Unit Name: | Fighter Squadron 13 |
Dates: | 2 November 1943 – 20 October 1945 |
Country: | United States |
Branch: | United States Navy |
Type: | Fighter |
Nickname: | Black Cats |
Battles: | World War II |
Aircraft Fighter: | F6F-3/5 Hellcat |
Fighter Squadron 13 or VF-13 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Established on 2 November 1943, it was disestablished on 20 October 1945. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-13.[1]
VF-13 equipped with the F6F-5 Hellcat formed part of Carrier Air Group 13 (CVG-13) which was assigned to . In June 1944 the Franklin deployed to Pearl Harbor.[2] On 24 October during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, CVG-13 participated in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Musashi.[3] In early November 1944 following damage to Franklin in a Kamikaze attack, CVG-13 was temporarily landbased on Manus Island before re-embarking on Franklin as it proceeded to Puget Sound for repairs.[4] [5] In December 1944 CVG-13 was reforming at Naval Air Station Alameda,[6] and then subsequently underwent training at Naval Air Station Fallon and Naval Air Station Livermore.[7] In early August 1945 CVG-13 was assigned to, but the war in the Pacific ended before they could deploy.[8]