VA-172 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established as Bomber Fighter Squadron VBF-82 on 20 August 1945, redesignated as Fighter Squadron VF-18A on 15 November 1946, as VF-172 on 11 August 1948, and as VA-172 on 1 November 1955. The squadron was disestablished on 15 January 1971. Its nickname was the Checkmates from 1946-1950, and the Blue Bolts thereafter.[1]
| Attack Squadron 172 | |
|---|---|
 VA-172 squadron patch | |
| Active | 20 August 1945-15 January 1971 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Role | Attack aircraft |
| Part of | Inactive |
| Nickname(s) | Checkmates Blue Bolts |
| Engagements | Korean War Vietnam War |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | F6F Hellcat F4U Corsair F8F Bearcat FH-1 Phantom F2H Banshee A-4 Skyhawk |
Operational history
edit- 28 Jan 1949: Squadron aircraft, while secured to the flight deck and engines running, were used to assist in berthing USS Midway in Augusta, Sicily. This procedure is known as Operation Pinwheel.
- 23 Aug 1951: The squadron participated in its first combat sortie over Korea. This also marked the first use of the F2H-2 in combat.
- 25 Aug 1951: The squadron’s F2H-2 aircraft, along with F9Fs from VF-51, provided escort for 30 U.S. Air Force B-29 bombers raiding the marshalling yards at Rashin, North Korea.
- Nov–Dec 1956: USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, with VA-172 embarked, was ordered to deploy and operate off the coast of Spain as a result of the Suez Crisis.
- Sep–Oct 1957: A detachment of squadron’s F2H-2 aircraft were embarked on USS Tarawa to provide fighter support for the antisubmarine warfare (ASW) carrier during a NATO exercise in the North Atlantic.
- Nov 1961: VA-172, embarked on Roosevelt, operated off the coast of the Dominican Republic to support the newly established democratic government.
- May 1963: Roosevelt, with VA-172 embarked, deployed to the Caribbean and operated off the coast of Haiti in response to a rebel attempt to overthrow the Haitian government.
- Jul–Sep 1963: A detachment from the squadron was deployed aboard USS Randolph to provide fighter coverage for the ASW Task Group during operations in the Caribbean Sea.
- 8–29 Aug 1964: Roosevelt, with VA-172 embarked, was ordered to operate in the vicinity of Cyprus after fighting escalated between Turkish and Greek forces on the island.
- Aug 1966: The squadron commenced combat operations in Vietnam. These were its first combat sorties since the Korean War in 1952.
- 2 Dec 1966: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander Bruce A. Nystrom, was lost in a night reconnaissance mission over the Red River delta area in North Vietnam.[1]
Home port assignments
editThe squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[1]
- NAS Alameda – 20 Aug 1945
- NAS Quonset Point – 15 Jan 1946
- NAAS Cecil Field – 04 Mar 1949
- NAS Jacksonville – 24 Mar 1950
- NAS Cecil Field – 22 Feb 1958
Aircraft assignment
editThe squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:[1]
- F6F-5 Hellcat – Aug 1945
- F4U Corsair – 06 Sep 1945
- F8F Bearcat – 1946
- FH-1 Phantom – Mar 1949
- F2H-1 Banshee – May 1949
- F2H-2 Banshee – 21 Jun 1950
- F2H-4 Banshee – 13 Jan 1956
- F2H-2B Banshee – Sep 1956
- A4D-1 Skyhawk – 16 Dec 1957
- A4D-2 Skyhawk – May 1958
- A4C Skyhawk – 06 Sep 1961
See also
editReferences
editThis article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.
- ^ a b c d Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 9: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-154 to VA-174. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 222–251. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
External links
edit