walika Posted June 11, 2017 Share #1 Posted June 11, 2017 VF-6 | Fighting Squadron Six | Enterprise Air Group Shooting Stars For the collector, there is some confusion about the designation/insignia of VF-3 and VF-6 in the period 1942-1944. The commanding officers of VF-3 and VF-6 swapped unit designations on 15 July 1943, resulting in a three year controversy as to which squadron owned the Felix the Cat name and emblem until VF-3 was re-designated VF-3A on 15 November 1946 and awarded the official approval to adopt Felix the Cat by the Chief of Naval Operations. For a time, VF-3 used the shooting star logo, but the following example clearly indicates it was from VF-6, Shooting Stars. Theater made. Hand-painted on leather. Soft, dark brown leather was painted silver, over which the logo was painted. The Enterprise Air Group was established on 1 July 1938, encompassing all squadrons embarked upon the USS Enterprise (CV-6). The group was divided into four squadrons, each with eighteen aircraft dedicated to a particular role. The squadrons were designated according to their role, and all were given the unit number six, derived from the hull number of the Enterprise. Bombing Six (VB-6) was equipped with Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless dive bombers, Fighting Six (VF-6) with Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters, and Torpedo Six (VT-6) with Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers. The fourth squadron, Scouting Six (VS-6) also had the SBD-2 Dauntless, but was more focused on the scout bomber role. This air group was embarked on board the Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.Six VF-6 F4F-3 Wildcats attempted to land at Ford Island the evening of December 7 but were accidentally shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire, killing three pilots and wounding two others. Decimated in the first months of the war, VF-6 was nearly entirely reconstituted, receiving F4F-4's for its second deployment, the Doolittle Raid.Summary of Operations:Aboard Enterprise (CV-6)7 Dec 1941-10 Mar 1942 Pearl Harbor, Marshall islands, Wake Island and Marcus Island8 Apr 1942-20 Apr 1942 Doolittle Raid30 Apr 1942-26 May 1942 Efate Island28 May 1942-13 Jun 1942 Battle of Midway15 Jul 1942-25 Aug 1942 Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of Eastern Solomons10 Nov 1943-9 Dec 1943 Operation GalvanicAboard Intrepid (CV-11)Dec 1943-22 Mar 1944 Operation Flintlock, Operation HailstoneAboard Hancock (CV-19)9 Mar 1945-11 Apr 1945 Operation Iceberg13 Jun 1945-20 Jun 1945 Wake Island1 Jul 1945-15 Aug 1945 air raids on Japan Grumman F4F-4 “Wildcat” fighter of Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) has its six .50 caliber machine guns tested on the flight deck of USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 April 1942. Note open gun bays in the plane’s wings and markings below the cockpit (“6F9” with no dashes between letters and numerals). ( U. S. Navy photograph) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted June 11, 2017 Share #2 Posted June 11, 2017 Not to be negative, but is there provinance for this? Interested, Owen Miller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walika Posted June 12, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted June 12, 2017 Not to be negative, but is there provinance for this? Interested, Owen Miller It came from a vet of that unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_k Posted June 13, 2017 Share #4 Posted June 13, 2017 "Not to be negative, but is there provinance for this?" Negative of what? Cheers, Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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