VF-52
| Fighter Squadron 52 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 May 1945 – 23 February 1959 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| Part of | Inactive |
| Nickname(s) | Knightriders |
| Engagements | Korean War |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter |
F4U-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 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 was the first Navy jet squadron to see combat.[2] On 18 November 1950 two VF-52 jets shot 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 Boxer from 30 March to 28 November 1953.
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
See also
- History of the United States Navy
- List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
References
- ↑ "Fighter Squadron Lineage". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ↑ Burgess, Colin (2013). Moon Bound: Choosing and Preparing NASA's Lunar Astronauts. Springer Science and Business Media. p. 265. ISBN 9781461438557.
- ↑ Grossnick, Roy (1997). United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995. University of Michigan Library. p. 767.
