Fighter Squadron 12 or VF-12 was an aviation unit 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 ...
. Originally established on 9 January 1943, it was disestablished on 17 September 1945. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-12.
Operational history
![USS Saratoga CV-3 air group launch 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/USS_Saratoga_CV-3_air_group_launch_1943.jpg)
VF-12 equipped with
F6F-3 Hellcats formed part of
Carrier Air Group 12 (CAG-12) and was assigned to , flying aboard on 1 August 1943. CAG-12 supported the
Battle of the Treasury Islands
The Battle of the Treasury Islands was a Second World War battle that took place between 27 October and 12 November 1943 on the Treasury Islands group, part of the Solomon Islands. The battle formed part of the wider Pacific War and involved New ...
from October-November before the ''Saratoga'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 30 November.
In January 1944 CAG-12 rejoined the ''Saratoga'' and supported the later phases of the
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign were a series of battles fought from August 1942 through February 1944, in the Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Japan. They were the first steps of the drive across the cent ...
and then carried out attacks against Japanese forces in the Indian Ocean before returning to Pearl Harbor in June.
In January 1945 VF-12 was assigned to and supported the
Invasion of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA ...
and raids on the Japanese home islands.
Notable former members
*
Joseph C. (Jumpin' Joe) Clifton
*
Robert Dose
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
*
Hamilton McWhorter
*
Charles R. (Babe) Winterrowd
• Marvin Harper
See also
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons.
Navy aircraft squadron (aviation), squadrons are composed of ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vf-12
Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy