page_title: VPB-11
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: VPB-11 / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: PictionID:41553920 - Title:Consolidated PBY-1 0120 VP-11F 11-P-8 San Diego mfr - Catalog:16_000527 - Filename:16_000527.tif - - - - - - Image from the Ray Wagner Collection. Ray Wagner was Archivist at the San Diego Air and Space Museum for several years and is an author of several books on aviation --- ---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
context_page_description: VPB-11 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 19-D14 on 7 February 1924, redesignated Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 6D14 on 1 July 1927, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-B on 1 April 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-F on 17 July 1933, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6 on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 23 on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 11 on 1 August 1941, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 11 on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 20 June 1945.
context_section_description: 7 February 1924: VT-19 was established as a torpedo squadron based at NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, flying 13 DT-2 aircraft.
  25 April 1925: Several of the squadron’s pilots made the first successful night landings on an aircraft carrier under way. The landings, made under varying lighting and weather conditions, were part of a program to determine the feasibility of night landings on an aircraft carrier as a military operation.
  9 April 1927: VT-19 was redesignated VT-6D14 during the reorganization of squadrons by BuAer in 1927. The D14 represented the 14th Naval District, Pearl Harbor.
  1 July 1927: The squadron’s DT-2 type aircraft were declared obsolete and were replaced by SC-2 aircraft.
  21 January 1931: VT-6D14 was redesignated VP-6B, converting from torpedo bomber squadron to patrol squadron under Fleet Aviation, Base Force, Commander Minecraft, Battle Force. Although officially a patrol squadron, the 12 aircraft assigned were T3M-2 torpedo bombers. USS Pelican and USS Avocet were assigned to provide tender support.
  17 July 1933: VP-6B was redesignated VP-6F, reflecting the change in organization at Pearl Harbor to Commander Aircraft, Base Force, Fleet Air Base. The squadron had transitioned to the T4M-1 and the T2D-1, both with twin floats.
  1933: VP-6F transitioned from floatplanes to seaplanes, operating from FAB Pearl Harbor with six PM-1 and six PD-1 seaplanes.
  22 April 1935: VP-6F, along with VPs 1F, 4F, 7F, 8F, 9F and 10F, participated in Fleet Problem XVI off Midway Island. The intent of the exercise was to give elements of the fleet an opportunity to become familiar with Midway and adjacent waters while practicing landing operations. Both the Army and Coast Guard took part in the problem. The exercises were marred by a series of crashes, two from VP-6F resulting in 12 deaths, and numerous instances of aircraft being forced down by mechanical difficulties and sinking (no casualties). The tenders supporting the fleet were found to be so slow that they had to be sent ahead of the main body so as not to delay the exercises.
  1937: VP-6F transitioned to the PBY-1 Catalina seaplane, giving the squadron for the first time an aircraft that was both reliable and with long enough range to adequately support the fleet from either tenders or advanced bases. The Catalina was already obsolete by the start of WWII, but was used by the navies of several nations throughout the war in large numbers in a wide variety of roles ranging from Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to air and sea rescue work.
  1 October 1937: VP-6F was reorganized under Commander, Patrol Wing TWO, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
  1 July 1939: VP-6F was redesignated VP-23, under Patrol Wing TWO, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The squadron continued to fly the older PBY-1 seaplanes, and had been assigned to USS Childs for tender support.
  9 April 1940: PatWing TWO aircraft of VPs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 participated in Fleet Problem XXI with the Army 72nd Bombardment Squadron and the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron. The combined squadrons defended the Hawaiian Islands against a carrier attack. The exercise revealed glaring deficiencies in the coordination between the air arms in defense of the islands.
  1 July 1941: VP-23 was redesignated VP-11, still flying the PBY-1 and at that time operating from NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. During this period the squadron began search and reconnaissance in the central Pacific from NAS Kaneohe Bay and tender-supported locations near Johnston Atoll.
  3 October 1941: Aircrews of VP-11 undertook a ferry flight from NAS Kaneohe Bay to NAS San Diego, California, NAS Jacksonville, Florida and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, returning on 22 October 1941 with new PBY-5 aircraft.
  7 December 1941: During the Attack on Pearl Harbor the majority of the squadron’s aircraft at NAS Kaneohe Bay were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
  1 April 1942: Losses were replaced in April with new PBY-5 seaplanes from the U.S., equipped with ASE radar for spotting ships on the ocean surface. Sector searches around Oahu were begun as soon as crews could be checked out on the new
caption: VP-11 PBY-1 at San Diego
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