VP-148 was a Patrol 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 ...

. The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 148 (VB-148) on 16 August 1943, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 148 (VPB-148) on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Squadron 148 (VP-148) on 15 May 1946 and disestablished on 14 June 1946.

Operational history

*16 August 1943 – 16 January 1944: VB-148 was established at

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 ...

, California, as a medium bombing squadron flying the

PV-1 Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in ...

. During its entire training phase, the squadron remained under the operational control of FAW-8. After forming, the squadron was relocated to a training facility at NAAS Vernalis, California, where squadron personnel received ground training. On 3 October, the first Venturas arrived for the flight training phase of the syllabus. Upon completion of the flight training phase, the squadron’s aircraft were flown to the Naval Ordnance Testing Station at

Inyokern Inyokern (formerly Siding 16 and Magnolia) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Its name derives from its location near the border between Inyo and Kern Counties. Inyokern is located west of Ridgecrest, ...

, California, where rocket launcher rails were installed. Training in use of the air-to-ground missiles ran from 31 December 1943 to 16 January 1944. On completion of the rocket attack training, the squadron returned to NAAS Vernalis to begin preparations for transportation to Hawaii. *3–12 February 1944: VB-148 loaded its equipment, aircraft and personnel aboard for transport to

Naval Base Pearl Harbor A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

, Hawaii. The squadron arrived on 10 February and quickly unloaded and reassembled the aircraft for the short hop to

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 ...

. Training under the operational control of FAW-2 began on 12 February. *20 March 1944: VB-148 departed NAS Kaneohe Bay in three aircraft elements for

Renard Field Yandina Airport is an airport on Mbanika in the Solomon Islands. History The 33rd Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Banika Island in late February 1943 and commenced construction of a fighter airfield. By 13 April a basic airfield known a ...

, Russell Islands, to relieve VB-140. *3 April – May 1944: The squadron was sent to

Munda __NOTOC__ Munda may refer to: Places India * Munda, a village in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, India * Munda Majra, a former village in Haryana, India * Munda Pind, a village in Punjab, India Pakistan * Munda, a village near Bilyamin in Kur ...

, New Georgia, to provide fighter cover for C-47s carrying paratroops going into New Guinea. From this date until relieved, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-1. On 14 April, the squadron suffered its first casualty of the tour when Lieutenant William T. Henderson was shot down while overflying the Kahili Airfield, Bougainville. Henderson ditched the aircraft four miles east of

Balalae Island Balalae Island (or Ballale/Ballali) is an island of the Shortland Islands Group in Western Province, Solomon Islands. Early history ''Ballale'' means border place in the local Alu language. As long as the natives of the Shortland Islands can rem ...

and three of the crew of five were rescued by a

Dumbo (air-sea rescue) Dumbo was the code name used by the United States Navy during the 1940s and 1950s to signify search and rescue missions, conducted in conjunction with military operations, by long-Range (aeronautics), range aircraft flying over the ocean. The purp ...

. The second squadron loss came on 3 May 1944, when Lieutenant William E. Davis and crew were declared missing in action after failing to return from a strike on Bougainville. The squadron remained at Munda until 20 May, when orders were received to relocate to

Emirau Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . Emira is part of what on many maps are charted as the St Matthias Islands, also known as the Mussau Islands, a small group to the northwest of the main islan ...

. Twice daily long-range search and patrol missions to the western Carolines were coordinated with a destroyer squadron and CVE to pinpoint enemy dispositions and to conduct joint attacks against shipping. Two squadron aircraft were credited with downing two enemy twin engine bombers while on patrol. *28 May – A VB-148 PV-1 Ventura mistakenly attacked the U.S. Navy submarine with

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

s in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

in the vicinity of . ''Permit'' submerged as the aircraft approached, but an explosion occurred as she passed a depth of which inflicted damage on her. She suffered no casualties.Hinman & Campbell, pp. 132–133. *26 July 1944: One of the squadron aircraft spotted a convoy of Japanese vessels while on patrol southwest of Truk. A six-plane strike was organized and subsequent attacks on the convoy resulted in the sinking of four ships totalling 2,200 tons, and the downing of two enemy escort fighters without any losses to the squadron. *22 October – 15 December 1944: VPB-148 was relieved at Emirau by a Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron for return to NAS Kaneohe Bay, arriving there on 31 October. Squadron personnel were put aboard on 22 November, for return to the West Coast. After arriving at NAS Alameda on 15 December, all hands were reclassified and given home leave. *10 January – April 1945: VPB-148 was reformed at

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 ...

, Washington, under the operational control of FAW-6. Training in the PV-1 Ventura was commenced on glide bombing, navigation, and advanced instrument flying. The syllabus was completed at the end of April 1945 and the squadron was relocated to

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 ...

, California, to await transportation to Pearl Harbor. *30 May – 16 August 1945: Personnel were loaded aboard for transportation to Pearl Harbor. After arrival on 5 June, the squadron was assigned 15 PV-2 Harpoons at NAS Kaneohe Bay, coming under the operational control of FAW-2. A detachment of six aircraft was formed immediately and sent to

Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an unorganized and unincorporated territory. The largest island is Sand Island, which has housi ...

. A second detachment of three aircraft was flown to

Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States, under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). The island is closed to public entry, and limited access for mana ...

. Both detachments engaged in anti-submarine warfare patrols and long range searches in the vicinity of the islands. At NAS Kaneohe Bay, the remainder of the squadron began the combat training syllabus. The detachments returned on 16 August 1945 to NAS Kaneohe Bay to complete their portion of the combat training. *September 1945: With the

Surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

the squadron was left with little to do other than routine patrols in the vicinity of the Hawaiian islands. *15 June 1946: VPB-148 was disestablished at NAS Kaneohe Bay.

Aircraft assignments

The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown: * PV-1 - October 1943 * PV-2 - June 1945

Home port assignments

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

, California - 16 August 1943 * NAAS Vernalis, California - September 1943 *

, Hawaii - 12 February 1944 * NAS Alameda - 15 December 1944 *

, Washington - 10 January 1945 *

, California - April 1945 * NAS Kaneohe Bay - 5 June 1945

References

Footnotes

Bibliography