9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive Summary of the Thud at War!, June 8, 2010
This review is from: F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
From 1965 to 1968, Republic Aircraft's sleek F-105 was the main USAF strike aircraft of the Vietnam War. Facing some of the most sophisticated air defenses in the world, the Thud drivers from units such as the 366th and 388th TFWs pounded North Vietnamese targets day after day in an air campaign doomed from the start by White House mismanagement. By war's end, 397 F-105s had been lost, the highest losses on any USAF aircraft in the war. Peter Davies summarizes the war record of the F-105D and -105F crews who pitted their bravery and skill against Uncle Ho's MiGs, SAMs and AAA units in this 2010 Osprey 'Combat Aircraft' release, #54 in the series.
The F-105 had been designed for a tactical nuclear attack mission. Given the topsy-turvy world of Vietnam War politics, the Thud was loaded up with six 750-lb. bombs and mis-used as a strategic strike aircraft while the strategic B-52s leveled forests in tactical strike ops. Over North Vietnam, the F-105's glass jaw - a highly vulnerable hydraulic system - was revealed, a flaw that cost the Thud units dearly. Aside from bombing missions, the Thud was also later utilized in anti-SAM Iron Hand ops. And the needle-nosed warbird also downed 27 MiGs to boot.
After a short history of the F-105's development, Davies details its introduction to combat in late 1964/early 1965 via TDYs by units like the 18th TFW, 23rd TFW, etc. The main players - the 366th and 388th TFWs - soon took up shop at Takhli and Korat RTAFBs respectively and went to war. The learning curve of the Thud - and all US air units - over North Vietnam was a painful one and not aided by the White House dictating mission routes, attack formations and bomb-loads! The chapters on 'Rolling Thunder' and 'Strikes and Losses' paint a grim picture of the results. Davies also recounts the MiG battles fought by Thud crews and, lastly, the even more-dangerous Iron Hand/Wild Weasel missions flown by two-seater F-105F crews. Comments from Jack Broughton and a number of other F-105 drivers enliven the text. I wish Osprey had added a few more pages to include more comments from those other Thud drivers along with a list of F-105 MiG killers, etc.
F-105 THUNDERCHIEF UNITS OF THE VIETNAM WAR features a nice selection of b&w and color photographs of aircraft, crews, weapons, etc. and nine pages of Jim Laurier's always excellent color profiles. The cover by Gareth Hector is a stunning piece of artwork.
As a short, comprehensive and well-illustrated history of the F-105 at war, Peter Davies' book is hard to beat. It's a good read and a fine tribute to some brave airmen! recommended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent F-105 Combat History, April 5, 2010
This review is from: F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
Osprey's new F-105 Combat History book does full justice to the men and machines and the god awful Washington direction of the air war in SEA with the 105. The airplane was a tremendous asset and did a job it was never designed for with many pilots and WSO's oweing their lives to it's ability to substain heavy damage and still get them RTB or at least far enough to eject with a pick up possible. The staggering loss rate only shows the quanity of AAA,SAM, and MiG defences they had to fly into. The restrictions placed on targets and weapons allowed by the DC "Planners" and 7th AF border on criminal action in time of war. The books points this out many times. The profiles are useful for model builders to a degree but should always include a top view for this purpose also. Over all another fine book from the publisher.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Workhorse aircraft in Vietnam, January 1, 2011
This review is from: F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
The F-105 Thunderchief was a stalwart in the air arm during the Vietnamese War (the aircraft was referred to derisively and by some of its supporters as the "Thud"). While its design began in 1953, it was not until years later that it was deployed. It was a workhorse in the Vietnamese War (page 6), "having completed 20,000 missions and suffered 330 losses to the most concentrated air defences ever experienced."
This volume, one among a number in Osprey's "Combat Aircraft" series, examines the development of this airplane, its problems (early on, there were a number), its modification, and its service during wartime. The discusion considers its role in Laos, the massive "Rolling Thunder" campaign, its fights with Migs, and the evolution of a small number of the F-105s into "Wild Weasels," designed to take out radar. The aircraft was asked to do things that it was not really designed for, but it did its job effectively.
A good solid work on a workhorse airplane from the Vietnamese War.
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