Ideal successor to the marvelous Skyraider, the Douglas A-4, a daytime fighter-bomber, was the favorite plane of land-based Marine units and was also widely used by US Navy squadrons, particularly after 1968. Some idea of the Skyhawk's capabilities can be judged by the fact that a single Marine squadron, the VMA-311, carried out a record number of 47,663 sorties between June 1965 and May 1971. The US Navy was so convinced of the aircraft's adaptability to this type of warfare that in 1966, after the initial experiences on the battlefield, it gave the order for production to be resumed so as to take delivery of a further 146 examples of the A-4F. Of all the planes used by the US Navy and US Marine Corps to carry out strike missions in Vietnam, the Skyhawks alone were responsible for over 50 percent; and they suffered the highest battle casualties, losing 196 machines, mainly because they were most often exposed to anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters.