VF-111
Encyclopedia
Fighter Squadron 111, also known as the Sundowners, was the designation held by two U.S. Navy fighter squadrons from 1942 to 1995. The first squadron, initially designated VF-11, served as an active Pacific Fleet Fighter Squadron until its disestablishment in 1959. At that time, another squadron then assumed the designation until its disestablishment in 1995. In November 2006, VFC-13
Detachment Key West was redesignated as VFC-111
, taking on the 'Sundowner' insignia and callsign.
The 1st VF-111 began operating as VF-11 at NAS North Island California on October 10, 1942, and on October 23 was on its way to Hawaii
with Grumman F4F Wildcat
s. To epitomize its spirit and tactical superiority over the Japanese, the squadron decided it would be called the 'Sundowners' and its insignia (which persists to this day) depicts two Wildcats shooting down a Rising Sun.
From April to July 1943 VF-11 downed 55 enemy aircraft in aerial combat at Guadalcanal
. After return to the U.S. and re-equipping with F6F Hellcat
s, VF-11 deployed in in October 1944. From then until February 1945 the squadron engaged in strike and air-to-air combat missions resulting in the shoot down of 102 enemy aircraft with dozens more destroyed on the ground. As a direct result of its combat record, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
Two postwar redesignations occurred: VF-11 became VF-11A in 1946 and VF-111 in July 1948. In 1949 the Sundowners transitioned to the F9F-2 Panther jet.
, Lieutenant Commander
William T. Amen scored the first combat jet-on-jet kill in aviation history, downing a Soviet MiG-15 while flying a Panther from the . Two more Korean cruises were made in in 1951-52, then and in 1953. After Korea, VF-111 flew the F9F-8 Cougar
and the FJ-3 Fury
for three deployments to the Western Pacific aboard the carriers , USS Wasp (CVA-18)
, and . VF-111 was then disestablished on 19 January 1959.
and made a single deployment aboard to the Western Pacific.
The day after the disestablishment of the first VF-111, VA-156 assumed VF-111's designation and nickname on 20 January 1959.
F-8D Crusader
. The triangular stick figure appeared on VF-111 aircraft and squadron spaces. During the ‘60s, VF-111 flew four different versions of the Crusader (F-8C/D/E/H) and was deployed aboard the carriers , , , and .
During the Vietnam War
the Sundowners were based at NAS Miramar
, California with the squadron making seven deployments to Southeast Asia, flying 12,500 combat sorties. In 1967-68, VF-111 deployed a less-than-full-strength detachment, "Omar's Orphans", from . Nominally an anti-submarine carrier in the Atlantic Fleet, Intrepid made three deployments with CVW-10 to Vietnam as an attack carrier. During the 1967-1968 deployment, Lieutenant
Tony Nargi shot down a MiG-21
while flying an F-8C Crusader.
near Quang Lang Airfield in North Vietnam. Their aircraft, F-4B, NL 201, BuNo 153019, was restored to the original paint scheme by the current Sundowner squadron and is displayed on a pedestal just inside the main gate at NAS Key West, Florida.
The squadron later transitioned to the F-4N version of the Phantom, but was scheduled to turn these in for the F-4J. In 1975 both VF-111 and VF-51 received six F-4Js but, due to operational considerations regarding their next deployment, the two units reverted back to the "N" model. In late 1976 through early 1977, VF-111 made an Atlantic and Mediterranean deployment, a rare event for a Pacific Fleet squadron, with CVW-15 aboard for that carrier's final cruise. The squadron returned to NAS Miramar in April 1977 and began transition to the F-14 Tomcat
.
By October 1978, VF-111 had fully transitioned to the Block 100 model F-14A. VF-111 subsequently deployed with CVW-15 aboard USS Kitty Hawk
from May 1979 to February 1980, a deployment which was extended from its originally planned end date in early December 1979 due to the November 1979 seizure of the American Embassy in Teheran, Iran. During this period, the squadron operated from the Kitty Hawk
in the Indian Ocean south of the Iranian coast until relieved by USS Nimitz and the squadrons of CVW-8.
.
In the spring of 1986 VF-111 began another work-up cycle, completing a series of training evolution and exercises in preparation for their June 1988 Pacific/Indian Ocean
deployment. VF-111's seventeen month work-up was capped by FLEETEX 88-2, the first time since World War II
that a carrier, Carl Vinson and a battleship, the operated as a combined Battle Fleet.
VF-111's 1988 deployment began in June and ended in December. It included operations in the Northern/Western Pacific, Arabian Sea
, and Indian Ocean
, providing support of tanker escorts in the Persian Gulf and included a transit of the Bering Sea
, the fourth such transit in four deployments.
In preparation for deployment in 1990, VF-111 deployed aboard Carl Vinson from September to November 1989 as participants in PACEX 89. This exercise had the Sundowners operating in the Bering Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan
as a part of the largest naval exercise since World War II.
On 15 October 1991, VF-111 returned to USS Kitty Hawk for her two month cruise from NAS Norfolk
, Virginia
"around the horn" of South America
to NAS North Island
, California
following the carrier's comprehensive, multi-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) at Newport News Shipbuilding. Multi-national exercises with Venezuela
, Argentina
and Chile
were conducted in various air-to-air and strike scenarios. The Sundowners returned to NAS Miramar in December 1991.
In 1993, VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and flew in support of Operation Provide Relief
and Operation Southern Watch
. In 1994 VF-111 deployed again to the Pacific. Following this deployment, the squadron was disestablished in March 1995 as part of post-Cold War force reductions of the Navy's F-14 community, with its aircraft reassigned to other F-14 squadrons.
Other aces who scored kills with the Sundowners were:
LT William N. Leonard, LTJG William J. Masoner, and LTJG John A. Zink.
. Some VF-111 and VF-51 aircraft were repainted in fictitious squadron markings for the film. To be able to film the sequences, the F-14s were fitted with cameras mounted in pods attached to the underbelly Phoenix pallets and the under wing pylons, as well as using ground mounted cameras. Also, one of the fictional RIOs in the film, played by Clarence Gilyard
, uses the callsign "Sundown" and wears a VF-111 styled helmet and squadron patch on his flight suit.
VFC-13
Fighter Squadron Composite Saints is a US Navy fighter squadron that provides adversary training for U.S. Navy air wings at NAS Fallon, Nevada.VFC-13 uses "Bogey" as its main radio callsign.-History:...
Detachment Key West was redesignated as VFC-111
VFC-111
Composite Fighter Squadron 111 Sundowners is a US Navy Reserve adversary squadron based at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida...
, taking on the 'Sundowner' insignia and callsign.
History
3 distinct Navy squadrons have called themselves ‘Sundowners’. The U.S. Navy frequently has given the same designation to two or more aviation units, leading to lasting confusion. Officially, the US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation. Often, the new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of the earlier squadrons.The First VF-111
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
with Grumman F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
s. To epitomize its spirit and tactical superiority over the Japanese, the squadron decided it would be called the 'Sundowners' and its insignia (which persists to this day) depicts two Wildcats shooting down a Rising Sun.
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
. After return to the U.S. and re-equipping with F6F Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
s, VF-11 deployed in in October 1944. From then until February 1945 the squadron engaged in strike and air-to-air combat missions resulting in the shoot down of 102 enemy aircraft with dozens more destroyed on the ground. As a direct result of its combat record, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
Two postwar redesignations occurred: VF-11 became VF-11A in 1946 and VF-111 in July 1948. In 1949 the Sundowners transitioned to the F9F-2 Panther jet.
1950s
On November 9, 1950, early in the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
William T. Amen scored the first combat jet-on-jet kill in aviation history, downing a Soviet MiG-15 while flying a Panther from the . Two more Korean cruises were made in in 1951-52, then and in 1953. After Korea, VF-111 flew the F9F-8 Cougar
F9F Cougar
The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar was an aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft for the United States Navy. Based on the earlier Grumman F9F Panther, the Cougar replaced the Panther's straight wing with a more modern swept wing...
and the FJ-3 Fury
FJ Fury
The North American FJ-2/-3 Fury were a series of swept-wing carrier-capable fighters for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Based on the United States Air Force's F-86 Sabre, these aircraft featured folding wings, and a longer nose landing strut designed to both increase angle of attack upon...
for three deployments to the Western Pacific aboard the carriers , USS Wasp (CVA-18)
USS Wasp (CV-18)
USS Wasp was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the ninth US Navy ship to bear the name, was originally named Oriskany, but was renamed while under construction in honor of the previous , which was sunk 15 September 1942...
, and . VF-111 was then disestablished on 19 January 1959.
The Second VF-111
The second squadron to be called Sundowners started as Attack Squadron 156 (VA-156). VA-156, originally known as the Iron Tigers, was established on 4 June 1956 and flew the F11F-1 Tiger. VA-156 was assigned to CVW-11Carrier Air Wing Eleven
Carrier Air Wing Eleven is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.-Mission:...
and made a single deployment aboard to the Western Pacific.
The day after the disestablishment of the first VF-111, VA-156 assumed VF-111's designation and nickname on 20 January 1959.
1960s
In 1961 the Sundowners' traditional mascot, "Omar," was conceived by squadron enlisted men to mark the transition to the supersonicSupersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
F-8D Crusader
F-8 Crusader
The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...
. The triangular stick figure appeared on VF-111 aircraft and squadron spaces. During the ‘60s, VF-111 flew four different versions of the Crusader (F-8C/D/E/H) and was deployed aboard the carriers , , , and .
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the Sundowners were based at NAS Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , formerly Naval Air Station Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...
, California with the squadron making seven deployments to Southeast Asia, flying 12,500 combat sorties. In 1967-68, VF-111 deployed a less-than-full-strength detachment, "Omar's Orphans", from . Nominally an anti-submarine carrier in the Atlantic Fleet, Intrepid made three deployments with CVW-10 to Vietnam as an attack carrier. During the 1967-1968 deployment, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Tony Nargi shot down a MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
while flying an F-8C Crusader.
1970s
In 1971, VF-111 joined CVW-15 and transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II. On 6 March 1972, while flying from the , VF-111 crew LT Garry Weigand and LTJG Bill Freckleton engaged and shot down a MiG-17Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
near Quang Lang Airfield in North Vietnam. Their aircraft, F-4B, NL 201, BuNo 153019, was restored to the original paint scheme by the current Sundowner squadron and is displayed on a pedestal just inside the main gate at NAS Key West, Florida.
The squadron later transitioned to the F-4N version of the Phantom, but was scheduled to turn these in for the F-4J. In 1975 both VF-111 and VF-51 received six F-4Js but, due to operational considerations regarding their next deployment, the two units reverted back to the "N" model. In late 1976 through early 1977, VF-111 made an Atlantic and Mediterranean deployment, a rare event for a Pacific Fleet squadron, with CVW-15 aboard for that carrier's final cruise. The squadron returned to NAS Miramar in April 1977 and began transition to the F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
.
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
from May 1979 to February 1980, a deployment which was extended from its originally planned end date in early December 1979 due to the November 1979 seizure of the American Embassy in Teheran, Iran. During this period, the squadron operated from the Kitty Hawk
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
in the Indian Ocean south of the Iranian coast until relieved by USS Nimitz and the squadrons of CVW-8.
1980s
In addition to its "extended" deployment during the first two months of 1980, VF-111 deployed a final time on Kitty Hawk from April to October of 1981. In October 1983, VF-111 returned to its home station of NAS Miramar following a world cruise with CVW-15 on the maiden deployment of USS Carl VinsonUSS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
The USS Carl Vinson is the third United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia. Carl Vinson's callsign is "Gold Eagle". It played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier on 11/11/11 between the University of North...
.
In the spring of 1986 VF-111 began another work-up cycle, completing a series of training evolution and exercises in preparation for their June 1988 Pacific/Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
deployment. VF-111's seventeen month work-up was capped by FLEETEX 88-2, the first time since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that a carrier, Carl Vinson and a battleship, the operated as a combined Battle Fleet.
VF-111's 1988 deployment began in June and ended in December. It included operations in the Northern/Western Pacific, Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
, and Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, providing support of tanker escorts in the Persian Gulf and included a transit of the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
, the fourth such transit in four deployments.
In preparation for deployment in 1990, VF-111 deployed aboard Carl Vinson from September to November 1989 as participants in PACEX 89. This exercise had the Sundowners operating in the Bering Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
as a part of the largest naval exercise since World War II.
1990s
The Sundowners’ next deployed from February to July 1990. VF-111 received the 1990 Boola Boola award for success in exercise missile firings, as well as the 1990 Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) derby, awarded to the best tactical air reconnaissance squadron on the west coast.Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
"around the horn" of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
to NAS North Island
Naval Air Station North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island is located at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay and is the home port of several aircraft carriers of the United States Navy...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
following the carrier's comprehensive, multi-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) at Newport News Shipbuilding. Multi-national exercises with Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
were conducted in various air-to-air and strike scenarios. The Sundowners returned to NAS Miramar in December 1991.
In 1993, VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and flew in support of Operation Provide Relief
Operation Provide Relief
Operation Provide Relief was part of United Nations endorsed effort called The Unified Task Force to secure and facilitate humanitarian relief for the people of Somalia, an effort that was assisted by the UN UNOSOM I mission beginning in 1991 in light of a severe famine, initiated and exacerbated...
and Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
. In 1994 VF-111 deployed again to the Pacific. Following this deployment, the squadron was disestablished in March 1995 as part of post-Cold War force reductions of the Navy's F-14 community, with its aircraft reassigned to other F-14 squadrons.
Sundowner Aces
- LT Charles R. StimpsonCharles R. StimpsonCharles R. Stimpson was a United States Navy fighter ace in the Second World War.-Biography:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Stimpson graduated from Pomona College in 1941 and enlisted in the navy as an aviation cadet...
16; - LT James E. Swope 10;
- LT Jimmie E. Savage 7;
- LTJG Horace B. Moranville 6;
- LCDR Robert E. Clements 5;
- LTJG Vernon E. Graham 5;
- LT Henry S. White 5;
Other aces who scored kills with the Sundowners were:
LT William N. Leonard, LTJG William J. Masoner, and LTJG John A. Zink.
Popular Media
In 1985, VF-111 was one of several NAS Miramar based squadrons to participate in the filming of the film Top GunTop Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
. Some VF-111 and VF-51 aircraft were repainted in fictitious squadron markings for the film. To be able to film the sequences, the F-14s were fitted with cameras mounted in pods attached to the underbelly Phoenix pallets and the under wing pylons, as well as using ground mounted cameras. Also, one of the fictional RIOs in the film, played by Clarence Gilyard
Clarence Gilyard
Clarence Darnell Gilyard, Jr. is a former American actor and a current college professor who has been featured in movies and television since 1980. He is sometimes credited as Clarence A...
, uses the callsign "Sundown" and wears a VF-111 styled helmet and squadron patch on his flight suit.
See also
- History of the United States NavyHistory of the United States NavyThe history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was also notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy", the result of a modernization effort that began in the...
- List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons