|
Squadrons
Debriefing
Photos
242's PX
Causalities
Do You Remember
|
|
During the twenty-nine years that the A6 Intruder served with the Marine Corps
it was assigned to seven squadrons: VMA (AW) 242, 533, 224, 225, 121, 332 and
VMAT(AW) 202. Of those squardons, 242, 533, 225 and 224 served in combat during
the Vietnam era.
During the Vietnam era the Marine Corps lost eighteen Intruders to both
combat and non-combat actions.
Three Marine Intruder pilots received the Navy Cross during the Vietnam era:
Major Fred Cone, Lt. Col. Lou Abrams and Major Ken Bateman.
Marine Intruder squadrons spanned a twenty-nine year period beginning in 1964
with VMA(AW)-242 and ending in 1993 with VMA(AW) 332. A6 Intruder variants
included both A6A and A6E models. The Marine A6's served with three Marine Air
Wings, four Marine Air Groups and supplemented several Navy Air Wings on various
career deployments.
VMA (aw) 242 flew 15,000 sorties. That represented an average of 12.5 sorties
per day during the forty month of Vietnam combat operations spanning a period of
November 1, 1966 through September 15, 1970
During the Vietnam era the United States Marine Corps deployed: 8- A4 Skyhawk
squadrons, 4- A6 Intruder squadrons (one carrier deployment), 12- F4 Phantom
squadrons (one carried deployment), 4- F8 Crusader squadrons, 1-RF4 Photo
Phantom, RF8 Photo Crusader, EF10 Skyknight, EA6A Intruder Composite
Reconnaissance squadron and one EA6 Intruder Detachment, 4- CH53 Sea Stallion
Heavy Helicopter squadrons, 20- CH34/CH46 Sea Knight Medium Helicopter
squadrons, 2- UH1 Huey Light Helicopter squadrons, 3- AH1 Cobra Attack
Helicopter squadrons, 4- O-1Bird Dog/OV10 Bronco, 1- KC130 Hercules and 2- Hawk
Light Anti-aircraft Missile squadrons.
Who was left at El Toro, Cherry Point, Santa Ana, New River and Beaufort?
Former VMA (aw) 242 B/N Lt. Col. Jim Andherst formed the first reserve EA6A
squadron at Whidbey Island with aircraft that had been placed in war reserve in
the Arizona desert.
VMA (aw) 242 Batmen were not always represented by the little black bat. When
242 was flying TBM's during WWII as VMTB 242 the squadron patch was a Bugs Bunny
character riding on a torpedo.
VMA (aw) 242 took twelve aircraft across the Pacific to Vietnam in October 1967.
Those were:
DT 1 152601 Combat loss October 1967
DT 2 152590
DT 3 152603 On permanent display in Richmond, IN
DT 4 152604
DT 5 152591 Non combat loss due to refueling fire. Replaced by 151796
DT 6 152606
DT 7 152607 War reserve at Davis-Mothan AFB
DT 8 152608 Collided with an Air Force C 141 on the runway at Da Nang in April
1967. Replaced by 152588
DT 9 152609 Combat loss April 1967. Replaced by 151795
DT 10 152610 Converted to KA6D
DT 11 152611 Part of the Intruder Reef off the coast of Florida
DT 12 152612 Combat loss November 1967
The original DT 2 (152602) and DT 5
(152605) were lost in a mid air collision over Virginia prior to deployment to
Vietnam.
A North Vietnamese "porter" on the Ho Chi Minh Trail could move up to
500 pounds of supplies using a transport bicycle. (Vietnam Magazine). One
fully load A6A with 32 500 pounders might get him.
In the summer of 1977 VMA (aw) 242 was the last squadron in the Marine Corps
to transition from the A-6A to the newer A-6E. Then, on 29 November 1977, Capt.
Charlie Bolden and 1st Lt Bill Bykes flew the last operational fleet A-6A, BuNo
155682, from El Toro CA to NAS Alameda, CA. (This NATOP info was reported by
LTCOL Williams Dykes.)
the call signs for the various A6 Squadrons. They were:
VMA (aw) 121
VMA (aw) 202 - Chain
VMA (aw) 224 - Bengal
VMA (aw) 242 - Walnut Hill
VMA (aw) 332 - Attic
VMA (aw) 533 - Armourplate
VMAQ 2 - Reach
VMAQ 2 Det aboard the USS Midway - Whale
MAG-11 - Ringneck
VMA (aw) 242 and 225 missions over Laos - Manual
(Compliments of Colonel Jim Henshaw, USMC-ret)
|
