#a4 skyhawk

[usafphantom2]

Pride of the Fleet Grumman and Mc Donald Douglas

@CcibChris via X

[sabotpetal]

A-4 Skyhawk

[redarmyscreaming]

Argentine A-4B Skyhawk with Avro Lincoln

[a-4skyhawk]

Douglas A-4S-1 Skyhawk trainer variant of Singapore Air Force

[trazodonedreamer]

A Douglas A-4 Skyhawk carrying a Mark 7 “Thor” tactical fission bomb. The Skyhawk used a method called “toss bombing” to lob the bomb in an arcing trajectory, so the aircraft could evade the blast effect when the bomb detonated.

[historicalfirearms]

The Sinking of HMS Ardent

The 21st May, 1982 HMS Ardent, a Type 21 Amazon-class frigate, was supporting Operation Sutton - the landing of troops at San Carlos Water. Ardent was bombarding the Argentine-held airstrip at Goose Green with naval gunfire when she was attacked by three waves of Argentine aircraft. 

HMS Ardent was on station in Falkland Sound when she came under air attack from Argentine A-4 Skyhawks and IAI Daggers. Armed with 1,000lb bombs, the Skyhawks attacked Ardent and another frigate, HMS Yarmouth, an older Type 12 frigate. Ardent’s Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile system failed to lock on to the attacking aircraft and they were able to score several hits on the frigate, destroying the Sea Cat launcher in the process. Ardent’s 4.5in gun proved ineffective against the attacking aircraft and in a desperate effort to defend the ship Lieutenant Commander John Murray Sephton, commander of Ardent’s helicopter crew, organised the use of small arms, directing fire against the Skyhawks.

A final wave of Argentine Navy Skyhawks attacked at around 1500 hrs scoring two more direct hits, with 500lb bombs, on the stern of Ardent, and it was this wave that Lieutenant Commander Sephton and his men engaged with small arms in an attempt to defend the ship. Reportedly, Sephton stood on Ardent’s flight deck firing a Sterling L2A3 submachine gun at a Skyhawk as it flew overhead. The bomb that this aircraft dropped struck the flight deck, killing Sephton and three other members of the crew. For his actions Sephton was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Ardent’s captain, Commander Alan West, was also subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Able Seaman John Dillon was awarded the George Medal for rescuing a wounded shipmate, despite his own wounds.

Ardent was heavily damaged, on fire, listing and not answering to helm it was decided to abandon ship and the surviving crew were evacuated aboard Yarmouth before she sank the next day.

Sources:

Image Sources: 1 2

Lt.Cmdr. Sephton’s DSC citation, London Gazette, (source)

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[hariesautomoto]

A-4 Skyhawk by HariesAutoMoto

[usafphantom2]

Iwakuni Air Base Yokota Air Base

A-4M VMA − 331 VL-16 160257,

VL-6 160256 Iwakuni base deployment period,

December 1980 to May 1981.

@headdancer7 via X