Misplaced Pages

Fighting Squadron 72 or VF-72 was an aviation unit of the U.S. Navy, originally established as VF-7 on 1 July 1939, it was redesignated as VF-72 on 19 November 1940 and disestablished on 29 March 1943.

Operational history

VF-7 was originally equipped with Grumman F2F and Grumman F3F aircraft. It was reequipped with the F4F-3 Wildcat in December 1940 and deployed as part of Carrier Air Group 7 (CVG-7) aboard the USS Wasp.

From January to March 1942 VF-72 was deployed on USS Ranger in the Atlantic Fleet. In April 1942, VF-72 was based ashore at Naval Station Norfolk and then transferred to the USS Wasp. In early June 1942, VF-72 had reequipped with the F4F-4 at NAS Alameda and from mid-June through July was shore-based at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. In August VF-72 was deployed on USS Hornet.

Artist Thomas C. Lea III depicted VF-72's executive officer, Lt A. C. "Silver" Emerson in action during the Solomon Islands campaign in his painting "Defending the Ship."

Following the sinking of the USS Hornet on 26 October 1942, VF-72 was deployed on USS Nassau from January until March 1943 when it was disembarked at Pearl Harbor.

Home port assignments

• NAS Norfolk
• NAS Alameda
• Naval Station Pearl Harbor

Aircraft assignment

• Grumman F2F-1
• Grumman F3F-1
• Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat

See also

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

References

1. "Lineage for Fighter Squadrons" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
2. Young, Edward (2013). F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen: Pacific Theater 1942. Osprey Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 9781780963228.
3. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 2 Feb 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
4. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 15 Apr 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
5. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 4 Jun 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
6. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 27 Aug 1942". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
7. "A Grizzly from the Coral Sea" (PDF). Naval Institute Press. September 2008.
8. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 6 Jan 1943". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
9. "Location of U.S. Naval Aircraft, World War II 11 Mar 1943". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 19 April 2016.

External links

v t e  United States Navy
Category
Leadership	Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy 4-star admirals 3-star admirals 1864–1959 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present 2-star admirals House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower
Structure	Navy Navy Reserve Fleet Marine Force Expeditionary Combat Command Merchant Marine Units Active ships Future ships Aircraft wings Aircraft squadrons Carrier strike group Installations Naval Observatory Master jet base Operating forces Fleet Forces Command Commander Pacific Fleet Commander Naval Forces Europe – Naval Forces Africa Naval Forces Central Command Naval Forces Southern Command Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Reserve Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Force Naval Network Warfare Command Military Sealift Command Shore Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Air Systems Command Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Naval Supply Systems Command Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Fleet Cyber Command Naval Academy Naval Education and Training Command Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Office of Naval Intelligence Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center Naval Legal Service Command Naval Observatory Naval Safety Center Bureau of Naval Personnel Chief of Naval Personnel Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy Installations Command Navy Working Capital Fund Fleets Second Fleet Third Fleet Fourth Fleet Fifth Fleet Sixth Fleet Seventh Fleet Tenth Fleet Ships A–B C D–F G–H I–K L M N–O P Q–R S T–V W–Z Aircraft carriers Airships Amphibious warfare ships Auxiliaries Battleships Cruisers Destroyers Destroyer escorts Escort carriers Frigates Mine warfare vessels Monitors Patrol vessels Registered civilian vessels Sailing frigates Steam frigates Steam gunboats Ships of the line Sloops of war Submarines Torpedo boats Torpedo retrievers Unclassified miscellaneous vessels Yard and district craft
Personnel and training	People Officers Insignia Designators Enlisted Rates Ratings Classification Personnel Chaplain Corps Chief Deputy Chief Explosive ordnance disposal Medical Corps Dental Corps Nurse Corps Medical Service Corps Supply Corps Civil Engineer Corps JAG Corps JAG DJAG NCIS Boatswain's mates Hospital corpsman Naval Aviator SEALs Seabees Master-at-arms Operations specialist SWCCs Hispanic sailors Training Recruit Officer Candidate School STA-21 NROTC Naval University System (Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Academy, Naval Community College, Marine Corps University) BESS BFTT CNATT COMPTUEX NAWCTSD AIM Naval Chaplaincy School Naval Hospital Corps School Naval Justice School United States Armed Forces School of Music Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Navy Supply Corps School Nuclear Power School JMTC TOPGUN USNTPS Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Equipment	Uniforms Awards and decorations Badges Current fleet Future fleet Reserve fleet Current aircraft Weapons Naval reactors
History and traditions	History "Anchors Aweigh" Blue Angels Continental Navy Ensign Fleet bands Fleet Week Jack Line-crossing ceremony National Museum Navy Band Ceremonial Guard Navy Flag Navy Hymn Navy Memorial Navy service numbers Navy Weeks Revolt of the Admirals Sailor's Creed Ship commissioning Ship decommissioning Ship naming conventions Tingey House USS Constitution WAVES Wetting-down United States battleship retirement debate

• Fighter squadrons of the United States Navy
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1943