Heavy Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) Three
What was the official name of VP-23 in Jun 1948?
VP-23 VP-23 , Patrol Squadron 23 , known as the Seahawks , was a U.S . Navy fixed-wing , anti-submarine and maritime Patrol Squadron based at Brunswick Naval Air Station , Brunswick , Maine , United States . It was established as Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three ( VPW-3 ) on 17 May 1946 , redesignated as Meteorology Squadron Three ( VPM-3 ) on 15 November 1946 , redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) Three ( VP-HL-3 ) on 8 December 1947 ( as the second squadron to be assigned the VP-HL-3 designation ) , and to Patrol Squadron Twenty Three ( VP-23 ) on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 28 February 1995 . It was the second squadron to be designated VP-23 , the first VP-23 was redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 23 ( VPB-23 ) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 25 January 1946 . Operational history . - 17–21 May 1946 : VPW-3 was established as a weather reconnaissance squadron under FAW-14 at NAAS Camp Kearney , California , for duty in the Caribbean . Its aircraft and personnel were drawn from VPW-2 . Four days after its establishment , the new squadron departed for its assigned home base at NAS Miami , Florida , where the crews began flying the PB4Y-2M Privateer fitted with radar for weather reconnaissance . When the squadron arrived at NAS Miami it came under the operational control of FAW-5 . - 15 November 1946 : VPW-3 was redesignated VPM-3 , continuing to serve as a weather/meteorology squadron still based at NAS Miami . - 8 December 1947 : VPM-3 was redesignated VP-HL-3 after another squadron with that same designation had been disestablished on 22 May 1947 . Although designated as a Heavy Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) , it continued to provide weather reconnaissance and hurricane surveillance flights for the East Coast . - 15 January–September 1948 : VP-HL-3 was relocated to a new home port at NAS Atlantic City , New Jersey , but their stay at the new station was cut short by an order on 29 March 1948 to base at NAS Patuxent River , Maryland , however , the move to Patuxent River never occurred . The squadron deployed from NAS Atlantic City on 15 April 1948 for Naval Station Argentia , Newfoundland , with a detachment at NAS Miami . The entire squadron joined the detachment at Miami at the close of the 1948 Atlantic hurricane season for the filming of the movie Slattery’s Hurricane . - 1 January 1949 : After the Navy sequences for the movie were completed at NAS Miami , preparations for the squadrons transfer to NAS Patuxent River were halted and VP-23 was permanently assigned to NAS Miami under the operational control of FAW-11 . - 1 June–11 November 1949 : VP-23 broke all records for hurricane surveillance by Navy patrol squadrons , entering the “eyes” of 33 hurricanes during the 1949 Atlantic hurricane season . The squadron then ended its career in weather and converted to the Anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ) role effective 15 November 1949 . The squadron’s aircraft were redesignated PB4Y-2S and were retrofitted with the APS-15 ASW radar . - 4 December 1949 : VP-23 began its new role as a patrol squadron , with ASW as its primary mission , and deployed to Newfoundland and Greenland for cold weather training . RON ( Remain/Over Night ) visits were made to remote air bases at CFB Goose Bay , Labrador and Narsarsuaq Air Base , Greenland , carrying mail . During the deployment extensive use was made of LORAN gear . - 1 July 1950 : VP-23 surveyed the Gulf Stream in Operation Cabot , in support of . The squadron recorded color changes in the gulf , took APS-15 radar signatures , and noted LORAN fixes on surface and subsurface features . During the operation at least one aircraft was designated to provide weather reconnaissance for the surface vessels participating in the project . - 9 May 1952 : VP-23 was transferred from NAS Miami , to a new permanent home base at NAS Brunswick , Maine , under the operational control of FAW-3 . Although the squadron was transferred , 7 officers and 109 enlisted personnel remained at NAS Miami to form VJ-2 , a weather squadron that took the place of VP-23 . Shortly after the transfer , the squadron was equipped with PB4Y-2 aircraft that were soon redesignated P4Y-2S , fitted with antisubmarine radar . - 19 May 1952 : VP-23 deployed to NAS Argentia for three months of advanced base training in cold weather operations , relieving VP-24 . The squadron flew long-distance reconnaissance flights over the Labrador , Davis Strait and Baffin Bay . A four-aircraft detachment was maintained at Thule Air Base , Greenland . - January 1953 : VP-23 deployed to the Spanish Air Base at Reus , Tarragona , Spain , for one week of training with Spanish Air Force personnel . At the end of the week the squadron flew to Naval Air Station Port Lyautey , French Morocco . The operations in Spain represented the first formal cooperation with the Spanish armed forces since before World War II . - June 1953 : VP-23 deployed to NAS Argentia , with a detachment at Thule AFB . The detachments charted ice conditions in the surface shipping lanes between Newfoundland and Greenland , moved urgent supplies to remote bases , conducted research for the Hydrographic Office in Washington , transported personnel and dropped mail to fleet units at sea and ashore . Routine ASW patrols were also flown by the Argentia detachment . - 7 May 1954 : One of the VP-23 Neptunes , MA-5 , crashed on takeoff from Nassau , Bahamas during exercises with the Atlantic Fleet , killing the entire crew . - 29 July 1954 : A squadron Neptune , MA-7 , developed engine trouble during an operational readiness flight near NAS Qounset Point , Rhode Island . The crew ditched with no casualties and were pulled from the water after one and a half hours . - April 1955 : VP-23 transitioned to the jet-assisted P2V-7 Neptune . At the end of the month the squadron received operational training in the new aircraft during its deployment to NAS Bermuda . A three-aircraft detachment was maintained at Lajes Field , Azores . Exercises were conducted in ASW techniques with fleet submarines , surface units , other patrol squadrons and blimp squadrons . - 16 July 1958 : With the landing of U.S . Marines in Lebanon on 15 July , the squadron was quickly flown to Naval Air Station Keflavik , Iceland , the next day to assume station over the North Atlantic approaches . VP-23 remained at this location until early September . - 1 January 1961 : VP-23 had just deployed to NAS Argentia , when they were put on alert for the hijacked Portuguese liner Santa Maria . The search for the missing vessel took five of the squadron’s aircraft to Barbados , Trinidad and Recife , Brazil , before the liner was found . This detachment remained at San Juan until March , when it rejoined the squadron at Argentia . The remaining months of the deployment were spent in shipping surveillance and evaluation testing of the TIROS-2 weather satellite . - 1 May 1961 : The squadron established a new endurance record for the P2V-7 Neptune during their deployment to NAS Argentia , remaining in the air for 22 hours and 54 minutes . The flight was planned in honor of the 50th anniversary of Naval Aviation . - 8 August–November 1962 : VP-23 deployed to Naval Air Station Sigonella , Sicily , relieving VP-16 . Detachments were maintained at Naval Base Rota , Spain ; Elmas , Sardinia ; and Soudha Bay , Crete . On 30 September two detachments of four aircraft each were put on standby at Ben Guerir Air Base , Morocco , and Lajes Field , for the Mercury-Atlas 8 space mission . The mission concluded successfully and the detachments returned to NAF Sigonella on 5 October . From 21 October to 21 November 1962 , the squadron was put on alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis , flying round-the-clock surveillance and ASW missions in support of the Sixth Fleet . Soviet surface units were kept under surveillance during transit of the Mediterranean Sea . - February 1963 : While preparing to return from Operation Springboard exercises in Puerto Rico in late February , the squadron was tasked to locate the hijacked Venezuelan cargo vessel Anzoátegui . Searches were conducted in the South Atlantic and Caribbean before the ship was discovered by VP-23 in the mouth of the Amazon River . - April 1963 : VP-23 was tasked with the futile search for survivors or debris from the disaster . On 30 May a squadron aircraft dropped a wreath over the site of the sinking . - 6 September 1963 : VP-23 deployed a seven-aircraft detachment to NAS Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , relieving VP-45 . Numerous patrols were conducted in support of Cuban refugees adrift at sea . - November 1966-May 1967 VP-23 deployed to NAF Sigonella , Sicily , with a detachment deployed to Souda Bay , Crete , supported by . - 3 December 1967 : A squadron aircraft , LJ-4 with crew 11 , crashed in adverse weather off the end of the Otis AFB runway . The crew egressed safely , but the aircraft was totally consumed by fire . - 15 April–August 1968 : VP-23 deployed to NAF Sigonella , Sicily . On 1 August , a detachment deployed to Souda Bay , Crete , supported by . - 1 November 1968 : The squadron had been scheduled for disestablishment on this date , but the decision was rescinded at the last moment by the Secretary of Defense . - 27 June–August 1969 : VP-23 deployed to NAF Sigonella , Sicily , relieving VP-21 . During the deployment squadron aircraft made contacts on 37 Soviet Bloc submarines in the Mediterranean Sea . - November 1969–June 1970 : The squadron received its first P-3B Orion , completing transition training on 15 June 1970 . VP-23 was the last remaining active duty patrol squadron to fly the SP-2H , retiring its last Neptune on 20 February 1970 . - 13 June–July 1974 : VP-23 deployed to NS Rota , with a detachment maintained at NAF Lajes . Three aircraft were sent to NAF Sigonella on 20 July , during the Cyprus unrest in case the need arose to evacuate U.S . citizens . The detachment returned to Rota on 23 July . - 23 March–April 1978 : VP-23 deployed to NS Rota , with a four-aircraft/five-crew detachment maintained at Lajes . On 26 April 1978 , aircraft LJ-04 , BuNo . 152724 , crashed at sea on landing approach to Lajes , killing seven . The cause of the accident was undetermined due to inability to recover aircraft remains from the extreme depths . - 18 July 1979 : VP-23 became the first Navy patrol squadron to fire the new Harpoon antiship missile . VP-23 was the first operational fleet patrol squadron to make an operational deployment with the Harpoon . - 5 September 1979–January 1980 : VP-23 deployed to NAF Keflavik , Iceland , for NATO exercises . A detachment was maintained at the NATO airfield at Bodø Main Air Station , Norway . With the seizure of the American embassy in Iran , a detachment of three Harpoon-equipped Orions was sent on 1 January 1980 to Diego Garcia . The squadron’s performance earned it the Navy Unit Commendation . - 1 January 1980 : VP-23 deployed from Keflavik , Iceland , to Diego Garcia and made its first operational flight out of the Indian Ocean base within 10 days after receiving orders , demonstrating its rapid deployment capability . - 12 June–October 1983 : The squadron deployed to NAS Bermuda , with detachments in Panama ; Lajes , Azores ; and Roosevelt Roads Naval Station , Puerto Rico . On 28 October 1983 , VP-23 transported a film crew to observe Soviet submarine K-324 that had been forced to surface after developing problems with its propulsion system after snagging the towed sonar array cable of . - 29 October–3 November 1983 : VP-23 provided a three aircraft detachment at Puerto Rico for patrols in the vicinity of Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury , the U.S . Invasion of Grenada . - 16 January–April 1985 : VP-23 deployed to NS Rota , with a detachment at Lajes , Azores . During the period from 24 March to 15 April 1986 the Rota detachment supported the Sixth Fleet’s strikes against Libya . - 10 May 1990 : VP-23 deployed to NAS Bermuda , with a detachment at NAS Roosevelt Roads . The Puerto Rico detachment set a record assisting in the seizure of a 1,400-kilo batch of cocaine on a ship in the territorial waters of the Dominican Republic . - 26 September–November 1990 : The squadron was tasked with providing a detachment at Jeddah , Saudi Arabia to provide support for Operation Desert Shield . - 1 November 1991 : VP-23 deployed to NAS Sigonella . During the deployment a detachment was maintained at Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , in support of the UN embargo against Iraq . - 1994 : VP-23 operated from NAS Sigonella , on its last deployment . The squadron provided NATO forces in Bosnia with real-time tactical reconnaissance in support of Operation Deny Flight . The squadron’s P-3Cs , armed with AGM-65 Maverick missiles , flew more than 300 armed sorties in support of Operation Sharp Guard in the Adriatic Sea . - 7 December 1994 : The squadron held a disestablishment ceremony at NAS Brunswick . - 28 February 1995 : VP-23 was disestablished at NAS Brunswick . Home port assignments . The squadron was assigned to these home ports , effective on the dates shown : - NAAS Camp Kearney , California - 17 May 1946 - NAS Miami , Florida - 21 May 1946 - NAS Atlantic City , New Jersey - 15 January 1948 - NAS Patuxent River , Maryland - 29 March 1948 - NAS Miami - 1 January 1949 - NAS Brunswick , Maine - 9 May 1952 Aircraft Assignment . The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown : - PB4Y-2M Privateer – May 1946 - PB4Y-2S Privateer - November 1949 - P4Y-2S Privateer - May 1952 - P2V-5 Neptune – October 1953 - P2V-7 Neptune - April 1955 - P2V-7S/SP-2H Neptune - 1959 - P-3B Orion – November 1969 - P-3B DIFAR Orion – March 1971 - P-3C UII Orion – October 1978 Notable former members . - Michael Foreman , Mission Specialist on STS-123 and STS-129 . - Rear Admiral Jeffrey Lemmons . - Rear Admiral Mark Skinner .