jem3@pyuxf.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) (09/24/90)
From: jem3@pyuxf.bellcore.com (John E McKillop)
This is the third of five posts describing U.S., Canadian and
British combat units on 1 Sep 39. This post lists the organization and
fleet aircraft assignments of U.S. Naval aviation units on 1 September
1939. Shore based units, other than patrol squadrons, are not included.
The data are organized into three tables, i.e.:
Table 1 lists the aircraft assigned to the aviation units.
Table 2 lists the squadron abbreviations
Table 3 lists the organization of the aviation units.
TABLE 1 - AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED
-----------------
BOMBER (B)
BT-1, Northrop
FIGHTER (F)
F4B-3 & -4 Boeing
F2F-1, Grumman
F3F-1,-2 & -3 Grumman
GENERAL UTILITY (J)
JF-1, Grumman Duck
J2F-1,-2 & -3 Grumman Duck
OBSERVATION (O)
O3U-1 & -3 Vought Corsair
PATROL (P)
PH-1, Hall
XP2Y-2, Consolidated
P2Y-2 & -3 Consolidated
PATROL BOMBER (PB)
PBY-1,-2,-3 & -4 Consolidated Catalina
SCOUT (S)
SU-1,-2 & -3 Vought Corsair
SCOUT BOMBER (SB)
SBC-3 & -4 Curtiss Helldiver
SBU-1, Vought
SB2U-1 & -2 Vought Vindicator
SCOUT OBSERVATION (SO)
SOC-1,-2 & -3 Curtiss Seagull
SON-1, Naval Aircraft Factory Seagull
TORPEDO (T)
TG-2, Great Lakes
TORPEDO BOMBER (TB)
TBD-1, Douglas Devastator
TRAINER (N)
N2C-2, Curtiss Fledgling
NJ-1, North American
N3N-1, Naval Aircraft Factory
N2Y-1, Consolidated Fleet I
TRANSPORT (R)
RD-3, Douglas Dolphin
UTILITY TRANSPORT
JRS-1, Sikorsky
TABLE 2 - SQUADRON DESIGNATIONS
---------------------
VB.....Bombing Squadron
VCS....Cruiser Scouting Squadron
VF.....Fighting Squadron
VJ.....Utility Squadron
VO.....Observation Squadron
VP.....Patrol Squadron
VS.....Scouting Squadron
VT.....Torpedo Squadron
TABLE 3 - FLEET AIRCRAFT ORGANIZATION
-------------------------------------
US FLEET: CINCUS in USS Pennsylvania: 1 SOC-3
BATTLE FORCE, US FLEET: ComBatFor in USS California: 1 SOC-3
BATTLESHIPS, BATTLE FORCE
BATTLESHIP DIVISION ONE: VO-1 in USS Arizona, Nevada &
Pennsylvania: 9 SOC-3
BATTLESHIP DIVISION TWO: VO-2 in USS California, Oklahoma &
Tennessee: 9 SOC-3
BATTLESHIP DIVISION THREE: VO-3 in USS Idaho, Mississippi & New
Mexico: 6 SOC-3, 1 SON-1
BATTLESHIP DIVISION FOUR: VO-4 in USS Colorado, Maryland & West
Virginia: 7 SOC-3, 2 SON-1
CRUISERS, BATTLE FORCE
CRUISER DIVISION TWO: VCS-2 in USS Memphis & Trenton: 1 SOC-1,
2 SOC-2
CRUISER DIVISION EIGHT: VCS-8 in USS Brooklyn, Nashville,
Philadelphia & Savannah: 7 SOC-1, 9 SOC-3
CRUISER DIVISION NINE: VCS-9 in USS Boise, Honolulu, Phoenix &
St Louis: 9 SOC-1, 6 SOC-2, 1 SOC-3, 4 SON-1
DESTROYERS, BATTLE FORCE: ComDesBatFor in USS Raleigh: 2 SOC-1
DESTORYER FLOTILLA TWO: ComDesFlot 2 in USS Detroit: 2 SOC-1
AIRCRAFT, BATTLE FORCE
CARRIER DIVISION ONE
LEXINGTON AIR GROUP
CAG: SB2U-1
VB-2: 17 SB2U-1, 2 SB2U-2
VF-3: 18 F3F-1, 1 SB2U-1, 2 SU-3
VS-3: 18 SBC-3
VT-2: 18 TBD-1
Utility Unit: 2 J2F-1, 2 O3U-3, 1 N2Y-1
RANGER AIR GROUP
VB-3: 2 SB2U-1
VF-4: 20 F3F-1, 1 SBU-1, 2 SU-3
VS-41: 18 SBU-1
VS-42: 18 SBU-1
Utility Unit: 2 J2F-1, 3 O3U-3
SARATOGA AIR GROUP
ComAirBatFor: 1 SOC-1, 2 SOC-3, 1 SBU-1
CAG: 1 SB2U-2
VB-4: 18 SB2U-2, 1 N2Y-1
VF-2: 17 F2F-1, 1 SB2U-2, 2 SU-2, 1 SU-1, 1 O3U-3
VS-2: 1 SBU-1, 1 SBC-4
VT-3: 16 TBD-1, 1 SB2U-2
Utility Unit: 2 J2F-1, 2 O3U-3
CARRIER DIVISION TWO
ENTERPRISE AIR GROUP
VB-6: 18 BT-1
VF-6: 16 F3F-2, 2 SBC-3, 2 SU-2
VS-6: 17 SBC-3
VT-6: 17 TBD-1
Utility Unit: 1 J2F-1, 1 J2F-3, 3 O3U-3
WASP AIR GROUP, NRAB Squantum
Utility Unit: 1 O3U-3, 3 SON-1
YORKTOWN AIR GROUP
ComCarDiv 2: 1 SBC-3, 1 SOC-1, 1 NJ-1, 1 N3N-1
CAG: 1 SBC-3
VB-5: 18 BT-1
VF-5: 18 F3F-3, 1 F2F-1, 1 SU-3
VS-5: 18 SBC-3
VT-5: 18 TBD-1
Utility Unit: 2 J2F-2, 3 O3U-3
SCOUTING FORCE, US FLEET: ComScoFor in USS Indianapolis: 1 SOC-3
CRUISERS, SCOUTING FORCE: ComCruScoFor in USS Chicago: 1 SOC-1
CRUISER DIVISION FOUR: VCS-4 in USS Houston, Northampton,
Pensacola & Salt Lake City: 12 SOC-1, 4 SOC-2
CRUISER DIVISION FIVE: VCS-5 in USS Chester, Chicago, Louisville &
Portland: 11 SOC-1, 1 SOC-2
CRUISER DIVISION SIX: VCS-6 in USS Astoria, Indianapolis,
Minneapolis & New Orleans: 11 SOC-1, 2 SOC-2
CRUISER DIVISION SEVEN: VCS-7 in USS Quincy, San Francisco,
Tuscaloosa & Vincennes: 13 SOC-1, 3 SOC-2
USS WICHITA: 4 SOC-1
AIRCRAFT, SCOUTING FORCE: ComAirScoFor in USS Memphis: 2 SOC-3
PATROL WING ONE, San Diego, Calif.
ComPatWingOne: 1 SOC-2
USS Langley: 1 SOC-1, 1 SOC-2, 1 SON-1
USS Wright: 1 SOC-1, 1 J2F-1
VP-11: 13 PBY-3, 1 PBY-4
VP-12: 14 PBY-3
VP-14: 6 P2Y-3, 2 O3U-3
PATROL WING TWO, Pearl Harbor, TH
VP-21: 15 PBY-4 (based at San Diego, Calif)
VP-22: 15 PBY-3
VP-23: 12 PBY-1
VP-24: 13 PBY-1
VP-25: 13 PBY-2
VP-26: 16 PBY-4, 1 PBY-2, 2 O3U-3
Utility Unit: 1 F4B-3, 1 JRS-1, 3 J2F-1, 2 O3U-1, 1 SOC-2,
1 RD-3
PATROL WING THREE, Coco Solo, CZ
VP-31: 11 PBY-2
VP-32: 13 PBY-1
VP-33: 14 PBY-3
Utility Unit: 1 RD-3, 2 F2F-1, 1 F4B-4, 2 O3U-1, Glider
PATROL WING FOUR, Sitka, TA
VP-41: 7 PBY-3
VP-42: 7 PBY-2
VP-43: 5 P2Y-3
VP-44: 6 P2Y-3
Utility Unit: 1 SOC-1
PATROL WING FIVE, NAS Norfolk, Va
ComPatWingFive: 1 SON-1
VP-51: 13 PYB-1, 1 O3U-3
VP-52: 8 P2Y-2, 1 XP2Y-2, 1 O3U-3
VP-53: 9 P2Y-2
VP-54: 12 PBY-2
SUBMARINE FORCE, US FLEET: ComSubFor in USS Richmond: 2 SOC-2
BASE FORCE, US FLEET: ComBasFor, San Pedro, Calif: 1 SOC-1
UTILITY WING, BASE FORCE
VJ-1: 8 J2F-2, 3 J2F-3, 8 JRS-1
VJ-2: 3 J2F-1, 2 J2F-2, 4 J2F-3, 1 JRS-1, 1 RD-3, 7 PH-1
Utility Detachment Dog: 1 N2C-2, 1 TG-2
ASIATIC FLEET
USS AUGUSTA: 4 SOC-1
USS MARBLEHEAD: 2 SOC-1
USS HERON: 2 JF-1, 2 J2F-2