The mention of the A-7 in another thread brought a memory of one of the aircraft during the Vietnam War that I have always liked. The A-7 Corsair II. Robert
"A-7s in Service
By the time the A-7 was retired it had seen an enormous amount of combat, especially in Vietnam. The aircraft's first combat action came only two years and three months after the Corsair II's first flight – an achievement that puts most other aircraft manufacturers to shame! The first operational A-7A fleet squadron was VA-147, which was commissioned on 1 February 1967 and embarked on its first combat cruise aboard the USS Ranger on 4 November 1967. A-7As flew their first combat mission in Vietnam on 4 December when they attacked communication lines near Vinh in North Vietnam.
The USS Ranger was diverted to the Sea of Japan in response to the North Korean seizure of the USS Pueblo, but after tensions between North Korea and the United States cooled off, the ship returned to Vietnam where VA-147's A-7s participated in CAS missions during the Khe Sanh operation. During the Vietnam War, A-7A squadrons made a total of 17 cruises to Southeast Asia. In total, 22 A-7As were lost in combat, of which 13 were lost over Vietnam and nine over Laos. 15 were lost to anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), four to surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and three to unidentified causes. Another 20 were lost in various accidents in the Gulf of Tonkin.
A-7Bs were first delivered to VA-146 and VA-125 in late 1968 and deployed aboard the USS Enterprise on 6 January 1969 bound for the Gulf of Tonkin. They entered combat in Vietnam with VA-146 and VA-125 on 4 March 1969. No aircraft were lost in combat, but one was lost in an accident. VA-25 and VA-87 also received A-7Bs and deployed aboard the USS Ticonderoga in March 1969. In total, A-7Bs went through 15 war cruises to the Gulf of Tonkin, with 11 aircraft lost in combat and another 12 due to accidents. AAA claimed seven aircraft, a SAM claimed one and another three were lost to unknown causes. A-7B squadrons made 45 war cruises, the last being in 1977 aboard the USS John F Kennedy. After that they were assigned to Naval reserve units until January 1987 when they began to be retired.
Only two operational squadrons, VA-82 and VA-86, were equipped with the A-7C and they each made only one combat deployment to Vietnam aboard the USS America. Two peacetime deployments were made before these two squadrons converted to A-7Es.
The much more capable A-7E entered service in Southeast Asia in May 1970 with VA-146 and VA-147 aboard the USS America. Most air wings operating A-4 Skyhawks and early A-7 variants were re-equipped with the superior A-7E. A-7Es flew many CAS missions over North and South Vietnam where their very reliable and accurate bombing and navigation systems served them well. Nevertheless, 17 A-7Es were lost in combat. The A-7Es aircraft participated in a number of important operations, including the mining of Haiphong harbour in 1972 and in the Linebacker I and II operations that led to the formal end of the Vietnam War in January 1973.
After the war many Navy squadrons operated the A-7E up to the mid 1980s. However, F/A-18 Hornets slowly replaced A-7Es – transition to the Hornet began in 1987 and the last A-7Es were retired in the mid 1990s. The last A-7Es were withdrawn in November 1994.
The US Air Force first deployed their A-7Ds to Southeast Asia in mid-October and November 1972, when the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) sent 72 A-7Ds to Korat Royal Thai AFB in Thailand under the codename Constant Guard VI. For the next 10 weeks, the 354th TFW's 72 A-7Ds averaged 62 missions per day, amassing a total of 6 568 sorties in 16 819 combat flying hours. By the end of October the A-7D had taken over the close air support mission from the Douglas A-1E Skyraider. A-7Ds flew close air support, search and rescue and bombing missions over North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The aircraft were respected for their long range and endurance, weapons delivery accuracy and ability to fly at varying speeds. Pilots also favoured them for their reliability and low rate of attrition.
In total, A-7Ds flew 12 928 combat sorties including 5 796 strike missions, 542 search and rescue missions and 230 Linebacker II missions. Only four A-7Ds were lost in combat, including two during the Linebacker II operation. The last US air strike over Cambodia was made by an A-7D on 15 August 1973. After the end of the War, most A-7Ds were replaced in the early 1980s by A-10 Thunderbolt IIs in USAF front-line service, but continued to serve with the Air National Guard.
At the end of the war, Navy A-7s had been flown by 20 different squadrons from 10 different aircraft carriers and flew 52 combat deployments. The Navy flew a total of 49 200 combat sorties with A-7As and Cs, logging 208 795 combat flight hours and delivering 186 000 tons of ordnance against the enemy. Navy and Air Force Corsair IIs flew 90 180 sorties and lost only 54 A-7s to enemy action, resulting in one loss for every 1 670 sorties – a remarkable achievement. A-7Es, with their upgraded avionics and engines, achieved a loss rate reduction of almost 25% over that of earlier A-7s and achieved one of the lowest aircraft loss rates in Vietnam. Corsair IIs were popular with their pilots and this factor undoubtedly contributed to it."
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asks a painting service to handle a complicated commission: assembling four plastic kits, getting the magnets right, painting and applying decals.
. Robert
