HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - VF-71
OR:
VF-71 on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Fighter Squadron 71 or VF-71 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 Squadron 7 (VB-7) on 1 July 1939, it was redesignated as VF-71 on 5 November 1940 and disestablished on 7 January 1943. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-71.


Operational history

VF-71 was deployed on board the and in April 1942 supported Operation Calendar to deliver
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
fighter aircraft to
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. ''Wasp'' was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in June 1942 and supported the invasion of Guadalcanal in August 1942. Many of the squadron's aircraft were lost in the sinking of the ''Wasp'' on 15 September 1942. The squadron was then land-based at
Palikulo Bay Airfield Palikulo Bay Airfield or Bomber Field #1 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base. History World War II The 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo ...
on
Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...
, and some supplemented the defense of Guadalcanal as part of the
Cactus Air Force The Cactus Air Force was the ensemble of Allies of World War II, Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal from August 1942 until December 1942 during the most heavily contested phases of the Battle of Guadalcanal, Guadalcanal Campa ...
. VF-71 scored seven kills before its disestablishment.


See also

*
History of the United States Navy The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that became notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" ...
*
List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons Most of the United States Navy aircraft Squadron (aviation), squadrons established since the Navy designated its first aircraft squadrons in 1919 no longer exist, having been "disestablished". Another 40 or so have been "deactivated", currently e ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the list of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons. The U.S. Navy uses the term "squadron" only to describe uni ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vf-71 Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy