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9/8/2010

VB-82/VA17A


Bombing Squadron 82 was commissioned at NAS Wildwood on 1 April 1944, with the SB2C-1C as initial equipment. However, in May 1944 these were replaced by SB2C-3s. In June 1944 the squadron joined the other air group squadrons at NAAS Oceana and continued training there until October 1944. Carquals were conducted aboard Prince William in June and July 1944, and Charger in September 1944. From mid-October 1944 until mid-November 1944 Air Group 82 was aboard Bennington for her shakedown cruise to Trinidad. After a month ashore at NAS Quonset Point, during which the squadron received new SB2C-4Es, it was back aboard Bennington in mid-December 1944 for the voyage west to Pearl Harbor, via the Panama Canal and San Diego. On 8 January 1945 the Air Group arrived at NAS Kahului, Maui for three weeks of final training. Leaving Pearl at the end of the month, Bennington and CVG82 reached Ulithi on 7 February 1945.
Three days later the carrier sailed as part of Task Force 58, headed for Japan. VB82's first period in combat saw it striking airfields on Hachijo Jima, south of Tokyo, and at Hamamatsu, and then supporting the invasion of Iwo Jima. From March to May 1945 it was heavily involved in the Okinawa campaign. Operations included not only support missions over the island itself, but also attacks on Kyushu and Kure in March 1945, participation in the Yamato sinking in April 1945, and further attacks on Kyushu in May 1945. Finally, on 17 June 1945 in Leyte Gulf, Air Group 82 was relieved by Air Group 1.
The squadron reformed at NAS Alameda in August 1945, equipped with SB2C-4Es, and moved to Quonset Point in February 1946. In June 1946 CVG82 went aboard Randolph for a two week training cruise. July 1946 brought re-equipment with SB2C-5s, the aircraft the squadron would continue to fly until April 1948. In October 1946 the Air Group was back aboard Randolph again, this time for a cruise to the Mediterranean which lasted until 21 December 1946. Meanwhile, on 15 November 1946 VB82 had been re-designated VA17A. Apart from a cruise to the Caribbean on Randolph in February 1947 and March 1947, and another short cruise aboard the same carrier in April, 1947 was spent at Quonset Point. On 1 March 1948 VA17A received its first Martin AM-1 Mauler and by early April 1948 all the SB2Cs were gone.

C.O.s:
LtCdr S.R. Brown      to 31 December 1944
LtCdr Hugh Wood    31 December 1944 to June 1945
Lt J.A. Derby    11 July to 4 September 1945
Lt H.R. McRae     September 1945 to 13 October 1945
LtCdr Hugh Wood    from 13 October 1945

PERSONNEL LOSSES
13 March 1944Ens. T.R. Trumpfheller
3 June 1944Lt.(jg) V.E. Reynolds/ARM3c J.C. McLeod
21 September 1944Ens. E.A. Cole
18 February 1945Lt. A.W. Lundblade/ARM3c E.J. Gerber (C---AA Chichi Jima)
7 April 1945Ens. J.C. Fuller/ARM3c C.T. Williams (C---AA Yamato)
20 April 1945Lt.(jg) H.A. McBride/ARM3c R.B. Hopkins
13 May 1946Ens. J.C. Nickels
13 May 1946Ens. R.R. Reid
31 December 1946Ens. J.D. Murchison/Ens. H.E. Hethcox (pass.)
5 June 1947Ens. O.W. Ross
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