Above image demonstrates the "Snakeye" configuration. Let me give you some typical ordnance loads used by the Marine A4's at Chu Lai, RVN over the years. During my two tours there in 1965 and again in 1968 & 1969 the Marines operated both the A4C and the A4E, simutaneously. Both versions were single seat aircraft, the C having 3 ordnance stations and the E having 5. The two outboard wing stations on the E were weight restricted to 500 pounds of ordnance. Because the C was more constrained than the E; 3 vs 5 stations, the C squadrons almost always flew in flights of 4 with the ordnance loads mixed from aircraft to aircraft to provide the ordnance diversity necessary for the mission. All A4's routinely carried a single 300 gallon centerline fuel tank. In '65 when the SATS Field was in use, loads were restricted because we had to make JATO assisted take-offs, sometimes from as little as 2,000 feet of aluminium runway - no catapult available. Although the Bullpup missile was technically available in '65, to my knowledge, no one ever fired one. I personally had one mission into Cambodia in 1969 when I fired Bullpup missiles. Ordnance loads might resemble the following: A4C Flight in '65(Any 4 a/c could make up a flight) 1 - 6 Slick MK 82's 500lb bombs with Instant fuses, 3 on each wing. 2 - 12 MK 81's 250lb bombs with Instant fuses, 6 on each wing. 3 - 2 each 5" Zuni Rocket Packs of 4 Rockets each - 1 per wing. 4 - 2 each 19 shot 2.75" Rocket Packs - 1 per wing. 5 - 2 each 1,000lb Napalm Tanks - 1 per wing. 6 - 6 WWII type 500lb Fat Bombs with instant fuses, 3 on each wing. 7 - 2 each WWII type 1,000lb Fat Bombs. 8 - 1 each WWII type 2,000lb Fat Bomb. If the 'drop-zone' was close to the field, as many were in 1965, the 300 gal centerline would be downloaded and replaced with ordnance. For the C this meant bombs on the centerline with napalm or rocket pods on each wing. The 500lb napalm tank was not in use during 1965. The 1,000lb Napalm was generally out of use in '68-69 because of it's fusing problems. In 1965, when we had only 1,000lb Napalm, they too often dropped as duds because both the nose and tail fuses would pop out of the tank upon impact and make a pretty, but ineffective, smoke trail without igniting the napalm. We would then try to ignite the napalm with our 20mm cannons, but it rarely worked. The 500lb napalm tank was better and more reliable because it 'tumbled' in flight with a fuse on either end that would ignite the napalm upon impact with the ground. A4E Flight in '68-69(2 to 4 a/c flights) 1 - 12 each MK82 500lb Snake-Eye Retarded bombs inboard, 2 each 500lb Napalm outboard. 2 - 14 each MK81 250lb Slicks or Snakes, 2 each 500lb Napalm outboard. 3 - 4 each 500lb Napalm Tanks. 4 - 2 each MK4 20mm Gun Pods w. 4,000 Rounds of Ammo each. 5 - 2 each Rock-Eyes w. Anti-Personnel Cluster Bomblets. 6 - 4 each 5" Zuni Packs w. 4 Rockets . 8 - 2 each Bullpup Guided Missiles. 9 - A combination of MK81 or MK82 snakes inboard w. 5" Zuni's or 2.75" Rockets outboard. The only illumination flares I ever used in the A4 were the SUU-40's ejected from wing pods. From my experience, when the AGM-9 Bullpup was rarely used, it was carried alone without other ordnance although a popular A4E solid model distributed by Douglas Aircraft showed the A4E aircraft with a 300 gal centerline tank, 12 MK 82's and 2 Bullpup's, one on each outboard wing station. In reality, I never saw this configuration in use. The Bullpup was normally dropped from about 15,000 feet and guided to the target using the Bullpup switch on the flight control stick in the cockpit. During the Cuban Missile Crisis before we were equipped with the Shrike Missile, we developed what was called a Pop-Up "Roll-Ahead" maneuver to deliver a variety of ordnance at SAM Sites, including the Bullpup. The Pop-Up was performed by flying as low as possible to avoid AAA and SAM's at 500 knots. Estimating 8,000 feet horizontally from the target, the pilot commenced a 4G pull-up until the aircraft attained a 30 degree nose-high attitude on the AJB-3 Gyro at which time the aircraft was returned to 1G flight. When it reached 1,500 feet or 2,500 feet (we did both depending on the ordnance load), you rolled inverted and acquired the target above your canopy bow. You pulled the nose down until the target was passing through the 50 mil ring on the gunsight, then rolled upright and 'pickled' the ordnance load. If you had a Bullpup, you had about 1-2 seconds to guide it to the target before pulling out of the dive and escaping at a very low level. The manuever was designed to limit your time in the SAM envelope to about 4-5 seconds. We figured they couln't aim and shoot them that fast, so we were safe while performing the maneuver, provided we escaped detection from feet-dry to the pop-up point. Regarding the radar detection and SAM warning gear, I'm sorry I've forgotten the designation of the equipment we received during the emergency installation of what we called the 'Shoe-Horn Gear' in 1965 when the hump was added to our A4C's. I think it was the AN/ALR-45, but I wouldn't swear to it. I do know it was added during an emergency installation after we got to Chu Lai in early June of 1965 and was in place before we rotated back to the states in October of the same year. I'm not familiar with the anti-Sidwinder type flare dispenser. It was not installed on any A4 I ever flew. All we had was a chaff-dispenser that dropped chaff bundles to confuse the beam-riding missiles. Art Padios Marine Skyhawk Aviator