The F-100F Wild Weasel
Following the introduction of the single-seat, supersonic F-100 fighter in 1954, the aircraft experienced a high rate of accidents, partly because pilots lacked experience flying the Super Sabre. To address this issue, North American developed the F-100F, a two-seat trainer variant specifically designed to help new pilots learn to operate the Super Sabre.
The F-100F preserved most of the F-100D’s combat functions, such as six underwing hardpoints for external stores, though it carried only two 20 mm cannons instead of four. North American finished delivering all 339 F-100F aircraft by 1959.
When F-100 squadrons were sent to Southeast Asia, they operated both single-seat and two-seat versions, with each used in conventional bombing runs to aid ground troops. As strategies changed, the two-seat F-100F took on a crucial role in the Wild Weasel mission, which was focused on targeting and suppressing surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites operated by North Vietnam.
According to Richard P. Hallion’s book Rolling Thunder 1965-68, on December 22, 1965, Captain Al Lamb (pilot) and Captain Jack Donovan (EWO) from the 6234th TFW’s Wild Weasel Detachment executed the first successful Wild Weasel mission that eliminated an SA-2 missile site. Piloting F-100F Super Sabre SN 58-1226, they led a group called Spruce Flight, which consisted of four F-105D Thunderchiefs from the 388th TFW. The pilots in this group were Captain Don Langwell (Spruce 1), Van Heywood (Spruce 2), Bob Bush (Spruce 3), and Art Brattkus (Spruce 4).
Wild Weasel’s First Kill
The mission began from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base at 9:00 AM local time to provide support for a Rolling Thunder strike on Yen Bai. After refueling while flying over Laos, the group headed northeast, then east, once they entered North Vietnamese airspace. The formation dropped from an altitude of 16,000 feet to just 300 feet. Leading the way was the F-100F, trailed by four F-105s flying in two pairs. These pairs maneuvered behind the slower F-100F to avoid overtaking it, maintaining a separation of 2,000 to 4,000 feet from each other and about the same distance behind the lead aircraft.
Donovan picked up the distinctive Fan Song radar signal from 100 miles out, with its intensity increasing as the F-100F approached. The flight descended over the DRV to 300 ft AGL, with the F-100F and F-105Ds using terrain masking to shield themselves. They then popped up from 300 to 1,300 ft to obtain direction-finding cuts, using those updates to edge closer. In the final portion of the flight, the Vector radar warning scope displayed strong strobes reaching 21/2 rings, indicating that the Far Song was operating at a high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and tracking the flight. Then, in the last seconds, it hit 3 rings, and the strobes started to curl at their ends, indicating extreme proximity.
“Wild Weasel sighted SAM site—destroyed same.”
Lamb and Donovan climbed to 2,500 feet and rolled the aircraft upside down, at which point Lamb identified the Fan Song radar van disguised as a village hut, along with “three long, white missiles” concealed beneath a thatched hut. Returning to normal flight, Lamb fired two pods of 2.75-inch rockets that fell short but then followed up with strafing from the F-100F’s 20 mm cannon, exploding one missile. The bright yellow-orange explosion pinpointed the location for the F-105Cs, which then attacked with their own rockets and strafing runs, destroying the site.
The team detected another Fan Song radar, but since they had no remaining weapons, they headed back to Korat at low altitude. Climbing to 5,000 feet over western North Vietnam, they later ascended again to 16,000 feet above Laos, where they refueled before returning to Korat. Upon landing, they sent a historic message to the Pentagon: “Wild Weasel sighted SAM site—destroyed same.”
Rolling Thunder 1965-68 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by U.S. Air Force
