Re: VT-5 in the Pacific. . .?

Hi all,

Can anyone give me any information on VT-5 and the carriers they flew off of during mid 1944 to 1945? I have conflicting information regarding the Wasp and Franklin. . .any help would be appreciated!

Mike

 

S. E. Morison notes that VT-5 flew off Yorktown CV-10 as part of Air Group 5 during the Marshall Islands operations in early 1944 (Vol. VII of his USN history), and flew off Franklin CV-13 as part of Air Group 5 from February to March 1945 (Vol. XIV). VT-5 was aboard Franklin during her trial by fire on March 19.

 

At the beginning of January 1944 VT-5 was assigned to USS Yorktown (CV-10) as it had been since being re-established on 15 February 1943. In the beginning days of 1944, the ship was at Pearl Harbor and the squadron was stationed at Hilo NAS on the big island of Hawaii.

By the 25th the squadron was divided with detachments aboard the ship, at Kaneohe NAS and at Maui NAS

By the end of the month the entire squadron, with 16 TBF-1 and 2 TBF-1C, was aboard and at sea.

The first week of February, the reported complement was 15 TBF-1, 2 TBF-1C and 1 TBM-1C.

In early March the squadron, still aboard ship. reported 11 TBF-1, 3 TBF-1C and 3 TBM-1C; by the end of the month the complement was 10 TBF-1, 1 TBF-1C, and 8 TBM-1C.

April reports start with the squadron at sea aboard Yorktown with a complement of 1 TBF-1, 9 TBF-1C and 8 TBM-1C.

The first week of May saw Yorktown en route to Pearl with the squadron reporting 1 TBF-1, 7 TBF-1C and 10 TBM-1C. By the 16th the squadron had detached from Yorktown and personnel, sans aircraft, were en route to San Diego, scheduled for reforming at Alameda NAS on 25 June 44.

The beginning of July 1944 saw VT-5 at Alameda beginning is reforming with a single SBD-5 in its inventory which was evidently traded in for a single TBF-1 by the 18th of the month. VT-5’s reported complement increased to 4 TBF-1 and 2 SBD-5 by the 24th.

August saw the VT-5 inventory increase to 9 TBF-1 and 2 SBD-5, then the squadron moved from Alameda to Monterey NAAS, operating 18 TBF and 2 SBD for a week or so, then back to Alameda, though shedding itself of 9 TBFs along the way. In the back half of the month the rest of CVG 5 was a Fallon NAS, but VT-5 was stationed at back at Monterey, again showing 18 TBF and 2 SBDs (I would hazard a guess the 9 of the TBFs were part of a pool of planes temporarily chopped to squadrons assigned to Monterey for training); the squadron was still at Monterey at the end of the month, with an additional TBF assigned by the 29th. Thus things remained until the end of September 1944 when VT-5 reported still at Monterey, though now with a complement consisting of 1 SBD-5, 6 TBF-1, 1 TBF-1C, 8 TBM-1C, and 2 TBM-3.

October saw VT-5 move to Alameda NAS’ outlying Santa Rosa NAAS with an inventory of 1 SBD-5, 6 TBM-1, 9 TBM-1C, and 2 TBM-3. Typical of squadrons in the reforming/work up process, inventory was variable. By the beginning of November VT-5 returns from Santa Rosa showed 1 SBD-5, 6 TBF-1, 8 TBM-1C, and 2 TBM-3; a strength that remained unchanged until the beginning of December when the squadron gained 2 TBF-1 and about a week later, one more TBM-3. CVG 5 has, by early December, been assigned to USS Franklin which was at Puget Sound with a projected ready date of 15 January 1945

The end of December saw CVG 5 all together at Santa Rosa, VF-5, VB-5, VT-5, though the prospective new additions, VMF-214 and VMF-452 were at Santa Barbra MCAS and Mojave MCAS, respectively.

By the second week of January 1945, VT-5’s complement of TBM-3s had increased to 8; other aircraft on hand were 1 SBD-5, 8 TBF-1 and 8 TBM-1C. Deployment time approaches. The ready date for CVG 5 / USS Franklin (still at Puget Sound) has been extended to 25 January. All of the Air Group’s squadrons are now at Santa Rosa. VT-5’s complement includes 1 SBD-5, 6 TBF-1, 1 TBF-1, 1 TBM-1, 7 TBM-1C and, now, approaching deployment strength, 12 TBM-3. A week later almost all the older model TBFs and TBMs are gone; VT-5 strength is 1 SBD-5, 1 TBF-1 and 13 TBM-3. In the next few days all of the air group’s squadrons would be rated as “ready now”. USS Franklin is now docked at Seattle NYD.

USS Franklin departs for points west with CVG 5 aboard on 2 February 1945. VT-5’s strength is unchanged. The ship stopped briefly at Pearl Harbor, putting out to sea for periods of training. The squadrons were ashore during periods that the ship was in port. During this last work-up training period, VT-5 finally discards its SBD squadron hack, but picks up an additional TBM-3 and a TBM-3P. By the end of February the ship and air group are ready to move further west to join the Fast Carrier Task Force, rendezvousing with that force on 15 March. On the morning of 19 March 1945, VT-5, aboard Franklin, has a strength of 15 TBM-3.

When the smoke cleared away, and en route to Pearl Harbor, VT-5 reported a strength of 5 TBM-3 aboard. The other squadrons in the air group were similarly depleted, VF-5 five had left but 9 of its starting 37 planes, VB-5 had 5 of 14, VMF-214 had 6 of 18 and VMF-452 had a paltry 3 of 18.

On arrival at Pearl Harbor CVG 5 went ashore. VT-5s strength increased by 1 TBM-3 by 7 April, but by the 14th all of the air group’s remaining planes had been distributed to other squadrons or CASUs. CVG 5 returned to the mainland and was scheduled for reforming on 5 May 1945 at Seattle NAS. By 19 May, the air group, now consisting of VF-5, VB-5, VT-5, and a newcomer VBF-5, was stationed at Klamath Falls NAS. Previously assigned Marine fighter squadrons VMF-214 and VMF-452 were detached from the air group and eventually ended up with MASG-42 at El Centro MCAS in anticipation of future assignment to a MCVG). VT-5 started it latest incarnation with 1 TBF-1, 3 TBF-1C, 1 TBF-1E, 2 TBM-3 and 2 TBM-3E.

Cutting quickly to the end or the story, CVG 5 with VT-5 remained at Klamath Falls until end of the war. The air group was scheduled to be ready for deployment by 10 October 1945, though actual assignment to a carrier had not been made. The aircraft location report for 7 September 1945 shows VT-5 with 1 TBM-3 and 14 TBM-3E.