Bombing Squadron 119 ( VB-119 )
What was the official name of VP-7 in Aug 1944?
VP-7 VP-7 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S . Navy . The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 119 ( VB-119 ) on 15 August 1944 , redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 119 ( VPB-119 ) on 1 October 1944 , redesignated Patrol Squadron 119 ( VP-119 ) on 15 May 1946 , redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) 9 ( VP-HL-9 ) on 15 November 1946 , redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) 7 ( VP-ML-7 ) on 25 June 1947 , redesignated Patrol Squadron 7 ( VP-7 ) on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 8 October 1969 . It was the second squadron to be designated VP-7 , the first VP-7 was redesignated VP-11 on 1 July 1939 . Operational history . - 15 August – 14 December 1944 : VB-119 was established at NAAS Camp Kearney , California . Crew training commenced immediately on the PB4Y-1 Liberator and the PB4Y-2 Privateer bombers . - 15 December 1944 – 14 January 1945 : The squadron was transferred to NAS Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii , for further combat readiness training . The first planes departed for NAS Kaneohe on 15 December and the last planes left on 25 December . Training of crews continued at NAS Kaneohe Bay , including combat patrols operating from Midway Island from 3 to 14 January 1945 . At that time the squadron had 15 aircraft and 18 crews assigned . - 7 February 1945 : VPB-119 was transferred to Tacloban Air Base , Leyte , Philippines . Training flights were conducted through the end of the month in the area of Mokerang Airfield , Los Negros , Admiralty Islands . - 1 March 1945 : VPB-119 was transferred to Clark Air Base , Luzon , Philippines . On the following day the squadron conducted its first combat patrols over the South China Sea . - 22 March 1945 : Lieutenant ( jg ) James Evans and crew , accompanied by war correspondent Don Bell , were shot down over Amoy Harbor on the China coast by enemy antiaircraft fire . Bell , only recently released from a POW camp in Manila , was anxious to get back into the war effort . Seven personnel survived the crash of the PB4Y-2 Privateer . Chinese fishermen rescued Bell and the six surviving crewmembers , and in a race with three Japanese motor boats made it to shore where they were hidden in a village . A few days later , a shore party from a Navy installation only away rescued the survivors . - 1 April – 14 August 1945 : Lieutenant Commander Bales , the commanding officer of VPB-119 , and his crew were shot down over China on 1 April with no survivors . Lieutenant Commander Ragan , executive officer , assumed command of the squadron . Patrols continued through 14 August 1945 when word of the Surrender of Japan was received . During the squadrons six months of combat operations from Clark Air Base it claimed the destruction of 13 aircraft in the air , the sinking or damaging of a large number of ships and the destruction of many shore installations . - 15 August – 3 September 1945 : Routine shipping reconnaissance patrols were conducted in conjunction with VPB-104 . The squadron was also responsible for supplying weather information and typhoon tracking . - 25 October – 2 November 1945 : VPB-119 was relocated to Puerto Princesa , Philippines , with all assets and personnel aboard by 2 November . Operations were commenced immediately in concert with VPB-106 . The primary duty of the two squadrons included weather reconnaissance and shipping surveillance flights over the Indochina area . Weather during this period was extremely adverse . - 15 November – December 1945 : A three-plane detachment was flown to NAB Samar to fly weather reconnaissance . In December , the remainder of the squadron joined the detachment . The principal mission of the squadron while stationed at Samar was weather reconnaissance , shipping lane patrols and air-sea search . - 8 February 1946 : The squadron received orders to reduce the size of the aircraft complement from 12 to 8 . Rapid demobilization drastically decreased the officer and enlisted ranks . During this period VPB-119 was again tasked with weather reconnaissance and typhoon tracking , as well as air-sea search and patrol . - 3 June 1946 : VP-119 was relocated to NAS Sangley Point , Philippines , with principal duties of shipping lane patrol and special flights as directed by FAW-10 . The transfer was completed on 25 June 1946 . - 26 August 1946 : VP-119 began monthly shuttle flights from NAS Sangley Point to China , Okinawa and return . The flights were utilized as occasions for training in long distance navigation , radio range procedures and cruise control settings . - 10 January 1947 : At the request of the Philippine government , two aircraft of VP-119 made several flights over Mayon Volcano during an eruption to provide information on the direction of lava flow and the resulting damage to inhabited areas . - 20 May – 6 June 1947 : The squadron was notified of pending transfer to the Atlantic Fleet , with movement commencing immediately . Air crews and aircraft arrived at MCAS Miramar , California , on 6 June 1947 . - 25 July – October 1947 : Transition to the P2V-2 aircraft commenced at MCAS Miramar with the arrival of the first aircraft and instructor crew . Crew training was completed just in time for relocation to a new home port at NAS Quonset Point , Rhode Island . The first squadron air crew departed for NAS Quonset Point on 9 September 1947 , with the last arriving on 18 October 1947 . - December 1948 : Four crews flew to Kitty Hawk , North Carolina , to participate in the Wright brotherss Memorial Service and the anniversary of powered flight . - 14 April 1950 : The first of the new P2V-4 aircraft arrived and familiarization training was begun . Problems with the engines prevented the squadron from meeting its operational obligations for several months . The difficulties were not fully corrected until late 1951 . - 1 June 1953 : VP-7 deployed to NS San Juan , Puerto Rico , to participate in Operation Springboard , the annual fleet training exercise . - 28 June 1953 – January 1954 : The squadron redeployed to MCAS Iwakuni , Japan , under the command of FAW-6 , for operations in support of United Nations action in Korea . VP-7 was called upon to fly reconnaissance and screening missions in support of Task Force 77 . The squadron returned to NAS Quonset Point in January 1954 . - January 1959 : The squadron conducted a split deployment to Naval Station Rota , Spain , and NAS Keflavik , Iceland . During the deployment in the North Atlantic excellent photographs were taken of a Soviet Zulu-class submarine located off the coast of Iceland . The photos were released to the international press . - 23 October 1962 : VP-7 deployed to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base , Cuba , to conduct surveillance operations against Soviet transports during the Cuban Quarantine . The squadron was relieved at the end of November 1962 . - May 1963 : VP-7 participated in the Mercury-Atlas 9 recovery operations in the Caribbean . - June 1967 : The squadron was called upon to provide shipping surveillance during the Six-Day War . VP-7 was deployed to NAF Sigonella , Sicily , to take part in exercises with NATO and the Sixth Fleet when the war broke out . - 8 October 1969 : VP-7 was disestablished . Aircraft assignments . The squadron was assigned the following aircraft , effective on the dates shown : - PB4Y-1 – August 1944 - PB4Y-2 – August 1947 - P2V-2 – August 1947 - P2V-3 – March 1949 - P2V-4 – April 1950 - P2V-5 – 1953 - P2V-5F – July 1955 - SP-2H – December 1964 Home port assignments . The squadron was assigned to these home ports , effective on the dates shown : - NAAS Camp Kearney , California – 15 August 1944 - NAS Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii – 15 December 1944 - Various bases in the Philippines – 11 February 1945 - NAB Samar , Philippines – 16 December 1945 - NAS Sangley Point , Philippines – 3 June 1946 - MCAS Miramar – 6 June 1947 - NAS Quonset Point , Rhode Island – 18 October 1947 - NAS Brunswick , Maine – 4 December 1956 - NAS Jacksonville , Florida – September 1961