Above Ten Thousand
EN

Did you know…

What brought down almost all the A-6s lost in their first Vietnam deployment?

Short answer

Over the course of the entire Vietnam War, not just the first deployment, the US Navy and Marine Corps lost 84 A-6s of various series, of which 56 fell to conventional ground fire and anti-aircraft artillery. Ten were shot down by surface-to-air missiles and two by MiGs.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What brought down almost all the A-6s lost in their first Vietnam deployment?
A-7s and A-6s on USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) flight deck 1969

Ground fire, the leading cause

A-6 Intruders entered combat during the Vietnam War, where they were used extensively against targets in Vietnam. Over the course of the conflict, the US Navy and Marine Corps lost a total of 84 A-6s of various series. Of those 84 Intruders lost to all causes, 56 were lost to conventional ground fire and anti-aircraft artillery, ten were shot down by surface-to-air missiles, two by MiGs, and sixteen were lost to operational causes.

The first loss, in July 1965

The first occurred on 14 July 1965, when a VA-75 Intruder operating from USS Independence, flown by Lieutenants Donald Boecker and Donald Eaton, began a dive on a target near Laos. An explosion beneath the starboard wing damaged the engine on that side, started a fire on the aircraft, and knocked out the hydraulic system.

Until January 1973

The last Intruder lost during the war belonged to squadron VA-35 and was flown by Lieutenants C. M. Graf and S. H. Hatfield from the carrier USS America; they were shot down by ground fire on 24 January 1973.

More questions