VF-111
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| VF-111 | |
|---|---|
 VF-111 squadron patch |
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| Active | October 10, 1942 - 1995,
November 2006- present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Engagements | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
The VF-111 Sundowners, a world famous U.S. Navy fighter squadron, was originally established in 1942 as VF-11. It served as an active Pacific Fleet Fighter Squadron until 1995 when it was disestablished. In November 2006 the squadron was reborn when composite squadron VFC-13 Detachment Key West was redesignated as VFC-111. VFC-111, is designated as the 'Sundowners' and has direct lineage with the original VF-11 from World War II. It presently operates 12 F-5N aircraft.[1]
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[edit] History
VF-111 began operating as VF-11 at NAS North Island on October 10, 1942 and on October 23 was on its way to Hawaii with Grumman F4F Wildcats. To epitomize their spirit and tactical superiority over the Japanese, the squadron decided it should be called the 'Sundowners' and its insignia (which persists to this day) depicts two F-4F Wildcats shooting down a Rising Sun.
From April to July 1943 VF-11 downed 56 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. In October 1944, VF-11 deployed for the first time on USS Hornet. After Guadalcanal, the squadron transitioned to the F6F Hellcat and participated in strike and air-to-air combat missions that resulted in the shoot down of 102 enemy aircraft with dozens more destroyed on the ground. As a direct result of their combat record, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and lived up to the name 'Sundowners.'
In July 1948, they were designated VF-111 and transitioned to the F9F-2 Panther. At the start of the Korean War, Lieutenant Commander Amen scored the first US Navy jet kill in aviation history, downing a MiG-15 while flying a Panther from the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47). After Korea, VF-111 flew the F9F-6 Cougar, FJ-3 Fury, F-11 Tiger and F-8 Crusader from the decks of 5 different carriers.
During Vietnam, the Sundowners made seven deployments to Southeast Asia, flying 12,500 combat missions. During the 1967-1968 deployment, Lieutenant Tony Nargi shot down a MiG-21 while flying an F-8 Crusader. In 1971 VF-111 joined AirWing Fifteen (CVW-15) and transitioned to the F-4B Phantom.
On 6 March 1972 while flying from the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), VF-111 aircrew Lt. Garry Weigand and Lt.(j.g.) Bill Freckleton, engaged and shot down a MiG-17 near Quang Lang Airfield in North Vietnam. [Their aircraft, F-4B NL-201 BuNo 153019, was restored to the original paint scheme by the current Sundowner squadron and is displayed on a pedestal just inside the main gate at NAS Key West, Florida.]
In October 1978, VF-111 began the transition to the F-14 Tomcat and made two deployments with the USS Kitty Hawk. VF-111 also participated in the effort to free the American hostages in Iran.
In October 1983 VF-111 returned to NAS Miramar following a world cruise on the maiden deployment of the USS Carl Vinson. The Sundowners accumulated over 1400 landings and 3000 flight hours during the cruise.
In 1986 VF-111 accumulated over 7000 accident free flight hours and won the COMFITAEWWINGPAC Third Quarter Safety Award. The squadron earned COMCARGRU 3 and COMCARWING 15 endorsements to receive the ADM Joseph C. Clifton Award which designates the recipient as the best fighter squadron in the Navy.
In the spring of 1986 VF-111 began another busy work-up cycle, completing a successful series of training evolution and exercises in preparation for their June 1988 Pacific/Indian Ocean deployment. VF-111's seventeen month work-up was capped by a history making event, FLEETEX 88-2, the first time since World War II that a carrier, USS Carl Vinson and a battleship, USS New Jersey operated as a Battle Fleet.
VF-111's eventful 1988 deployment began in June and ended in December. It included operations in the Northern/Western Pacific, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, providing support of tanker escorts in the Persian Gulf and included a transit of the Bering Sea, the fourth such transit in four deployments. Interoperability with U.S. and foreign air assets was stressed through exercises with the USAF Alaskan Air Command and Air Forces of Malaysia, Japan and Thailand.
In preparation for another deployment in 1990, VF-111 deployed aboard USS Carl Vinson from September to November 1989 as participants in PACEX 89. This landmark exercise had the Sundowners operating in the Bering Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan as a part of the largest naval exercise since World War II.
The Sundowners next deployment began in early February 1990 and ended in late July 1990. While deployed, VF-111 participated in a Battle Group Evaluation in Hawaiian waters, multi-national interoperability exercises in the Sea of Japan during Team Spirit 1990 and intensive Air Combat Maneuvering with VC-5 in Cubi Point, Philippines. This was followed by a two and a half month period in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea while undergoing training exercises with the Air Forces of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and a successful Weapons Week off Diego Garcia.
The squadron accumulated over 2200 hours and 1000 arrested landings and proved its readiness by scoring direct hits on all five missile firing exercises undertaken during the six month period. The completion of this highly successful deployment ended a 3 year period during which the squadron was either deployed or on detachment sixty-five percent of the time.
In recognition of the squadron's success in missile firings, VF-111 received the 1990 Boola Boola award. As a TARPS squadron, VF-111 again proved its combat readiness by winning the 1990 TARPS derby, awarded to the best Tactical. Air Reconnaissance squadron on the west coast. Throughout the first 9 months of 1991, the squadron sent four detachments to Nellis Air Force Base to work with the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron. To stay current in the carrier environment, the squadron participated in carrier qualifications aboard USS Ranger and USS Abraham Lincoln. The squadron continued the pace it set in 1990 by executing eight consecutive and successful missile firings.
On October 15, 1991 VF-111 returned to the familiar flight deck of USS Kitty Hawk. Departing NAS Norfolk, Virginia, VF-111 and USS Kitty Hawk began a two month cruise "around the horn" of South America to Naval Air Station North Island, California the new home for the USS Kitty Hawk. Port visits during the deployment included St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Mar Del Plata, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile. Multi-national exercises with Venezuela, Argentina and Chile were conducted in various air-to-air and strike scenarios. The Sundowners returned to NAS Miramar in December 1991. Until December 1991 VF-111 (as with VF-51) were scheduled to become the first deployable units to operate the F-14D Super Tomcat, but in the end the honor went to VF-11 and VF-31.
In 1993, VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and flew in support of Operation Provide Relief and Operation Southern Watch. In 1994 VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, and in March 1995 the squadron, under command of CDR (now retired Captain) Tom Joyce, was disestablished.
For 12 years, the Sundowners did not exist on the rolls of commissioned active duty navy squadrons. Then, in an astounding series of events, VF-111 rose again as eternal as the sun depicted on their patch. After much debate and discussion between high level naval officials and others, VFC-13 Detachment Key West, the navy's fleet adversary squadron, was redesignated as the VFC-111 Sundowners in November 2006 with CDR Rodney DeWalt as the commanding officer.
The VFC-111 Sundowners operate 12 F-5N aircraft and provide dissimiliar air combat training to fleet squadrons. [...] The squadron's unique location eliminates costly adversary detachments and provides the majority of adversary support to the F/A-18 fleet replacement squadrons (FRS) -- VFA-106, VFA-106(E/F), VFA-122 and VFA-125.
The Sundowners train future war fighters and in its first year alone, completed 14 FRS fighter detachments and flew over 3,300 hours in adversary support."[2] For the foreseeable future, this colorful and long-lived squadron will serve the United States Naval AIr Forces as a dedicated and unique asset with a historical lineage and longivity that surpasses perhaps all present day fleet squadrons.
[edit] Sundowner Aces
- Lt. Charles R. Stimpson 16;
- Lt. James E. Swope 10;
- Lt. Jimmie E. Savage 7;
- LtJG Horace B. Moranville 6;
- Lt. Cdr. Robert E. Clements 5;
- LtJG Vernon E. Graham 5;
- Lt. Henry S. White 5
Other aces who scored kills with the Sundowners were: Lt. William N. Leonard, LtJG William J. Masoner, and LtJG John A. Zink.
[edit] Popular Media
In 1985, VF-111 was one of several NAS Miramar based squadrons to participate in the filming of the movie Top Gun. Some VF-111 and VF-51 aircraft were repainted in fictitious squadron markings for the film. To be able to film the sequences, the F-14s were fitted with cameras mounted in pods attached to the underbelly Phoenix pallets and the under wing pylons, as well as using ground mounted cameras.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.tailhook.org/Wi06_Lemmons.htm Carrier Air Wing Reserve 20— The Hook magazine, Winter 2006]
- ^ Sundowners are back?
