RVAH-13

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Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 13
Recon Heavy Attack Squadron 13 (USN) patch.PNG
RVAH-13 squadron patch
Active3 January 1961–30 June 1976
CountryUnited States
Branch United States Navy
RolePhoto-reconnaissance
Part ofInactive
Nickname(s)Bats
Engagements Vietnam War

RVAH-13 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Heavy Attack Squadron Thirteen (VAH-13) on 3 January 1961 it was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Thirteen (RVAH-13) on 1 November 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 30 June 1976. [1]

Contents

Operational history

RIM-2 Terrier missile launches behind 2 VAH-13 A-3B Skywarrior on USS Kitty Hawk c.1962 USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) fires RIM-2 Terrier c1962.jpeg
RIM-2 Terrier missile launches behind 2 VAH-13 A-3B Skywarrior on USS Kitty Hawk c.1962
Camouflaged RVAH-13 RA-5C Vigilante lands on USS Kitty Hawk in 1966 RA-5C RVAH-13 camouflaged Vietnam 1966.jpg
Camouflaged RVAH-13 RA-5C Vigilante lands on USS Kitty Hawk in 1966

VAH-13

VAH-13 was established on 3 January at Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida, with twelve A3D-2 Skywarrior aircraft assigned. Upon completion of initial training, the squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 11 (later Carrier Air Wing 11) and deployed aboard the newly commissioned USS Kitty Hawk for her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean. Shortly thereafter, VAH-13 transferred to the Pacific Fleet, the squadron's Detachment A embarking aboard Kitty Hawk for her 11 August - 1 November 1961 transit from the Western and Southern Atlantic to the Eastern Pacific en route to her new homeport of Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, while the remainder of the squadron relocated to its new home station of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. In September 1962, in accordance with a new DoD aircraft designation systems, the squadron's A3D-2 aircraft were redesignated as the A-3B Skywarrior.

For the next three years, VAH-13 maintained readiness requirements and served with the U.S. Seventh Fleet, deploying as follows:


In anticipation of its transition to the RA-5C Vigilante, VAH-13 moved back to Naval Air Station Sanford in August 1964. The squadron received its first RA-5C on 5 October 1964, followed by its redesignation as RVAH-13 on 1 November 1964. [4]

RVAH-13 / Cold War and Vietnam

With the increasing U.S. military involvement in Vietnam after 1964, RVAH-13 was added to the mix of RVAH squadrons participating in combat operations in Southeast Asia. In conducting pre- and post-strike reconnaissance, the RA-5C would incur the highest loss rate of any U.S. Navy combat aircraft during the Vietnam War, and RVAH-13's experience would more than reflect this.

RVAH-13's Cold War / Vietnam-era deployments were as follows:

RVAH-13 / Cold War (post-Vietnam)

With the end of the Vietnam War, RVAH-13 returned to stateside training and forward deployed Cold War presence operations aboard Fleet aircraft carriers. Budgetary pressures and force reductions following the end of the Vietnam War forced the Department of Defense to once again close several stateside air bases, to include Naval Air Station Albany, Georgia, as an economy move. In April 1974, RVAH-13 executed a shift of home station from NAS Albany to Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. [22]

Subsequent deployments for RVAH-13 were as follows:

Attrition of airframes and the increasing maintenance and flight hour costs of the RA-5C in a constrained defense budget environment forced the Navy to incrementally retire the RA-5C and sunset the RVAH community beginning in mid-1974. Carrier-based reconnaissance was concurrently conducted by the active duty VFP community at Naval Air Station Miramar and the Naval Reserve VFP community at Andrews AFB / NAF Washington with the RF-8G Crusader until 29 March 1987, when the last RF-8G was retired and the mission was fully transferred to the active duty and Naval Reserve VF community at NAS Miramar, Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Dallas and NAS JRB Fort Worth as a secondary role with the F-14 Tomcat equipped with the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS).

Following its return from its final Mediterranean deployment in 1976, RVAH-13 was disestablished at Naval Air Station Key West on 30 June 1976 following over 15 1/2 years of active naval service. [23]

Home stations

During its existence, VAH-13 / RVAH-13 was assigned to the following home stations:

Aircraft Assigned

See also

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VF-114 Military unit

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VFA-143 Military unit

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VFA-97 Military unit

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Naval Air Station Sanford

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VAP-62 Military unit

VAP-62 was a Heavy Photographic Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Photographic Squadron Sixty-Two (VJ-62) on 10 April 1952, it was redesignated as Heavy Photographic Squadron (VAP-62) on 2 July 1956. The squadron was disestablished on 15 October 1969.

VFP-63 Military unit

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RVAH-1 Military unit

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RVAH-6 Military unit

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RVAH-9 Military unit

RVAH-9 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Nine (VC-9) on 15 January 1953, it was redesignated as Heavy Attack Squadron Nine (VAH-9) on 1 November 1955 and was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Nine (RVAH-9) on 3 June 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 30 September 1977.

RVAH-7 Military unit

RVAH-7 was a reconnaissance attack (heavy) squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Seven (VC-7) on 10 August 1950, it was redesignated as Heavy Attack Squadron Seven (VAH-7) on 1 November 1955 and was redesignated again as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Seven (RVAH-7) on 1 December 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 28 September 1979.

RVAH-5 Military unit

RVAH-5 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Five (VC-5) at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California on 9 September 1948, it was redesignated as Heavy Attack Squadron Five (VAH-5) on 1 November 1955 and was later redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Five (RVAH-5) in May 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 30 September 1977.

RVAH-11 Military unit

RVAH-11 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Eight (VC-8) on 3 December 1951, it was redesignated Heavy Attack Squadron Eleven (VAH-11) on 1 November 1955 and was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Eleven (RVAH-11) on 1 July 1966. The squadron was disestablished on 1 June 1975.

RVAH-3 Military unit

RVAH-3 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy that served as the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the RVAH community. Originally established as Heavy Attack Squadron Three (VAH-3) on 15 June 1956, it was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Three (RVAH-3) on 1 July 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 17 August 1979.

RVAH-12 US Navy squadron

RVAH-12 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established on 1 July 1965 and disestablished on 2 July 1979.

RVAH-14 Military unit

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VF-111 (1956–1995) Military unit

Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111), also known as the Sundowners, was a fighter squadron of the United States Navy. Originally established as Attack Squadron 156 (VA-156) on 4 June 1955, it was redesignated VF-111 on 20 January 1959, the day after the original VF-111 was disestablished. The squadron was redesignated VF-26 on 1 September 1964, redesignated as VF-111 on 17 September 1964 and disestablished on 31 March 1995.

References

  1. ↑ Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. p. 547. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Rvah-13".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Carrier, Carrier Based Squadrons and Non-Carrier Based Squadron Deployments to Vietnam" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1995. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Grove, M. & Miller, J; Aerofax Minigraph 9, North American Rockwell A3J/A-5A Vigilante; Aerofax, Inc., Arlington, Texas c1989, p15; ISBN   0-942548-14-0
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Powell, Robert (2012). RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat. Osprey Publishing. p. 86. ISBN   9781782005421.
  6. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dj/JohnsonGD04a.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dn/NordahlLE01a.htm
  8. ↑ "Flag flies over USS Kitty Hawk in father's honor".
  9. ↑ "LCDR Lee Edward Nordahl". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  10. 1 2 "U.S. Unaccounted-For from the Vietnam War (Sorted by Name) Prisoners of War, Missing in Action and Killed in Action/Body not Recovered" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "U.S. Accounted-For from the Vietnam War (Sorted by Name) Prisoners of War, Escapees, Returnees and Remains Recovered" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Veteran Tributes".
  13. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dl/LukenbachMD01a.htm
  14. ↑ "Veteran Tributes".
  15. ↑ Gerald Coffee - Prisoner of War - POW - His Story Part 1 of 2 , retrieved 2021-04-20
  16. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dh/HansonRT01a.htm
  17. ↑ "Flint River 605".
  18. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dg/GriffinJL01a.htm
  19. ↑ "Veteran Tributes".
  20. ↑ "Veteran Tributes".
  21. ↑ http://www.virtualwall.org/dh/HaifleyMF01a.htm
  22. ↑ "RVAH-1".
  23. ↑ http://www.rvahnavy.com/5history.html
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