Fighter Squadron 52
Active1 May 1945 – 23 February 1959
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
RoleFighter aircraft Ground Attack Close Air Support
Part ofInactive
Nickname(s)Sealancers
EngagementsKorean War
Aircraft flown
FighterF4U-4 Corsair
TO-1 Shooting Star
F9F-2 Panther
F2H-3 Banshee

Fighter Squadron 52 or VF-52 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as Bombing Fighting Squadron 5 (VBF-5) on 8 May 1945, it was redesignated Fighting Squadron 6A (VF-6A) on 15 November 1946, redesignated as Fighter Squadron 52 (VF-52) on 16 August 1948 it was disestablished on 23 February 1959. It was the third US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-52.[1]

Operational history

VF-52 TO-1s in 1948
VF-52 F9F-2 on USS Valley Forge in 1950
VF-52 F2H-3s prepare to launch from USS Ticonderoga in 1958

VF-52 was the only Navy squadron equipped with the TO-1 Shooting Star, a version of the Air Force's F-80C that was acquired to familiarise Navy pilots with jet aircraft due to delays in developing naval jets.

VF-52 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5) on board the USS Valley Forge and was deployed to the Western Pacific and Korea from 1 May to 1 December 1950. VF-52 along with VF-51, where the first Navy jet squadrons to see combat.[2] On 18 November 1950 VF-52 pilot LtCom William E. Lamb was credited with shooting down a Korean People's Air Force MiG-15, this was the Navy's second jet vs jet kill.[3]

VF-52 served its second Korean War deployment assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the USS Valley Forge from 15 Oct 1951 to 03 July 1952.

VF-52 served its third Korean War deployment assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the USS Boxer from 30 Mar 1953 to 28 Nov 1953.

VF-52 embarked on the USS Wasp for a WestPac deployment as part of ATG1 from 1 Sep 1954 to 11 Apr 1955.

VF-52 embarked on the USS Lexington for a Western Pacific deployment from 28 May to 20 December 1956.

VF-52 embarked on the USS Ticonderoga for a Western Pacific deployment from 4 October 1958 to 16 February 1959.

Home port assignments

Aircraft assignment

Notable former members

James L. Holloway III {[LT John Howard Thayer]} Deceased

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lineage for Fighter Squadrons" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Burgess, Colin (2013). Moon Bound: Choosing and Preparing NASA's Lunar Astronauts. Springer Science and Business Media. p. 265. ISBN 9781461438557.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Warren (2012). Naval Aviation In The Korean War. Pen & Sword Aviation. p. 174.
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