Fighting Squadron 6 or VF-6 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 Combat Squadron 4 on 23 September 1921, it was redesignated VF-2 on 1 July 1922, redesignated VF-2B on 19 March 1923, redesignated VF-6B on 1 January 1927, redesignated VF-6 on 1 July 1927, redesignated VB-2B on 1 July 1928, redesignated VF-6B on 1 July 1930, redesignated VF-3 on 1 July 1937, redesignated VF-6 on 15 July 1943 and disestablished on 29 October 1945.

Operational history

1920s

Combat Squadron Four was established on 23 September 1921, at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. VF-2 equipped with the

Vought VE-7 The Vought VE-7 "Bluebird" was an early biplane of the United States. First flying in 1917, it was designed as a two-seat trainer for the United States Army, then adopted by the United States Navy as its first fighter aircraft. In 1922, a VE-7 b ...

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

operated from , the US Navy's first aircraft carrier. Between 1922 and 1925, VF-2/VF-2B experimented with carrier operations from the ''Langley'' off the coast of California. Air activity was initially limited to scouting, but the Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet saw the potential of naval aviation and recommended that and be completed as soon as possible. In 1926, VF-2B flying Curtiss F6C Hawks was the 1st squadron to demonstrate the concept of dive-bombing, carrying out mock attacks on Pacific Fleet ships. Commanders of the surface ships, expecting standard, low-altitude, level bombing, were surprised when the VF-2B aircraft attacked unseen from 12,000 feet, making simulated drops before the ship's defenses could be manned. In 1927, VF-6 flew FU-1s and was tasked to provide one aircraft to each fleet battleship, with the remaining planes shore-based at NAS North Island. The squadron's FU-1s were launched from ship catapults, landed as seaplanes and then hoisted back aboard by crane. In 1928, the squadron transferred to ''Langley'' and was redesignated VB-2B. Over the course of the next 15 years, the squadron was variously called VF-6B, VF-3, and VF-6 based on their ship assignment ("B" appended meant the squadron was attached to the Battle Fleet, while "S" indicated that it belonged to the Scouting Fleet. In 1937, the last letter of Navy squadron designations was removed.)

1930s

VF-6B made two ''Langley'' deployments in 1930 and 1931 flying Boeing F2Bs. They later transitioned to Boeing F3B high altitude fighters. In December 1937, the squadron began a transition to the F3F-2. In 1939 the squadron operated at least two F3F-3s Grumman F3F alongside their F3F-2s. .

World War II

VF-3 served aboard , , and until 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 ...

. The commanding officer of the squadron during 1942 was then - Lieutenant Commander John Thach. VF-3 and VF-6 swapped designations on 15 July 1943, resulting in a three-year controversy as to which squadron owned the

Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivan (film producer), Pat Sullivan during the silent film era. An anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic young black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, ...

name and emblem until VF-3 was re-designated VF-3A on 15 November 1946 and awarded the official approval to adopt Felix the Cat by the Chief of Naval Operations.

Notable former members

* Edward "Butch" O'Hare * John Thach * Alexander Vraciu

References

{{reflist}

External links

VF-6 Image Gallery
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Naval History and Heritage Command The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard ...

Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy Military units and formations of the United States Navy in World War II