Second VA-35, nicknamed the ''Black Panthers'', was a long-lived 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 the second squadron to be assigned the VA-35 designation.

History

The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron VB-3B 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 Ha ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, on 1 July 1934. It was subsequently redesignated VB-4 on 1 July 1937, as VB-3 on 1 July 1939, as VA-3A on 15 November 1946, and as VA-34 on 7 August 1948. It was finally designated VA-35 on 15 February 1950 (the first VA-35 had been disestablished on 7 November 1949). The diving black panther design first appeared in mid-1935, and was carried on through the various redesignations of the squadron. VA-35 was disestablished on 31 January 1995 after over 60 years of continuous service.

Pre-World War II

*May 1935: and her embarked air group, including VB-3B, participated in Fleet Exercise XVI. This was the first time VB-3B and ''Ranger'' participated in a Fleet Exercise. *25 November 1935 – 25 February 1936: A detachment from VB-3B, including six BG-1s, was assigned to ''Ranger’s'' Cold Weather Test Detachment and operated aboard Ranger in Alaskan waters. *April–June 1936: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XVII. *April–May 1937: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XVIII. *28 May 1937: VB-3B participated in an aerial review celebrating the opening of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California, United States. The structure links San Francisco—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peni ...

. *July 1937: The squadron, embarked on , participated in the search for

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

and

Fred Noonan Frederick Joseph Noonan (born April 4, 1893 – disappeared July 2, 1937, declared dead June 20, 1938) was an American flight navigator, sea captain and aviation pioneer, who first charted many commercial airline routes across the Pacific Ocean ...

. *September 1937: VB-4, embarked on ''Ranger'', visited Lima, Peru, in conjunction with the International Aviation Conference being held there. *March–April 1938: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XIX. *April–May 1940: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XXI. This was the last major fleet problem conducted before America's involvement in World War II.

World War II

*April 1942: VB-3, embarked on , provided escort patrols for the task force which launched the Doolittle Raid against Tokyo. *4 Jun 1942: At the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of t ...

, VB-3, embarked on , engaged in its first combat operations. Yorktown's first strike included 17 SBD-3's from VB-3 led by Lieutenant Commander M. F. Leslie. Approximately an hour after launch, VB-3's aircraft sighted the Japanese Fleet and commenced their dive-bombing attack; the primary target was the carrier ''Sōryū''. Lieutenant (jg) Paul A. Holmberg was the first to drop his 1,000 pounder on the ''Sōryū''. His hit was followed by two more from VB-3's SBDs. ''Sōryū'' erupted into flames and eventually sank. With the ''Sōryū'' in flames, the other VB-3 SBDs directed their attack against other targets. They attacked a destroyer, the ''Isokaze'', making one hit on her fantail and "what appeared to be a battleship," claiming a hit on her stern. All 17 SBDs from VB-3 escaped the attack without a hit and returned to the ''Yorktown''. Prior to landing on the carrier, they were directed to leave the area due to incoming enemy aircraft. All VB-3’s SBDs landed on ''Enterprise'' except for Lieutenant Commander Leslie and his wingman, Lieutenant (jg) Holmberg. These two men, low on fuel, ditched their aircraft alongside the and were picked up by the ship’s motor whaleboat. The battle was still not over for VB-3. In late afternoon, 14 of VB-3’s SBDs were launched from ''Enterprise'' as part of a strike group ordered to attack the fourth carrier ''Hiryū''. Lieutenant Shumway was in charge of VB-3’s formation. The strike force located ''Hiryū'' and again caught a Japanese carrier in the vulnerable position of having armed and fueled planes on deck. Direct hits from Shumway’s SBD’s resulted in a torched ''Hiryū'' and her eventual sinking. Several of VB-3’s aircraft suffered heavy damage from attacking Japanese aircraft. However, all but two of VB-3’s aircraft returned to ''Enterprise''. Seventeen of VB-3’s pilots received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

for their action during the Battle of Midway, they were Ensigns Benson, Butler, Campbell, Cobb, Cooner, Elder, Hanson, Isaman, Lane, Merrill and Schoegel; Lieutenant (jg)s Holmberg, Sherwood and Wiseman; Lieutenants Bottomley and Shumway; and Lieutenant Commander Leslie. *August 1942: While operating from in the South Pacific, the squadron participated in strikes against

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

and other enemy installations in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

in support of the

Guadalcanal Campaign The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...

. *24 August 1942: VB-3 participated in the

Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and in Japanese sources as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea) took place on 24–25 August 1942 and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campa ...

, attacking the Japanese light carrier ''Ryūjō'', and helping to sink her. Jan–Jul 1943: VB-3 operated in the South Pacific flying combat sorties against various Japanese-held islands and providing air cover for American forces. *July 1943: VB-3 and the ''Saratoga'' Air Group were relieved by Air Group 12 and boarded for transfer to CONUS to reform, arriving at San Diego on 18 August. This ended the air group and VB-3’s association with ''Saratoga''. *November 1944: VB-3 conducted combat operations from against various targets, including shipping, in support of the Leyte invasion. *January 1945: Combat operations were conducted against targets in Formosa and the Philippines in support of the

Invasion of Lingayen Gulf The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf (; ; ; ), 3–13 January 1945, was an Allies of World War II, Allied Amphibious warfare, amphibious operation in the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of 6 Janua ...

. With ''Yorktown'' leading the way, Task Force 38 entered the South China Sea on 10 January. VB-3 struck targets near

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

and along the Vietnamese coast, Canton and Hong Kong areas, Formosa and Okinawa. *February 1945: VB-3 participated in the first carrier strikes against the Tokyo area, bombing the Kasumiga-ura Airfield, an air depot 25 miles north of Tokyo, and the Tachikawa Aircraft Engine Plant, located 16 miles west of the Imperial Palace. Following these strikes, the squadron concentrated its attention on air support for the

Battle of Iwo Jima The was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, desi ...

. This operation was the last combat action for the squadron during World War II. On 6 March, the squadron transferred from ''Yorktown'' to for transfer to the US.

Korean War

*11 October 1950: While deployed to the Korean theater aboard , the squadron launched its first combat mission since February 1945, striking North Korean targets. *12 December 1950: The squadron's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Bagwell, crash-landed in North Korea and was taken prisoner.

Cold War

*July–August 1958: VA-35, along with other squadrons from CVG-3, provided support for U.S. Marines landing in Lebanon. *October–November 1962: VA-35 deployed to

McCalla Field Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (), officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO, pronounced Gitmo as jargon by the U.S. military) is a United States military base located on of land and water on the shore of Guant� ...

, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...

. During December, the squadron was embarked on . *4 February 1965: The squadron's commanding officer, Commander Richard G. Layser, was killed in an accident. *15 August 1965: VA-35 transferred from CVW-3 in preparation for its transition to the

A-6A Intruder The Grumman A-6 Intruder is a twinjet all-weather subsonic attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace. It was formerly operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The A-6 was designed in res ...

. This brought to a close an illustrious career with CVW-3 that began in 1939.

Vietnam War

*26 February 1967: The squadron participated in the first combat aerial mining operations since World War II, when its A-6A Intruders dropped mines in the Song Ca and Song Giang Rivers of North Vietnam. *1 October 1967: During a weapons training deployment to NAS Yuma, Arizona, VA-35 became the first A-6A squadron to fire the

AIM-9 Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short-range air-to-air missile. Entering service with the United States Navy in 1956 and the Air Force in 1964, the AIM-9 is one of the oldest, cheapest, and most successful air-to-air missiles. Its latest variants rema ...

missile. *January–February 1968: While embarked on and en route to

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 ...

, the carrier was ordered to the Sea of Japan for operations following the seizure of the by the North Koreans. *12 March 1968: The squadron's commanding officer, Commander Kollmann, along with his bombardier-navigator Lieutenant John G. Griffith, was lost in an operational accident. *17 September 1972: While on a mission over North Vietnam the squadron's Commanding Officer, CDR Verne Donnelly and Admin Officer, LCDR Ken Buell were lost. CDR Donnelly's remains have been found. LCDR Buell is still listed as missing in action. Grumman KA-6D 152913 VA-35 Nimitz 05

Post Vietnam

*3 January 1980: VA-35 departed Naples, Italy, embarked on , en route to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope after the U.S. Embassy staff was taken hostage in Tehran, Iran. This was the beginning of 144 consecutive days at sea for the squadron. *26 May 1981: While on a training exercise aboard ''Nimitz'' off the coast of Charleston, S.C., an

EA-6B The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft. Operated by both the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy between 1971 and 2019, it was derived from the A-6 I ...

from

VMAQ-2 Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) was a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare Squadron (aviation), squadron in service from 1952 to 2019. It was the last squadron flying the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler. Mission ...

crashed into parked aircraft while attempting to land. VA-35 personnel provided firefighting support and assistance to the injured. There was one injury to VA-35 personnel, from the Va-35 line crew. Over 130 members of the squadron received awards for fighting fires and assisting the injured. *June 1985: ''Nimitz'' and VA-35 were ordered to operate off the coast of Lebanon due to the hijacking of

TWA Flight 847 TWA Flight 847 was a regularly scheduled Trans World Airlines flight from Cairo to San Diego with en route stops in Athens, Rome, Boston, and Los Angeles. On the morning of June 14, 1985, Flight 847 was hijacked soon after take off from Athens. ...

. The carrier and squadron remained on station until the release of the hostages in the latter part of June. *February 1987: VA-35, embarked on ''Nimitz'', operated off the coast of Lebanon after three U.S. citizens were taken hostage from the American University in Beirut. *July 1988: VA-35 participated in a firepower demonstration for the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

and his guest, the Marshal of the Soviet Union. *September 1988: While deployed to the North Atlantic aboard , the squadron conducted flight operations from the carrier while in the

Vestfjorden Vestfjorden (; sometimes shortened to ''Vestfjord'' in English) is a long fjord or oceanic sea in Nordland county, Norway. The name literally means "the west fjord", although it is called a fjord, it could best be described as a firth or an op ...

of Norway. *August 1990–March 1991: The squadron flew missions in support of

Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, the build-up of American and Allied forces to counter a threatened invasion of Saudi Arabia by Iraq and part of an economic blockade of Iraq to force its withdrawal from Kuwait. The squadron then participated in

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, the drive to push Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. *31 January 1995: The squadron was disestablished after over 60 years of service.

Home port assignments

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

– 1 July 1934 *

NAS San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

– 14 April 1935 * NAS Ford Island* – January 1942 *

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 (N ...

* – February 1942 * NAS Ewa* – June 1942 * NAS Kaneohe Bay* – September 1942 * Nandi Field,

Fiji Islands Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

* – November 1942 *

Tontouta Airfield La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa – La Tontouta International Airport (; ), is the main international airport in New Caledonia, an Overseas France, overseas collectivity of France in the southwest Pacific Ocean, as well as ...

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

* – December 1942 * NAS Sand Point – September 1943 *

NAS Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) is a naval air station of the United States Navy located on two pieces of land near Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington. The main portion of the base, Ault Field, is about ...

– October 1943 * NAS Pasco – 2 February 1944 *

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 ...

* – 5 April 1944 *

NAS Puunene Map of the five counties of the state of Hawaii Naval Base Hawaii was a number of United States Navy bases in the Territory of Hawaii during World War II. At the start of the war, much of the Hawaiian Islands was converted from tourism ...

* – 22 April 1944 *

NAS Hilo Hilo International Airport , formerly General Lyman Field, is a regional airport located in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, United States. Owned and operated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the airport serves windward (eastern) Hawaiʻi island in ...

* – 7 June 1944 *

NAS Kahului Kahului Airport is the main airport of Maui in the Hawaii, state of Hawaii, United States, located east of Kahului, Hawaii, Kahului. It has offered full airport operations since 1952. Many flights into Kahului originate from the Daniel K. Ino ...

* – 22 July 1944 *

NAS Seattle Naval Station Puget Sound is a former United States Naval station located on Sand Point in Seattle, Washington. Today, the land is occupied by Magnuson Park. History The area around Sand Point and Pontiac Bay was donated to the Seattle city ...

– 28 March 1945 *

NAS Wildwood Naval Air Station Wildwood was a United States Navy airport located in Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, - The zoning map shows the airport in the township boundaries. about northwest of the central business district ...

– 7 May 1945 * NAAS Oceana – 19 July 1945 * NAAS Charlestown – 15 April 1947 *

NAS Quonset Point Quonset Point Air National Guard Station is the home base of the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143rd Airlift Wing. Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point was a United States Navy, United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was ...

– 14 August 1947 * NAAS Charlestown – 1 October 1947 * NAS Quonset Point – 1 February 1949 * NAAS Oceana – 24 August 1950 * NAS Quonset Point – 3 Feb 1951 * NAAS Sanford – 30 April 1951 *

NAS Cecil Field Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy air base, located in Duval County, Florida. Prior to October 1999, NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in terms of acreage in the Jacksonville, Florida area. ...

– February 1953 *

NAS Jacksonville Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 Location NAS Jacksonville is located i ...

– 1 October 1958 * NAS Oceana – August 1965 : * Temporary shore base assignment during World War II.

Aircraft assignment

The squadron first received the following aircraft in the months shown: * BM-1 and BM-2 – Jul 1934 * BG-1 – Nov 1934 * SB2U-2 – Jan 1938 * SB2U-1 – Jul 1940 * BT-1 – Mar 1941 * SBC-4 – Mar 1941 * SBD-3 – Aug 1941 * SBD-4 – Apr 1943 * SBD-3P – Apr 1943 * SBD-5 – Aug 1943 * SB2C-1C – Dec 1943 * SBW-3 – Jul 1944 * SB2C-4 – Sep 1944 * SB2C-5 – Jan 1946 * AD-2 – 24 Nov 1948 * AD-2Q – Feb 1949 * AD-1 – Feb 1949 * AD-4 – Oct 1950 * AD-3 – May 1950 * AD-4L – Feb 1951 * AD-4B – Mar 1953 * AD-4N – Aug 1953 * AD-6/A-1H – Sep 1953 * AD-5 – Oct 1954 * A-6A – 15 Dec 1965 * A-6B – Jan 1968 * KA-6D – Dec 1970 * A-6C – Feb 1971 * A-6E – 19 Apr 1973

References

{{United States Navy Aircraft Squadrons Attack squadrons of the United States Navy Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Military units and formations disestablished in 1995