The Bombing Fighting Squadron One, designated as Bombing Fighter Squadron VBF-1 and known as "The Royal Flushers", was formed at the Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada in December 1944 and commissioned on 2 January 1945, to become the fourth squadron in the Veteran Air Group One. Following Japan's surrender and the end of World War II in the Pacific, VBF-1 was disbanded on 1 November 1945.
Flying F4U Corsairs, the VBF-1 squadron was assigned to the USS Bennington (CV-20) in the Pacific on 17 June 1945, where it was based for the remainder of World War II. The squadron's pilots participated in strikes against the Imperial Japanese homeland and against her fleet at sea from 10 July 1945 until Japan's surrender on 15 August 1945, including attacks against the Nagato on 18 July 1945, and the battle of Kure from 24 July 1945 through 28 July 1945.[ citation needed ]
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1945:
Strike Fighter Squadron 32 (VFA-32), nicknamed the "Fighting Swordsmen" are a United States Navy strike fighter squadron presently flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet and based ashore at Naval Air Station Oceana. Their radio callsign is Gypsy and their tail code is AC. The Fighting Swordsmen of VFA-32 are the 2023 recipients of the Mutha Fighter Spirit Award, awarded annually at the Navy’s Strike Fighter Ball in Norfolk, VA.
The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
I-401 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Sentoku-type submarine commissioned in 1945 for service in World War II. Capable of carrying three two-seat Aichi M6A1 "Seiran" float-equipped torpedo bombers, the Sentoku-class submarines were built to launch a surprise air strike against the Panama Canal. Until 1965, the Sentaku-type submarines — I-401 and her sister ships I-400 and I-402 — were the largest submarines ever commissioned.
Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231) is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. The squadron, known as the "Ace of Spades", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Fighter Squadron 114 (VF-114) was a fighter squadron of the United States Navy that was active from 1945 through 1993. Nicknamed the "Aardvarks", it was based out of Naval Air Station Miramar, California. The squadron flew combat missions during the Korean War and Vietnam War. VF-114 was disestablished as part of the post-Cold War drawdown of forces on 30 April 1993.
Marine Fighter Squadron 123 (VMF-123) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and later in the Marine Forces Reserve. Known as the "Flying Eight Balls," the squadron fought at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa and served as a training squadron for replacement pilots during the Korean War. The squadron was decommissioned on 31 October 1965 at Naval Air Station Los Alamitos.
The 468th Bombardment Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. The unit served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater and China Burma India Theater of World War II as part of Twentieth Air Force. The 468th Bomb Group's aircraft engaged in very heavy bombardment Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan. After its reassignment to the Mariana Islands in 1945, its aircraft were identified by a "I" and a triangle painted on the tail. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946.
Marine Attack Squadron 217 (VMA-217) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was activated and fought during World War II. Known as "Max’s Wild Hares", they fought in many areas of the Pacific War including the Battle of Iwo Jima. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron was deactivated on 10 March 1946. They were briefly reactivated as part of the Reserves but were again deactivated in 1964 and remain in an inactive status today.
The 453rd Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit that was first organized in June 1943, during World War II, as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber group. After training in the United States, it deployed to England in December 1943, and, starting in February 1944, participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany with Eighth Air Force. Its 733d Bombardment Squadron completed 82 consecutive missions without a loss, a record for Eighth Air Force bomber units. James Stewart, of film fame, was group operations officer from 31 March to 1 July 1944. The group was programmed for redeployment to the Pacific and returned to the United States in May 1945 for training, however the Japanese surrender cancelled these plans and the group was inactivated in September 1945.
Marine Attack Squadron 233 (VMA-233) was an A-4 Skyhawk attack squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the "Flying Deadheads", were part of the Marine Forces Reserve and were based at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia until their decommissioning in 1969. Originally activated during World War II, they fought in many areas of the Pacific War including the Battle of Guadalcanal as part of the Cactus Air Force, the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan (1945). They were the only Marine Corps squadron to have three commanding officers killed during the course of the war and were credited with downing 8 Japanese aircraft. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron was decommissioned on 10 March 1946. They were reactivated as part of the Reserves but were again decommissioned in 1969.
The 345th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1959.
Marine Attack Squadron 543 (VMA-543) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the "Night Hawks", were part of the Marine Forces Reserve and were based at Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois until their deactivation on 1 April 1974. Originally activated during World War II, they fought in the Battle of Okinawa as part of the Tactical Air Force. The squadron was credited with downing 15 Japanese aircraft during the war. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron was deactivated only to be later reactivated as part of the Reserves. They were again deactivated in 1974 and remain in an inactive status today.
The Bombing of Hiratsuka in World War II was part of the strategic bombing campaign waged by the United States against military and civilian targets and population centers during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing states of World War II.
VA-54 was an early and long-lived Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy, operating under many designations during its 20-year life. It was established as Scouting Squadron VS-2B on 3 July 1928, and redesignated as VS-3 on 1 July 1937, and as Bombing Squadron VB-4 on 1 March 1943. It was redesignated as VB-5 on 15 July of that same year, and as Attack Squadron VA-5A on 15 November 1946. Finally, it was redesignated as VA-54 on 15 November 1946. VA-54 was disestablished on 1 December 1949. The squadron's insignia varied over its lifetime, depicting in turn a bird dog, a devil, and finally a bomb and five playing cards. Its nickname is unknown. It was the first squadron to be designated VA-54, a second VA-54 was redesignated from VF-54 on 15 June 1956 and disestablished on 1 April 1958.
Carrier Air Wing Thirteen (CVW-13) was a carrier air wing of the United States Navy established for a short period at the end of the Cold War. There were three previous units which had been named Carrier Air Group Thirteen (CVG-13), dating as far back as 1942, though each of these units has a distinct lineage.
Fighter Squadron 22 or VF-22 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as Bombing Fighting Squadron 74A (VBF-74A) on 1 May 1945, it was redesignated VBF-74 on 1 August 1945, redesignated as VF-2B on 15 November 1946, redesignated as VF-22 on 1 September 1948, it was disestablished on 6 June 1958.
Patrick Dawson Fleming was a high-scoring World War II US Navy fighter ace, and later an accomplished US Air Force test pilot.
Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17) was a designation used by the United States Navy to identify two unrelated Carrier Air Groups; the first of which was established on 1 January 1943 as Carrier Air Group Seventeen and disestablished on 1 April 1992 as Carrier Air Wing Six; and the second of which was established as Carrier Air Group Eighty Two on 1 April 1944 and ultimately disestablished as Carrier Air Group Seventeen on 16 September 1968. Neither group shares a lineage with the current Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) as the first was the forerunner of CVW-6 and the second was disestablished eight years before CVW-17 was established.
Tinian Naval Base and Naval Air Facility Tinian was a major United States Navy sea and air base on Tinian Island, part of the Northern Mariana Islands on the east side of the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean. The base was built during World War II to support the many bombers and aircraft fighting and patrolling in the South West Pacific theatre of the Pacific War. Numerous naval facilities were built on the entire island of 101.22 square kilometres (39.08 sq mi). The main port was built at the city and port of San Jose, also called Tinian Harbor. All construction was done by the Navy's Seabees Sixth Construction Brigade with minor help from the 64th Army Engineers, including the main two airports: West Field and North Field. United States Army Air Forces operated long-range bombers out of the air base built and maintained by the Seabees. The base was decommissioned on 1 June 1947.