VA-52 (U.S. Navy)



VA-52 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established as U.S. Navy Reserve Fighter Squadron VF-884 on 1 November 1949, and called to active duty on 20 July 1950. It was redesignated VF-144 on 4 February 1953, and VA-52 on 23 February 1959. The squadron was nicknamed the Bitter Birds from about 1951–1953, and the Knightriders from about 1960 onward. Its insignia evolved through several versions from 1951–1960. VA-52 was disestablished on 31 March 1995.

Significant events

 * 20 Jul 1950: VF-884 called to active duty as a result of the Korean conflict.


 * 28 Jul 1950: Squadron reported for active duty at NAS San Diego.


 * Mar 1951: In the later part of March, VF-884 aircraft conducted their first combat operations, flying close air support missions on Korea’s eastern coast.


 * 24 May 1951: VF-884’s first Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander G. F. Carmichael died after parachuting from his F4U which had been hit by enemy ground fire.


 * 4 Oct 1952: Lieutenant E. F. Johnson was attacked and shot down by enemy MiG-15 aircraft. This was the first VF-884 and CVG-101 aircraft shot down by enemy aircraft.


 * 8 Nov 1952: Lieutenant Commander Bowen, VF-884’s third Commanding Officer, was listed as missing in action when his aircraft crashed near Pyongyang, North Korea.


 * 4 Feb 1953: VF-884 was redesignated VF-144 during its second combat tour in Korea. In this change, the reserve squadron number was replaced by an active squadron number.


 * 21 Feb 1953: VF-144 completed the last line period of its second combat tour in Korea. Its primary missions had been close air support of ground troops, interdiction of enemy main supply routes, and the destruction of military supplies, vehicles and troops.


 * 18 Aug 1958: The squadron returned to NAS Miramar following USS Ranger (CVA-61)'s first major deployment. The cruise took the squadron from Virginia to California, via Cape Horn, transferring Ranger from the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific Fleet.


 * 23 Feb 1959: The squadron’s mission was changed to attack and it was redesignated VA-52.


 * 13 Jul–1 Aug 1964: VA-52 aircraft participated in Yankee Team operations in South Vietnam and Laos, involving aerial reconnaissance to detect Communist military presence and operations. Other missions included weather reconnaissance and Search and Rescue.


 * 2–4 Aug 1964: During a Desoto Patrol mission (intelligence collection missions begun in 1962), USS Maddox (DD-731) was attacked by three motor torpedo boats on 2 August off the coast of North Vietnam. Following this incident the squadron flew 44 sorties in support of the destroyers on the Desoto Patrol.


 * 4 Aug 1964: During the night, two destroyers on Desoto Patrol, USS Turner Joy (DD-951) and USS Maddox (DD-731), believing themselves under attack by North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats, called for air support. Several A-1H Skyraiders from the squadron, along with several F-8 Crusaders, were launched from USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Commander George H. Edmondson and Lieutenant Jere A. Barton reported gun flashes and bursts of light at their altitude which they felt came from enemy antiaircraft fire.


 * 5 Aug 1964: Four Skyraiders from VA-52, piloted by Commander L. T. McAdams, Lieutenant Commander L. E. Brumbach and Lieutenant (jg)s R. E. Moore and P. A. Carter, participated in “Pierce Arrow,” retaliatory strikes against the North Vietnamese. Along with other aircraft from CVG-5, they struck the Vinh oil storage facilities and destroyed about ninety percent of the complex. The four aircraft returned with no battle damage.


 * 6–29 Oct 1964: The squadron conducted rescue combat air patrol missions in support of “Yankee Team” operations.


 * 7 Feb 1966: Lieutenant (jg) Harvey M. Browne was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity during rescue missions in the Republic of Vietnam.


 * 13 Apr 1966: Commander John C. Mape was killed in action, becoming the third VA-52 commanding officer to be lost in combat action.


 * 21 Apr 1966: The squadron completed its second combat tour of duty in Vietnam, having participated in Operation Rolling Thunder, designed to interdict the enemy’s lines of communication into Laos and South Vietnam.


 * 9 Mar 1967: Commander John F. Wanamaker received the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity during operations against North Vietnam.


 * 27 Apr 1967: This was the last day of line operations for VA-52 and the completion of her third combat tour to Vietnam. During this deployment, squadron operations included rescue combat air patrol missions, coastal reconnaissance, Steel Tiger missions and Operation Sea Dragon operations. Steel Tiger involved concentrated strikes in southern Laos. Sea Dragon involved spotting for naval gunfire support against waterborne cargo and coastal radar and gun battery sites.


 * 7 Sep 1968: VA-52 deployed aboard USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). This was the first A-6 Intruder deployment aboard a Midway-class aircraft carrier.


 * 8 Dec 1970–23 Jun 1971: During this period VA-52’s main emphasis was on operations in Laos against the enemy’s lines of communication and their transportation networks.


 * 23 Nov 1971: Commander Lennart R. Salo became the first Naval Flight Officer to command an A-6 Intruder squadron.


 * 3 Apr 1972: VA-52 commenced line operations from Yankee Station a few days earlier than scheduled as a result of the North Vietnamese invasion across the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone on 30 March. During this line period heavy air raids were conducted against North Vietnam. These were the first major heavy air raids into North Vietnam since October 1968 and became known as Operation Freedom Train.


 * 16 Apr 1972: VA-52 conducted strikes in the Haiphong, Vinh, and Thanh Hoa as part of Operation Freedom Porch.


 * 9 May 1972: Operation Pocket Money, the mining of Haiphong harbor, was launched. VA-52’s Intruders took part in a diversionary attack at Phu Qui railroad yard while aircraft from Coral Sea conducted the actual mining.


 * 10 May 1972: Operation Linebacker operations began and involved concentrated air strikes against targets in North Vietnam above the 20th parallel north. During these operations VA-52’s aircraft flew armed reconnaissance, Alpha strikes (large coordinated attacks), mine seeding operations, tanker operations, and standard arm sorties (use of antiradiation missiles to destroy missile radar sites).


 * 1–27 Jun 1972: VA-52 flew special single aircraft night missions designated Sneaky Pete as part of Operation Linebacker operations.


 * 23 Nov 1973: VA-52 deployed with CVW-11 aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) as part of the first CV concept air wing on the West Coast. VA-52’s Intruders were equipped with new ASW electronic equipment, the Multi-Channel Jezebel Relay pods.


 * 24–28 Jul 1979: VA-52 and other elements of CVW-15 participated in search and assistance operations to aid Vietnamese boat people. A total of 114 people were rescued through the efforts of the air wing and Kitty Hawk. These operations continued during August.


 * 27 Oct 1979: South Korea’s President Park Chung Hee was assassinated and Kitty Hawk immediately departed the Philippine Sea for the southwest coast of Korea, where they remained until 4 November.


 * 29 Dec 1979: During operations off Kitty Hawk, the squadron’s commanding officer, Commander Walter D. Williams, was lost at sea in a KA-6D.


 * 3 Dec 1979–23 Jan 1980: After the assault on the American Embassy in Tehran and the Iran hostage crisis, Kitty Hawk entered the Indian Ocean and operated in the Arabian Sea throughout this period.


 * 19 May 1981: While transiting the South China Sea VA-52 aircraft spotted a small boat with 47 Vietnamese refugees on board and reported their location for rescue operations.


 * 10–12 Oct 1983: USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), with CVW-15 and VA-52, were kept on station in the Sea of Japan after the attempted assassination of South Korea’s president.


 * 14–31 Aug 1986: VA-52 participated in the first carrier operations in the Bering Sea since World War II. Most of the squadron’s 400 hours and 200 sorties were made under adverse weather conditions.


 * 20–31 Jan 1987: VA-52 conducted its second period of operations in the Northern Pacific and Bering Sea. At one point the most effective means of clearing snow and ice from ''Carl Vinsons flight deck was the jet exhaust from the squadron’s aircraft.


 * 23 Sep 1987: During night operations off Carl Vinson the squadron’s Commanding Officer, Commander Lloyd D. Sledge, was lost at sea.


 * Aug 1988: The squadron flew sorties in support of Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of reflagged Kuwait tankers in the Persian Gulf.

Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:
 * NAS Olathe – 01 Nov 1949
 * NAS San Diego – 28 Jul 1950
 * NAS Miramar – Mar 1953
 * NAS Moffett Field – 15 Jan 1962
 * NAS Alameda – 29 Aug 1963
 * NAS Whidbey Island – 01 Jul 1967

Aircraft Assignment
The squadron first received the following aircraft in the months shown:
 * F8F-1 Panther – The squadron was not assigned aircraft before its call to active duty. Pilots trained in and flew F8F-1s that were assigned to the air station where the squadron was home ported.
 * F4U-4 Corsair – 01 Aug 1950
 * F9F-5 Panther – Apr 1953
 * F9F-4 and F9F-6 Panther – The squadron operated a few of these models in the mid 1950s.
 * F9F-8B Panther – Apr 1956
 * F9F-8 Panther – Aug 1956
 * AD-5 Skyraider – Dec 1958
 * AD-6 Skyraider – Dec 1958 (AD-6 designation was changed to A-1H in 1962.)
 * AD-7 Skyraider – Mar 1959 (AD-7 designation was changed to A-1J in 1962.)
 * A-6A Intruder – 10 Nov 1967
 * A-6B Intruder – Oct 1970
 * KA-6D Intruder – 3rd quarter 1971
 * A-6E Intruder – Jul 1974