Naval Air Squadrons - Rotary 'H' Helicopter Squadrons

[Siamundo]

On 7/1/2023 at 7:13 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

Fabuous, just fabulous...

Thank you sir. It has been 5-6 years since I last posted anything in this thread so in that time I was able to find a few more along the way. Wow, where did the time go?

[Salvage Sailor]

On 8/12/2017 at 8:13 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

I recall building a model of the HUK-1 and painting it in the bright orange rescue scheme (man I'm getting old)

 

Here's the first HS-9 established in 1956, somewhere around here I have the CVSG-60 hunter killer patch which goes with it

 

 

 

This is the second HS-9 SEA GRIFFINS established in 1976, 6" patch

 

 

 

Found my HS-9 CVSG-60 stash

 

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 9 (HS-9)

1956-1968 (1st squadron)

 

 

 

 

'OPERATION STRAIT LACED'

USS RANDOLPH (CVS-15)

10th Year Anniversary 1966 NATO NORLANT Cruise

Belfast, Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Bergen, poking the Soviet Bear (you can run but you can't hide)

HS-9 ROYAL ORDER OF THE PALM

(I'm certain there's a sea story behind this)

 

 

 

 

 

Carrier Anti Submarine Group 60 - USS RANDOLPH (CVS-15) 1966

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

HCT-16 'BULLFROGS' (1974-1977)

Redesignated HC-16 in May 1977

Helicopter Combat Support Training Squadron 16

History 

1 November 1974  HCT-16 Established at NAS Saufley Field FL

20 May 1977 HCT-16 was redesignated HC-16

1 April 1994  HC-16 Disestablished at NAS Pensacola FL

 

 

[FlyNavy02]

Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 12 (HM-12), Japanese made, used, similar to an example in post #2.

 

 

Squadron history by Lieutenant Commander Rick Burgess, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Proceedings, July 1998, Volume 124/7/1,145

 

Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 12 (HM-12) was the first of its kind. Established at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, on 1 April 1971, the Sea Dragons institutionalized airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) as a role of U.S. Navy helicopters. HM-12 initially was equipped with CH-53A Sea Stallion helicopters—borrowed from the Marine Corps—capable of towing mine countermeasures sleds. HM-12 was called into action after the 1973 truce in the Vietnam War. The squadron deployed to ships in the Tonkin Gulf, for Operation End Sweep, the clearing of mines from the harbors and coastal waters of North Vietnam. Mission complete, the Sea Dragons returned to Norfolk for transition to the RH-53D version, the first helicopter designed expressly for mine countermeasures.

The use of sea mines in the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War prompted the use of HM-12 to sweep the Suez Canal as part of Operation Nimbus Star and the northern coast of Egypt in Operation Nimbus Stream.

The beginning of the vertical on-board delivery (VOD) role for Sea Stallion helicopters came in November 1976, when HM-12 deployed a detachment to the Mediterranean. The detachment's success was such that RH-53Ds later were assigned full-time to a logistics squadron in the Mediterranean.

This growth resulted in two deployable squadrons being formed in 1978 from HM-12: HM-14 and HM-16. With this growth came the need for a separate fleet readiness squadron (FRS) to train crews and maintenance personnel. HiM-12 gave up its operational role and became the FRS for the airborne mine countermeasures community, as well as those squadrons flying the Sea Stallion in the VOD role.

In 1983, HM-12 acquired its first CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter for training purposes. The RH-53D also was retired in 1987, replaced by the larger MH-53E Sea Dragon. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-91), HM-12 sent personnel to the combat zone, to augment other HM and HC squadrons.

In a consolidation move, HM-12 was disestablished on 30 September 1994. Its training role was assumed by Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 302 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, and the AMCM Weapon System Training School in Norfolk.

[frank2far]

Has anyone see a patch for this unit? USS WASP 1953-54, "Bloodshot Angel"? HU-1

 

 

[Siamundo]

A few recent pickups. Hoping someone might be able to interpret what is written in the lower right corner of the Hutron-1 Det Alfa patch. Looks like it says 'We're 20 CP!"

[Salvage Sailor]

7 hours ago, Siamundo said:

A few recent pickups. Hoping someone might be able to interpret what is written in the lower right corner of the Hutron-1 Det Alfa patch. Looks like it says 'We're 20 CP!"

 

AOCP = aircraft out of commission for parts

 

Nice Suez Canal mine clearance patch (Operation Nimbus Stream/Moon/Star etc)

 

HMM-261 DET J

Operation Nimbus Stream, Mine Clearance of the Suez Canal 1975 operating from USS INCHON (LPH-12)

 

 

 

 

[Siamundo]

Ahh, thank you sir 👍 I can see it now that the first two characters are a lower case 'a' and 'o'. I was convinced it was the number 20 and was having no luck coming up with anything for 20CP.