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Newsletter VP-91 Alumni Association Newsletter


"Up Floats"
Contributed by George B. Winter pbycat@bellsouth.net

Vol. 1997-3 - "Just one of many articles!"

VP-91 History From April 1943 through June 1944

FROM: THE COMMANDER, PATROL SQUADRON NINETY ONE. TO: THE COMMANDER FLEET AIR WING ONE.

1. IN ACCORDANCE WITH EXISTING INSTRUCTIONS, THE FOLLOWING REPORT OF ACTIVITIES OF THIS COMMAND IS SUBMITTED. THE REPORT COVERS THE PERIOD OF THE SQUADRONS CURRENT COMBAT TOUR IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC, 10 NOVEMBER 1943 TO 15 JUNE 1944

2. PRIOR TO REPORTING FOR DUTY IN THIS AREA THE SQUADRON HAD SPENT FOUR MONTHS IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, AND TWO AND ONE HALF MONTHS IN KANEOHE BAY, T.H., UNDERGOING INTENSIVE TRAINING IN THE USE OF SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT AGAINST ENEMY SUBMARINES. THIS EQUIPMENT CONSISTED OF RETRO-BOMBS, MAGNETIC AIRBORNE DETECTOR AND SONIC GEAR. THE SQUADRON HAD SIX PLANES OPERATION FROM JOHNSON ISLAND, COVERING A TASK FORCE THAT WAS ON A MISSION TO WAKE ISLAND, DURING THE STAY AT KANEOHE BA, T.H. FROM 9 AUGUST 1943 TO 1 NOVEMBER 1943.

3. THE SQUADRON ARRIVED AT ESPIRITU SANTO, N.H. BETWEEN 26 OCTOBER 1943 AND 10 NOVEMBER 1943 AND WAS BASED THERE UNTIL 1 APRIL 1944; IT WAS BASED AT HALAVO BAY, SOLOMON ISLANDS, FROM 1 APRIL 1944, TO 1 JUNE 1944; AND AT GREEN ISLAND FROM 1 JUNE 1944 TO 15 JUNE 1944, AT WHICH TIME IT NAS RETIRED TO HALAVO BAY, WHERE IT REMAIN AS OF THIS DATE WITHOUT OPERATIONS RESPONSIBILITIES.

4. ON 13 MAY 1944, THE COMMAND OF THE SQUADRON WAS TRANSFERRED FROM COMMANDER E.L. FARRINGTON, U.S. NAVY, TO LIEUTENANT COMMANDER P.H. CRAIG, A-V(N), USNR.

5. WHILE BASED AT ESPIRITU SANTO, N.H. THE SQUADRON WAS ENGAGED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN ANTI-SUBMARINE ACTIVITIES. FOR THIS PURPOSE, AN AVERAGE OF SEVEN PLANES WAS MAINTAINED AT ESPIRITU SANTO, N.H., AND SEVEN AT SUVA, FIJI, EXCEPT FOR A SHORT PERIOD WHEN THREE PLANES WERE OPERATED OUT OF HALAVO BAY, SOLOMON ISLANDS. ALL SUBMARINE SEARCHES WERE NEGATIVE.

6. WHILE BASED AT HALAVE BAY SOLOMON ISLANDS, THE SQUADRON MAINTAINED PLANES FOR THE GREATER PART OF THE TIME AT GREEN ISLAND, TREASURY ISLAND AND ENIRAU ISLAND, ENGAGED CHIEFLY IN DUMBO WORK . DURING THE PERIOD, TWENTY OPEN SEA LANDINGS WERE MADE TO EFFECT THE RESCUE OF FIFTY-TWO ALLIED AIRMAN.

7. THE SQUADRON HAS SUFFERED THE FOLLOWING LOSSES IN PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT DURING ITS TOUR OF DUTY TO DATE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC: (A) PERSONNEL: TOTAL AVERAGE PERSONNEL ASSIGNED........191 OFFICERS.................... 45 ENLISTED....................146 PERSONNEL KILLED OR MISSING (OPERATIONAL). 12 PERSONNEL INJURED (OPERATIONAL)............ 4 (B) EQUIPMENT: AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED..................15 AIRCRAFT LOST..................2 AIRCRAFT DAMAGED AND SURVEYED............... 2

8. DURING ITS CURRENT TOUR OF DUTY THE SQUADRON MADE 1093 FLIGHTS OF ALL TYPES, INVOLVING 5990.5 HOURS AS FOLLOWS: ANTI-SUBMARINE... THIRTY NINE REPORTED SUBMARINE CONTACTS WERE WORKED ON INVOLVING 290 FLIGHTS AND 2428.4 HOURS, 451 OF WHICH WERE AT NIGHT. THESE REPORTED CONTACTS WERE FOR THE MOST PART WITHIN A RADIUS OF 200 MILES OF ESPIRITU SANTO OR SUVA. IN NO INSTANCE WAS A SUBMARINE SIGHTED BY ONE OF THE SQUADRON 'S PLANES, INVARIABLY THE REPORTED WAS FROM 2 TO 10 HOURS "COLD", WHEN A PLANE REACHED THE SCENE. THIS WAS DUE CHIEFLY TO THE LAG IN TIME BETWEEN THE REPORTED SIGHTING AND RECEIPT OF ORDERS TO TAKE-OFF, AND THE DISTANCE THAT HAD TO BE COVERED TO THE SCENE. ALL PLANES TRAVELING BETWEEN THE HOME BASE AND ADVANCE BASES FOR MAINTENANCE AND ROTATION OF CREWS MAINTAINED ANTI-SUBMARINE WATCHES.... PATROLS.. SECTOR SEARCHES AND ANTI-SUBMARINE PATROLS OUT OF ESPIRITU SANTO, SUVA, HALAVO BAY, TREASURY AND GREEN ISLAND NUMBERED 137, INVOLVING 945 FLYING HOURS. ALL PATROLS WERE NEGATIVE...CONVOY..WHILE OPERATING OUT OF ESPIRITU SANTO AND SUVA THE SQUADRON COVERED 55 SEPARATE CONVOYS, WHICH INVOLVED 71 FLIGHTS AND 453.9 FLYING HOURS. NO SHIP WAS LOST ON ANY OF THESE CONVOYS...DUMBO MISSIONS... DURING THE LATTER PART OF ITS TOUR OF DUTY THE SQUADRON WAS ENGAGED CHIEFLY IN DUMBO WORK IN THE VICINITY OF RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN AND KAVIENG, NEW IRELAND. TWENTY OPEN SEA LANDINGS WERE MADE TO EFFECT THE RESCUE OF 52 PERSONS.


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