page_title: Albert O. Vorse Jr.
section_title: VF-80
hierarchical_section_title: Albert O. Vorse Jr. / World War II / VF-80
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Navy Commander Air Group 80, Commander Albert O. Vorse, discusses the results of the 6 November 1944 fighter raid on Manila with Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford, right, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CV-14).
context_page_description: Albert Ogden "Scoop" Vorse Jr. was an accomplished United States Navy aviator and flying ace of World War II who participated in some of the most prominent actions of the Pacific theater, including the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Guadalcanal Campaign. Vorse served in early fighter squadrons with legendary figures like Butch O'Hare and Jimmy Thach. Rising in rank throughout the war, he would act as Executive Officer and Operations Officer in different squadrons before being given command of his own squadron, VF-80, the eponymous Vorse's Vipers. Vorse ended the war as commander of Air Group 80 and ultimately achieved rear admiral rank before his retirement in 1959.
context_section_description: VF-80 was established 1 February 1944 with Vorse as Commanding Officer and Frank G. Gooding as XO. On 5 June 1944 VF-80—known as "Vorse's Vipers"—became officially attached to USS Ticonderoga. They departed for Pearl Harbor from Norfolk Naval Shipyard around 30 August 1944. On 16 October 1944 Vorse would be relieved of CO duty and transfer to Commander Air Group 80, overseeing the bomber, fighter and torpedo squadrons aboard Ticonderoga. Two days later on 18 October, Ticonderoga headed for Eniwetok Atoll, thence to Ulithi and ultimately to its first strike with VF-80 embarked, destination: Luzon.
  From 5–14 November 1944, VF-80 rained down destruction upon Japanese shipping in the vicinity of Manila; mauled targets on Zablan, Clark and Pasig airfields; and otherwise flew anti-sub and CAP patrols to protect the task group. At this point in the war the carriers were facing significantly less air opposition—certainly less than Vorse had been accustomed to during his time with VFs 2, 3 and 6. Japan's experienced aviators were dwindling, as were its carriers, which it guarded jealously for the final conflict. Even if these resources were available, the American re-capture of the Philippines effectively cut off Japan from much-needed oil.
  On the heels of this harassment, Tico returned to Ulithi to regroup. She was scheduled to hit the coast of Luzon on 25 November as part of TG 38.2 and arrived exactly on schedule. On that day Vorse spotted the primary objective of the raid, the cruiser Kumano, which Air Group 80 torpedoed, bombed and ultimately sank in Dasol Bay. 25 November would be remembered by the task group less for successful completion of its mission than for the extreme kamikaze activity of the day: Essex, Intrepid, Hancock and Cabot would all face the wrath of the kamikaze menace. Thanks to the bravery of their crews not a single carrier was sunk, but over 100 men perished in the ensuing carnage.
  Ticonderoga retired to Ulithi for the holidays, departing from off Luzon for a much-needed reprieve. During this time VF-80 drilled and maintained battle readiness for the upcoming strikes against Formosa and the Sakishima Islands, which kicked off in the predawn hours of 3 January. Airfields, shipping, sugar refineries and aluminum plants were some of the main targets. Vorse is mentioned again in the squadron history on 12 January, when VF-80 flew a record 144 sorties and sunk an estimated 51,000 tons worth of escorts, oilers and merchant vessels. According to the record he flew three times that day and gave "Jap shipping a very unfriendly time." In short order, however, the shoe would be on the other foot.
  On 15 January at around 0800 hours, Vorse led a contingent of 8 fighters and 13 bombers against shipping off Formosa. Despite bad weather and heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire, Vorse delivered a direct masthead hit on a destroyer from 200 feet (61 m). In the process almost 7 feet (2.1 m) of Vorse's left wing were shot off by enemy fire, forcing an emergency water landing at speeds of 160 knots (300 km/h; 180 mph). Miraculously, he managed to put his fighter down in the water without suffering injury. For the above actions, Vorse was awarded the Navy Cross. It was also the fourth time up to that point that Vorse was forced to execute a water landing.
  Vorse would not stay with Ticonderoga much longer. A week later, 21 January, two kamikaze pilots dove headlong into Ticonderoga. She was forced to limp her way back to Ulithi and debarked Air Group 80 on 27 January, sending Vorse and his Vipers to Hancock. For "Scoop," it was the fifth carrier he'd call home; Ticonderoga had been the third of these he left due to battle damage.
  VF-80 first saw serious action aboard Hancock on 16–17 February 1945 as the US fleet approached the Japanese mainland 30 miles east of Honshu. They had the element of surprise and took full advantage of that fact, launching strikes against airfields and military installations on the ground. Strafing these targets quickly took a backseat to aerial combat when the Japanese arrived to contest the attacks on t
caption: Commander Air Group 80, Commander A.O. Vorse, discusses the results of the 6 November 1944 fighter raid on Manila with Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford, right.
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