Republic F-105D Thunderchief "Memphis Belle II"
The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak.
The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighter ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber. The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples.
Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.” Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers.
Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another mildly successful 1950s era design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.
As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.
If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes, unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before the MiGs could be engaged. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.
The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the USN’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally.
The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
One of the most famous F-105s, "Memphis Belle II" (60-0504) comes with quite the pedigree. Delivered to the 36th TFW at Bitburg, West Germany in 1964, it was transferred to the 355th TFW at Takhli, Thailand in 1967. It was assigned to Major Buddy Jones, who decided to honor the famous B-17 of World War II, and named 60-0504 "Memphis Belle II," complete with Petty Girl pinups. Jones might have been trying to get some good luck on his side: after all, the first "Memphis Belle" made it home.
If so, it worked: "Memphis Belle II" survived three years of combat over Southeast Asia, and became not only one of the few F-105s to score an aerial kill, it did so twice: first on 28 April 1967, and then two days later on 30 April, with Maj. Harry Higgins and Capt. Thomas Lesan, respectively.
In 1970, 60-0504 came home and was relegated to first the 127th TFS (Kansas ANG) and then the 121st TFS (DC ANG). In 1981, it was retired to the AMARG boneyard, but 0504's remarkable war record led to it being saved for the National Museum of the USAF. It was restored to its former glory and now sits in the Southeast Asia gallery as one of the best preserved F-105s left in the world.
60-0504 is displayed in standard USAF Southeast Asia camouflage, complete with pinups; like on many Thuds, the name is carried on the intake side. The two small medals on the nose are a Presidential Unit Citation and Distinguished Unit Citation, both awarded to the 355th TFW for its Vietnam service. Two small MiG kill stars can be seen above the medals. The M61A1 20mm cannon is displayed behind a clear plate, while "Belle II" is shown loaded with six Mk 82 500-pound bombs, two with "Daisy Cutter" fuse extenders underneath the aircraft, and two more on wing stations. (This combat load almost always indicated a mission to southern North Vietnam, Laos, or South Vietnam; if the aircraft was going to "Pak Six" and Hanoi, one or two ALQ-87 ECM pods were a necessity.) Various other F-105 armament is shown as well, including a Mk 117 750-pound bomb and Mk 83 1000-pound bomb.
Seeing "Memphis Belle II" in May 2017 was special to me: Dad had built a model of this aircraft for the Malmstrom AFB Museum (www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/25173601884/in/photoli...) and I wanted to see the real thing. Dad always wanted to see it as well, but he passed away in 2013 before we had a chance to get back to the NMUSAF. To see "Belle II" was a treat 40 years in the making.
Republic F-105D Thunderchief "Memphis Belle II"
The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak.
The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighter ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber. The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples.
Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.” Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers.
Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another mildly successful 1950s era design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.
As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.
If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes, unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before the MiGs could be engaged. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.
The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the USN’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally.
The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
One of the most famous F-105s, "Memphis Belle II" (60-0504) comes with quite the pedigree. Delivered to the 36th TFW at Bitburg, West Germany in 1964, it was transferred to the 355th TFW at Takhli, Thailand in 1967. It was assigned to Major Buddy Jones, who decided to honor the famous B-17 of World War II, and named 60-0504 "Memphis Belle II," complete with Petty Girl pinups. Jones might have been trying to get some good luck on his side: after all, the first "Memphis Belle" made it home.
If so, it worked: "Memphis Belle II" survived three years of combat over Southeast Asia, and became not only one of the few F-105s to score an aerial kill, it did so twice: first on 28 April 1967, and then two days later on 30 April, with Maj. Harry Higgins and Capt. Thomas Lesan, respectively.
In 1970, 60-0504 came home and was relegated to first the 127th TFS (Kansas ANG) and then the 121st TFS (DC ANG). In 1981, it was retired to the AMARG boneyard, but 0504's remarkable war record led to it being saved for the National Museum of the USAF. It was restored to its former glory and now sits in the Southeast Asia gallery as one of the best preserved F-105s left in the world.
60-0504 is displayed in standard USAF Southeast Asia camouflage, complete with pinups; like on many Thuds, the name is carried on the intake side. The two small medals on the nose are a Presidential Unit Citation and Distinguished Unit Citation, both awarded to the 355th TFW for its Vietnam service. Two small MiG kill stars can be seen above the medals. The M61A1 20mm cannon is displayed behind a clear plate, while "Belle II" is shown loaded with six Mk 82 500-pound bombs, two with "Daisy Cutter" fuse extenders underneath the aircraft, and two more on wing stations. (This combat load almost always indicated a mission to southern North Vietnam, Laos, or South Vietnam; if the aircraft was going to "Pak Six" and Hanoi, one or two ALQ-87 ECM pods were a necessity.) Various other F-105 armament is shown as well, including a Mk 117 750-pound bomb and Mk 83 1000-pound bomb.
Seeing "Memphis Belle II" in May 2017 was special to me: Dad had built a model of this aircraft for the Malmstrom AFB Museum (www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/25173601884/in/photoli...) and I wanted to see the real thing. Dad always wanted to see it as well, but he passed away in 2013 before we had a chance to get back to the NMUSAF. To see "Belle II" was a treat 40 years in the making.