VA-175, nicknamed the ''Devil's Diplomats'', was an attack squadron of the
U.S. Navy. It was established as Torpedo Squadron VT-82 on 1 April 1944, redesignated as VA-18A on 15 November 1946, and as VA-175 on 11 August 1948. The squadron was disestablished on 15 March 1958.
Operational history
*15 December 1944 – 7 January 1945: The squadron, embarked on , was in transit from
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, to the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
, with a two-day stop over at
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
.
*16 February 1945: The squadron participated in its first combat operations, flying sorties against the air strip at
Hachijo Jima and against airfields in the
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
area. The squadron’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander E. D. DeGarmo, was awarded the
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
for his actions during the missions against the Japanese airfields.
*20–22 February 1945: The squadron provided close air support for operations on
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high.
...
.
*19 March 1945: Squadron aircraft participated in strikes against the Japanese Fleet, which included the
battleship ''Yamato'', located near
Kure and
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
in the
Inland Sea
An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...
.
*7 April 1945: Squadron aircraft were the first to attack a powerful Japanese Task Force that had sortied from the Inland Sea and was operating west of
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
. This force included the ''Yamato'' and her escorts. The squadron achieved hits on two
destroyers and one
light cruiser, sinking one of the destroyers. Attacks from other task force aircraft resulted in the sinking of the ''Yamato'', a
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
and three other destroyers. Seven squadron pilots were awarded the
Navy Cross for their actions during this engagement. They were: Lieutenant Commander Edward E. DeGarmo; Lieutenants Jesse W. Naul, Jr. and Norman A. Wiese; and Lieutenant (jg)s John F. Gilbreath, Jr., Wilfred O. McDowell, Donald B. Barber and Charles R. Walton.
*March–May 1945: The squadron was involved in preinvasion strikes on
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
and provided support for the
Battle of Okinawa
The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...
.
*3 June 1945: Lieutenant Commander Edward E. DeGarmo was killed in action when he crash-landed his plane after his plane was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire which engulfed the engine in flames.
*17 June 1945: VT-82 completed its tour of combat duty and embarked on for its transit back to the United States, arriving at
NAS Alameda on 9 July.
*November–December 1956: , with VA-175 embarked, was ordered to deploy and operate off the coast of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
as a result of the
Suez Canal Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
.
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:
*
NAS Quonset Point – 1 Apr 1944
*
NAAF New Bedford – 13 Apr 1944*
*
NAAS Oceana – 16 Jun 1944*
*
NAS Quonset Point – 13 Nov 1944*
*
NAS Kahului – 8 Jan 1945*
*
NAS Alameda – Jul 1945
*
NAF Newport – Mar 1946
*
NAS Quonset Point – Apr 1946
*
NAAS Cecil Field – 11 Jan 1949
*
NAS Jacksonville – 9 Jan 1950
* Temporary shore assignment while the squadron conducted training in preparation for combat deployment.
Aircraft assignment
The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:
*
TBM-1 ''Avenger'' – Apr 1944
*
TBM-1C ''Avenger'' – Apr 1944
*
TBM-3 ''Avenger'' – 06 Aug 1944
*
TBM-3E ''Avenger'' – Sep 1945
*
TBM-3Q ''Avenger'' – May 1946
*
TBM-3J ''Avenger'' – Mar 1947
*
AD-3 ''Skyraider'' – 16 Feb 1949
*
AD-4 ''Skyraider'' – 04 Apr 1950
*
AD-4L ''Skyraider'' – Feb 1951
*
AD-4B ''Skyraider'' – Feb 1953
*
AD-6 ''Skyraider'' – Aug 1954
See also
*
*
Attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
*
Torpedo bomber
*
List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
There are hundreds of US Navy aircraft squadrons which are not currently active dating back to before World War II (the U.S. Navy operated aircraft prior to World War I, but it did not organize them in squadrons until after that war). To be mo ...
*
History of the United States Navy
The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Va-175
Attack squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons