Second VA-44 (U.S. Navy)

Attack Squadron 44
VA-44 squadron insignia
Active	1 September 1950 – 1 May 1970
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Attack aircraft
Part of	Inactive
Nickname(s)	Hornets
Engagements	Korean War
Aircraft flown
Attack	F4U-4/5 Corsair F2H-2 Banshee F9F-8/8T Cougar A4D-1/A-4B/C/E/F/L Skyhawk TV-2 Shooting Star T28-B Trojan A-1E/H Skyraider

VA-44, nicknamed the Hornets, was an Attack Squadron of the US Navy. It was the second squadron to hold the VA-44 designation. The squadron was established as Fighter Squadron VF-44 on 1 September 1950, and redesignated VA-44 on 1 January 1956. It was disestablished on 1 May 1970.^[1]

Operational history

VF-44 F4U-4 prepares to launch from USS Boxer in 1953

VF-44 F2H-2 prepares to launch from USS INtrepid in 1955

VA-44 F9F-8 prepares to launch from USS Saratoga in 1956

Three VA-44 A-4Bs in flight during the 1960s.

• VF-44 equipped with F4U-4s was assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the USS Boxer for a deployment to Korea and the Western Pacific from 30 March to 28 November 1953. On 13 June 1953 the squadron conducted its first combat operations against targets in Korea.

• September–October 1957: During the squadron’s deployment aboard USS Wasp, its mission was temporarily changed from attack to a fighter role in order to provide air protection for the VS squadrons operating from the carrier.

• 1 June 1958: The squadron’s mission changed from a light attack squadron to a fleet replacement training squadron. The new mission involved flight training for pilots and maintenance training for enlisted personnel. Under this concept, pilots and enlisted personnel ordered to East Coast fleet A4D squadrons completed the course of instruction provided by VA-44 before reporting to their assigned fleet squadrons.

• 6 June 1958: Fleet All Weather Training Unit Detachment ALFA, an instrument training detachment, was disestablished and its personnel and aircraft were transferred to VA-44.

• 8 August 1958: The squadron graduated its first replacement pilot under the new training program for attack pilots.

• January 1959: The squadron’s first AD Skyraiders arrived and preparations began for the additional mission of replacement training for this aircraft, plus the A4D Skyhawk.

• 15 November 1961: The squadron graduated the 1,000th enlisted maintenance trainee on the A4D Skyhawk.

• 15 February 1963: The propeller training section of the squadron was removed from VA-44 and established as a separate squadron and designated VA-45. VA-44 continued in its training mission concentrating on A-4 Skyhawk training. It became a strictly jet squadron flying A-4Bs, A-4Cs and TF-9Js.^[1]

Home port assignments

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

• NAS Jacksonville – 01 Sep 1950
• NAAS Cecil Field – 19 Sep 1950
• NAS Jacksonville – 13 Oct 1952
• NAS Cecil Field – 18 Feb 1963

Aircraft Assignment

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

• F4U-5 Corsair – Sep 1950
• F4U-4 Corsair – 01 Dec 1951
• F2H-2 Banshee – Dec 1953
• F9F-8 Cougar – Apr 1956
• F9F-8T Cougar – 23 Jan 1958
• A4D-1 Skyhawk – 04 Feb 1958
• TV-2 Shooting Star – Jun 1958
• T28-B Trojan – Jun 1958
• A4D-2/A-4B Skyhawk – Sep 1958
• A-1E and H Skyraider – Jan 1959
• A4D-2N/A-4C Skyhawk – 09 Feb 1960
• A-4E Skyhawk – Oct 1964
• TA-4F Skyhawk – 03 Aug 1966
• A-4F Skyhawk – Nov 1969
• A-4L Skyhawk – Dec 1969

See also

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

References

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

1. Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 3: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-42 to VA-52 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 72–74. Retrieved 2014-02-24.