page_title: VP-48 (1946-91)
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: VP-48 (1946-91) / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3B-105-LO Orion (BuNo 154595) of Patrol Squadron 48 (VP-48) in flight over San Francisco, California (USA), on 28 January 1970.
context_page_description: VP-48 was a long-lived Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy, nicknamed the Boomerangers from 1975 to 1980, and the Boomers from 1981 to 1991. It was established as Reserve Patrol Squadron VP-905 in May 1946, redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron VP-HL-51 on 15 November 1946, redesignated VP-731 in February 1950, redesignated VP-48 on 4 February 1953 and disestablished on 23 May 1991. It was the second squadron to be designated VP-48, the first VP-48 was disestablished on 31 December 1949.
context_section_description: May 1946: VP-905 was established at NAS Grosse Ile, Michigan, with an official active duty home port at NAS San Diego, Calif. The squadron came under the operational control of FAW-14 and administrative control of the Naval Air Reserve Training Command (NARTC). The squadron was one of 21 reserve squadrons established after the war to accommodate the large number of aircrews recently released from active duty and utilize the enormous stocks of aircraft in the inventory. The squadron flew the PBY-5A Catalina seaplane and the PV-2 Harpoon.
  15 November 1946: All patrol squadrons were redesignated. Regular Navy squadron designations began with 1 and reserve patrol squadron designations began with 5. VP-905 was redesignated VP-ML-55. The ML for reserve patrol squadrons included twin-engine medium amphibian seaplanes, as well as twin-engine land-based bombers. Regular Navy patrol squadron ML designations were for twin-engine medium landbased bombers only. Amphibian medium seaplanes like the PBY-5A were in the AM category.
  February 1950: VP-ML-55 was redesignated VP-731 during the reorganization of Naval Aviation reserve units in 1949, but did not take effect until February 1950. During this period the number of Naval Aviation Reserve squadrons was reduced from the 1949 total of 24 to 9. By this date the squadron had transitioned to the PBM-5 Mariner.
  29 September 1950: VP-731 was called to active duty due to the outbreak of the Korean War. The squadron reported for duty to Commander Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet at NAS San Diego, Calif. At the start of hostilities Navy patrol forces on active duty numbered just 20 squadrons and it quickly became apparent that this rather meager figure was inadequate to meet the increased demands. By the end of 1950 seven reserve patrol squadrons were called to active duty to augment the regular Navy patrol squadrons.
  7 February 1951: VP-731 deployed to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, supported by USS Suisun. A detachment was maintained at Naval Station Sangley Point, Philippines, supported by USS Salisbury Sound. Both sections conducted patrols over the Formosa Strait and China coast. A single aircraft was detached to Hong Kong to provide courier service between Hong Kong and the Philippines.
  29 May 1952: VP-731 began its second WestPac deployment based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, supported by USS Kenneth Whiting and USS Gardiners Bay. The squadron began combat operations over the Korean coastline on 1 June 1952. During the deployment the squadron alternated between Korea and the Formosa patrol area.
  31 July 1952: A PBM-5S2 Mariner flown by Lieutenant E. E. Bartlett, Jr., was attacked by two Chinese MiG-15 fighters while on a reconnaissance patrol over the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea. Two crewmen were killed in the attack, tail gunner Aviation Machinist Mate H. G. Goodroad and Airman Claude Playforth. Two other crewmen were seriously wounded. Lieutenant Bartlett was able to escape the MiGs and land his heavily damaged Mariner at Baengnyeongdo, South Korea. Temporary repairs were made, enabling him to return to base at Iwakuni, Japan.
  July 1953: VP-48 began its third WestPac deployment to Korea just as the hostilities ceased on 27 July 1953. The squadron was based at NAF Iwakuni, supported by USS Kenneth Whiting and USS Gardiners Bay. During a patrol on 30 July the port engine of a squadron PBM-5S2 caught fire causing the plane to crash. Only five of the 15 personnel on board survived and were picked up by a Coast Guard PBM.
  June 1954: VP-48 transitioned from the PBM-5S2 Mariner to the P5M-1 Marlin seaplane.
  3 May 1956: Two VP-48 Marlins en route from NAS North Island to Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, ditched due to low fuel state. One aircraft was taken under tow by a USCG vessel. The USS Wasp stood by until the tender USS Pine Island arrived to retrieve the second aircraft.
  22 October 1957: VP-48 deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. While transiting via Hawaii, two aircraft were detached by Commander Fleet Air Hawaii for evaluation of an experimental seaplane fueling buoy. Th
caption: VP-48 over San Francisco in 1970
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