TASK FORCE ALFA PATCH (Alpha ?) Anti Sub Warfare Task Grp

[redone]

Is this patch for the Anti Submarine Warefare Task Force ALPHA that took place in the late 1950s early 60s with the USS Valley Forge CVS45 ? Ifso why is Alpha incorrectly spelled ALFA.

Thank you.

[Proud Kraut]

I have no clue about the correct meaning of this patch but maybe "ALFA" is NATO related?

 

"...After the phonetic alphabet was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization it was adopted by many other international and national organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United States Federal Government (as Federal Standard 1037C: Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, and its successor ANSI T1.523-2001, ATIS Telecom Glossary, both of which cite Joint Publication 1-02: Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms,but modifying the spelling of alfa and juliett) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO); and by many military organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the now-defunct Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)..."

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

TASK GROUP ALFA 1959 - USS VALLEY FORGE (CVS-45)

On 1 April 1958, Rear Admiral John S. Thach hoisted his two-star flag to the carrier's main as the ship became flagship of Task Group Alfa (TG Alfa). This group, built around Valley Forge, included eight destroyers, two submarines, and one squadron each of antisubmarine helicopters and airplanes; a detachment of airborne early warning airplanes, modified A-1 Skyraiders called "guppies" because of their bulging ventral Radomes; and a land-based Lockheed P-2 Neptune. A significant development in naval tactics, TG Alfa concentrated solely on developing and perfecting new devices and techniques for countering the potential menace of enemy submarines in an age of nuclear propulsion and deep-diving submersibles.

Observing the New Year (1958-1959) at sea, the carrier was steaming in very heavy weather when she was forced to take evasive action to avoid collision with a merchant ship. Heavy seas severely damaged the forward portion of the flight deck, requiring her to proceed to the New York Naval Shipyard for repairs. To ready her for service as quickly as possible, a corresponding 30-by-90-foot (9.1 m × 27.4 m) section was taken from the flight deck of the inactive carrier USS Franklin (CVS-13), berthed at Bayonne, New Jersey. The damaged section was cut away from Valley Forge's flight deck and the Franklin deck piece installed in its place. A bronze plaque was mounted on the newly replaced deck section to commemorate how the Franklin was damaged in action off Japan in April 1945

[Salvage Sailor]

TASK GROUP ALFA 1958

 

The phonetic alphabet changed during this time to what we recognize today. (Able to Alfa or Alpha, Baker to Bravo, Easy to Echo, etc)

[Salvage Sailor]

.....and this is the other Anti Submarine group formed at that time centered upon the USS WASP (CVS 18) in 1959

 

Task Group Bravo

[Salvage Sailor]

Aerial view of the U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare Task Group Bravo, circa in 1961. Identifiable is the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CVS-18) and the destroyer USS Robert A. Owens (DD-827), leading the formation. The four destroyers were from Destroyer Squadron 36.

[redone]

 

TASK GROUP ALFA 1959 - USS VALLEY FORGE (CVS-45)

On 1 April 1958, Rear Admiral John S. Thach hoisted his two-star flag to the carrier's main as the ship became flagship of Task Group Alfa (TG Alfa). This group, built around Valley Forge, included eight destroyers, two submarines, and one squadron each of antisubmarine helicopters and airplanes; a detachment of airborne early warning airplanes, modified A-1 Skyraiders called "guppies" because of their bulging ventral Radomes; and a land-based Lockheed P-2 Neptune. A significant development in naval tactics, TG Alfa concentrated solely on developing and perfecting new devices and techniques for countering the potential menace of enemy submarines in an age of nuclear propulsion and deep-diving submersibles.

Observing the New Year (1958-1959) at sea, the carrier was steaming in very heavy weather when she was forced to take evasive action to avoid collision with a merchant ship. Heavy seas severely damaged the forward portion of the flight deck, requiring her to proceed to the New York Naval Shipyard for repairs. To ready her for service as quickly as possible, a corresponding 30-by-90-foot (9.1 m × 27.4 m) section was taken from the flight deck of the inactive carrier USS Franklin (CVS-13), berthed at Bayonne, New Jersey. The damaged section was cut away from Valley Forge's flight deck and the Franklin deck piece installed in its place. A bronze plaque was mounted on the newly replaced deck section to commemorate how the Franklin was damaged in action off Japan in April 1945

 

Thank you. This is the only information I've scene with ALFA. When I searched on line all the searches came with Task Force Apha.

Thanks again,

Chris

[redone]

Thank you to all . Your responses were helpful.

Chris

[Salvage Sailor]

Thanks Chris,

 

The extracted info came from the Naval History and Heritage Command files, always one of my "go to" naval sources online. There's tons of detailed info in their archives, just takes some focused searches to ferret it out.