Douglas A4D-2 <i>Skyhawk</i>s of U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy attack squadrons on the aircraft carrier USS <i>Coral Sea</i> (CVA-43) in 1960/61. Carrier Air Group 15 (CVG-15) aboard the <i>Coral Sea</i> had four <i>Skyhawk</i> squadrons assigned for a deployment to the Western Pacific from 19 September 1960 to 27 May 1961. Two additional Marine Corps squadrons were assigned, VMA-121 <i>Green Knights</i>, and VMA-324 <i>Vagabonds</i>. Both squadrons did not adopt CVG-15's tail code "NL", but kept their own tail codes, "VK" (VMA-121) and "DX" (VMA-324). This picture shows five A4D-2s: Three from VMA-324 in the foreground, DX-616, DX-624 (BuNo 142873), and DX-626 (BuNo 142854); NL-502 (BuNo 145046) and NL-510 from VA-155 <i>Silver Foxes</i>. In the foreground, two Douglas A3D-2 <i>Skywarrior</i>s of heavy attack squadron VAH-2 <i>Royal Rampants</i> are partly visible, in the background is one of helicopter utility squadron HU-1 Det. D <i>Pacific Fleet Angels</i> Piasecki HUP-2 <i>Retriever</i> helicopters. The A4D-2 145046 was later sold to Singapore (converted to an A-4S).
Photographer: John Lyons, USN
circa 1960-1961
U.S. Navy sailor or employee <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.usscoralsea.net/images/jlrespot.jpg">[1]</a>