VP-41 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 o ...
. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 21 (VP-21) on 1 March 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 21 (VPB-21) on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Squadron 21 (VP-21) on 15 May 1946, redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron (Seaplane) 11 (VP-MS-11) on 15 November 1946, redesignated Patrol Squadron 41 (VP-41) on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 23 April 1949.
Operational history
*1 March 1944: VP-21 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 Hampt ...
, Virginia, as a seaplane squadron flying the
PBM-3D Mariner. The next day, the squadron began relocating to
NAS Harvey Point, North Carolina, where all of the ground and flight training was given. During this period, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-5.
*9 May 1944: VP-21 was relocated to
NAS Key West
Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25
NAS Key West is an air- ...
, Florida, for advanced training in
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 ...
(ASW). The training was completed on 16 June 1944, and the squadron began to fly its aircraft cross-country to
NAS Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.
NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and 07-25 measuring . Two helicopter pads and a control tower were ...
, California, in preparation for its trans-Pacific flight to the South Pacific.
*22 June 1944: The squadron aircraft began the trans-Pacific flight to
NAS Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station (NAS) ...
, Hawaii, from NAS Alameda. Upon arrival, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-2. The last element of three aircraft was aboard at NAS Kaneohe Bay by the 26th. Operational patrols and advanced combat training began immediately.
*19 August 1944: VP-21 deployed to
Parry Island Seaplane Base, Eniwetok, relieving
VP-1
Patrol Squadron One (VP-1), established 15 February 1943, is an active aviation squadron (aviation), squadron of the United States Navy operating the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft from its home port at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington ...
. The squadron continued under the operational control of FAW-2, conducting patrols, searches, and the occasional bomb run over Japanese-held
Ponape Island
Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei ...
.
*17 October 1944: VPB-21 was relocated to
,
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
. The squadron conducted daily searches, with tender support provided by and . FAW-1 assumed operational control.
*24 December 1944: The squadron was relocated to
Ulithi
Ulithi ( yap, Wulthiy, , or ) is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about east of Yap.
Overview
Ulithi consists of 40 islets totaling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest i ...
Atoll to relieve
VPB-17
VPB-17 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 17 (VP-17) on 3 January 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 17 (VPB-17) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 30 January 1946.
Operati ...
. Duties consisted of daytime anti-shipping patrols and hunter-killer missions. Tender support was provided by USS ''Chandeleur''.
*21 January 1945: During the night of the 21st Lieutenant(jg) Richard L. Simms and crew sank a Japanese
Kaiten
were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.
History
In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered s ...
midget submarine attempting to attack shipping in Ulithi lagoon. The Kaiten had been released by the submarine carrier
''I-36''. Simms and his crew dropped four
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s on the Kaiten, sinking it with the loss of its two-man crew.
*29 January 1945: VPB-21 was relocated to
Tanapag Harbor Tanapag Harbor () is the primary harbor of Saipan, and is located on the western side of the island in the city of Tanapag. It is separated from the Philippine Sea by a barrier reef, located about 3 km (2 miles) off the shore. This reef forms ...
, Saipan, aboard USS ''Chandeleur'', under the operational control of the
5th Fleet
The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...
(TG 50.5.2). The squadron was assigned routine patrols in the vicinity of the island group. On 17 March the squadron was able to move ashore to the naval air base barracks, remaining until the 27th.
*28 March 1945: The squadron was relocated to
Kerama Retto
The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan.
Geography
Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Vill ...
to support 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 ...
. Tender support continued to be provided by USS ''Chandeleur''. While stationed at this location, on 7 April 1945, one of the squadron aircraft spotted the
Japanese battleship Yamato
was the lead ship of her class of battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before World War II. She and her sister ship, , were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing nearly a ...
and her escorts steaming toward Okinawa. The aircrew was able to alert elements of the 5th Fleet and reinforcements soon arrived, resulting in the sinking of ''Yamato'' and several other Japanese vessels in the battle group. By the beginning of May, the squadron was advancing its patrols as far as the
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
, strafing and bombing targets of opportunity on land or sea. These were gradually extended to include the Japanese home islands, the
East China Sea
The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
, the southern coast of Korea, and the China coast from north of
Formosa
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
to north of
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
. From 1 June 1945, the patrols were conducted to the south and east of Okinawa, the East China and
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
and the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
.
Dumbo (air-sea rescue)
Dumbo was the code name used by the United States Navy during the 1940s and 1950s to signify search and rescue missions, conducted in conjunction with military operations, by long- range aircraft flying over the ocean. The purpose of Dumbo missio ...
and weather flights were added to the squadron’s mission list.
*15 July 1945: VPB-21 was relocated to
Chimu-Wan, Okinawa. Daytime search and reconnaissance patrols were conducted through 6 August 1945, when the squadron was moved again to Eniwetok.
*2 September – 18 November 1945: After a few weeks spent relocating and a brief period of stand down for rest and relaxation, the squadron commenced routine patrols from Eniwetok, remaining at that location until 11 September 1945, when it was relocated to Ominato, China. By 18 November 1945, VPB-21 had been relocated from Ominato to Hong Kong.
*26 Jan 1946: The squadron moved its headquarters to the former
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
Air Base at
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
, Japan. Detachments were maintained at Hong Kong and Okinawa.
*9 July – 3 October 1946: VPB-21 was relocated to
Tsingtao
Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
, China. Detachments were maintained at Hong Kong and Shanghai. On 3 October 1946, the Shanghai detachment was relocated to
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
, Japan.
*23 November 1947: The squadron was relocated to a new home port at NAS San Diego.
*6 September 1948 – 26 March 1949: VP-41 deployed from its home port of NAS San Diego, to Tsingtao, China, to relieve
VP-MS-3. Ground personnel and supplies departed aboard , and by 27 September all nine PBM-5 aircraft arrived at Tsingtao. On the 29th a detachment of three aircraft was sent to Yokosuka, Japan. On 1 November 1948, five VP-41 aircraft flew to
Buckner Bay
is a bay on the southern coast of Okinawa Island on the Pacific Ocean in Japan. The bay covers and ranges between to deep. The bay is surrounded by the municipalities of Uruma, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagusuku, Nishihara, Yonabaru, Nanjō, all in ...
, Okinawa, Japan, for ASW exercises, supported by . The exercise concluded due to a tropical storm front on the 9th. On 21 November 1948, the explosion of a
Chinese Nationalist Army
The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in Chin ...
ammunition dump next to the seaplane ramp damaged two squadron aircraft. On 21 December 1948, a PBM-5 sank during a rough water landing off Tsingtao; there were no casualties to the crew. The squadron returned to NAS San Diego on 26 March 1949.
*23 April 1949: VP-41 was disestablished at NAS San Diego.
[
]
Aircraft assignments
The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown:[
Flew PBY-5's and PBY-5A's from 1940-44
* PBM-3D - 2 March 1944
]
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 Hampt ...
, Virginia - 1 March 1944
* NAS Harvey Point, North Carolina - 2 March 1944
* NAS Key West
Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25
NAS Key West is an air- ...
, Florida - 9 May 1944
* NAS Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station (NAS) ...
, Hawaii - 22 June 1944
* NAS San Diego
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (NB ...
, California - 23 November 1947
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 ...
* 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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vp-41
Patrol squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons