Carrier Air Wing Six was a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

 air wing

Carrier air wing

A Carrier Air Wing is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft...

 whose operational history spans from the years prior to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to the end of the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, including participating in the Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...

, and the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. It was based on 15 different carriers during its operational lifetime.

When the unit was named "Air Group Six" during its time on the Enterprise

USS Enterprise (CV-6)

USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...

, it was the Navy’s only carrier-based air group to carry out three complete tours of duty

Tour of duty

In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....

 during World War II.

Service history

The lineage of Carrier Air Wing Six can be traced to the Enterprise Air Group, created on 1 July 1938, which included the following squadrons and aircraft:

• Bombing Six (VB-6) — 18 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless
  SBD Dauntless
  The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
  
   dive bombers
• Fighting Six (VF-6) — 18 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighter
  F4F Wildcat
  The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
  
  
• Scouting Six (VS-6) — 18 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless dive bomber
• Torpedo Six (VT-6) — 18 Douglas TBD Devastator
  TBD Devastator
  The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
  
   torpedo bomber
  Torpedo bomber
  A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
  
  

This air group was embarked on board the Yorktown-class

Yorktown class aircraft carrier

The Yorktown class was a class of three aircraft carriers built by the U.S. and completed shortly before World War II. They bore the brunt of early action in that war, and the sole survivor of the class was to become the most decorated ship in the history of the U.S...

 aircraft carrier at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

.

Enterprise Air Group (1941–1942)

On 7 December 1941, eighteen SBD Dauntless scout bombers of squadrons VS-6 and VB-6 arrived over Pearl Harbor during the attack and, although surprised, immediately went into action in defense of the naval base. Scouting Six lost six planes during the attack, and Bombing Six lost one, killing eight airmen and wounding two others. Later that evening, six VF-6 Wildcats attempted to land at Ford Island

Ford Island

Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...

, but five were accidentally shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire, killing three pilots and wounding two others. Enterprise’s air group carried out search missions to locate the Japanese carrier task force that attacked Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

, but was unable to locate that force. Enterprise aircraft did sink a Japanese submarine on 10 December, but was unable to relieve the U.S. Marine garrison on Wake Island

Wake Island

Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...

 that fell to the Japanese.

1942 was a critical period for the United States Navy, as they were forced to face the Japanese offensive in the Pacific War with the USS Enterprise and its air group being the only operational carrier in the Pacific due to battle losses. The Enterprise’s air group launched air strikes against Japanese shipping and military installations on Marshall

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

 and Gilbert

Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...

 island groups on 1 February 1942, followed by air raids on Wake Island on 24 February and Marcus Island on 4 March. Enterprise’s air group provided air cover for the Task Force 16 which launched the Doolittle Raid

Doolittle Raid

The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...

 from the carrier on 18 April. This mission prevented Enterprise and Hornet from participating in the Battle of Coral Sea which saw the sunk and the heavily damaged.

The Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

 was the climatic naval battle in 1942, with the Enterprise’s air group sinking the Japanese carriers Kaga

Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga

Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture...

 and Akagi

Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi

Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...

 and contributed to the sinking of Hiryū

Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu

was a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...

. Torpedo Six (VT-6) lost ten TBD-1, Bombing Six (VB-6) lost eleven SBD-3, Scouting Six (VS-6) lost nine SBD-3, and Fighting Six (VF-6) lost a F4F-4. The Enterprise Air Group also participated in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...

 on 24 August 1942, which was a strategic and tactical victory that blunted the Japanese counteroffensive during Guadalcanal Campaign

Guadalcanal campaign

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...

 although the Enterprise sustained heavy damage. After returning to Pearl Harbor, the Enterprise Air Group was disbanded, and starting in September 1942, all U.S. Navy carrier air groups would be numbered.

Table 1: Enterprise Air Group deployments, 1941–1942

Table 1 denotes the deployments of the Enterprise Air Group during 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

.

Aircraft Carrier	Deployment Duration	Operational Area	Operating Force
	7 December 1941 – 10 March 1942	Pearl Harbor; Marshall, Wake and Marcus Islands	Task Force 16
	8 April–26, 1942	Doolittle Raid Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...	Task Force 16
	30 April – 26 May 1942	Efate Island	Task Force 16
	28 May – 13 June 1942	Battle of Midway Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...	Task Force 16
USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...	15 July – 25 August 1942	Guadalcanal Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II... , Battle of the Eastern Solomons Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...	Task Force 16

Air Group Six (1943–1945)

The Enterprise Air Group was reconstituted as Air Group Six on 15 March 1943. While flying off the Enterprise, they provided close air support to the amphibious landing on Makin Atoll

Battle of Makin

The Battle of Makin was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 20 November to 24 November 1943, on Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands.-Japanese invasion and fortification:...

 from 19 to 21 November 1943. On the night of 26 November, carrier-based night fighters from the Enterprise broke up a large group of land-based bombers attacking Task Group 50.2. After a heavy strike by aircraft of Task Force 50 against Kwajalein

Kwajalein

Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...

 on 4 December, Enterprise returned to Pearl Harbor on 9 December.

Air Group Six then embarked on board the new Essex-class

Essex class aircraft carrier

The Essex class was a class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy, which constituted the 20th century's most numerous class of capital ships with 24 vessels built in both "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two were originally ordered; however as World War II wound down, six were...

 aircraft carrier to provide air support for the amphibious landings on Kwajalein Atoll

Battle of Kwajalein

The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...

 from 31 January to 3 February 1944. They also participated in a massive air strike against the Japanese naval base at Truk. The air group destroyed fifty-five enemy planes (twelve in the air and forty-two on the ground) as well as sinking five Japanese ships. Nine planes were lost, with nine pilots and four crewmen dead or missing.

On 9 March 1945, Air Group Six switched to the new Essex-class aircraft carrier and carried out air strikes against Kyūshū

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

 airfields, southwestern Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, and shipping in the Inland Sea of Japan on 18 March. From 23 to 27 March, they struck the Nansei-shoto islands. Their last strikes in March came on the 31st, when they hit Minami Daito Jima and Kyūshū.

Air Group Six subsequently provided air support for the U.S invasion of Okinawa beginning on 1 April until a suicide plane

Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....

 hit the Hancock on 7 April. This forced the carrier off the battle line for repairs. Hancock and Air Group Six returned to action on 13 June and remained at sea until the end of World War II.

Table 2: Air Group Six deployments, 1943–1945

Table 2 denotes the deployments of Air Group Six during World War Two following its activation.

Aircraft Carrier	Deployment Duration	Operational Area	Operating Force
	10 November – 9 December 1943	Operation Galvanic	Task Force 50
	3 December 1943 – 22 March 1944	Operation Flintlock; Operation Hailstone Operation Hailstone Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...	Task Force 58
	9 March – 11 April 1945	Operation Iceberg	Task Force 58
	13 June – 20 June 1945	Wake Island Wake Island Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...	ComAirPac
	1 July – 15 August 1945	Air raids on Japan Air raids on Japan During World War II the Allied forces conducted many air raids on Japan which caused extensive destruction to the country's cities and killed over 300,000 people. These attacks began with the Doolittle Raid in mid-April 1942, but did not resume until June 1944 when United States Army Air Forces ...	Task Force 38

Photo Gallery - World War II Service

Battle Carrier Air Group Five (1946–1948)

Post-war service for Carrier Wing Six began when Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17) was re-designated as Battle Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVBG-17) on 22 January 1946 and subsequently re-designated as Battle Carrier Air Group Five (CVBG-5) on 16 November 1946. CVBG-5 participated in the shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....

s for Essex-class

Essex class aircraft carrier

The Essex class was a class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy, which constituted the 20th century's most numerous class of capital ships with 24 vessels built in both "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two were originally ordered; however as World War II wound down, six were...

 fleet carrier and the Midway-class

Midway class aircraft carrier

The Midway class aircraft carrier was one of the longest lived carrier designs in history. First commissioned in late 1945, the lead ship of the class, was not decommissioned until 1992, shortly after service in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.-History:...

 battle aircraft carrier"Battle aircraft carrier" was used to refer to the new 'big' carriers that came out after the Essex class

Essex class aircraft carrier

The Essex class was a class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy, which constituted the 20th century's most numerous class of capital ships with 24 vessels built in both "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two were originally ordered; however as World War II wound down, six were...

 carriers. .

Table 3: Battle Carrier Air Group Five deployments, 1946–1948

Table 3 denotes the deployments of CVBG-5.

Aircraft Carrier	Deployment Duration	Operational Area	Operating Force
	24 January 1947 – 18 March 1947	South Atlantic	Shakedown cruise
	19 January 1948 – 5 April 1948	South Atlantic	Shakedown cruise

Carrier Air Group Six (1948–1963)

Battle Carrier Air Group Five was re-designated Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6) effective 27 July 1948. CVG-6 participated in three major NATO naval exercises, 1952's Operation Grand Slam

Operation Grand Slam (NATO)

Exercise Grand Slam was an early major naval exercise of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization . This 1952 combined naval exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea, and it included a naval force that was described as being "the largest armada to be assembled in that area since the...

, 1952's Operation Mainbrace

Operation Mainbrace

Exercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic , one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander...

 and 1957's Operation Strikeback

Operation Strikeback

Operation Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957....

, as well as making ten deployment to the Mediterranean Sea (see Table 4 below).

Carrier Air Group Six flew on board the Navy's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the recently commissioned , on 22 June 1962. CVG-6 participated with the in LantFlex 2-62, a nuclear strike exercise from 6–12 July, providing eight “pre-planned” strikes and six call strikes while operating off the Virginia capes, against targets ranging from the Tidewater area to central Florida. The air group also participated in RipTide III from 3–5 August, which involved long-range simulated nuclear strikes against targets off the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, including 14 strikes and nine call strikes, all opposed.

Carrier Air Group Six embarked on board the Enterprise during its first deployment to the Mediterranean, passing the Rock of Gibraltar

Rock of Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...

 on 16 August 1962. CVG-6 participated n Lafayette II, 7 September, which involved 14 scheduled conventional strikes coordinated with aircraft from against multiple targets in southern France, with opposition provided by French air force and naval aircraft. The air group was involved in Indian Summer from 7–8 September, comprising three long-range, simulated nuclear strikes, with fighter escort by F-4Bs

F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

 from VF-102, against Spanish targets defended by USAF and Spanish commands assigned to NATO. Carrier Air Group Six also provided air support during FallEx/High Heels II from 6–20 September as well as Fall Trap from 23–27 September, which was a NATO amphibious exercise. Enterprise arrived back at Norfolk Naval Station on 11 October 1962.

Carrier Air Group Six subsequently participated in the naval operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

 as part of Task Force 135, a two-carrier strike force consisting of CAG-6's home carrier, the Enterprise, and the supercarrier

Supercarrier

Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial...

 , operating south of the Windward Passage

Windward Passage

The Windward Passage is a strait in the Caribbean Sea, between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. The strait specifically lies between the easternmost region of Cuba and the northwest of Haiti.80km wide, the Windward Passage has a threshold depth of 1,700m...

, between Cuba and the island of Hispaniola

Hispaniola

Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...

 and southward, in the vicinity of Latitude 18ºN

18th parallel north

The 18th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 18 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....

, Longitude 74º30'W. CAG-6 was augmented with ten additional A4D-4N Skyhawks

A-4 Skyhawk

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...

 of Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34) during the night of October 26/27, 1962. For its participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Carrier Air Groups Six received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

.

Table 4: Carrier Air Group Six deployments, 1948–1963

Table 4 denotes the deployments of CVG-6.

Aircraft Carrier	Deployment Duration	Operational Area	Operating Force
	27 October 1949 – 23 November 1949	North Atlantic	U.S. Second Task Fleet
	10 January 1951 – 18 May 1951	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	9 January 1952 – 5 May 1952	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	25 February 1952 – 16 March 1952	Operation Grand Slam Operation Grand Slam (NATO) Exercise Grand Slam was an early major naval exercise of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization . This 1952 combined naval exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea, and it included a naval force that was described as being "the largest armada to be assembled in that area since the...	CINCAFSOUTH Allied Joint Force Command Naples Allied Joint Force Command Naples is a NATO military command. It was activated on 15 March 2004, after what was effectively a redesignation of its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southern Europe , originally formed in 1951...
	26 August 1952 – 8 October 1952	Operation Mainbrace Operation Mainbrace Exercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic , one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander...	SACLANT Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
	1 December 1952 – 19 May 1953	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	9 January 1954 – 4 August 1954	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) USS Lake Champlain was one of 24 s completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812....	9 October 1955 – 3 April 1956	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	3 September 1957 – 22 October 1957	Operation Strikeback Operation Strikeback Operation Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957....	SACLANT Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
	13 February 1959 – 20 August 1959	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	4 August 1960 – 17 February 1961	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	3 August 1961 – 1 March 1962	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	3 August 1962 – 11 October 1962	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	19 October 1962 – 6 December 1962	Caribbean Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...	Task Force 135
	6 February 1963 – 4 September 1963	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet

Carrier Air Wing Six (1963–1993)

Carrier Air Group Six was re-designated Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) on 20 December 1963. The air wing participated in Operation Sea Orbit

Operation Sea Orbit

Operation Sea Orbit was the 1964 around-the-world cruise of the United States Navy's Task Force One, consisting of USS Enterprise , USS Long Beach , and USS Bainbridge . This all-nuclear-powered unit steamed 30,565 miles unrefuelled around the world for sixty-five days.The cruise began on July 31...

, the first around-the-world voyage made by nuclear-powered surface ships, in 1964.

CVW-6 embarked on the new supercarrier

Supercarrier

Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial...

  for its 1965 shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....

, and during that ship's second deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, CVW-6 was operating with the U.S. Sixth Fleet when the Six Day War broke out between Israel and its Arab neighbors on 5 June 1967. Americas escorting destroyers detected an unknown submarine contact on 7 June, and a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS-9)

HS-9

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 9 was an Antisubmarine Warfare Squadron helicopter squadron of the United States Navy that was originally commissioned in 1956 at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island with five HSS-1 “Seabat” helicopters. The squadron was deactivated in 1968. A new...

 assisted in tracking this contact. CVW-6 aircraft provided air cover for the stricken , which had been attacked by Israeli military forces

USS Liberty incident

The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, , by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy torpedo boats, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members , wounded 170 crew members, and...

, and it also dispatched two helicopters to evacuate the seriously injured to the America.

Carrier Air Wing Six made its first combat deployment in 1968 upon the America. During this deployment, CVW-6 spent a total of 112 days at Yankee Station

Yankee Station

Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...

, attacking roads, waterways, trucks, bridges, as well as lighters, barges, and other logistical support watercraft. They also attacked petroleum storage areas, truck parks, and cave storage areas to impede the flow of men and war materials to the south during the Tet Offensive. On 10 July 1968, Lt. Roy Cash, Jr. (pilot) and Lt. (j.g.) Joseph E. Kain, Jr. (radar intercept officer), flying in an F-4J Phantom

F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

 from Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33)

VF-33

Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948...

, downed a MiG-21 about 17 miles (27.4 km) northwest of Vinh

Vinh

Vinh is a city in Vietnam. It is located in the northern half of the country, and is the capital of Nghệ An Province. Politically, Vinh is a municipality within Nghệ An Province. On September 5th, 2008, it was upgraded from Grade-II city to Grade-I city, the fourth Grade-I city of Vietnam after...

, North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

. This was the first MiG "kill" in the Vietnam War for CVW-6. America and Carrier Air Wing Six were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Unit Commendation

The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...

 for this deployment.

CVW-6 then left the America for another carrier, the . This carrier, along with and , stood by to execute the possible evacuation of foreign civilians during the Yom Kippur War

Yom Kippur War

The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...

 in October 1973. CVW-6 provided air cover during the 1983 invasion of Grenada

Invasion of Grenada

The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...

 (Operation Urgent Fury) while embarked on board the . During that ship's subsequent deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, CVW-6 conducted air strikes against Syrian positions that were attacking U.S. Marine positions in Lebanon. Carrier Air Group Six received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

 for Operation Urgent Fury.

Beginning in 1986, Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on board the . It participated in a joint U.S.-Egyptian training exercise (Operation Sea Wind) and Display Determination '86, which featured low-level coordinated strikes and air combat maneuvering training over Turkey. CVW-6 subsequently participated in Ocean Safari '87, a six-week cruise in the North Atlantic which was highlighted by operations with NATO forces posing as aggressors lurking in Norwegian fjords. A year later, the air wing participated in Ocean Venture ’88 in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea, and then provided air support for Operation Earnest Will

Operation Earnest Will

Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...

.

During its final overseas deployment, CVW-6 participated in three multi-lateral exercises (Harmonie Sud Est, Iles D’Or, and Display Determination ‘91), and also provided air support for Operation Provide Comfort

Operation Provide Comfort

Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...

. Carrier Air Group Six received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

 for Provide Comfort. (see Table 5 below).

Table 5: Carrier Air Wing Six deployments, 1963–1993

Table 5 denotes the deployments of CVW-6.

Aircraft Carrier	Deployment Duration	Operational Area	Operating Force
	8 February 1964 – 31 July 1964	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	31 July 1964 – 3 October 1964	Operation Sea Orbit Operation Sea Orbit Operation Sea Orbit was the 1964 around-the-world cruise of the United States Navy's Task Force One, consisting of USS Enterprise , USS Long Beach , and USS Bainbridge . This all-nuclear-powered unit steamed 30,565 miles unrefuelled around the world for sixty-five days.The cruise began on July 31...	Task Force One
	1 May 1965 – 1 July 1965	South Atlantic/Caribbean	Shakedown cruise
	29 November 1965 – 10 July 1966	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	10 January 1967 – 20 September 1967	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	10 April 1968 – 16 December 1968	Yankee Station Yankee Station Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...	Task Force 77
	2 January 1970 – 27 July 1970	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	29 January 1971 – 18 July 1971	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	15 February 1972 – 11 December 1972	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	14 September 1973 – 17 March 1974	Mediterranean Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria... /Operation Nickel Grass Operation Nickel Grass Operation Nickel Grass was an overt strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The Military Airlift Command of the U.S...	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	3 January 1975 – 16 July 1975	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	15 April 1976 – 25 October 1976	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	10 June 1977 – 19 July 1977	South Atlantic	Task Group 20.4 U.S. Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
	25 September 1977 – 25 April 1978	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	28 June 1979 – 14 December 1979	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	19 November 1980 – 10 June 1981	Mediterranean/Indian Ocean Gonzo Station Gonzo Station could stand for a U.S. Navy acronym for "Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations",used to designate an area of carrier-based operations in the Indian Ocean during the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the so-called Tanker War between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran; but, in...	COMUSNAVEUR United States Naval Forces Europe United States Naval Forces Europe is the United States Navy component of the United States European Command and provides forces for United States African Command....
	7 June 1982 – 21 December 1982	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	25 October 1983 – 2 November 1983	Operation Urgent Fury Invasion of Grenada The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...	U.S. Second Fleet
	18 October 1983 – 11 April 1984	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	16 October 1984 – 19 February 1985	Mediterranean/Indian Ocean Gonzo Station Gonzo Station could stand for a U.S. Navy acronym for "Gulf of Oman Naval Zone of Operations",used to designate an area of carrier-based operations in the Indian Ocean during the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the so-called Tanker War between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran; but, in...	COMUSNAVEUR United States Naval Forces Europe United States Naval Forces Europe is the United States Navy component of the United States European Command and provides forces for United States African Command....
	4 June 1986 – 10 November 1986	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	28 August 1987 – 8 October 1987	Ocean Safari '87	SACLANT Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
	25 April 1988 – 7 October 1988	Mediterranean/Indian Ocean Operation Earnest Will Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...	NAVCENT U.S. Naval Forces Central Command United States Naval Forces Central Command is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command . Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea...
	4 November 1989 – 12 April 1990	Mediterranean	U.S. Sixth Fleet
	30 May 1991 – 21 December 1991	Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...	NAVCENT U.S. Naval Forces Central Command United States Naval Forces Central Command is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command . Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea...

Photo Gallery - Post-war Service

Decommissioning

Carrier Air Wing Six shifted to the USS Forrestal (CV-59) when the USS Independence (CV-62)

USS Independence (CV-62)

The fifth USS Independence is a of the United States Navy. It was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal-class conventional-powered Supercarrier...

 underwent its Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...

 in 1986. Following the completion of its SLEP, the Independence sailed to its new homeport at the San Diego Naval Base with Carrier Air Wing 5. With the shifting of the Forrestal to a naval aviation training role as AVT-59, plus post-Cold War budget cutbacks, Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) was decommissioned on 1 April 1993.

Battle of Midway and Doolittle Raid (1942)

Enterprise Air Group embarked on USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

 and Doolittle Raid

Doolittle Raid

The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...

:

• Bombing Six (VB-6)
• Fighting Six (VF-6)
• Scouting Six (VS-6)
• Torpedo Six (VT-6)

Battle of the Eastern Solomons (1942)

Enterprise Air Group embarked on USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...

:

• Bombing Six (VB-6)
• Fighting Six (VF-6)
• Scouting Five (VS-5)
• Torpedo Three (VT-3)

Operation Galvanic (1943)

Air Group Six embarked on USS Enterprise (CV-6) during Operation Galvanic:

• Bombing Six (VB-6)
• Fighting Two (VF-2)
• Torpedo Six (VT-6)

Operation Flintlock (1944)

Air Group Six embarked on USS Intrepid (CV-11) during Operation Flintlock:

• Bombing Six (VB-6)
• Fighting Six (VF-6)
• Scouting Six (VS-6)
• Night Fighting Seventy-eight (VF(N)-78)

Operation Grand Slam (1952)

Carrier Air Group Six embarked on USS Midway (CVB-41) during NATO Operation Grand Slam

Operation Grand Slam (NATO)

Exercise Grand Slam was an early major naval exercise of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization . This 1952 combined naval exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea, and it included a naval force that was described as being "the largest armada to be assembled in that area since the...

: >

Fighter Squadron 61 (VF-61) VF-61 Fighter Squadron 61 was a Fighter Squadron of the United States Navy until its disestablishment on on April 15, 1959.Three U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84 Fighter Squadron 61 (The Jolly Rogers) was a Fighter Squadron of... Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) VFA-41 Strike Fighter Squadron 41 also known as the "Black Aces", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California .... Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21) VF-21 Fighter Squadron 21 Freelancers was an aviation unit of the United States Navy originally established in 1944 as VF-81. It was disestablished in 1996.-History:... Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) VFA-25 Strike Fighter Squadron 25 is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at NAS Lemoore. Its current tail code is AA, its callsign is Fist, and it flies the F/A-18C Hornet.-Squadron insignia and nickname:... Marine Fighter Squadron 225 (VMF-225)

Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 41 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41

Operation Mainbrace (1952)

Carrier Air Group Six embarked on USS Midway (CVB-41) during NATO Operation Mainbrace

Operation Mainbrace

Exercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic , one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander...

: >

Fighter Squadron 61 (VF-61) VF-61 Fighter Squadron 61 was a Fighter Squadron of the United States Navy until its disestablishment on on April 15, 1959.Three U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84 Fighter Squadron 61 (The Jolly Rogers) was a Fighter Squadron of... Fighter Squadron 42 (VF-42) Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) VFA-41 Strike Fighter Squadron 41 also known as the "Black Aces", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California .... Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21) VF-21 Fighter Squadron 21 Freelancers was an aviation unit of the United States Navy originally established in 1944 as VF-81. It was disestablished in 1996.-History:... Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) VFA-25 Strike Fighter Squadron 25 is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at NAS Lemoore. Its current tail code is AA, its callsign is Fist, and it flies the F/A-18C Hornet.-Squadron insignia and nickname:...

Fleet Composite Squadron 8 (VC-8) Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 41 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41

Operation Strikeback (1957)

Carrier Air Group Six embarked on USS Intrepid (CVA-11) during NATO Operation Strikeback

Operation Strikeback

Operation Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957....

: >

Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) VF-33 Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948... Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) VFA-25 Strike Fighter Squadron 25 is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at NAS Lemoore. Its current tail code is AA, its callsign is Fist, and it flies the F/A-18C Hornet.-Squadron insignia and nickname:... Heavy Attack Squadron 11 (VAH-11)

All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VA(AW)-33) Detachment 33 Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Detachment 33 VFP-62 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 62 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1949 to 1968. The squadron provided a detachment of reconnaissance planes for each of the Carrier Air Wings of the U.S... Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Detachment 33 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 33

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Carrier Air Group Six embarked on USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

: >

Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102) Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) Attack Squadron 76 (VA-76) Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) Attack Squadron 65 (VA-65)

Attack Squadron 64 (VA-64) Heavy Attack Squadron 7 (VAH-7) Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Detachment 65 Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Detachment 65 VFP-62 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 62 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1949 to 1968. The squadron provided a detachment of reconnaissance planes for each of the Carrier Air Wings of the U.S... Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 65

Operation Sea Orbit (1964)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) during Operation Sea Orbit

Operation Sea Orbit

Operation Sea Orbit was the 1964 around-the-world cruise of the United States Navy's Task Force One, consisting of USS Enterprise , USS Long Beach , and USS Bainbridge . This all-nuclear-powered unit steamed 30,565 miles unrefuelled around the world for sixty-five days.The cruise began on July 31...

: >

Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102) Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) VF-33 Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948... Attack Squadron 76 (VA-76) Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) Attack Squadron 65 (VA-65) Attack Squadron 64 (VA-64)

Heavy Attack Squadron 7 (VAH-7) Airborne Early Warning Squadron 33 (VAW-33) Detachment 65 Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Detachment 65 Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Detachment 65 VFP-62 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 62 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1949 to 1968. The squadron provided a detachment of reconnaissance planes for each of the Carrier Air Wings of the U.S... Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 65

Operation Urgent Fury (1984)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Independence (CV-62) during Operation Urgent Fury: >

Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) VFA-32 The "Fighting Swordsmen" of Strike Fighter Squadron THIRTY-TWO are a United States Navy strike fighter squadron presently flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet and based ashore at Naval Air Station Oceana... Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14) VFA-14 The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919... Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) Attack Squadron 87 (VA-87) VFA-87 The Strike Fighter Squadron 87 is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana. Nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party , its tail code is AJ, and it flies the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet... Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15) VFA-15 The VFA-15, Strike Fighter Squadron 15 is a U.S. Navy strike fighter squadron based at NAS Oceana. Their call sign is Pride, tail code is AJ, and they fly the F-18 Hornet...

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 131 (VAQ-131) VAQ-131 Electronic Attack Squadron 131 , also known as the "Lancers", is an United States Navy EA-6B Prowler squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Part of Carrier Air Wing 2, the Lancers deploy aboard the . Their radio callsign is "Skybolt".... Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15) Air Anti-submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28)

Ocean Safari 1987

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Forrestal (CV-59) during NATO exercise Ocean Safari 1987: >

Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) Attack Squadron 105 (VA-105) Attack Squadron 37 (VA-37)

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) VAQ-132 Electronic Attack Squadron , the "Scorpions", is a United States Navy aircraft squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Scorpions fly the EA-18G Growler and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 17... Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15) Air Anti-submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28)

Six Day War (1967)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS America (CVA-66) during the Six Day War: >

Fighter Squadron 104 (VF-104) Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) Attack Squadron 64 (VA-64) Attack Squadron 36 (VA-36) Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 5 (RVAH-5) Heavy Attack Squadron 10 (VAH-10 ) Detachment 66

Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) Detachment 66 VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 33 (VAW-33) Detachment 66 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Detachment 66 Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 9 (HS-9) Detachment 66 Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2) Detachment 66

Yom Kippur War (1973)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) during the Yom Kippur War

Yom Kippur War

The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...

: >

Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) Attack Squadron 87 (VA-87) Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15)	Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 63 (VFP-63) Detachment 42 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2) Detachment 42

Operation Earnest Will (1988)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Forrestal (CV-59) during Operation Earnest Will

Operation Earnest Will

Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...

: >

Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) Attack Squadron 105 (VA-105) Attack Squadron 37 (VA-37)

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) VAQ-132 Electronic Attack Squadron , the "Scorpions", is a United States Navy aircraft squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Scorpions fly the EA-18G Growler and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 17... Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15) Air Anti-submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28)

Operation Provide Comfort (1991)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Forrestal (CV-59) during Operation Provide Comfort

Operation Provide Comfort

Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...

: >

Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) Attack Squadron 137 (VA-137) Attack Squadron 132 (VA-132)

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 133 (VAQ-133) VAQ-133 Electronic Attack Squadron 133 , also known as the "Wizards", is an EA-6B Prowler squadron of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. VAQ-133 is one of only three expeditionary EA-6B Prowler squadrons in the U.S. Navy... Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15) Air Anti-submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28)

Vietnam War (1968)

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS America (CVA-66) during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

: >

Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102) Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) VF-33 Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948... Attack Squadron 76 (VA-76) Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) Attack Squadron 64 (VA-64)

Heavy Attack Squadron 7 (VAH-7) Airborne Early Warning Squadron 33 (VAW-33) Detachment 66 Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Detachment 66 Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Detachment 66 VFP-62 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 62 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1949 to 1968. The squadron provided a detachment of reconnaissance planes for each of the Carrier Air Wings of the U.S... Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 66

Decommissioning

Carrier Air Wing Six embarked on USS Forrestal (CV-59): >

Strike Fighter Squadron 176 (VFA-176) Strike Fighter Squadron 137 (VFA-137) VFA-137 Strike Fighter Squadron 137 , also known as the "Kestrels", are a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore... Strike Fighter Squadron 132 (VFA-132) VFA-132 VFA-132 Strike Fighter Squadron 132, also known as the "Privateers" was a United States Navy Strike Fighter Squadron that was based at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida prior to being disestablished on 1 June 1992.-History:... Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11)

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) VAW-122 VAW-122 was an East Coast VAW squadron that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996... Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 133 (VAQ-133) VAQ-133 Electronic Attack Squadron 133 , also known as the "Wizards", is an EA-6B Prowler squadron of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. VAQ-133 is one of only three expeditionary EA-6B Prowler squadrons in the U.S. Navy... Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 15 (HS-15) Air Anti-submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28)

Presidential Unit Citation

For consistently outstanding performance and distinguished achievement during repeated action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific war area, 7 December 1941, to 15 November 1942. Participating in nearly every major carrier engagement in the first year of the war, the Enterprise and her air group, exclusive of far-flung destruction of hostile shore installations throughout the battle area, did sink or damage on her own a total of 35 Japanese vessels and shoot down a total of 185 Japanese aircraft. Her aggressive spirit and superb combat efficiency are fitting tribute to the officers and men who so gallantly established her as an ahead bulwark in the defense of the American nation.

Other awards and commendations

• Navy Unit Commendation (1968)
  Navy Unit Commendation
  The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
  
  

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
  
  
  • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
    Cuban Missile Crisis
    The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
    
    
  • Operation Urgent Fury (1983)
    Invasion of Grenada
    The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...
    
    
  • Operation Earnest Will (1988)
    Operation Earnest Will
    Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
    
    

See also

• List of United States Navy Carrier air wings
• Wade McClusky
  C. Wade McClusky
  Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
  
  
• Edward “Butch” O'Hare
  Edward O'Hare
  Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare was an Irish-American naval aviator of the United States Navy who on February 20, 1942 became the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Butch O’Hare’s final action took place on the night of November 26, 1943,...
  
  
• VF-33
  VF-33
  Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948...
  
  

External links

• USS Enterprise CV-6 Association — Air Groups
• USS Intrepid Association
• USS Hancock CV/CVA-19 Official Association Web Site — War History, April 1944 – October 1945
• USS Hancock Tribute Site
• USS Forrestal Association
• USS Independence CV-62 Association Inc. — CVW-6 Page
• USS America Veterans Association — Air Wing History