VPB-200 was a Patrol Bombing 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 Two Hundred (VB-200) on 1 April 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron Two Hundred (VPB-200) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 24 October 1945.
Operational history
*1 April 1944: VB-200 was established at
NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, as a combat replacement unit providing instruction on multiengine patrol aircraft. The personnel and equipment for the new squadron were drawn from the HEDRON Multiengine Replacement Unit, FAW-2. The squadron's primary duties included training replacement crews, ferrying aircraft and stand-by offshore patrol for
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...
and rescue work. Sections of the squadron operated on
Johnston and
Midway Atolls for rescue duties. Training squadrons like VB-200 trained fresh crews arriving from the U.S. in their final phases of combat training before being sent into the combat zone. VB-200 trained crews in land-based aircraft such as the
PB4Y-1 Liberator,
PB4Y-2 Privateer and
PV-1 Ventura.
*October 1944: The training squadrons at NAS Kaneohe initially worked with intact squadrons destined for combat deployments. In October 1944 the policy was changed to keep squadrons in the operational areas while sending in new crews to replace combat losses and crews due for rotation based on time-in-theater points.
*May 1945: VPB-200 conducted experiments for the
Bureau of Aeronautics
The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and rela ...
in picking up mail with hooks from surface vessels towing kites and balloons. Several successful trials were conducted but the method did not become a standard operating procedure throughout the fleet.
*24 Oct 1945: VPB-200 was disestablished at NAS Kaneohe, Hawaii.
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]
Aircraft assignments
The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown:[
* PV-1 April 1944
* PB4Y-1 April 1944
* PB4Y-2 August 1944
* PV-2 January 1945
]
See also
* Maritime patrol aircraft
A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over ...
* 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 ...
*
* 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" ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vpb-200
Patrol squadrons of the United States Navy
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons