VF-13
Military unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fighter Squadron 13 or VF-13 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Established on 2 November 1943, it was disestablished on 20 October 1945. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-13.[1]
| Fighter Squadron 13 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 2 November 1943 – 20 October 1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Fighter |
| Nickname | Black Cats |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F6F-3/5 Hellcat |
Operational history
VF-13 equipped with the F6F-5 Hellcat formed part of Carrier Air Group 13 (CVG-13) which was assigned to USS Franklin. In June 1944 the Franklin deployed to Pearl Harbor.[2] On 24 October during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, CVG-13 participated in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Musashi.[3] In early November 1944 following damage to Franklin in a Kamikaze attack, CVG-13 was temporarily landbased on Manus Island before re-embarking on Franklin as it proceeded to Puget Sound for repairs.[4][5] In December 1944 CVG-13 was reforming at Naval Air Station Alameda,[6] and then subsequently underwent training at Naval Air Station Fallon and Naval Air Station Livermore.[7] In early August 1945 CVG-13 was assigned to USS Bunker Hill, but the war in the Pacific ended before they could deploy.[8]
