Douglas A-1 Skyraider

Boasting a remarkably long and successful career, the Douglas Skyraider is an American single-seat attack aircraft that was in service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. Renowned for its low-speed manoeuvrability and its talent for carrying a large amount of ordinance over an extensive combat distance the Skyraider saw extensive use in the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, with some service also in the British Royal Navy and French Air Force, amongst others.

The Skyraider was designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company towards the end of the Second World War to meet US demands for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range and high-performance dive-torpedo bomber. Whilst its design and production did not allow for use during the Second World War, the Skyraider became the backbone of US efforts in the Korean War (1950-1953) and in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). By the end of the Douglas Skyraider’s production life, seven versions had been manufactured, with a total of 3,180 units built.

An aircraft wreck site located off the southern coast of Birżebbuġia can be identified as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, serial code 09236, that was piloted by Lt Robert HL Reeb. This Skyraider was one of four aircraft tasked with mail duties between the Ħal Far airfield and the aircraft carrier USS Midway. The aircraft carrier was commissioned a week after the end of the Second World War and was the largest ship in the world until 1955. In October 1947, the USS Midway was on her first annual deployment with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. In December 1947, Lt Reeb’s Skyraider suffered a total engine failure, only minutes after taking off from Ħal Far, and attempts at restarting the engine were not successful. The aircraft struck the sea at a slight angle with wheels and flaps up and at an estimated speed of 75 to 90 knots. The pilot left the cockpit and utilised the aircraft’s emergency dinghy. The Skyraider remained afloat for approximately a minute and a half, before sinking beneath the surface. Lt Reeb was rescued by a Sikorsky HO3S Dragonfly Helicopter, dispatched from the USS Midway, the first documented helicopter rescue in the Mediterranean.