VPB-11 was a Patrol Bombing 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 Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 19-D14 (VT-19D14) on 7 February 1924, redesignated Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 6D14 (VT-6D14) on 1 July 1927, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-B (VP-6B) on 1 April 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-F (VP-6F) on 17 July 1933, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6 (VP-6) on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 23 (VP-23) on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 11 (VP-11) on 1 August 1941, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 11 (VPB-11) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 20 June 1945.
Operational history
![Consolidated PBY-1 0120 VP-11F 11-P-8 San Diego mfr (16348195132)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Consolidated_PBY-1_0120_VP-11F_11-P-8_San_Diego_mfr_%2816348195132%29.jpg)
*7 February 1924: VT-19 was established as a torpedo squadron based at
NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, flying 13
DT-2 aircraft.
*25 April 1925: Several of the squadron’s pilots made the first successful night landings on an aircraft carrier under way. The landings, made under varying lighting and weather conditions, were part of a program to determine the feasibility of night landings on an aircraft carrier as a military operation.
*9 April 1927: VT-19 was redesignated VT-6D14 during the reorganization of squadrons by
BuAer
The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relate ...
in 1927. The D14 represented the 14th Naval District, Pearl Harbor.
*1 July 1927: The squadron’s DT-2 type aircraft were declared obsolete and were replaced by
SC-2 aircraft.
*21 January 1931: VT-6D14 was redesignated VP-6B, converting from torpedo bomber squadron to patrol squadron under Fleet Aviation, Base Force, Commander Minecraft, Battle Force. Although officially a patrol squadron, the 12 aircraft assigned were
T3M-2 torpedo bombers. and were assigned to provide tender support.
*17 July 1933: VP-6B was redesignated VP-6F, reflecting the change in organization at Pearl Harbor to Commander Aircraft, Base Force, Fleet Air Base. The squadron had transitioned to the
T4M-1 and the
T2D-1, both with twin floats.
*1933: VP-6F transitioned from floatplanes to seaplanes, operating from FAB Pearl Harbor with six
PM-1 and six PD-1 seaplanes.
*22 April 1935: VP-6F, along with VPs
1F,
4F,
7F,
8F,
9F and
10F, participated in
Fleet Problem XVI The Fleet Problems are a series of naval exercises of the United States Navy conducted in the interwar period, and later resurrected by United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet around 2014.
The first twenty-one Fleet Problems — labeled with ro ...
off
Midway Island
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
. The intent of the exercise was to give elements of the fleet an opportunity to become familiar with Midway and adjacent waters while practicing landing operations. Both the Army and Coast Guard took part in the problem. The exercises were marred by a series of crashes, two from VP-6F resulting in 12 deaths, and numerous instances of aircraft being forced down by mechanical difficulties and sinking (no casualties). The tenders supporting the fleet were found to be so slow that they had to be sent ahead of the main body so as not to delay the exercises.
*1937: VP-6F transitioned to the
PBY-1 Catalina seaplane, giving the squadron for the first time an aircraft that was both reliable and with long enough range to adequately support the fleet from either tenders or advanced bases. The Catalina was already obsolete by the start of WWII, but was used by the navies of several nations throughout the war in large numbers in a wide variety of roles ranging from
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) to air and sea rescue work.
*1 October 1937: VP-6F was reorganized under Commander, Patrol Wing TWO, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
*1 July 1939: VP-6F was redesignated VP-23, under Patrol Wing TWO, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The squadron continued to fly the older PBY-1 seaplanes, and had been assigned to for tender support.
*9 April 1940: PatWing TWO aircraft of VPs
21,
22, 23,
24,
25 and
26 participated in
Fleet Problem XXI The Fleet Problems are a series of naval exercises of the United States Navy conducted in the interwar period, and later resurrected by United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet around 2014.
The first twenty-one Fleet Problems — labeled with ro ...
with the Army
72nd Bombardment Squadron and the
4th Reconnaissance Squadron. The combined squadrons defended the Hawaiian Islands against a carrier attack. The exercise revealed glaring deficiencies in the coordination between the air arms in defense of the islands.
*1 July 1941: VP-23 was redesignated VP-11, still flying the PBY-1 and at that time operating from
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. During this period the squadron began search and reconnaissance in the central Pacific from NAS Kaneohe Bay and tender-supported locations near
Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States, currently administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Johnston Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and ...
.
*3 October 1941: Aircrews of VP-11 undertook a ferry flight from NAS Kaneohe Bay to
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,
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 ...
, Florida and
NAS Corpus Christi
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is a United States Navy naval air base located six miles (10 km) southeast of the central business district (CBD) of Corpus Christi, in Nueces County, Texas.
History
A naval air station for Corpus Christi ...
, Texas, returning on 22 October 1941 with new PBY-5 aircraft.
*7 December 1941: During the
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
the majority of the squadron’s aircraft at NAS Kaneohe Bay were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
*1 April 1942: Losses were replaced in April with new PBY-5 seaplanes from the U.S., equipped with ASE radar for spotting ships on the ocean surface. Sector searches around Oahu were begun as soon as crews could be checked out on the new equipment.
*30 April 1942: A two-aircraft detachment was sent to Johnston Atoll for sector searches. Two new crews relieved the detachment each week. On 29 May the detachment size was increased to six aircraft.
*20 May 1942: A three-plane detachment was sent to
Barking Sands
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands is a U.S. naval facility and airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district of Kekaha, in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States.
PMRF is the world's larg ...
, Kauai. On 22 May the detachment was increased by three aircraft.
*1 July 1942: VP-11 deployed to
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
, Fiji Islands. Over the next several months the squadron would be moved from Suva to
Nouméa
Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, a ...
, New Caledonia,
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...
and
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...
to conduct search and reconnaissance missions in connection with the
landings at Guadalcanal and other fleet operations in the South Pacific.
*13 July 1942: A three-plane detachment was sent to Nouméa.
*17 July 1942: One aircraft was dispatched to
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, returning on 19 July.
*26 July 1942: A three-plane detachment was sent to Tongatapu, with two aircraft returning to Suva on 28 July.
*1 August 1942: The Nouméa detachment was increased by three aircraft. Tender support was provided by . The next day the detachment was further supplemented by two aircraft from
VP-14.
*4 August 1942: VP-11 headquarters was shifted from Suva to Saweni Beach with six aircraft, the remainder still based at Nouméa. The headquarters group was provided tender support by .
*11 Aug 1942: The Nouméa detachment was redeployed with USS ''Curtiss'' to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.
*7 September 1942: VP-11 claimed one submarine kill, but a postwar review of Japanese records indicates no loss of a Japanese submarine on that date and location.
*29 October 1942: Lieutenant F. Joe Hill and his crew spotted a surfaced submarine about three miles off his starboard beam. The submarine crash-dived and was below the surface when Hill dropped his two 650-pound
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. A large quantity of oil appeared and remained on the surface the following day. Postwar records indicate the submarine sunk by Lieutenant Hill was
''I-172'', which was lost with all 91 hands aboard, including Rear Admiral Yoshisuke Okamoto, Commander of the 12th Squadron of the Kure Submarine Flotilla.
*5 November 1942: VP-11 claimed a third submarine sunk, but a postwar review of Japanese records indicates no loss of a Japanese submarine on that date and location.
*1 February 1943: VP-11 was withdrawn from combat and returned to NAS San Diego for refit and home leave.
*20 April 1943: The reforming of the squadron was completed on this date. Aircrews flew the trans-Pacific to NAS Kaneohe Bay on 21 April, while the remainder of ground personnel and assets departed on transports. Upon arrival all hands undertook intensive combat preparation while simultaneously conducting patrols over the ocean in the Hawaiian area.
*22 May 1943: Combat training was completed at NAS Kaneohe Bay. VP-11 aircrews departed for
Seaplane Base Nedlands
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characterist ...
,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Australia, followed later by ground crew and squadron assets in transports. Upon arrival in Perth on 8 June aircrews commenced combat search and reconnaissance patrols in the southwest Pacific under the operational control of FAW-10.
*9 September 1943: VP-11 departed for
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, and then to New Guinea and
Palm Island. The squadron came under the operational control of FAW-17 and relieved
VP-101
VPB-29 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Pacific Air Detachment on 17 January 1923, redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 (VP-14) on 29 May 1924, redesignated Patrol Squadron 1-Naval District 14 (VP-1D14) on ...
. ''Black Cat'' (PBY’s painted black) nighttime operations commenced in the areas around New Guinea,
New Ireland, and the
Bismarck Sea
The Bismarck Sea (, ) lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean within the nation of Papua New Guinea. It is located northeast of the island of New Guinea and south of the Bismarck Archipelago. It has coastlines in districts of the Islands Region, ...
.
*1 October – 19 November 1943: VP-11 was based aboard in Jenkins Bay. Night searches for surface ships were conducted, and bombing attacks on Japanese installations on
Garove Island were conducted over several nights. On 9 October, relieved USS ''San Pablo''.
*16 November 1943: Lieutenant Jack D. Cruze and his crew located a Japanese task force. Despite the heavy concentration of fire from the escorts, Cruze made a low-level bombing attack that destroyed a large transport in the task force. For his courage under fire and aggressive pursuit of the enemy during this period, Lieutenant Cruze was awarded the
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
.
*19 November 1943: VP-11, relieved at Jenkins Bay by
VP-52
VPB-52 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo Squadron 3D15 (VT-3D15) on 12 July 1928, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3-S (VP-3S) on 21 January 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3 Base Force (VP-3F) ...
, reported to
Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
to relieve VP-101. On 23 November ''Black Cat'' operations were commenced in conjunction with daytime attacks by the USAAF
5th Bombardment Group
''005'' (pronounced "''double-o five''") is a 1981 arcade video game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings" ...
.
*30 December 1943: VP-11 transferred to Palm Island, Australia, and was taken off combat operations. Routine administrative and passenger flights were conducted daily to Port Moresby, Samari and Brisbane.
*10 February 1944: The squadron returned to Perth to conduct convoy patrols in Australian waters under the operational control of FAW-10.
*19 July 1944: VP-11 returned to New Guinea and Schouten Islands for ''Black Cat'' night combat operations under the operational control of FAW-17. A three-aircraft detachment was sent to
Woendi Lagoon, Biak.
*23 August 1944: VP-11 continued to conduct ''Black Cat'' operations after its transfer to
Middleburg Island
Middleburg Island or Pulau Middleburg, Tambrauw is an island in the Tambrauw in Southwest Papua province of eastern Indonesia. It's part of the Su Islands (Mios Su) or the Soe Island Group.
See also
*Amsterdam Island
Amsterdam ( , , , lit ...
.
*18 September 1944: The squadron continued ''Black Cat'' operations while based on
Schouten Island
Schouten Island (formerly Schouten's Isle), part of the Schouten Island Group, is an island with an area of approximately lying close to the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia, located south of the Freycinet Peninsula and is a part of Frey ...
and
Morotai
Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.
Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...
until 21 September when daytime operations were then started. Daytime operations consisted of ASW patrols and air-sea rescue missions in the South Pacific.
*1 October 1944: VP-11 was redesignated VPB-11. On 6 October the squadron was stationed at Morotai with tender support provided by USS ''San Pablo''. Air-sea rescue and routine ASW patrols were conducted daily. On 12 October half of the squadron was quartered aboard to provide more room for the crews.
*14 November 1944: The squadron was relocated to Woendi with 15 aircraft. On 5 December VPB-11 was moved to Morotai, then back to Woendi on the 11th for boarding on and transportation back to the U.S.
*19 December 1944: VPB-11 was officially withdrawn from combat and 15 aircraft and crews departed Woendi for return to NAS San Diego.
*20 June 1945: VPB-11 was disestablished at NAS San Diego.
[
]
Aircraft assignments
The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown:[
* DT-2 - February 1924
* SC-1/2 - July 1927
* T3M-2 - June 1929
* T4M-1 - September 1931
* T2D-1 - January 1932
* PM-1 - 1933
* PD-1 - 1933
* PBY-1 - 1937
* PBY-5 - November 1941
]
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[
* ]Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, Hawaii - 7 February 1924
* 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 - 1940
* 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 - February 1943
* NAS Kaneohe Bay - April 1943
* NAS San Diego - December 1944
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:Vpb-11
Patrol squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons