US NAVY AND MARINE CORPS A-4 SKYHAWK UNITS OF THE VIETNAM WAR (Combat Aircraft No 69)

Peter Mersky

The A-4 was the backbone of the US Navy and Marine Corps' light strike force for much of the 1960s, and especially during the first half of the ten-yearstruggle in south-east Asia. However, the Skyhawk did not receive the press coverage in the latter conflict that the more glamorous F-4 did. While Phantom II crews sporadically battled North Vietnamese MiGs, A=4 pilots hurled themselves daily at heavily defended targets up and down the south-east Asian Peninsula, often paying a heavy price in lives and aircraft. Flying into vast thickets of anti-aircraft bursts mixed with huge surface-too-air missiles took great courage and skill, and to do so repeatedly during a carrier's tour of duty on the line bespoke a depth of dedication and character that can only be wondered at. Although other books on the Skyhawk have appeared over the years, they havve usually described the jet's overall career. This volume, however, focuses exclusively on the A-4's most intense period of action in Vietnam and Laos. 112 pages

*Comprehensive histories of fighting aircraft and their crews, highlighting their vital role in the development of warfare in the 20th and 21st centuries

*A unique source of information, researched by recognized experts and brought to life by first hand accounts from the combat veterans themselves

*Concise, authoritative text is supported by at least 30 original color profiles, specially commissioned scale drawings, and the best archival photography from around the world