Attack Squadron 155 or VA-155 was an 'Attack Squadron of the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

. It was established as Reserve Attack Squadron VA-71E in 1946, redesignated as VA-58A on 1 October 1948, and redesignated Reserve Composite Squadron VC-722 on 1 November 1949. The squadron was redesignated as VA-728 on 1 April 1950, and called to active duty on 1 February 1951. It was ultimately redesignated VA-155 on 4 February 1953, and disestablished on 30 September 1977. Its nickname was Silver Fox from the early 1960s onward. It was the second squadron to be named VA-155, the first VA-155 was disestablished on 30 November 1949, while a third VA-155 was established on 1 September 1987 and disestablished on 30 April 1993.

Operational history

October 1951: The squadron engaged in combat operations, flying its first sorties over

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. February 1955: Squadron aircraft flew sorties in support of the evacuation of

Chinese Nationalists The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the sole ruling party of the country during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until its relocation to Taiwan, and in Taiwan ruled under ...

from the

Tachen Islands The Dachen Islands, Tachen Islands or Tachens form an island group off the coast of Taizhou, Zhejiang, China, in the East China Sea. They are administered by the Jiaojiang District of Taizhou. Before the First Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1955, the ...

. 21 August–11 September 1958: The squadron flew sorties in the Taiwan Straits during the

Second Taiwan Straits Crisis The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also known as the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). The PRC shelled the islands of Kinmen (Quemoy) and the Matsu Islands al ...

. January 1961: , with VA-155 embarked, operated 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 South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

after

Pathet Lao The Pathet Lao (), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and political organization, organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group ultimately gained control over the entire country of ...

forces captured strategic positions in

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

. 7 and 11 February 1965: The squadron participated in

Operation Flaming Dart Operation Flaming Dart was a U.S. and South Vietnamese military operation, conducted in two parts, during the Vietnam War. Background United States President Lyndon B. Johnson in February 1965 ordered a series of reprisal air strikes after sev ...

I and II, reprisal strikes against targets in

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...

following a

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

attack on the American advisors compound at Pleiku and the American billet in

Qui Nhon Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

. March 1965: The squadron began participation in

Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Rolling Thunder was a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) against North Vietnam from 2 ...

, the bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. May 1966: VA-155 was the first A-4 squadron deploying to Vietnam using a new camouflage paint scheme nicknamed the Flying Mulberrybushes. The new paint scheme and colors were expected to reduce battle damage by making the aircraft more difficult to detect visually. 1 July 1966: The squadron's commanding officer, Commander C. H. Peters, was killed in action while leading an attack on petroleum facilities at Duong Nham, North Vietnam. 20 October 1967: Squadron aircraft sighted six North Vietnamese PT boats near Thanh Hoa and engaged the boats. Four of the PT boats were sunk, one was damaged and the sixth escaped, seeking refuge in the mouth of the river near Thanh Hoa. 25 November 1967: The squadron's commanding officer, Commander W. H. Searfus, was lost at sea following a flight deck accident in which his aircraft was lost over the side of the carrier. March 1968: ''Coral Sea'', with VA-155 embarked, operated on station off the coast of

following the capture of in January by

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. April 1969: Following the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 aircraft by the North Koreans on 15 April, , with VA-155 embarked, left

Yankee Station Yankee Station (officially Point Yankee) was a fixed coordinate off the coast of Vietnam where U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and support ships operated in open waters over a nine-year period during the Vietnam War. The location was used primari ...

and proceeded to the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

for operations off the coast of Korea. 21 November 1970: The squadron flew missions in support of

Operation Ivory Coast Operation Ivory Coast was a mission conducted by United States Special Operations Forces and other American military elements to rescue U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. It was also the first joint military operation in United State ...

, an attempt to rescue American prisoners of war at the

Son Tay A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

prisoner compound, 20 miles west of

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

. February 1973: Following the ceasefire with

, the squadron flew combat missions in

until a ceasefire was signed with that country on 22 February 1973. Nov 1973: , with VA-155 embarked, departed from operations in the

to relieve on station in the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

due to the unsettled conditions following the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...

in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown: *

NAS Glenview Naval Air Station Glenview or NAS Glenview was an operational U.S. Naval Air Station from 1937 to 1995. Located in Glenview, Illinois Glenview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loo ...

– 1946 *

NAS Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station mostly in Alameda, California, with a slight portion of it within San Francisco proper, on San Francisco Bay. NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and ...

– 1951 *

NALF Santa Rosa Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Santa Rosa, California, also known as Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Santa Rosa, was a military airport located in Santa Rosa, California, in Sonoma County, California, USA. History NALF Santa Rosa was first co ...

– May 1952* *

NAS Moffett Field Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November ...

– 25 Aug 1952 *

NAS Lemoore Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County, California, Kings County and Fresno County, California, Fresno County, California, United States. Lemoore Station, California, Lemoore Station, a cen ...

– 21 Aug 1961 * Temporary assignment for training and reforming following its return from a combat tour in Korea.

Aircraft assignment

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown: * SB2C ''Helldiver'' * * TBM ''Avenger'' * * AM ''Mauler'' * * AD-1 ''Skyraider'' – 1951 * AD-2 ''Skyraider'' – 1951 * AD-4 ''Skyraider'' – 1951 * AD-4L ''Skyraider'' – 1951 * AD-4Q ''Skyraider'' – 1951 * AD-4NA ''Skyraider'' – 26 Jul 1952 * AD-6 ''Skyraider'' – Nov 1953 * AD-7 ''Skyraider'' – Nov 1956 * A4D-2/A4B ''Skyhawk'' – 08 Oct 1958 * A-4E ''Skyhawk'' – Dec 1963 * A-4F ''Skyhawk'' – 10 Apr 1968 * A-7B ''Corsair II'' – 29 Sep 1969 * During the squadron's Reserve duty between 1946 and its activation in February 1951, it most likely flew SB2Cs, TBMs and/or AMs.

References

External links

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Attack squadrons of the United States Navy Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons

Operational history

Home port assignments

Aircraft assignment

See also

References

External links