VF-9
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - VF-9
OR:
VF-9 on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Fighting Squadron 9 or VF-9 was an aviation unit 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 ...
, originally established on 1 March 1942, it was disestablished on 28 September 1945.


Operational history

VF-9 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 ...
on 1 March 1942 as part of the new Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9) which was to be deployed abord the new carrier . Originally equipped with the F2A-3 Buffalo, VF-9 began reequipping with the F4F-3 Wildcat in April 1942. In late August 1942 VF-9 was deployed aboard to support Operation Torch. By late November 1942 ''Ranger'' had returned to NAS Norfolk and VF-9 rejoined the rest of CVG-9. VF-9 became the first Navy squadron to receive the F6F-3 Hellcat in February 1943. In April 1943 CVG-9 embarked on the ''Essex'' for deployment to the Pacific Fleet. By mid-June 1943 ''Essex'' had arrived at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and CVG-9 was based at
Naval Air Station Barbers Point Naval Air Station Barbers Point , on O'ahu, also called John Rodgers Field (the original name of Honolulu International Airport), is a former United States Navy airfield closed in 1999, and renamed Kalaeloa Airport. Parts of the former air stati ...
. In September ''Essex'' left Pearl Harbor with CVG-9 embarked. VF-9 scored over 250 kills in the Hellcat, making it the second most successful Hellcat squadron of the war.


Home port assignments

*NAS Norfolk


Aircraft assignment

* F2A-3 Buffalo * F4F-3 Wildcat * F6F-3/5 Hellcat


Notable former members

*
Herbert N. Houck Herbert Norman Houck (April 2, 1915 – February 24, 2002) was a highly decorated United States Navy pilot with the rank of captain. During World War II, he became a flying ace with six aerial victories and was awarded three Navy Crosses. Ea ...
* Eugene A. Valencia, Jr. * Thomas Mack Wilhoite * Hamilton McWhorter III


See also

*
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 ...
*
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:Vf-9 Aircraft squadrons of the United States Navy