US Navy A-1 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam War

Description

Nicknamed the 'flying dump truck', the A-1 was a key component in naval air wings from the end of World War II into the 1960s, allowing the aircraft to play its part in the escalating conflict in Vietnam. Both A-1 attack and EA-1F airborne early warning aircraft saw action in Southeast Asia from 1960 through 1969, when the last examples were finally retired from carrier decks. The A-1s in particular bombed targets in both North and South Vietnam, despite the aircraft being highly vulnerable to enemy flak and fighters. Co-written by a two-tour Vietnam War combat veteran in the A-1, this is the first book that focuses exclusively on the aircraft's service in Vietnam.

Rick Burgess is a retired naval flight officer who served in two patrol squadrons flying P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. Burgess, a former editor of Naval Aviation News and the current managing editor of Sea Power magazine, is the editor of two books on naval aviation and the author of numerous articles on naval aviation history and organisation. Zip Rausa is a retired naval aviator who flew A-1 Skyraiders in two attack squadrons and completed two combat deployments in the Vietnam War. Rausa, a former editor of Naval Aviation News and current editor of Wings of Gold magazine, is the author of several books on naval aviation, including Skyraider: The Douglas A-1 'Flying Dumptruck. Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974-78, and since he graduated with honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.

"Overall, it is an excellent book on a subject that is both historically significant and fascinating to read. It is one I can highly recommend." --Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009) "Number 77 in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft' series, US Navy 1-2 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam War combines the skills of two former editors of Naval Aviation News, Richard R Burgess and Rosario M Rausa, the latter of whom had the personal experience of flying A-1s in two combat tours over Vietnam. All Navy units that served between 1960 through final withdrawal from the theater in 1969 are covered, with photos and color profiles to illustrate some of the striking markings with which the Spads went into battle. Firsthand accounts add a vital extra dimension to the narrative, including the occasional hair-raising encounters these lumbering but tough old birds had with surface-to-air missiles and MiG-17a -- two of which were shot down by Skyraiders in the course of the war." --Jon Guttman, Vietnam Magazine (August 2009) "Designed and built on a carrier-based attack aircraft, the A-1 never saw combat in World War II and eventually was viewed as dated. But it proved its worth during the Korean War and earned a reputation as a craft able to carry any weapon in the naval arsenal. This history comes packed with black and white photos and is a 'must' for any serious military collection." --California Bookwatch (June 2009)