VPB-20 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 Patrol Squadron 20 (VP-20) on 15 February 1944, redesignated as Patrol Bombing Squadron 20 (VPB-20) on 1 October 1944, and disestablished on 4 February 1946.
Operational history
*15 February – July 1944: VP-20 was established at
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. The aircrews began ground and flight training on the
PBM-3D Mariner seaplane. While at Alameda, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-8. Training continued through 19 July 1944.
*19 July 1944: The squadron concluded operations at NAS Alameda in preparations for its 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. On the 26th, 10 officers and 96 enlisted personnel departed San Diego for Kaneohe as part of the advance party. The aircrews began flying the trans-Pacific flight on 10 August, with the last aircraft arriving on 29 August 1944.
*31 August 1944: The majority of the squadron began advanced training in preparation for combat at Kaneohe under the operational control of FAW-2. Three crews had been unable to complete the trans-Pacific flight and remained at Alameda. They did not rejoin the squadron until mid-September.
*15–28 October 1944: VPB-20 was ordered to proceed to the seaplane base at
Los Negros
Los Negros ('The Black Ones') was a criminal organization that was once the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel and after a switch of alliances, became the armed wing of the Sinaloa splinter gang, the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. In 2010 it went indepe ...
,
Manus, Admiralty Islands, in groups of three aircraft. The first group arrived at Manus on 24 October 1944, coming under the operational control of FAW-10. As each group of aircraft arrived, they were painted flat black in preparation for night operations. A detachment of two aircraft was sent on the 28th to
Mios Woendi Island, followed on the 29th by a detachment of two aircraft to
Morotai. The latter group of aircraft was provided tender support by . Nine aircraft remained at Manus, relieving
VPB-29
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) o ...
. Operations during this period were carried out in the vicinity of the
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east b ...
,
Sulu Sea,
Makassar Strait
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Pe ...
, and along the borders of islands in those waters.
*14 November 1944: During night operations, squadron aircraft attacked and claimed damage to a
Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier in
Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
waters. However, by this date, both
''Shōkaku'' and
''Zuikaku'', the only members of that carrier class, had already been sunk in the
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a major naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invas ...
and
Battle of Leyte Gulf, respectively. The only carrier surviving of a class similar to ''Shōkaku'' was
''Jun'yō'', a
Hiyō-class aircraft carrier. It was in the vicinity at that time of the action and at the close of the war, it was located in the yards 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 ...
with aircraft bomb damage. She was scrapped after the war.
*21–26 November 1944: The squadron, except for the Morotai detachment, was ordered to report to
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
for further assignment. The first three crews to arrive were assigned night search missions out of Leyte. While in this area, the squadron was berthed aboard . On the 25th, the Morotai detachment was relieved by
VPB-71 and rejoined the squadron at Leyte. A routine of three daily daytime searches was begun on the 26th.
*27 November 1944: A submarine was spotted on radar by Lieutenant (jg) John B. Muoio and his crew in
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a large bay in the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an extension of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar.
The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place from ...
. Lieutenant (jg) Muoio had been providing air coverage for DESDIV 43 engaged in the bombardment of enemy positions at Ormoc Bay. The sighting was reported to the destroyer flotilla commander and they quickly located it and sank it with gunfire. Postwar examination of records indicate only one submarine sunk in that vicinity on that date,
''Yu 2'', a
Japanese Army submarine. The sinking of the submarine was accomplished by , , , and . Besides the crew of the submarine, there was an Army detachment of 15 men aboard when she was sunk. Only 15 men from the crew and detachment survived the sinking.
*1–27 December 1944: During the
Mindoro Invasion the squadron provided coverage for convoys and night combat patrols in the face of intense opposition. On 26–27 December a five-plane attack was made on a Japanese task force that was bombarding the beach head in
Mangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay is a bay of the South China Sea, on the west coast of Mindoro island, in Occidental Mindoro Province of the Philippines.
The bay is shoal, and sheltered from the wind by Mangarin Point to the east and by Ilin Island.
Magarin Poin ...
, Mindoro. Two aircraft were shot down, but both crews were rescued. Lieutenant Warren M. Cox was hit by intense anti-aircraft (AA) fire and ditched in the bay. Lieutenant James V. Fallon's Mariner was riddled by fire from a Japanese destroyer and ditched away from the scene of the battle. Fallon and his crew reached
Canipo Island two days later where they were aided by guerrillas and returned to the squadron three weeks later.
*4–31 January 1945: VPB-20 departed
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao ...
for
Lingayen Gulf in company with TG 73.1. Through the end of the month, the squadron provided support for convoys and invasion groups Marinduque,
Lingayen
Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen ( pag, Baley na Lingayen; ilo, Ili ti Lingayen; tgl, Bayan ng Lingayen), is a 1st class municipality of the Philippines, municipality and capital of the Philippine Province, province of Pangasi ...
, San Antonio, and Nausbu with night patrols and search and attack missions.
*19 January 1945: Lieutenant (jg) Wesley O. Glaze attacked a 24-ship Japanese task force, damaging a Hiyō-class carrier, most likely the ''Jun'yō''. Glaze approached the carrier at an altitude of 50 feet, barely clearing the flight deck, and dropped his three bombs in train (two 250 and one 500-pound GP), scoring two direct hits.
*21 January 1945: A squadron PBM flown by Lieutenant Frank A. Yourek and crew sighted a submarine west of
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 larges ...
and attacked it with 2
Depth charges
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 hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use h ...
and a
Mark 24 homing torpedo. The submarine escaped but was apparently damaged by the attack. Three destroyers, , , and , observed the aircraft attack, and the next day they resumed the attack which resulted in the sinking of the submarine. Postwar records indicate the Japanese submarine lost was
''I-48'' with a crew of 122, which had been on a
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 ...
mission against shipping in Ulithi lagoon, but apparently none of the ''Kaiten'' midget submarines were launched before VPB-20's attack.
*2 February 1945: At Leyte, six crews were berthed aboard . The remaining 12 crews flew to NAB Woendi for an aircraft exchange for the new PBM-5 seaplane.
*8 February 1945: The six crews at Leyte were relocated to the
Jinamoc Seaplane Base, where they conducted anti-shipping patrols in the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
and off the
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
coastline.
*26 February 1945: VPB-20 was relieved at Jinamoc by
VPB-25. VPB-20 flew to Mangarin Bay, Mindoro, to relieve
VPB-28. Tender support was provided by USS ''Tangier''. The squadron conducted daytime searches over the South China Sea.
*7 March 1945: VPB-20 relocated to Naval Station Sangley Point, Manila Bay, with tender support provided by USS ''Currituck''. Daytime anti-shipping searches were conducted over the South China Sea.
*11–29 March 1945: Four squadron aircraft were sent to join
VPB-17 at
Puerto Princesa, Palawan Islands, aboard . These crews participated in a formation attack on a Japanese convoy south of
Hainan Island
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly ...
on the 29th, in which one aircraft was shot down with the loss of all hands.
*1 May 1945: The Sangley Point aircraft of VPB-20 joined the detachment on USS ''Pocomoke'' when it moved to
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim ...
, Sulu Archipelago. The squadron provided convoy coverage and reconnaissance flights in support of the
invasion of Borneo. During the month numerous enemy small craft were sunk. During June, squadron activities were concentrated on mine spotting for convoys and task groups involved in operations around
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
at
Brunei Bay and
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated ...
.
*4 June 1945: Lieutenant Deland J. Croze attacked two transports and an escort vessel in the Makassar Strait, sinking the two transports but receiving damage from the AA fire of the escort. Croze made a forced landing off the beach of
Lingian Island near the northwestern tip of
Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
. One crewman died shortly after, six were captured by the Japanese, and three who avoided capture were later rescued. The fates of the captured crewmen, including Lieutenant Croze, are still unknown.
*3 July 1945: A seven-aircraft detachment was sent to Lingayen Gulf, operating off . This group was primarily assigned to air-sea rescue operations. On the 9th, relieved ''Barataria''.
*9–25 July 1945: Four aircraft were detached from the squadron at Tawi-Tawi and sent to NAS Sangley Point, for duty as transport and utility aircraft. On the 12th, the remainder of the Tawi-Tawi detachment boarded for transportation to Sangley Point. After arrival on the 25th, they joined the Sangley detachment in conducting sector patrols in the western approaches to the Philippines.
*1 August 1945: The Lingayen Gulf detachment of seven aircraft was assigned the role of air-sea rescue in support of the 15th and
13th
In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave pl ...
Army Air Force missions.
*5 Aug 1945: The Sangley detachment assigned five of its crews to ferry aircraft from Sangley Point to the Los Negros repair facility for overhauls.
*29 Aug 1945: A four-crew detachment from Sangley Point boarded USS ''Currituck'' for transportation to
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 ...
. Upon arrival, the detachment conducted mail and utility flights in support of
Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...
operations.
*21 September 1945: The Currituck detachment arrived in
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 flowin ...
. Primary duties consisted of mail flights between Okinawa;
Jinsen
Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
, Korea; and Shanghai, China. On the 29th, the detachment moved to
Taku
Taku may refer to:
Places North America
* the Taku River, in Alaska and British Columbia
** Fort Taku, also known as Fort Durham and as Taku, a former fort of the Hudson's Bay Company near the mouth of the Taku River
** the Taku Glacier, in Al ...
, China, aboard USS ''Barataria'', providing the same assistance in mail delivery and urgent delivery of parts.
*4 February 1946: VPB-20 was disestablished at NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Aircraft assignments
The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown:
[
* PBM-3D - February 1944
* PBM-5 - February 1945
]
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[
* ]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 - 15 February 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 - 31 August 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 rol ...
* 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 squadrons are composed of several aircraft (fr ...
*
* 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-20
Patrol squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons