Sea Control Squadron 21 (VS-21) was an

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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 ...

. It served from 1945 to 2005 and was mainly tasked with

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...

while operating from

aircraft carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

History

VS-21 was previously designated Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 21 (VS-21), Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21), Attack Squadron 1E (VA-1E), and Torpedo Squadron 41 (VT-41). It was established in the final year of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and served after the war aboard helping to develop hunter-killer ASW tactics for the U.S. Navy, and ultimately operated from full-size

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

s in the sea control role, capable of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. It was the only squadron to receive the designations VA-1E, VC-21, or VS-21. The squadron was established as Torpedo Squadron 41 (VT-41) at

Naval Air Station Seattle Naval Station Puget Sound is a former United States Navy, United States Naval station located on Sand Point (peninsula), Sand Point in Seattle, Washington. Today, the land is occupied by Magnuson Park. History After World War I, a movement was b ...

, Washington (USA), under the command of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Joseph P. Keigher, with the

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-built TBM-1, TBM-1C, and TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bomber as part of Escort Carrier Air Group 41 (CVEG-41). Commander Air Force Pacific Fleet had designated the squadron upon formation as having anti-submarine warfare as its primary mission. On 15 November 1946, as part of a service-wide reorganization, VT-41 was redesignated Attack Squadron 1E (VA-1E). This was translated into "1st attack squadron ("VA-1") based on escort carriers ("E")", while CVEG-41 was simultaneously redesignated Escort Carrier Air Group 1 (CVEG-1). The group, which consisted of VA-1E and fighter squadron VF-1E, was assigned on 4 December 1946, to the escort carrier . VA-1E was identified by the tail code "BS" (call sign "Beef Steak"). In 1947-1948, VA-1E conducted regular ASW exercises aboard ''Badoeng Strait'' between the U.S. West Coast and the Western Pacific. The squadron saw extensive service in ASW trials and tactics development aboard ''Badoeng Strait''. When the US Navy turned back to the designation system used before November 1946, both CVEG-1 squadrons VA-1E and VF-1E were merged into Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21) on 1 September 1948, creating one of six new anti-submarine squadrons. The squadron was redesignated Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 21 (VS-21) and obtained the nickname "Redtails" on 23 April 1950. After putting the

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into service in 1991, on 1 October 1993, the squadron was redesignated Sea Control Squadron 21 (retaining the abbreviated form VS-21). VS-21 was finally disestablished on 28 February 2005.

Commanding officers

* Lt. Joseph P. Keigher: 26 March 1945 (acting commander) * Lt. Charles A. Collins: 29 April 1945 * LCdr. Kent M. Cushman: 14 September 1946 * LCdr. Harold A. Robinson: 24 November 1947

Aircraft Assignment

S2F-1 Tracker of VS-21 in flight in 1956

* TBM-1 Avenger from March 1945 * TBM-1C Avenger from March 1945 * TBM-3 Avenger from March 1945 * TBF-1 Avenger from April 1945 * TBM-3E Avenger from May 1945 * TBM-3S Avenger from 1948 * AF-2 Guardian * S2F-1 Tracker * S2F-2 Tracker * S-2E Tracker * S-3A Viking *

from 1991

Air Wing Assignments

* Escort Carrier Air Group 41 (CVEG-41) from 26 March 1945 to 15 November 1946 * Escort Carrier Air Group 1 (CVEG-1) from 15 November 1946 * Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 53 (CVSG-53) (1960-1972) * Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 59 (CVSG-53) (1970) *

Carrier Air Wing One Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, with most of its various squadrons also home based at NAS Oceana. Additional squadrons are based at Naval Station Norfolk ...

(CVW-1) (1974 - 1976) *

Carrier Air Wing Nine Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircraft assigned to C ...

(CVW-1) (1977) *

Carrier Air Wing Fifteen Carrier Air Wing Fifteen (CVW-15) is a former United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing that was decommissioned on March 31, 1995. It was previously known as Carrier Air Group Fifteen (CVG-15) before 1963 before being renamed in December of th ...

(CVW-15) (1979 - 1980) *

Carrier Air Wing Two Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . Subordinate units CVW-2 consists of 9 Squadrons History 1940s-50s Origi ...

(CVW-2) (1982) *

Carrier Air Wing Eleven Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier .Carrier Air Wing Five Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second Wor ...

(CVW-5) (1991-2005)

References

External links