/949680>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airborne-evacuations-where-evacuating-aircraft-were-under-direct-attack/949680 "2021-08-28T17:00:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airborne-evacuations-where-evacuating-aircraft-were-under-direct-attack/949680/1 "2021-08-28T17:00:33Z")

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Speaking about civilian evacuations using either civilian/government/military aircraft.

Wondering if there’s been a civilian evacuation using aircraft in history where the aircraft came under constant direct attack. Stalingrad doesn’t count since it was almost entirely German combat troops, and the evacuations of Eastern Europe by Germany in 1944/45 were mainly boat lifts.

When I say direct attack I mean the aircraft regularly came under sustained anti-aircraft fire or fighter plane attacks or the airport was under direct assault at all times.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airborne-evacuations-where-evacuating-aircraft-were-under-direct-attack/949680/2 "2021-08-29T04:15:52Z")

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Would you consider the IDF raid on Entebbe qualifying for your question?

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**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airborne-evacuations-where-evacuating-aircraft-were-under-direct-attack/949680/3 "2021-08-30T15:52:19Z")

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Dien Bien Phu? It’s been a long time since I read about it. Was there an attempt to remove the civilian population as conditions deteriorated? The planes the French had were certainly under attack.