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WWII USN G-1, VP/VPB-23


kpaintner
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As many of you know, Patrol Squadron 23 flew PBYs. Their involvement in WWII started on 7 December 1941 when eight of squadron's aircraft were destroyed on Ford Island.

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I picked this jacket up locally from CDR Smith's daughter along with his wings. She said this was all that was left from his service in WWII.

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I found this picture of VP-23 pilots. As you can see, the names are on the bottom of the picture. I am assuming CDR Smith is the one on the bottom left front row?

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I am not sure what this patch represents. Anyone have any ideas? It looks like some sort of sub hunter patch?

Patch with the fox on it is for VP-5 and I believe they now fly P-3 Orions

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As you can see, the names are on the bottom of the picture. I am assuming CDR Smith is the one on the bottom left front row? There is a lot of neat history with this squadron. A detachment of squadron aircraft at Midway participated in the patrols searching for the Japanese invasion force expected from the intercepted radio traffic. VP-23 planes were the first to sight and report the location of the Japanese fleet on 6 June 1942 which ultimately led to the famous carrier battles at Midway. The date on the picture lines up with the squadron's history. On 20 June 1944, the squadron flew the transpac from San Diego to Kaneohe, HI, in the new amphibious version of the Catalina, the PBY-5A. All aircraft arrived safely and the squadron began operations on 30 June, sending a six aircraft detachment to Midway for anti-submarine warfare. On 20 August, VP-23 was redeployed to the island of Eniwetok.

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So here is what I found on VP-5. This squadron is/was nicknamed the "Blnd Foxes".

 

For over seven decades, the command now recognized as Patrol Squadron FIVE (VP-5) has served the cause of freedom. From ocean to ocean, the Sailors and aviators who comprised this squadron’s rolls helped build a record of Maritime Patrol Aviation (MPA) warfighting excellence and extraordinary professional achievement and service.

 

Commissioned in 1937 and initially designated as VP-17, the Navy's second oldest VP squadron flew and maintained the PM-1. In part because the squadron operated predominately out of Alaska and other Pacific Northwest sites, the first squadron patch depicted a seal balancing a bomb on its nose. In 1938, VP-17 transitioned to the new PBY-2 and continued to operate primarily in northern patrol zones. VP-17 changed designation to VP-42 in 1939 and two years later transitioned to the newer PBY-5. In 1942, the squadron again accepted a new aircraft, the amphibious-capable PBY-5A.

 

During World War II, the squadron directly contributed to some of the earliest Allied victories in the Pacific theater. In February 1943, the Navy redesignated VP-42 as Bombing Squadron ONE THIRTY FIVE (VB-135) at Whidbey Island, Washington. Nicknamed the "Blind Fox" squadron reflecting the squadron's method of flying “blind” through heavy weather, the squadron altered the patch to depict a fox riding a flying gas tank. In this classic patch, the blindfolded fox carried a bomb underneath one arm and with the opposite hand held a cane to assist in navigating through the clouds. This steely airmanship underpinned the squadron’s service in the "Kiska Blitz", wherein Blind Foxes joined sister squadrons in persistent bombing of Kiska Harbor in advance of an anticipated August 1943 amphibious assault of Kiska Island in the Aleutians. Undeterred by enemy fire and extreme weather, squadron aviators typically approached the target area shrouded in clouds, executed a diving descent to release ordnance below the cloud deck, then raced back above the layer to escape ground fire. Operating from the Aleutian Island Amchitka, VB-135 flew 160 missions against the enemy, helping to hasten the Japanese abandonment of the island and obviate the need for a costly amphibious assault. In 1944, the squadron shifted to Attu Island to support photo-reconnaissance efforts aimed at unveiling Japanese activity in the Kurile Islands.

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So it appears he could have served first with the VB-135, which explains the patch being on the chest and then transferred to VP-23 and added their patch to his shoulder.

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So the correct WWII designation for this jacket would have been M-422? So I am guessing this was a replacement for him after the war.

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So the correct WWII designation for this jacket would have been M-422? So I am guessing this was a replacement for him after the war.

The M-422A is the most common WWII version on this jackets. Yours is definitely from the 50s but still a nice jacket. It was not unusual for career Naval Aviators to have more than one jacket issued to them over the years.

 

Kurt

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The patch also I'm pretty sure is post war for -23, the patrol squadron tab on the bottom is pretty much the same as how current squadrons do it.

Very nice jacket though, and yes VP-23 has a great, interesting history for sure.

I have a small grouping from a pilot in the same squadron.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/246722-pby-black-cat-pilot-w-link-to-uss-indianapolis/

 

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  • 1 month later...

VP/VPB-23 patch....

 

If Im not mistaken, VP-23 Seahawks, ended up on the US east coast at NAS BRUNSWICK Maine. My dad was assigned to that squadron in 1959 to 1961.

 

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Johnny Signor

I hope this one posts O.K. ........The bottom of the lightning bolt is cut off in image , sorry .... but this is a better rendering of the basic emblem of their WW2 design

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Johnny Signor

Unit was Known as the "Mad Foxes"

I am not sure what this patch represents. Anyone have any ideas? It looks like some sort of sub hunter patch?

 

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