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