Carrier Air Wing 13
| Carrier Air Wing Thirteen | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 2 November 1942 - 20 October 1945 1 March 1944 - 30 November 1949 21 August 1961 - 1 October 1962 1 March 1984 - 1 January 1991 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Carrier air wing |
| Engagements | World War II, Cold War |
Carrier Air Wing Thirteen (CVW-13) was a carrier air wing of the United States Navy established for a short period at the end of the Cold War. There were three previous units which had been named Carrier Air Group Thirteen (CVG-13), dating as far back as 1942, though each of these units has a distinct lineage.
The first Carrier Air Group Thirteen was established on 2 November 1942 and served for the duration of World War II. The air group served aboard USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Pacific. With the draw-down of United States military forces after the war, the group was disestablished on 20 October 1945.
The second Carrier Air Group Thirteen was originally established as Carrier Air Group Eighty One (CVG-81) on 1 March 1944 and was deployed on USS Wasp. Postwar, CVG-81 deployed on USS Princeton (CV-37) in the West Pacific.
As originally formed, the group consisted of three squadrons giving it a balance of fighter, torpedo-bombing, and dive-bombing capabilities. As per Navy standards, the squadrons were numbered to match the air group, thus being designated VF-81 (fighter), VT-81 (torpedo), and VB-81 (dive bomber). The group was embarked on USS Hancock (CV-19) for transportation to Hawaii and then spent is first deployment aboard USS Wasp (CV-18) between 10 November 1944 and 13 March 1945. During this deployment, Marine squadrons VMF-216 and VMF-217 were attached to the group, adding a significant number of fighter-bombers to the Wasp's complement.
After the war, the air group did a second deployment to the Western Pacific, this time aboard the USS Princeton (CV-37) between 3 July 1946 and 15 April 1947. At this point, a fourth squadron had been added to the group: VBF-81, a fighter-bomber squadron. The unit transited the Panama Canal without VB-81 before embarking on WestPac with its full complement.
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