Carrier Air Wing Thirteen (CVW-13) was a

carrier air wing A carrier air wing (abbreviated CVW) is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadron (aviation), squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing and rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircr ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

established for a short period at the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. There were three previous units which had been named Carrier Air Group Thirteen (CVG-13), dating as far back as 1942, though each of these units has a distinct lineage.

Carrier Air Wing THIRTEEN History

USS Coral Sea (CV-43) underway at sea in 1986

Carrier Air Wing Thirteen was established on 1 March 1984. CVW-13 served three Mediterranean deployments aboard . The group's first deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from October 1985 to May 1986 was done with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornets of

VFA-131 Strike Fighter Squadron 131 (VFA-131), also known as the "Wildcats", is a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. Their radio call sign is "Wildcat" and their aircraft tail code is ''AC''. H ...

, VFA-132, VMFA-314, and VMFA-323,

Grumman A-6E Intruder The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. It was designed in response to a 1957 ...

s of VA-55, Grumman E-2 Hawkeyes from

VAW-127 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 127 (VAW-127), nicknamed the "Seabats", was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1983 to 1991. The squadron was equipped with the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye and was assigned only to Carrier ...

Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United S ...

s of VAQ-135, Douglas EA-3 Skywarriors of VQ-2, and SH-3H Sea Kings from HS-17. During the cruise, CVW-13 participated in Operation Eldorado Canyon, striking several targets in Libya. During the cruise, the wing was commanded by Commander Byron L. Duff. The wing deployed on two more Med Cruises aboard ''Coral Sea'' before being disestablished on 1 January 1991.

Carrier Air Groups designated CVG-13

There were three Carrier Air Groups designated ''Carrier Air Group THIRTEEN'' which existed between 1943 and 1962. All three were separate and distinct units and none of the three share a lineage with each other or with Carrier Air Wing THIRTEEN

First Carrier Air Group designated Carrier Air Group THIRTEEN, 1943-1945

The first Carrier Air Group Thirteen was established on 2 November 1943 and served for the duration of World War II. The air group served aboard USS ''Franklin'' (CV-13) in the Pacific. With the draw-down of United States military forces after the war, the group was disestablished on 20 October 1945.

Second Carrier Air Group designated Carrier Air Group THIRTEEN, 1944-1949

The second Carrier Air Group Thirteen was originally established as Carrier Air Group Eighty One (CVG-81) on 1 March 1944. On 1 November 1946 the Group was redesignated CVAG-13 and on 1 September 1948 it was redesignated CVG-13.

CVG-81

As originally formed, the group consisted of three squadrons giving it a balance of fighter, torpedo-bombing, and dive-bombing capabilities. As per Navy standards, the squadrons were numbered to match the air group, thus being designated VF-81 (fighter), VT-81 (torpedo), and VB-81 (dive bomber). The group was embarked on for transportation to Hawaii and then spent is first deployment aboard between 10 November 1944 and 13 March 1945. During this deployment,

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

squadrons VMF-216 and VMF-217 were attached to the group, adding a significant number of

fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...

s to the ''Wasps complement. After the war, the air group did a second deployment to the Western Pacific, this time aboard the between 3 July 1946 and 15 April 1947. At this point, a fourth squadron had been added to the group: VBF-81, a fighter-bomber squadron. The unit transited the Panama Canal without VB-81 before embarking on WestPac with its full complement.

CVAG-13

Soon after the group returned from this deployment, the Navy changed its system of air group designations to one designating the type of carrier the group was assigned to and thus its general complement of aircraft types. In line with this, CVG-81 was re-designated Attack Carrier Air Group Thirteen (CVAG-13) on 15 November 1946. As an attack carrier air group, the unit was composed of two fighter squadrons (VF-13A and VF-14A) and two attack squadrons (VA-13A and VA-14A). The air group was stationed at NAS San Diego between 1948 and 1949.

CVG-13

On 1 September 1948, the Navy reversed course on air group designations, dropping "attack" from them, and re-designating CVAG-13 simply as Carrier Air Group Thirteen (CVG-13). As the second unit to carry this name, its squadrons were also re-designated, with the fighter squadrons becoming VF-131 and VF-132 while the attack squadrons became VA-15 and VA-135. A detachment from HU-2 also was attached to provide the helicopters aboard for transport and rescue duties. CVG-13 once again deployed in the West Pacific on Princeton between 1 October 1948 and 23 December 1948. CVG-13 was disestablished on 30 November 1949.

Third Carrier Air Group designated Carrier Air Group THIRTEEN, 1961-1962

The third Carrier Air Group Thirteen was established on 21 August 1961. It was deployed on shakedown in the Caribbean on from 3 March 1962 to 6 May 1962. This group was assigned the re-established Fighter Squadrons 131 and

132 132 may refer to: *132 (number) *AD 132 *132 BC __NOTOC__ Year 132 BC was a year of the Roman calendar, pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laenas and Rupilius (or, less frequently, year 622 ''Ab ...

, Attack Squadrons 133, 134, and 135, and Heavy Attack Squadron 10. Additionally, detachments from HU-2,

VAW-12 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12), nicknamed the "Bats", was a U.S. Navy Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron. The squadron was disestablished on 1 April 1967. Squadron history On 6 July 1948, VAW-2 (Carrier Airborne Early ...

, and

VFP-62 Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1949 to 1968. The squadron provided a detachment of reconnaissance planes for each of the carrier air wings of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. History ...

were with the group during their deployment. After returning from the cruise, CVG-13 was disestablished on 1 October 1962.

References

{{United States Navy Carrier air wings CVW-13 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 1944 establishments in the United States 1991 disestablishments in the United States