Fleet workhorses of the Korean war - Brief Article

Naval Aviation News, Jan, 2002 by Sean Paul Milligan

Realizing the need for a multipurpose squadron to handle target towing and a variety of other important fleet tasks outside of the realm of other units, the Navy established the first utility squadron (VJ-l) at NAS San Diego, Calif., led by an officer in charge. The first commanding officer took the helm on 7 June 1926. By the end of WW II, there were 25 utility squadrons operating hundreds of every conceivable type of aircraft.

The WW II utility squadrons were active in all combat theaters involving Naval Aviation. Some of their greatest achievements in helping win the war include the production of thousands of top-notch, war-winning pilots, aircrewmen and antiaircraft gunners; the development of reliable "robot" target aircraft; and their assistance in development of the top secret radio proximity fused antiaircraft round. The combat training provided through the efforts of VJ crews paid off and was a lifesaver in the Pacific's war with the kamikaze.

By the end of 1946, most of this useful force was gone, victims of demobilization. On the eve of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Navy had only a few utility squadrons (now designated VU) and detachments: VU-4, NAF Chincoteague, Va., with Det 1, U.S. Naval Air Activities, Port Lyautey. Morocco; VU-10, NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; VU-3, MCAS El Toro, Calif.; VU-7, NAAS Miramar, Calif., and NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, with Det B, NAS Agana, Guam; and the VU Unit at NAS Pensacola, Fla.

Unlike other squadrons in the fleet that were backed up by reserve counterparts, the VUs had no equivalent strength. Most of the available utility aircraft were either sprawled out on the desert floor at NAF Litchfield Park, Ariz., in mothball status or had been scrapped during the great postwar domestic demand for aluminium. Of these, only 48 were the vital target towing JD-1 Invaders and TBM-3U Avengers.

By summer 1951, VU-7 had spawned two new squadrons from its existing Pacific detachments. VU-1 was established at NAS Barbers Point with five JD-Is, five TBM-3Us and one SNB-2P Navigator for photo work. At NAS Agana, VU-5 flew four JD-Is and five TBM-3Es.

Back on the East Coast, on 8 January 1952, a VU-4 det was reinforced and established as VU-2 at NAS Quonset Point, R.I. By 30 September, the squadron was dragging target sleeves over Narragansett Bay with nine JD-Is and eight TBM-3Us. Meanwhile, parent squadron VU-4 at NAF Chincoteague had been reinforced with more tow birds: 12 JD-ls, 1 TBM-3E and 7 TBM-3Us, as well as 6 F6F5K Hellcat target drones, 1 F7F-2D Tigercat and 2 F8F-2D Bearcat controller aircraft. Within a year, VU-6K stood up at NAS Norfolk, Va., with F7F-2Ds and several KD catapult-type target drones.

Unique in the Korean War history of utility squadron efforts was VU-3K's connection in the assault drone attacks flown from Boxer (CV 21) between 28 August and 2 September 1952 against power plants, bridges and railroad tunnels in North Korea. Formed a few months earlier from VU-3K at NALF Ream Field, Calif., Guided Missile Unit (GMU) 90 aboard Boxer conducted the attacks with SIX F6F-5K drones loaded with 1,000-pound bombs and controlled by AD-2Q Skyraiders. Crashing into their targets. two hits and a near miss were chalked up by the Hellcats and Naval Aviation history was made. This was reputedly the first time that "guided missiles" had launched from a carrier and attacked an enemy.

Assault drone development and combat deployment by utility squadrons was not new. Similar shore-launched work dates back to WW II utility squadron VJ-6, and Project STAG in 1943 with TDR-I assault drones controlled by TBF Avengers using TV, radio and radar to attack Japanese shipping and shore installations.

The familiar Naval Aviation axiom "hours of intense boredom occasionally interrupted by a few moments of abject terror" aptly described the utility squadron mission. The hours of boredom and hard, thankless work of the VUs were indeed interrupted by moments of terror, sometimes coupled with loss of life. There was true danger here. Real weapons were fired at these aircraft, day and night, often by personnel fresh out of boot camp spraying the sky with .50 caliber, 20 mm, 40 mm, three-inch and five-inch gun ammunition at targets towed by VU planes. In drone target aircraft operations, midair collisions between control aircraft and drones were also not unknown, particularly during check rides. Drone pilots earned their pay.

By the time of the Korean War cease-fire on 27 July 1953, the utility squadron community had more than quadrupled in men and flying machines, especially those most vital to the war effort supplying tow target and drone services to the fleet. Utility squadrons were here to stay and their numbers and effectiveness continued to increase as the Cold War went into high gear, followed by the Vietnam conflict.

During the Korean War, utility squadrons reinforced their commitment to serve the fleet by continuing to prepare Naval Aviation personnel for war.