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The Thunderchief
When the Air War against North Vietnam began in earnest on March 2, 1965, the United States Air Force (USAF) had an aircraft in its inventory with the load-carrying capability it needed – Republic Aviation Corporation’s F-105D/F Thunderchief (dubbed the “Thud” by her aircrews). Thanks to the Kennedy administration’s decision in the early 1960s to shift the USAF’s focus to a more conventional warfare role, the F-105 had gone through several modifications, enabling it to fly this mission.
In addition, two major modification programs had enhanced its safety and brought all in-service F-105Ds to the baseline configuration of D#357. However, this did not mean that the aircraft would not have to be modified more to carry out its combat mission in Southeast Asia. The increasingly sophisticated North Vietnamese air and ground defenses proved this to be of utmost necessity for survival. According to Sacramento Air Material Area, the modifications it accomplished on the Thunderchief in 1965–69 period made the F-105 “one of the best weapons, if not the best, for its assignment in Southeast Asia.”
26 Mk-82 500lb or 16 M-1 17 750lb bombs
According to Theo van Geffen and Gerald Arruda’s book Republic F-105 Thunderchief: Operations in Southeast Asia, it is possible to configure the Thunderchief with 26 Mk-82 500lb or 16 M-1 17 750lb bombs. There was a big disadvantage though, as the combat range was limited greatly without external fuel tanks. Of course, air refueling was a possibility, but the risk or losing KC-135s while refueling F-105s on combat missions over North Vietnam was not a preferable option. Did this mean no combat missions were flown in SEA by F-105s configured with a maximum bomb load? There were, and the 563rd TFS had the “honor.
The Squadron, as the first 23rd TFW unit, deployed to Takhli on April 8, 1965, as Two Buck Five, with 18 F-105s, 35 officers and 315 enlisted personnel. In the afternoon of June 25, it was directed to deploy six F-105Ds to Tan Son Nhut near Saigon for a “special mission.” The aircraft, four primary and two spares, of D, Delta Flight arrived later that day in darkness, followed by two more pilots and maintenance/support personnel and equipment, including extra Multiple Ejector Racks (MERs), in a C-130. After arrival, the aircraft were parked on a taxiway as there were no hardstands. The base also hosted a squadron of F-100D/Fs from Cannon, the 48 1st TFS.
F-105 max-load combat mission
One of the deploying 563rd pilots was Capt Al Logan, who was the Squadron weapons officer. Logan recalled:
‘The next morning we flew a flight of four up to northern South Vietnam, configured with eight M-117s each, where we worked with a FAC. The other two pilots flew a similar afternoon mission. In the meantime, the four primary aircraft were loaded for the max load go next day, with MERs replacing the 450 tanks on the inboards.
‘After the intelligence/target briefing, I briefed the flight about tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as sight settings, etc. I specifically briefed to hold the pickle button down long enough for all bombs to come off. There was no air refueling and no strafing runs were to be made after dropping the bombs. About mid-morning the four aircraft were launched. Arriving in the target area in the Iron Triangle, Mekong Delta, south of Saigon, the 0-1 FAC was contacted, who marked the Vietcong targets with smoke. After the strike he remarked he was impressed with the results. The mission lasted 35-40 minutes.’
Al Logan believed another mission with a normal bomb load was flown later that day, this time with all six aircraft involved. Everybody then returned to Takhli. On August 14, 1965, operational control was assumed by the 562nd TFS, which had deployed WPO, The next day, the 563rd initiated redeployment to McConnel, completing it on the 17th. The 563rd paid a heavy price, as it lost ten F-105Ds, with only four pilots being recovered.
Republic F-105 Thunderchief: Operations in Southeast Asia is published by Key Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
