VFA-32
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The VF-32 Swordsmen are a U.S. Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at NAS Oceana. Their call sign is Gypsy, tail code is AC, and they are currently operating with the F/A-18F Super Hornet.
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The VFA-32 lineage can be traced back to its establishment as Bombing Fighting Three (VBF-3) on February 1, 1945 when Fighting Three was split into two F6F Hellcat squadrons. At the time, US Navy carrier forces were beginning to close the noose on the Japanese empire and were facing aggressive Kamikaze attacks that resulted in successive increases in the size of Hellcat squadrons in order to deal with the threat. Fighting Three, the famed Felix squadron, thereby became too large to manage and was split into a Fighting Squadron and a Bombing Fighting Squadron. A former member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) or Flying Tigers, Fritz Wolf, was assigned as the first commanding officer. Initially, the squadron kept the same squadron insignia as the Fighting Three, the Felix the Cat symbol (as so many pilots were from Fighting Three) and called themselves the "Crazy Cats".
After World War II, VBF-3 was redesignated VF-4A in 1946 and transitioned to the F8F Bearcat. On August 7, 1948 VBF-3 became VF-32 and transitioned to the F4U Corsair prior to hostilities breaking out on the Korean peninsula in 1950. The squadron adopted the insignia of a traditonal heraldry lion under Naval Aviation wings of gold and the motto "Deus et Patria" that has endured with only slight modernization through today. The squadron radio callsign is "Gypsy" and most alumni refer to themselves as "Gypsies".
[edit] Korean Conflict
The Swordsmen were deployed in support of the Korean War in 1950 with F4U Corsairs. On December 4, 1950 Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first Black American Naval Aviator, suffered damage from AAA and forcelanded his Corsair behind enemy lines while supporting embattled Marines at Chosin reservoir. Orbiting overhead, hsi wimgman could see that Jesse surviving the forced landing on a snow covered mountain slope, but appeared to be trapped in the cockpit with smoke coming from the engine compartment. To try and save his squadron mate, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. landed his plane alongside Brown risking the same fate. Hudner found Jesse semi-conscious and was unable to extricate him form the crumpled fuselage. Jesse died in Hudner's arms and although the attempted rescue failed, Hudner received the Medal of Honor and Brown received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
[edit] Jet transition
After Korea, VF-32 transitioned to the F9F Cougar and in 1956 VF-32 became the first squadron to transition to the F-8 Crusader, thus becoming the first supersonic squadron in the Navy. In keeping with the theme of the Crusader, the squadron called themselves the Swordsmen and added a sword to the Lion's hand. VF-32 flew nine years with the Crusader until they transitioned to the F-4 Phantom in 1965. In 1975, VF-32 and VF-14 began transition to F-14 Tomcat at NAS Miramar before moving to NAS Oceana as the first fleet Tomcat squadrons based there. Their first deployment with their new aircraft began in June, 1975. During this cruise the squadron received the Adm. Joseph Clifton Award, signifying them as the best squadron in the Navy, an impressive achievement after only so short a time with their new equipment.
In the early 1980s, VF-32 Tomcats were wired to carry the TARPS pod. This capability was to be extremely useful during their upcoming cruise when USS Independence (CV-62) was deployed to support operations in both Grenada and Lebanon.
[edit] Gulf of Sidra
On January 4, 1989, VF-32 was assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), and during a routine patrol over the Gulf of Sidra, two F-14s from the squadron encountered two Libyan MiG-23s which had originated from the Al Bumbai airfield in Tobruk. The MiG-23s began to close on the two F-14's. For several minutes the MiG's tried to maintain a bearing that would enable them to engage the F-14's, while the F-14's strove to disengage themselves without being forced to leave the area. However after several maneuvers and confirmation that the MiG's were armed (using the F-14's Television Camera System (TCS)) it was decided the Libyans had shown hostile intent (although they had not actually fired) and so the Tomcats were cleared to engage. THe lead fired an AIM-7 Sparrow, which failed to track. His wingman, also fired a Sparrow, which tracked and destroyed one of the MiG's, its pilot successfully ejecting. The first F-14 then closed to within AIM-9 Sidewinder range and managed to maintain a firing position. Once fired the Sidewinder continued to track and hit the MiG-23's rear fuselage. Again the pilot managed to eject successfully.
[edit] Desert Shield/Storm
When Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces in August 1990, VF-32 was at Nellis AFB providing Adversary services to USAF F-15 pilots at the Fighter Weapons School. Shortly thereafter, they were put on emergency recall and returned to NAS Oceana and given 4 days to prepare to sortie with the USS John F Kennedy. The squadron worked over the weekend to prepare the Tomcats for combat and requalify the aircrews for carrier operations. The Kennedy immediately put to sea and proceeded to the Red Sea to participate in Operation Desert Shield alongside USS Saratoga. During Desert Shield, the ship made several Suez Canal transits and operating in the Eastern Med making portcalls in Turkey while training and planning for potential combat operations over Iraq. When Operation Desert Storm initiated in 1991, VF-32 Tomcats were in the first strike wave flying Combat Air Patrol mainly in central and western Iraq. VF-32 TARPS aircrews flew daily missions throughout Iraq including supersonic runs over highly defended Al Qa'im. A pair of VF-32 Tomcats had the distinction of being the last US Navy aircraft over Baghdad five days after the cease fire. After an eight month deployment, the Swordsmen returned to NAS Oceana.
[edit] Single Tomcat Squadron Air Wing operations
VF-32 had been paired with VF-14 Tophatters on most cruises until the mid 1990s when the US Navy decided to have only one F-14 squadron per carrier air wing and VF-32 became the only Tomcat squadron in Carrier Air Wing Three. The 1992-1993 cruise was the first cruise for VF-32 as a strike fighter.
[edit] TARPS and LANTIRN upgrades
In late 1996, VF-32 had another upgrade, this time with the addition of digital cameras to the TARPS pods. The new cameras could take up to two hundred digital images and being able to store them onboard or transmit them to appropriately equipped ground or sea based receivers up to 300 kilometers. An almost real time reconnaissance capability for the F-14 Tomcat. It was also the second F-14 squadron to fly with LANTIRN and being able to drop, and lase, laser guided bombs without being “buddy lased” from an F/A-18.
[edit] F-14B Transition combat debut of LANTIRN
After the 1997 homecoming VF-32 transitioned to the F-14B Tomcat and its first cruise with the Bravo models was in 1998 onboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). With Iraq’s failure to cooperate with United Nations inspections of known weapon sites Operation Desert Fox was launched on December 16, 1998. F-14Bs from VF-32 took part in a 33-aircraft strike package on December 16, the first night of the four day operation was conducted by the US Navy only. F-14 Tomcats were assigned most of the hard targets because of the superior LANTIRN targeting pod. VF-32 dropped 111,054 lb of ordnance which consisted of 16 GBU-10s, 16 GBU-16s and 26 2000-lb GBU-24s during 16 strike missions and 38 sorties. During Desert Fox many Tomcat firsts were achieved which included the first GBU-24's dropped in combat by the US Navy, the first multiple GBU-24 drop by any platform in combat, the first combat use of the LANTIRN, the first autonomous F-14 delivery of a GBU-10/16/24 and the first use of Night Vision Devices in combat. The Swordsmen returned home in May 1999.
[edit] USS Harry S Truman Plankowners
VF-32 deployed once again in November 2000 for the maiden voyage of the USS Harry S. Truman. They spent four months in support of Operation Southern Watch and achieved a 99.7% sortie completion rate. VF-32 returned home on May 23, 2001. In December 2002 VF-32 deployed once again on the USS Harry S. Truman in support of Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Northern Watch. Once again, VF-32 set a Tomcat benchmark being the first fighter squadron to release multiple JDAM. In January 2004 marked a historic first event for the Tomcat community as VF-32 became the first operation squadron to attempt the launch of six AIM-54C Phoenix missiles from one aircraft. A launch such as this had not been attempted since 1972. The Swordsmen launched 5 of the 6 active radar missiles.
[edit] Operation Iraqi Freedom
In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, VF-32 was deployed in the Mediterranean Sea onboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). VF-32 flew strike missions but also several missions in support of US Special Forces on the ground. VF-32 would be unlucky enough to be involved in the worst friendly fire incident during the war when on April 6, 2003 an F-14 dropped a single laser guided bomb on a vehicle convoy consisting of US Special Forces and Kurdish resistance fighters. The F-14 crew had been cleared to attack an Iraqi tank near Dibakan, 30 miles south east of Mosul, and that single bomb killed 18 Kurdish fighters, 4 US soldiers and a BBC translator with additional 80 wounded. An investigation following the war found that the pilot had been cleared to drop his bomb without the benefit of target coordinates by the Forward Air Controller who was “operating under great stress” at the time. The F-14 crew had spotted and knocked out a tank alongside an intersection where the coalition convoy had stopped and the F-14 crew had mistakenly identified the coalition convoy as their intended target, the F-14 pilot had contacted the FAC and told him he saw a road with an intersection and vehicles and was then cleared by the FAC to attack. Despite this, VF-32 flew 275 sorties totalling 1247 flight hours, a 100% sortie completion rate and expended 247 laser guided bombs, 118 JDAM as well as firing 1128 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. VF-32 Swordsmen returned to Oceana in May 2003.
In 2004 VF-32 would deploy once again to Operation Iraqi Freedom which was highlighted by the successful deployment of the use of the LANTIRN pod in the urban Close Air Support environment as the Swordsmen delivered multiple precision guided munitions on insurgent hideouts. This would be their final deployment with the F-14
[edit] F/A-18F Super Hornet Transition
In October 2005, VF-32 transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and in November 2005 the squadron was designated Strike Fighter Squadron Thirty Two (VFA-32).
[edit] References
- VF-32 History
- Official site
- Tony Holmes (2005). US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Osprey Publishing Limited.
