Fighting Squadron 72
Active1 July 1939 – 29 March 1943
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
Part ofInactive
AircraftF3F-3
F4F Wildcat
EngagementsWorld War II

Fighting Squadron 72 or VF-72 was an aviation unit of the U.S. Navy, originally established as VF-7 on 1 July 1939, it was redesignated as VF-72 on 19 November 1940 and disestablished on 29 March 1943.[1]

Operational history

VF-7 was originally equipped with Grumman F2F and Grumman F3F aircraft. It was reequipped with the F4F-3 Wildcat in December 1940 and deployed as part of Carrier Air Group 7 (CVG-7) aboard the USS Wasp.[2]

From January to March 1942 VF-72 was deployed on USS Ranger in the Atlantic Fleet.[3] In April 1942, VF-72 was based ashore at Naval Station Norfolk and then transferred to the USS Wasp.[4] In early June 1942, VF-72 had reequipped with the F4F-4 at NAS Alameda and from mid-June through July was shore-based at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.[5] In August VF-72 was deployed on USS Hornet.[6]

Artist Thomas C. Lea III depicted VF-72's executive officer, Lt A. C. "Silver" Emerson in action during the Solomon Islands campaign in his painting "Defending the Ship."[7]

Following the sinking of the USS Hornet on 26 October 1942, VF-72 was deployed on USS Nassau from January until March 1943 when it was disembarked at Pearl Harbour.[8][9]

Home port assignments

  • NAS Norfolk
  • NAS Alameda
  • Naval Station Pearl Harbor

Aircraft assignment

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lineage for Fighter Squadrons" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Young, Edward (2013). F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen: Pacific Theater 1942. Osprey Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 9781780963228.
  3. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 2 Feb 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 15 Apr 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 4 Jun 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 27 Aug 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "A Grizzly from the Coral Sea" (PDF). Naval Institute Press. September 2008.
  8. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 6 Jan 1943". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 11 Mar 1943". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
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