Is a4 Skyhawk good?
The Skyhawk was cheap, reliable and effective, so the Navy and Marines ordered hundreds of them, with production eventually totaling at 2,500 in a wide variety of models. In the early 1960s, every U.S. Navy carrier had at least two attack squadrons of Skyhawks; the first nuclear supercarrier had four.
What was the purpose of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk?
Designed as a Navy shipboard attack airplane, the A-4 had the smallest possible airframe to assist stowage aboard carriers. By 1965, as the A-4E, the Skyhawk had become a highly capable warplane.
Who was the commander of the A-4 Skyhawks?
Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) would direct most operations assigned to the A-4 force in South Vietnam, plus bring in new squadrons as required. MAG-12 was commanded by Colonel Dean Macho, an energetic and resourceful officer who usually led from the front. Macho would fly numerous A-4 strike missions.
Where did the Marine A-4 Skyhawks fly in Vietnam?
That December, the VMA-121 Green Knights became the seventh and last Marine A-4 unit to fly Vietnam combat missions. This squadron had been the first to deploy Marine Skyhawks over Southeast Asia when it operated briefly from Ubon, Thailand, in 1962 to help thwart a possible anti-government coup.
When did the Marine Corps start using the A-4E Skyhawk?
By 1965, as the A-4E, the Skyhawk had become a highly capable warplane. The A-4 had been flown by the Corps since 1957, but it had waited eight years to make its combat debut in the hands of Marine pilots. The A-4E was armed with two internal 20mm cannons and could carry additional guns in external pods.