US Squads in the CAW 1944 theatre
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 1:34 am
There seems to be a lot of information about the US squads, but not all of it isconsistent. The main fleet ("fast") carriers held a CVG - a carrier air group consisting of fighter, torpedo and dive bombing squadrons - hence CVG 2 contained VF-2, VB-2, and VT-2. These did an approximate 6 month tour of duty, and then did a few months resting and training.
This is what I have:
CVG 2 Hornet Mar-Sep 44
CVG 5 Yorktown Oct 43-Apr 44
CVG 7 Hancock Sep 1944 - Jan 1945
CVG 8 Bunker Hill Mar-Oct 1944
CVG 9 Essex Oct 1943 - Mar 1944
CVG 10 Enterprise Jan-Jul 1944
CVG 11 Hornet Oct 1944 - Jan 1945
CVG 13 Franklin Jul-Nov 1944
CVG 15 Yorktown Oct 1943 - Mat 1944
CVG 16 Lexington Oct 1943-Jun 1944
CVG 18 Bunker Hill Oct 1943 - Mar 1944, Intrepid Aug-Nov 1944
CVG 19 Lexington Jul-Nov 1944
CVG 20 Enterprise Aug 1944 - Jan 1945
Some of the fleet carriers additionally had a night fighter squad, and there were established toward the end of 1944 specialist night ops carrier groups CVG(N) 52, 90 and 91. This opens up the prospect of night missions in CAW.
Of course this leaves aside the smaller light carrier CVLG groups, and CVE groups, and the composite squadrons of all arms on the CVEs which I'm still digging in to.
Anyone with further information, and submissions for which squads in particular ought to be the campaign squads please contribute.
This is what I have:
CVG 2 Hornet Mar-Sep 44
CVG 5 Yorktown Oct 43-Apr 44
CVG 7 Hancock Sep 1944 - Jan 1945
CVG 8 Bunker Hill Mar-Oct 1944
CVG 9 Essex Oct 1943 - Mar 1944
CVG 10 Enterprise Jan-Jul 1944
CVG 11 Hornet Oct 1944 - Jan 1945
CVG 13 Franklin Jul-Nov 1944
CVG 15 Yorktown Oct 1943 - Mat 1944
CVG 16 Lexington Oct 1943-Jun 1944
CVG 18 Bunker Hill Oct 1943 - Mar 1944, Intrepid Aug-Nov 1944
CVG 19 Lexington Jul-Nov 1944
CVG 20 Enterprise Aug 1944 - Jan 1945
Some of the fleet carriers additionally had a night fighter squad, and there were established toward the end of 1944 specialist night ops carrier groups CVG(N) 52, 90 and 91. This opens up the prospect of night missions in CAW.
Of course this leaves aside the smaller light carrier CVLG groups, and CVE groups, and the composite squadrons of all arms on the CVEs which I'm still digging in to.
Anyone with further information, and submissions for which squads in particular ought to be the campaign squads please contribute.