RVAH-9

Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 9
RVAH-9 squadron patch
Active	15 January 1953-30 September 1977
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Photo-reconnaissance
Part of	Inactive
Nickname(s)	Hoot Owls
Engagements	Vietnam War

RVAH-9 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Nine (VC-9) on 15 January 1953, it was redesignated as Heavy Attack Squadron Nine (VAH-9) on 1 November 1955 and was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Nine (RVAH-9) on 3 June 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 30 September 1977.^[1]

Operational history

VAH-9 A3B Skywarrior flies over Capri in 1958

VAH-9 A-3D-2 suffers a nosewheel collapse on USS Saratoga c.1959

RVAH-9 RA-5C Vigilante prepares to launch from USS Ranger in 1966

VC-9

VC-9 was equipped with the AJ-2 Savage, receiving its first aircraft in June 1951.^[2] In 1953 while operating from the USS Midway (CV-41), VC-9 conducted the Navy's first inflight refueling operations.

VAH-9

VAH-9 reequipped with the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in early 1957 and made several Mediterranean deployments aboard USS Saratoga.^[3] In April 1964 VAH-9 began transitioning to the RA-5C Vigilante handing over its last A-3D-2 in August 1964.

Vietnam

• 10 December 1965 – 25 August 1966, RVAH-9 was embarked on USS Ranger for a Vietnam deployment.^[4]
• 16 January 1966, RA-5C #149312 failed to catch the arrester wire while landing, the pilot applied power, an engine exploded and the aircraft crashed into the sea. Two crewmen were listed as killed in action, body not recovered.^[5][6][7]
• 26 October 1968 – 17 May 1969, RVAH-9 was embarked on USS Ranger for a Vietnam deployment.^[4]

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports:

• NAS Sanford

NAS Albany NAS Key West

Aircraft Assignment

• AJ-2 Savage
• A3D-2 Skywarrior
• RA-5C Vigilante

See also

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

References

1. Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. p. 547. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
2. Ginter, Steve (1992). North American AJ-1 Savage (Naval Fighters Number 22). p. 71. ISBN 0942612221.
3. "Skywarrior in Service with US Navy". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
4. "Carrier, Carrier Based Squadrons and Non-Carrier Based Squadron Deployments to Vietnam" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1995. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
5. Powell, Robert (2012). RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat. Osprey Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 9781782005421.
6. "Charles Schoonover, LCDR". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
7. "U.S. Unaccounted-For from the Vietnam War (Sorted by Name) Prisoners of War, Missing in Action and Killed in Action/Body not Recovered" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links