VP-18, nicknamed the ''Flying Phantoms'', was a Patrol Squadron of the
U.S. 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 of ...
. Originally established as Reserve Patrol Squadron VP-914 in May 1946, redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron VP-ML-64 on 15 November 1946, redesignated VP-861 in February 1950, redesignated VP-18 on 4 February 1953 and disestablished on 10 October 1968.
It was the third squadron to be designated VP-18, the
first VP-18 was redesignated VP-13 on 1 July 1939, and the
second VP-18 was redesignated VPB-18 on 1 October 1944.
Operational history
![P-2H Neptune over Soviet ship Oct 1962](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/P-2H_Neptune_over_Soviet_ship_Oct_1962.jpg)
*May 1946: VP-914 was established at
NAS Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
, Virginia. The squadron came under the operational control of FAW-11 and administrative control by Naval Air Reserve Training (NART). Another of the 21 reserve squadrons established after the war to accommodate the large number of aircrews recently released from active duty and utilize the enormous stocks of aircraft in the inventory. The squadron flew the
PV-2 Harpoon
The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II.
The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...
.
*15 November 1946: All patrol squadrons were redesignated. Regular Navy patrol squadron designation numbers began with 1 and reserve patrol squadrons began with 5. VP-914 was redesignated VP-ML-64. The ML designation, medium patrol squadrons, included twin engine medium amphibious seaplanes, as well as twin-engine land-based bombers. Regular Navy patrol squadrons with the ML designation were for twin-engine medium land-based bombers only.
*February 1950: VP-ML-64 was redesignated VP-861 during the reorganization of Naval Aviation reserve units in 1949, but the change did not take effect until February 1950. During this period the number of Naval Aviation reserve squadrons was reduced from the 1949 total of 24 to nine.
*1 September 1950: VP-861 was among the first of the reserve patrol squadrons called to active duty for service during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. The squadron had by this date converted to the Lockheed
P2V-2 and P2V-3 Neptune. None of the recalled reserve squadrons of the Atlantic Fleet Command served in Korea.
*January–June 1953: The squadron deployed to
Luqa Airfield,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. In June, the squadron flew two P2V-3s on a 12,000-mile familiarization flight to acquaint allies with the new patrol bomber.
*4 February 1953: The decision was made to augment all of the recalled reserve patrol squadrons to regular Navy patrol squadrons. VP-861 was redesignated VP-18. The conversions did not necessitate changes in tail codes or home ports.
*April 1954: VP-18 began a five-month deployment to
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941 to 1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province, Ne ...
,
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. During this period, a VP-18 aircraft became the first P2V-5 and first FAW-11 aircraft to fly over the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
.
*1 March–April 1955: VP-18 received the first of its new P2V-7 aircraft with improved electronics, cockpit, enlarged bomb bays and jet engine auxiliaries. In April a detachment of six of the squadron aircraft made several public relations stops along the East Coast to display the new bomber while en route to their deployment site at
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.
*15 September 1955: VP-18 deployed to
Naval Air Station Keflavik
Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) was a United States Navy station at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland, located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006, and its facilitie ...
,
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
. The Icelandic government requested assistance in ridding its fishing fleet of killer whale attacks on their herring drift nets. Permission was obtained, and three squadron aircraft destroyed approximately 40 to 50 whales in less than 25 minutes with depth bomb and strafing attacks. The new ''Neptunes'' maintained a 92 percent availability rate during this period, despite bad weather conditions and only four hours of daylight.
*November 1957: VP-18 participated in the recovery effort in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
of an Army
Jupiter missile
The PGM-19 Jupiter was the first nuclear armed, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) of the United States Air Force (USAF). It was a liquid-propellant rocket using RP-1 fuel and LOX oxidizer, with a single Rocketdyne LR79-NA (model S-3D) roc ...
nose cone. This nose cone later appeared on a nationwide telecast as President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
explained how the U.S. had solved the space reentry problem.
*April–June 1958: VP-18 participated in the pre-
Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
primate space program recovery missions in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
.
*May 1959: VP-18 deployed two aircraft to
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
to help the
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...
(OAS) counter an invasion by Cuban guerrilla forces. During the same period a second detachment of three aircraft participated in the recovery of two primates, Able and
Baker
A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient history
Since grains ha ...
, that had reentered the atmosphere after being
rocketed into space. The capsule was recovered from the Atlantic east of Puerto Rico.
*1 September 1960: VP-18 established new airborne endurance record of 20 hours and 33 minutes for the P2V-7 ''Neptune'' in the Caribbean.
*January 1961: VP-18 participated in the search for the
hijacked Portuguese cruise liner Santa Maria in the Caribbean area. Later that same month, squadron aircraft participated in the successful recovery of the space capsule containing the
monkey Ham.
*24 May 1962: VP-18 participated in space program recovery missions for a Mercury flight piloted by Lieutenant Commander
M. Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter (May 1, 1925 – October 10, 2013) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercu ...
. The squadron's aircraft number 6 was first on the scene, directing helicopters from to the capsule.
*21 October 1962: VP-18 was one of several patrol squadrons deployed during the
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
, and remained deployed during the entire Cuban Quarantine operation.
*30 November 1962: One of the squadron's aircraft was the first to spot the missing ''Nina II'' approximately 800 miles east of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
. The vessel, a reproduction of one of Columbus’ original three sailing ships, became the subject of an international search after it failed to arrive at its destination of San Salvador as scheduled. The crew of the Neptune aircraft dropped emergency supplies, including a new sextant, enabling the vessel to complete its journey.
*30 April–26 May 1965: VP-18 provided patrol coverage and surveillance flights of the waters around the island of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
during the
Dominican Civil War
The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...
. Continuous coverage was given through 26 May 1965.
*10 October 1968: VP-18 was disestablished at
NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:
*
NAS Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
– May 1946
*
NAS Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25
Location
NAS Jack ...
– 1 Sep 1950
*
NAS Roosevelt Roads – 1 Nov 1964
Aircraft assignment
The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:
*
PV-2 ''Harpoon'' – May 1946
*
P2V-2/P2V3 ''Neptune'' – September 1950
* P2V-5 ''Neptune'' – March 1954
* P2V-7 ''Neptune'' – March 1955
See also
*
Maritime patrol aircraft
A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles ...
*
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial ...
*
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
*
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 ...
*
*
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
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vp-18
Patrol squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons