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VA-104 Hell's Archers: the US Navy attack squadron that served seven Cold War years

AI-generated. This briefing was written by an AI model from published sources and was not reviewed by a person before publication. Check the original sources before relying on it.

Published: October 5, 2026
1 source
Updated: October 6, 2026 (1w ago)
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First reported by: Vintage Aviation News
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United States NavyAttack Squadron 104 (VA-104) Hell's ArchersCarrier Air Group 10Chance VoughtDouglas Aircraft CompanyNaval Air Station Cecil FieldUSS Forrestal (CVA-59)USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)USS Leyte (CVS-32)
In brief

A new squadron history recounts how US Navy Attack Squadron 104, nicknamed Hell's Archers, flew Corsairs and Skyraiders on Cold War cruises before being disestablished in March 1959.

Sources disagree

Factual claims where reporting sources diverge. Treat with care until confirmed by the primary investigator or regulator.

  • Date the squadron received the Douglas AD-6 Skyraider: January 1954 versus the December 1953 redesignation.
    Vintage Aviation NewsGrokipedia
  • Squadron nickname: Hell's Archers versus Hell's Angels.
    Vintage Aviation NewsWikipediaWikidata
  • Precision of the redesignation date: December 1953 versus 4 December 1953.
    Vintage Aviation NewsWikipediaseaforces.org

Attack Squadron 104, the United States Navy unit known as Hell's Archers, is the subject of a squadron history published by Vintage Aviation News on 5 October 2026 that follows the unit from its formation as a fighter squadron in the spring of 1952 to its disestablishment on 31 March 1959. The feature is built on the public-domain lineage record of Navy naval aviation and on period photography, and it places the squadron's short career inside the early Cold War, when the service was converting from piston-engine aircraft to jets and carriers were increasingly used to answer overseas crises…

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