Crusader scribe Peter Mersky turns his talents to the F-8's Vietnam War stablemate, the A-4 Skyhawk, in this Osprey 'Combat Aircraft' volume, #69 in the series. For much of the war the 'Scooter' was THE light attack platform, 42 USN and USMC operating various A-4 models. The A-4 community compiled a combat record second to none but at a cost: over 170 pilots were killed in action or became POWs. This inspiring story is well told in this 2007 Osprey volume. Mersky's book reads like a who's who of the... more info
US Navy and Marine Corps A4 Skyhawk units of the Vietnam War:
The A4 was the backbone of the US Navy and Marine Corps' light strike force for much of the first half of the ten-year struggle in south-east Asia. However, the Skyhawk did not receive the press coverage in the latter conflict that the more glamorous F4 did. While Phantom II crews sporadically battled North Vietnamese Migs, A4 pilots hurled themselves daily at heavily defended targets up and down the southeast Asian peninsula, often paying a heavy price in lives and aircraft. Flying into vast thickets os... more info
Officially endorsed:
There were high hopes for the latest in the Osprey Combat Aircraft series (#69). High enough that our board of directors allowed the official seal of the Skyhawk Association to be used on the front cover. The hopes were met. Peter Mersky wrote an outstanding book that will be on the must-have list of all A-4 fans. While longish, US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Units of the Vietnam War, the title accurately describes the contents.
As Mersky says in the introduction, "Although other books on the A-4 have... more info
Scooters, Tinks, and Hot Rods:
The full story of the A-4 Skyhawk remains to be told, partly because "Heinemann's Hotrod" remains flying throughout the world. But for a handy reference of the "Scooter's" primary combat use, this latest entry in Osprey's series will be around for years. As depressing as Vietnam War history can be, Mersky avoids lapsing into a litany of almost daily losses for little military benefit. While losses were heavy (more A-4s were shot down than any naval type), he places Navy and Marine Corps operations in... more info
