Republic F-105 Thunderchief - Target North Việt Nam

Added: Nov 23, 2008

From: cyberarmy007

Duration: 3:54

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War. Originally designed and deployed as a single seat aircraft, a two-seat Wild Weasel version was later developed for use in the specialized Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses(SEAD) role against surface-to-air missile sites. It was commonly known as the "Thud" by its crews.In spite of a troubled early service life, the F-105 became the dominant attack aircraft during the Vietnam War.The first strike mission took place on 13 January 1965 with the destruction of the Ben Ken bridge in Laos. Following the start of Operation Rolling Thunder on 1 March 1965, a large number of F-105Ds were deployed in Royal Thai Air Force Bases at Khorat and Takhli. On 2 August 1967, F-105Ds from 335th and 338th Tactical Fighter Squadrons made the first of many successful raids on the Paul Doumer bridge. While the planes were first deployed with their original natural metal finish, they soon adopted the distinctive 2-green and tan Vietnam camouflage scheme which blended into the jungle landscape. On a typical combat mission into North Vietnam, the F-105D carried two 450 US gallon wing-mounted fuel tanks, a 390 US gallon fuel tank in the bomb bay, and five 1000 pound (454 kg) or six 750 pound (340 kg) bombs, and required inflight refueling both going to and sometimes returning from Hanoi 700 miles (1125 km) distant. USAF F-105s demonstrated the effectiveness of guns, and were credited with downing 27 enemy aircraft. All victories were against MiG-17s -- 24 were shot down with cannon fire, and three with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.Two Wild Weasel pilots received the Medal of Honor:* USAF Captain Merlyn H. Dethlefsen was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Kevin "Mike" Gilroy the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 10 March 1967, flying F-105F 63-8352. After their aircraft was damaged by ground fire, Dethlefsen and Gilroy elected to stay in the skies above the steel works at Thai Nguyen until the SAM site was found and destroyed.* USAF Captain Leo K. Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Harold Johnson the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 19 April 1967, flying F-105F 63-8301. Thorsness and Johnson protected an attempted rescue of another Wild Weasel crew that had been shot down, in the process destroying two MiG-17s. After running out of ammunition, Thorsness and Johnson continued to act as decoys to draw the MiGs away from the rescue aircraft.The Thunderchief was rapidly withdrawn from USAF service after the end of the Vietnam War. Only 833 F-105 Thunderchiefs had been built, the F-105 was by military standards almost no longer combat-effective. Some aircraft remained in service in the 1970s and 1980s with Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units, but their extended wartime service meant that many F-105s had already reached or exceeded their service lives by the mid-1970s. The F-105 Thunderchief was officially retired on 25 February 1984.

Channel: Autos

Tags: air  chí  chủ  cộng  dân  force  hanoi  hà  hòa  hồ  minh  nam  nội  us  usaf  vietnam  việt 

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