During the Vietnam War, there were several cases of napalm canisters igniting prematurely, causing damage to USMC F-4 Phantom II aircraft.
Between May 1965 and early 1973, eleven US Marine Corps squadrons operated F-4 Phantom II aircraft throughout Southeast Asia. While one squadron conducted carrier-based operations that included a successful engagement with MiG fighters, the majority of missions launched from terrestrial airfields at Da Nang and Chu Lai in South Vietnam, as well as Nom Phong in Thailand.
As noted by Peter E. Davies in his book, US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War, these aircraft were outfitted with a growing variety of armaments instead of the air-to-air missiles that made up the original F-4 weaponry. Some toted 24 500-lb bombs, and others strafed with up to three 20 mm gun pods, while most flew daily sorties delivering Snakeye bombs, big Zuni rockets, and napalm.
The main image in this article indicates that on February 8, 1970, during a standard low-altitude napalm delivery, Mal J. B. Leonard and 1Lt J. C. Coon of VMFA-314 struck North Vietnamese Army forces near Duc Pho, situated close to Route 1A and approximately 40 miles southeast of Chu Lai. During one pass, a napalm canister under the jet’s port wing suddenly started to burn, possibly because of a hit on its magnesium igniter by the 0.50-cal AAA batteries or small-arms fire in the area. When the port wing of the crew’s F-4B-11-MC (BuNo 149467) caught fire, Maj. Leonard coaxed the aircraft out over the coast, and the crew ejected 25 miles southeast of Da Nang. They were quickly rescued by helicopter, having suffered only minor injuries in the ejection process.
There were multiple instances of napalm canisters igniting unexpectedly, resulting in harm to aircraft. Indeed, in February 1970, another F-4B from VMFA-314 was shot down due to its own napalm explosion when Mk 77 tanks caught fire on the plane, likely triggered by gunfire impacting the fuses.
Nonetheless, the weapon was greatly esteemed for its role as a deterrent against adversarial forces close to Marines on the ground. However, the low-altitude delivery needed for precise targeting exposed the crew to a higher risk of enemy ground fire compared to a bombing run conducted at a greater altitude.
US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Image: Gareth Hector via Osprey
