VA-112 (U.S. Navy)

VF-112 F8F-2 prepares to launch from USS Valley Forge in 1949

VF-112 F9F-2Bs on USS Philippine Sea c.1950

VF-112 F3H-2 in 1957

VA-112 A-4C landing aboard USS Kitty Hawk off Vietnam in 1968.

VA-112 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established as Bomber-Fighter Squadron VBF-11 on 9 April 1945, redesignated Fighter Squadron VF-12A on 15 November 1946, then as VF-112 on 15 July 1948. It was finally redesignated as VA-112 on 15 February 1959. The squadron was disestablished on 10 October 1969. Its nickname from 1961 to 1969 was the Broncos.^[1]

Operational history

• 25 Mar 1948: USS Valley Forge operated in the Persian Gulf with Saudi Arabian Prince Ibn Saud embarked to view air operations. However, the air display was cancelled because of a sand storm and hazy conditions.
• 29 Apr 1948: Valley Forge moored port side to Dokkeskjaerkaien Dock, Bergen, Norway. The mooring was conducted without the aid of tugs, using the engine power of the squadron’s eight F8Fs spotted on the forward deck and eight other aircraft on the aft deck. The mooring operation was called Operation Pinwheel.
• 5 Aug 1950: The squadron participated in its first combat operations, flying sorties against targets in the Mokpo-Kwangju area of South Korea.
• 12–19 Sep 1950: The squadron participated in the pre-assault strikes against targets in and around Inchon, Korea, in preparation for the Inchon landing on 15 September. These strikes included road, rail, and airfield sweeps and Combat Air Patrol. During and after the invasion the squadron continued to fly daily air sweeps, striking at targets of opportunity and the enemy’s lines of communications.
• 10 Nov 1950: The squadron’s first encounter with MiG-15s occurred during a sortie over Sinuiju, North Korea. One MiG-15 was damaged during the engagement.
• 23–24 June 1952: The squadron participated in coordinated strikes against North Korean hydroelectric power plants, the first heavy attack conducted against these installations. Nine different hydroelectric power plants were struck by forces from Carrier Air Groups 2, 7, 11, 19, and the 5th Air Force.
• 6–13 Feb 1955: The squadron was on station and available for air support during the evacuation of over 26,000 personnel from the Tachen Islands during the First Taiwan Straits Crisis.
• 24 Apr 1967: Squadron aircraft participated in a multi-carrier coordinated strike against North Vietnam’s Kép Air Base, northeast of Hanoi. This was the first time a strike had been conducted against a North Vietnam MiG airfield.
• 10 May 1967: Commander M. L. Minnis, Sr., was awarded the Silver Star for action during a strike into North Vietnam against the thermal power plant at Haiphong.
• Apr 1969: Following the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 aircraft by the North Koreans, USS Ticonderoga, with VA-112 aboard, along with two other attack carriers, was ordered to the Sea of Japan^[1]

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:^[1]

• NAS Alameda – 09 Apr 1945
• NAAS Fallon – 30 Apr 1945
• NAAS Santa Rosa – 31 Jul 1945
• NAS Kahului – 21 Feb 1946
• NAS San Diego – 25 Nov 1946
• NAAS Miramar/NAS Miramar – 07 Apr 1951
• NAS Lemoore – 11 Sep 1961

Aircraft Assignment

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:^[1]

• F6F-3/5 Hellcat – Apr 1945
• F8F-1 Bearcat – 11 Dec 1946
• F8F-2 Bearcat – 03 Jan 1949
• F9F-2 Panther – 11 Jan 1950
• F9F-2B Panther* – Jul 1950
• F9F-3 Panther – 31 May 1951
• F9F-2B Panther – 12 Jul 1951
• F9F-5 Panther – Oct 1952
• F9F-6 Cougar – Feb 1954
• F9F-8 Cougar – Jul 1955
• F9F-8B Cougar – Apr 1956
• F3H-2M Demon – 05 Apr 1957
• A4D-1/2 Skyhawk – Apr 1959
• A4D-2N/A4C Skyhawk – 26 Mar 1961

* The squadron’s F9F-2s were modified at NAS Barbers Point and equipped with rocket launchers and bomb racks and designated F9F-2Bs.

See also

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

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

United States Navy
Portal Category
Leadership	Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy 4-star admirals House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower
Structure	Navy Navy Reserve Fleet Marine Force Expeditionary Combat Command Merchant Marine The Pentagon Units Aircraft wings Aircraft squadrons Carrier strike group Installations Naval Observatory Master jet base Operating forces Fleet Forces Command Pacific Fleet Naval Forces Europe Naval Forces Central Command Naval Forces Southern Command Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Reserve Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Force Naval Network Warfare Command Military Sealift Command Shore Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Air Systems Command Naval Facilities Engineering Command Naval Supply Systems Command Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Fleet Cyber Command Naval Academy Naval Education and Training Command Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Office of Naval Intelligence Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center Naval Legal Service Command Naval Observatory Navy Occupational Safety & Health Bureau of Naval Personnel Chief of Naval Personnel Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy Installations Command Fleets Third Fleet Fourth Fleet Fifth Fleet Sixth Fleet Seventh Fleet Tenth Fleet Ships A–B C D–F G–H I–K L M N–O P Q–R S T–V W–Z Aircraft carriers Airships Amphibious warfare ships Auxiliaries Battleships Cruisers Destroyers Destroyer escorts Escort carriers Frigates Mine warfare vessels Monitors Patrol vessels Sailing frigates Steam frigates Steam gunboats Ships of the line Sloops of war Submarines Torpedo boats
Personnel and training	People Officers Insignia Designators Enlisted Rates Ratings Classification Personnel Chaplain Corps Chief United States Navy EOD Medical Corps Dental Corps Nurse Corps Medical Service Corps Supply Corps Civil Engineer Corps JAG Corps NCIS Boatswain's mates Hospital corpsman Naval Aviator SEALs Seabees SWCCs Hispanic sailors Training Recruit United States Naval Academy Officer Candidate School STA-21 NROTC BESS BFTT CNATT COMPTUEX NAWCTSD AIM Naval Chaplaincy School Naval Hospital Corps School Naval Justice School Naval Postgraduate School United States Armed Forces School of Music Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Navy Supply Corps School Naval War College Nuclear Power School JMTC TOPGUN USNTPS Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Equipment	Uniforms Awards Badges Current fleet Reserve fleet Aircraft Weapons Naval reactors
History and traditions	History "Anchors Aweigh" Blue Angels Ceremonial Barge Chesapeake Continental Navy Ensign Fleet bands Fleet Week Jack Line-crossing ceremony National Museum Navy Band Navy Flag Navy Hymn Navy Memorial Navy service numbers Sailor's Creed Ship commissioning Ship decommissioning Tingey House USS Constitution Wetting-down United States naval gunfire support debate