F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War
F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1849082553

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The combat history of the F-105 Thunderchief units during the Vietnam War, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the aircraft, and the difficulties it faced during many months of dangerous combat. Facing the most formidably concentrated air defences in history, pilots of the F-105D flew against North Vietnamese targets day after day during the 43 months of Operation Rolling Thunder. Despite its limited maneuverability and the lack of self-sealing fuel tanks, which made it susceptible to combat damage, the 'bombers' shot down 27 MiG fighters in 1966 – 67. This book illustrates the importance of the Thunderchief in the Rolling Thunder campaign, including the pioneering suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) methods developed by the F-105 'Wild Weasel' crews. Discussing the aircraft's strengths and weaknesses and using first-hand narratives, Peter Davies captures the essence of flying the 'Thud' against heavy defences, and describes the development of wartime tactics and the heroic accomplishments of a selection of its aircrew.

F-105 Thunderchief MiG Killers of the Vietnam War
F-105 Thunderchief MiG Killers of the Vietnam War

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-10-20

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1782008063

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An illustrated history of the F-105's success against MiGs, a relatively little-known aspect of the Vietnam War and a testament to the jet's versatility and the skill of the pilots involved. Despite its 'F-for-fighter' designation, the F-105 was designed and purchased to give the USAF an aircraft capable of the delivery of nuclear weapons at very high speed, long range and below-the-radar altitudes. However, when the Vietnam War began it also emerged as USAF's best available tactical bomber for a 'limited conventional' war as well. Extensively targeted by MiG-17s and MiG-21s the F-105 pilots developed innovative tactics that allowed them to compete in air-to-air duels with their smaller, more manoeuvrable enemies. Illustrated throughout with extensive photographs detailing weapon loads, internal features and action shots of actual engagements, this volume examines the conduct of the Rolling Thunder strike missions and the tactics used for attack and defence by the attack, escort fighter and radar monitoring elements within strike formations.

F-100 Super Sabre Units of the Vietnam War
F-100 Super Sabre Units of the Vietnam War

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1782006990

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Featuring first-hand accounts from the men flying it, and the men on the ground relying on it for protection, an illustrated history of the unique role played by this aircraft in the war in Vietnam, right up to its possible role in a tactical nuclear strike and as a mobile nuclear deterrent. The F-100 Super Sabre may have been superseded by the superior technology of the F-105 Thunderchief and the F-4 Phantom, but by the Vietnam War it remained in service. The Super Sabre was deployed as an air defence fighter, and was later given nuclear capability. The F-100's toughness, adaptability and reliability made it ideal for the incessant missions that were demanded by close support and counter-insurgency missions. 242 Super Sabres and 87 aircrew were lost during the war but their role, particularly in developing the tactics used for discovering and destroying SAM sites, was invaluable. This book describes some of the most important actions that the F-100 took part in, looks at the pilots who flew it and analyses the impact of the aircraft on the war.

Roll Call
Roll Call

Author: John M. Campbell

Publisher: Schiffer Military History

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9780764300622

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Information is included as to where each plane served, who flew it and the ultimate fate of each THUD. Contains photographs of different serial numbers, including the two F-105s that were flown on Medal of Honor missions.

US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk Units of the Vietnam War 1963–1973
US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk Units of the Vietnam War 1963–1973

Author: Peter Mersky

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1782006540

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The Skyhawk was involved in Vietnam from the very beginning, including the first offensive operations in 1963 into Laos, and the Pierce Arrow operations immediately following the Tonkin Gulf Incident of August 1964. Navy and Marine Corps A-4s quickly established a presence in south-east Asia participating in thousands of sorties against the entrenched communist forces in the South and the heavily defended targets in North Vietnam. A-4 pilots also struck targets along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, working with ground-based and airborne forward air controllers to interdict the flood of supplies to communist forces in the south. This book will include many first-hand accounts from the pilots who flew one of the greatest attack aircraft ever built and will provide an insightful account of some of the most thrilling aerial combats that took place during Vietnam.

F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War
F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 1782006982

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The combat history of the F-105 Thunderchief units during the Vietnam War, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the aircraft, and the difficulties it faced during many months of dangerous combat. Facing the most formidably concentrated air defences in history, pilots of the F-105D flew against North Vietnamese targets day after day during the 43 months of Operation Rolling Thunder. Despite its limited maneuverability and the lack of self-sealing fuel tanks, which made it susceptible to combat damage, the 'bombers' shot down 27 MiG fighters in 1966 – 67. This book illustrates the importance of the Thunderchief in the Rolling Thunder campaign, including the pioneering suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) methods developed by the F-105 'Wild Weasel' crews. Discussing the aircraft's strengths and weaknesses and using first-hand narratives, Peter Davies captures the essence of flying the 'Thud' against heavy defences, and describes the development of wartime tactics and the heroic accomplishments of a selection of its aircrew.

Thud Pilot
Thud Pilot

Author: Victor Vizcarra

Publisher:

Published: 2018-01-19

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781781556450

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Thud Pilot is the personal account of a combat fighter pilot who flew the Air Force's premier fighter-bomber in the most dangerous skies over North Vietnam. In the first five years of the Vietnam War, the F-105 Thunderchief conducted 75 percent of the Air Force bombing missions over North Vietnam. Thud Pilot tells the story of the courageous men who flew the F-105 from its earliest combat deployment in 1964, and on through 1966, the year of its heaviest losses. The author's more significant missions, including his ejection and rescue over North Vietnam are described in detail and are accompanied by map drawings depicting the mission routes from take-off to refueling orbits, the target, and return. The book is full of several 'firsts' in the expanding air war over North Vietnam, including 'Operation Spring High, ' the first counter Surface-to-Air-Missile (SAM) strike in the history of aerial warfare. The personal perspective from years of combat experience reveals just how the political mismanagement and inane Rules of Engagement made them as much the hunted as they were the hunters. Thud Pilot goes beyond the battle air space and shares the emotional impact on the families left behind.

A-6 Intruder Units of the Vietnam War
A-6 Intruder Units of the Vietnam War

Author: Rick Morgan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-12-20

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1849087563

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The complete story of A-6 combat operations during the Vietnam War, illustrated throughout. Designed in the years following the Korean War and then manufactured for over 30 years starting in 1960, the A-6 quickly became the most capable attack aircraft in the US Navy's stable. The first squadron, VA-75, made its initial deployment directly into combat in south-east Asia in 1965, and, over the next eight years, ten US Navy and four Marine Intruder squadrons would conduct combat operations throughout Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. After initial problems and a high loss rate, the type proved itself beyond all doubt as the Naval services' best night and foul-weather platform, particularly during the region's notorious monsoon season. The A-6 Intruder became a true classic of naval aviation over the skies of North Vietnam but the cost was high as 69 Intruders were lost in combat to all causes during the war. This work tells the complete story of these aircraft in combat during the Vietnam War.

F-104 Starfighter Units in Combat
F-104 Starfighter Units in Combat

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-11-20

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1780963157

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This richly-illustrated title covers the technical characteristics of the F-104 Starfighter, one of the most widely-used and popular aircraft in history. Although built in small numbers for the USAF, the F-104C fought and survived for almost three years in Vietnam. There, it was engaged in some of the war's most famous battles including the legendary operation Bolo, where seven North Vietnamese MiGs were destroyed without the loss of a single US fighter. This small, tough and very fast fighter, dubbed 'The Missile with a Man in It', was called upon to do things it was not specifically designed for, and did them admirably. Aside from its protracted use in Vietnam with the USAF, the F-104 also saw limited action with the Pakistani air force during the Indo-Pakistan wars in the 1960s and early 1970s, and with the Taiwanese air force in clashes with communist Chinese MiG-19s. Featuring illustrations and photographs detailing the variety of nose-paint schemes and weapons configurations, this comprehensive appraisal of the F-104 Starfighter is ideal for modelling and aviation enthusiasts alike.

MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War
MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War

Author: István Toperczer

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 1782006877

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Having honed their piloting skills on the subsonic MiG-17 and transonic MiG-19, the Vietnamese Peoples' Air Force (VPAF) received their first examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile equipped MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the USAF, Navy and Marine Corps crews striking at targets deep into communist territory. Most of the VPAF's 12+ aces scored their bulk of their kills in the MiG-21, which was then the best fighter produced by Russia's premier fast jet manufacturer, Mikoyan Gurevich. Well over 200 MiG-21s were supplied to the VPAF, and the numerous models and the schemes they wore are chronicled in great detail in this unique volume.