VC-10 Challengers

For other uses, see VC10 (disambiguation).
Fleet Composite Squadron 10
Active 25 October 1943 to 1 July 1993
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
Type Fleet Composite
Role Air interdiction
Close air support
Part of fleet support
Garrison/HQ Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Nickname(s) Challengers
Motto(s) We work in a communist country every day!
Aircraft flown
Attack A-4 Skyhawk
Fighter F-8 Crusader

VC-10 Composite Squadron Challengers is an inactive United States Navy aircraft squadron. It was originally known as the Mallards in 1943, but when assigned the F-8 Crusader the squadron pilots unofficially used the name "Challengers". The squadron was formally known as the Challengers from 1961 through 1993.[1]

History

VC-10 has a unique history, with its designation being used by two separate units in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets, respectively.

One version of VC-10 was commissioned as Composite Squadron TEN (VC-10) 23 September 1943 at Naval Air Station Seattle (Sand Point) in Seattle, Washington. The commissioning officer was LCDR G. L. Richard and LCDR Edward J. Huxtable, Jr. took command of VC-10 the following week on 29 September 1943. Planes and material allowance for the squadron were drawn at Sand Point. On 5 April 1944, VC-10 was assigned as part of the air group for the escort carrier USS Gambier Bay.[2] [3]CVE-73 was a Casablanca class escort carrier and was sunk in the second Battle of Samar. At the time, the squadron had 195 men and 31 pilots assigned.[4]

The other version of VC-10 began on 1 December 1943 with the establishment of Utility Squadron SIXTEEN (VU-16) at NAS Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico. VJ-16's mission was to provide gunnery target tow services, radar tracking, search and rescue, and photographic services to ships and aircraft in the Caribbean area. As was typical for most of its service, the squadron was equipped from the outset with a variety of aircraft types. Initially, the squadron's inventory consisted of J2F-5/6, PBY-5/5A, TBF-1, SBD-5 and SNJ-4 aircraft.

After a brief move to NAAF Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico in April 1944, VJ-16 settled in at NAS Miami, Florida in May 1944 and added JM-1/2, F6F-5, FM-2 and TBM-1J/3J aircraft to its roster. For the remainder of World War II, the squadron operated detachments in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Brazil, Cuba, Panama and Trinidad. VJ-16 consolidated its operations at NAS Guantanamo Bay/McCalla Field, Cuba in April 1945 and was redesignated as Utility Squadron TEN (VU-10) on 15 Nov 1945.

Over the next fifteen years, VU-10 variously operated JD-1, UF-1, PBM-5A, PBY-6A, R4D-5, SNB-5, F6F-5D, F7F-2D, F8F-2, F9F-6/8 and FJ-3 aircraft, as well as F6F-5K, TD2C, and KD2R-5 target drones. In 1957, VU-10 also established an operating detachment at NAS Jacksonville, Florida that was absorbed into Utility Squadron FOUR (VU-4) in 1963.

With the closure of McCalla Field, VU-10 moved to the nearby NAS Guantanamo Bay/Leeward Point Field in January 1960 and added defense of the base as one of its missions after Communist rebels took over the Cuban government during the Cuban Revolution. During the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, VU-10's F-8A Crusader fighters became the front line defense force for the base against both Cuban and deployed Soviet forces. The squadron, which acquired US-2Cs and, in succession, F-8B/D/A/C/K Crusaders, was redesignated as Fleet Composite Squadron TEN (FLECOMPRON TEN or VC-10) on 1 July 1965.

TA-4J Skyhawk IIs modified to carry air-to-ground ordnance and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles replaced the last of VC-10's F-8 Crusaders in 1976, augmented by an EA-4F Skyhawk II in the late 1980s. VC-10 continued to provide aerial target services for fleet training and dissimilar air combat maneuver training (DACT) for fleet aircraft during Atlantic Fleet carrier battle group deployment work-ups.

VC-10 was disestablished at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on 14 August 1993 as part of a post-Cold War reduction in naval forces and the transfer of the composite squadron mission to the Naval Air Reserve.[5]

Patches

Aircraft assigned

F-8K Crusaders of VC-10 over Guantanamo, in 1974.

References

  1. ↑ A4skyhawks.org: VC-10
  2. ↑ USS Gambier Bay VC-10
  3. ↑ http://www.ussgambierbay.org/the-battle/
  4. ↑ WWIIJeepParts.com Composite Squadron 10 VC-10
  5. ↑ http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2006-06/lest-we-forget-fire-and-sword-vc-10

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fleet Composite Squadron 10 (United States Navy).

Externals

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