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Grumman AD-6 Skyraider 135370 of VA-115 ‘Arabs’ Modex 508 Tail code NH of Carrier Air Group /Wing Eleven CVG-11 / CVW-11) Curved color decoration on engine, wing and tail tips. Picture may date from 1958 and color decoration may be green. VA-115 was with CVG-11 / CVW-11 from 1958 to 1966 Picture including A-1H 135370 with VA-145 ‘Swordsmen’ as Modex 506: groups.yahoo.com/group/PropNavy/attachments/folder/169689... 137622 NK-512, 135370 NK-506 A-1H VA-145 no date 1967 picture of A-1H 135370: (look for picture with following words below, to view) www.gonavy.jp/bbs2-a1.html A-1H 135370/AH-505 CVA-34 Oriskany (Nov.15, 1967) det.H No.3227 1967 record for A-1H 135370: www.gonavy.jp/CVW16-AH1967.html A-1H 135370 VA-152 Modex 505 June 16 1967 to January 31 1968 CVA-34 USS Oriskany After horrendous losses from both a tragic onboard fire and combat over Vietnam. (information courtesy of Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval aviation historian) The eventual fate of A-1H 135370 is as yet unknown. A very similar pic to the above from the famous Bill Larkins portfolio dated 1957: www.flickr.com/photos/34076827@N00/4686679997

NOTE: All the 1957 Kearsarge aircraft have ATG-3 TAIL CODE of "NC"; not "AC"...

In Light Gull Gray and Insignia White scheme, Douglas AD-6 Skyraider 135294 of VA-196 'Main Battery' Modex 402 possibly at an open house NAS Alameda, 1958. Large decorative fuselage star emblem with number 1 in center of Air Task Group One. Tail code NA of Air Task Group One. Note timber stairway structure mounted around starboard front fuselage for visitors access to view or sit in cockpit. Equipped with the AD/A-1 Skyraider from 1950-1951, VA-196 was based in California, at Naval Air Station Alameda from 15 July 1948 to 1959, NAS Moffet Field, from 23 February 1959 and NAS Lemoore from February 1963 to May 1, 1966, before moving to NAS Oceana, Virginia to train up on the A-6A Intruder. Air Task Group One deployment record: www.gonavy.jp/CVG-ATG1f.html ATG-1 (NA) CVA-14 USS TICONDEROGA October 4, 1958 – February 16, 1959 (WestPac) Some Air Task Group One tabulated info & profiles: 178.83.198.61/wings/24-USNavy/ATG-001.htm Two representative pictures of VA-196 AD-6 Skyraiders: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A-1H_VA-196_in_flight_ove... Four Douglas AD-6 Skyraider (BuNo 134561, 134634, 135278, 135319) of VA-196 Main Battery in flight over Treasure Island and San Francisco, California (USA), circa 1958. VA-196 was assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) (tail code "NA") aboard USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) for a deployment to the Western Pacific from 4 October 1958 to 16 February 19 U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.2965 59. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A-1H_VA-196_NAN1-59.jpg U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News January 1959 There is reference in publication “US Navy A-1 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam War” that A-1H Skyraider 135294 was lost to ‘operational reasons’ in 1967: “Lt(jg) C M Dashiell's A-1H (BuNo 135294) developed an engine fire on 24 June 1967 and he was rescued after baling out over the Mediterranean.” This ‘GO!NAVY’ webpage record ties in with the final time the Skyraider went to the Mediterranean theater: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-ACf.html The last VA-176 cruise with the Douglas A-1H Skyraider was as part of CVW-3 (code AC) recorded as deploying aboard CVA-60 USS Saratoga for a 1967 Mediterranean Sea patrol from May 2 to December 6 1967. (Unfortunately as yet there’s no record of those aircraft assigned to the squadron) 8 June 1967: When Israeli forces deliberately attacked AGTR 5 USS Liberty during the Arab Israeli War, four VA-176 aircraft were launched from USS Saratoga and ordered to fly to the ship and defend it. Shortly after launch the aircraft were recalled when Israel apologized for the attack. So A-1H 135294 may have been lost when with VA-176 somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea on June 24 1967. VA-176 converted to the Grumman A-6A Intruder from 1968 on. There is reference that a picture of A-1H 135294 exists elsewhere but internet link does not yet have facility to display attachment: groups.yahoo.com/group/vinmilacus/messages/6413 “135294 NE-576 A-1H VA-25 USS Midway CV-41 near Vietnam late 1960s” This is interpreted as; A-1H 135294 VA-25 ‘Fist of the Fleet’ Modex 576, code NE of CVW-2 from CV-41 USS Midway pictured near Vietnam 1965…………………. A-1H 135294 as depicted in the ‘flickr’ pic was chosen as a subject for inclusion in a set of 1/48 scale model decals: modelingmadness.com/scotts/decals/super/ss48092.htm Superscale Decals 48-092 A-1 Skyraiders (note unfortunately decal serial for this aircraft is printed as ‘135284’ !)