VF-13

Fighter Squadron 13
Active	2 November 1943 – 20 October 1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Fighter
Nickname(s)	Black Cats
Engagements	World War II
Aircraft flown
Fighter	F6F-3/5 Hellcat

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]

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]

See also

• History of the United States Navy
• List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons

References

1. "Lineage for Fighter Squadrons" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
2. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 13 Jun 1944". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
3. Stille, Mark (2015). US Navy Carrier Aircraft vs IJN Yamato Class Battleships: Pacific Theater 1944-5. Osprey Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 9781472808509.
4. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 7 Nov 1944". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
5. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 28 Nov 1944". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
6. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 5 Dec 1944". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
7. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 20 Feb 1945". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
8. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II: 4 Aug 1945". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 May 2016.