VF-6
| Fighter Squadron 6 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 23 September 1921 - 29 October 1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Fighter |
| Nickname(s) | Flying Chiefs |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter |
Vought VE-7 F6C Hawk Vought FU Boeing F2B Boeing F3B Grumman F2F |
Fighter Squadron 6 or VF-6 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as Combat Squadron 4 on 23 September 1921, it was redesignated VF-2 on 1 July 1922, redesignated VF-2B on 19 March 1923, redesignated VF-6B on 1 January 1927, redesignated VF-6 on 1 July 1927, redesignated VB-2B on 1 July 1928, redesignated VF-6B on 1 July 1930, redesignated VF-3 on 1 July 1937, redesignated VF-6 on 15 July 1943 and disestablished on 29 October 1945.
Combat Squadron Four was established on 23 September 1921, at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. VF-2 known as the Flying Chiefs equipped with the Vought VE-7 biplane operated from USS Langley, the US Navy's first aircraft carrier. Between 1922 and 1925, VF-2/VF-2B experimented with carrier operations from the Langley off the coast of California. Air activity was initially limited to scouting, but the Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet saw the potential of naval aviation and recommended that USS Lexington and USS Saratoga be completed as soon as possible.
In 1926, VF-2B flying Curtiss F6C Hawks was the 1st squadron to demonstrate the concept of dive-bombing, carrying out mock-attacks on Pacific Fleet ships. Commanders of the surface ships had expected standard, low-altitude, level bombing, but were surprised when the VF-2B aircraft attacked, unseen, from 12,000 feet making simulated drops before the ships defenses could be manned.
In 1927, VF-6 flew FU-1s and was tasked to provide one aircraft to each fleet battleship, with the remaining planes shore-based at NAS North Island. The squadron's FU-1s were launched from the ship's catapults, landed as seaplanes and then hoisted back aboard by the ship's crane.
In 1928, the squadron transferred to Langley and was redesignated VF-2B. Over the course of the next 15 years, the squadron was variously called VF-6B, VF-3, and VF-6 based on their ship assignment ("B" appended meaning the squadron was attached to the Battle Fleet, and "S" indicating that it belonged to the Scouting Fleet). In 1937, the last letter of Navy squadron designations were removed.
...
Wikipedia