Fighter Squadron 52 or VF-52 was an aviation unit of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. 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.

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 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. 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. VF-52 served its second Korean War deployment assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the from 15 Oct 1951 to 3 July 1952. VF-52 served its third Korean War deployment assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the from 30 Mar 1953 to 28 Nov 1953. VF-52 embarked on the for a WestPac deployment as part of ATG1 from 1 Sep 1954 to 11 Apr 1955. VF-52 embarked on the for a Western Pacific deployment from 28 May to 20 December 1956. VF-52 embarked on the for a Western Pacific deployment from 4 October 1958 to 16 February 1959.

Home port assignments

* NAS North Island

Aircraft assignment

* F4U-4 Corsair * TO-1 Shooting Star * F9F-2 F9F-5 Panther * F2H-3 Banshee

Notable former members

James L. Holloway III Deceased

References

External links