VB-2 | USS Hornet (CV-12) | The Sea Wolves | two patches

[walika]

VB-2 | USS Hornet (CV-12)
The Sea Wolves

 

 

Silkscreened on cloth. Disney design.

 

 

Multi-piece leather. Hand-painted detail.

 

 

 

Bombing Squadron TWO (VB-2) was one of the Navy's oldest dive bomber squadrons, a part of Air Group TWO (AG-2), when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Known as the "Highhatters," it was flying SBDs in Lexington (CV-2) and took part in the first air strikes against the Japanese with raids at Lae, Salamaua and Rabaul. During the first five months of the Pacific war, AG-2 sank two Japanese CLs, aided in sinking the carrier Shoho and damaging a second, with VB-2 participating in all actions conducted from Lexington until that ship was sunk at Coral Sea on 8 May 1942. After loss of CV-2, AG-2 and VB-2 were disbanded and returned to the United States.

Shortly before Christmas, 1943, the squadron was loaded aboard a carrier for transportation to the Hawaiian Islands; New Years day found VB-2 stationed at NAS Hilo, Hawaii, and training for a combat assignment continued, sporting a Disney Big Bad Wolf insignia, the squadron then known as "The Sea Wolves."

In mid-February, with a move only highest-level commanders make and understand, the Navy took the combat-ready SBDs from Bombing Squadron TWO and replaced them with 36 of the early SB2Cs. With only four weeks training in "the Beast," Air Group Two was assigned to the new Hornet (CV-12), flagship of RADM J.J. "Jocko" Clark, a new Task Force 58.1 commander. Thus VB-2 pilots deployed on a seven-month combat cruise with 15 to 20 hours each of flight time in their new dive bombers and, two weeks after going aboard Hornet on 15 March 1944, they were flying combat strikes against Palau.

No other dive bomber squadron had as rough a begining-getting new, more complicated aircraft-then being required to immediately fly them in combat. It took a better trained pilot to fly the Beast successfully and safely than to fly the SBD, but this was not a problem if a squadron had time to properly train and prepare in the SB2C before going into combat. Due to the necessities of war, VB-2 did not get that opportunity-and paid a price in operational losses.

In six and one-half months of intensive combat operations against Japanese warships, support ships and island bases-the second Truk raid, Turkey Shoot and First Philippine Sea, Guam-Saipan landings, numerous Bonin Island raids, and extensive raids in a return to the Philippines in September, 1944,-VB-2 established itself as one of the top dive bomber squadrons of the Pacific war. Fourteen of its planes were first to dive at Philippine Sea, attacking Zuikaku (with VB-1), scoring a credited eight hits and numerous near-misses. Believed to be sunk at the time, this carrier survived and was finally put under when used as a decoy at Leyte Gulf in October, 1944. However, Zuikaku never flew another combat strike from her deck after the mauling received from VB-2 at Philippine Sea. Nine VB-2 pilots received the Navy Cross; all others, including gunners, received DFCs for this important mission.

The Sea Wolves took part in a new tactical concept during the last two months of its combat cruise. In mid-August, total SB2Cs were reduced from 36 to 24 aircraft, and 12 F6Fs replaced them as fighter bombers. Twelve pilots were assigned these aircraft, and were used in this role during all remaining combat strikes in August and September. The concept of fighter-bombers continued in this air group with F4Us until the end of the war in September, 1945; this was the beginning of the one-plane concept for both fighter and attack missions that exists in Naval Aviation VFA Hornet F-18 squadrons today.

• Palau Islands-Voleai Raids 29-31 March 1944
• Wadke-Sawar-Sarmi-Raids 21-24 April 1944
• Truk-Satawan-Ponape Raids 29 April-1 May 1944
• Guam-Rata Raids 11-13 June 1944
• Bonin Island Raids 15-16 June 1944
• First Philippine Sea (Turkey Shoot) 19-20 June 1944
• Pagan Island-Marianas Raids 23 June 1944
• Iwo Jima Raids 24 June 1944
• Bonin Islands Raids 3-4 July 1944
• Saipan-Rota-Guam Landings 6-21 July 1944
• Woleai-Yap-Ulithi Raids 24-28 July 1944
• Bonin Islands Raids 4-5 August 1944
• Palau Island Landings 15-16 September 1944
• Philippine Island Raids 9-24 September 1944

 

Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas"), referred to, rather affectionately by her aircrews, as "Slow But Deadly", was the United States Navy's main carrier-borne scout plane and dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps, both from land air bases and aircraft carriers. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

During its combat service, the SBD was an excellent naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics, good defensive armament and ruggedness. One land-based variant of the SBD — in omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces, as the A-24 Banshee.

 

 

 

The Dauntless was the standard shipborne dive-bomber of the US Navy from mid-1940 until November 1943, when the first Curtiss Helldivers arrived to replace it. Between 1942-43, the Dauntless was pressed into service again and again, seeing action in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Guadalcanal campaign. It was, however, at the Battle of Midway, that the Dauntless came into its own, singlehandedly destroying four of the Imperial Japanese Navy's front line carriers. The SBD (referred to, rather affectionately by her aircrews, as "Slow But Deadly") was gradually phased out during 1944. The June 20th, 1944 strike against the Japanese Mobile Fleet, known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea, was the last major engagement in which it was used. From 1942 to 1944, the SBD was also used by several land-based Marine Corps squadrons.

Built as a two-seat, low-wing Navy scout bomber, the Dauntless was powered by a single Wright R1820 1200-horsepower engine. It became the mainstay of the Navy's air fleet in the Pacific, suffering the lowest loss ratio of any U.S. carrier-borne aircraft. A total of 5,936 SBDs were delivered to the Navy and Marine Corps between 1940 and the end of its production, in July 1944.

 

 

 

 

Disney advertisement, 1944.

 

 

 

Noseart on display in the Canadian War Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

USS Hornet (CV-12)

 

[doyler]

GREAT PATCH Rick!

 

Thanks for posting all the terrific squadron insignias and histories.

[jerry_k]

Amazing, thanks for your effort!

 

Regards,

Jerry

[walika]

I just noticed images from this post were lost when Forum software was upgraded a few years ago. Below are images from the OP.

 

Silkscreened on cloth.  | Design by Walt Disney Studios.

 

 

Multi-piece leather with hand-painted detail. | Design by Walt Disney Studios.

 

 

Built as a two-seat, low-wing Navy scout bomber, the Dauntless was powered by a single Wright R1820 1200-horsepower engine. It became the mainstay of the Navy's air fleet in the Pacific, suffering the lowest loss ratio of any U.S. carrier-borne aircraft. A total of 5,936 SBDs were delivered to the Navy and Marine Corps between 1940 and the end of its production, in July 1944.

 

 

 

Disney advertisement, 1944.

 

 

 

Noseart on display in the Canadian War Museum.

 

 

 

 

USS Hornet (CV-12)