VP-105 History
Circa 1945
A BIT OF HISTORY: VPB-105 Letter "...Letter (04JAN1945) - VPB-105..." WebSite: EBay http://www.ebay.com/ [27JAN2016]
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Dunkeswell Airfield. Construction of the airfield for 10 Group, Fighter Command started in 1941 and, after its transfer to Coastal Command the runways were upgraded for 3 maritime squadrons and completed in the Spring of 1943. That summer saw the Flying Fortresses of the 479th Bombardier Group, USAAF, soon replaced by the Liberators and Catalinas of FAW-7, US Navy, in the form of Patrol-Bombing Squadron VPB-103. This was joined by VPB-105, VPB-110 and VPB-111 operating anti-submarine patrols over the Channel and the Bay of Biscay until the cessation of hostilities in May 1945..." http://www.devon-cc.gov.uk/tourism/pages/dunkeswe.html [26FEB2000]
Circa 1944
A BIT OF HISTORY: VPB-105 Letter "...Letter (27OCT44) from AOM3 Harry J. McGrath - VPB-105..." WebSite: EBay http://www.ebay.com/ [27JAN2016]
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Location of U. S. Naval Aircraft - Dated 11 Jan 1944..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/ [29SEP2006]
VP SQUADRONS MENTIONED
VD-1, VD-2, VD-3 and VD-4
VJ-1, VJ-2, VJ-3, VJ-4, VJ-5, VJ-7, VJ-8, VJ-9, VJ-10, VJ-11, VJ-12, VJ-13, VJ-14, VJ-15, and VJ-16
VP-6 Coast Guard
VP-11, VP-12, VP-13, VP-14, VP-15, VP-16, VP-17, VP-18 and VP-19
VP-20, VP-23 and VP-24
VP-32, VP-33 and VP-34
VP-43, VP-44 and VP-45
VP-52 and VP-54
VP-61 and VP-62
VP-71, VP-72, VP-73 and VP-74
VP-81 and VP-84
VP-91, VP-92 and VP-94
VP-101, VP-102, VP-103, VP-104, VP-105, VP-106, VP-107, VP-108 and VP-109
VP-110, VP-111, VP-112, VP-113, VP-115, VP-116 and VP-117
VP-126, VP-127, VP-128 and VP-129
VP-130, VP-131, VP-132, VP-133, VP-134, VP-135, VP-136, VP-137, VP-138 and VP-139
VP-140, VP-141, VP-142, VP-143, VP-144, VP-145, VP-146, VP-147, VP-148 and VP-149
VP-150 and VP-151
VP-201, VP-203, VP-204, VP-205, VP-208 and VP-209
VP-210, VP-211, VP-212, VP-213, VP-214, VP-215 and VP-216
A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-105 Wedding Reception "...VP-105 Wedding Reception Notice for Ensign and Mrs. Eugene Shea..."
"...All the guys thought I was crazy to marry an English girl I had only known for 4 months. Then she came to the base and I couldn't get near her! Here she is 15 years later. We celebrated our 57th anniversary August 6, 2001 and my 80th birthday February 18, 2002 with our four children and eight grandchildren..." Contributed by SHEA, Eugene GeneShea@cs.com Personal WebSite: http://www.theimmortali.com/ [07MAR2002]
A BIT OF HISTORY: "00XXX44--I was stationed in Dunkeswell, Devon UK in 1944 - 1945. I served in VPB-105 as a AMMF 1/C. I was the plane Capt. of my crew. My Crew was as followes: Lt. Chamberlain, first piolot until he was injured, then replaced by Lt. Margeson; 2nd pilot was Lt. Swatck; 1st radio was Stu Boggs; 2nd radio "Red" Lowe, later shot down and killed in Korea; 3rd radio and radar operator was Al Ognek; 1st mech, flight engr. and top gunner, Lewis Foytlin; 2nd mech.and tail gunner, Joe Runci; 3rd mech. and gunner waist, Monk Myers; ground mech., McDonald- Best in Pastu. Unfortunately I do not remember who the navigator was. Until then Lewis Foytlin signing off..." Contributed by Lewis F. Foytlin via his Son's e-mail... dfoytlin@gte.net
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Air-to-Air Shoot Downs by Navy and Marine Corps Patrol Type Aircraft During World War II - This Squadron Mentioned...Naval Historical Center ADOBE Download File: http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/Appen4.pdf [12FEB2004]
Air-To-Air Shootdowns 118KB
Circa 1943 - 1945
A BIT OF HISTORY: Naval Historical Center, Department Of The Navy, Washington, D. C http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol2.htm [28APR2001]
VPB-105 719KB
Circa 1943
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Location of U. S. Naval Aircraft - Dated 31 May 1943..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/ [02OCT2006]
VP SQUADRONS MENTIONED
CASU
PATSU
VD-1, VD-2 and VD-3
VJ-1, VJ-2, VJ-3, VJ-4, VJ-5, VJ-7 and VJ-10
VP-1
VP-11, VP-12, VP-13, VP-14 and VP-15
VP-23
VP-32, VP-33 and VP-34
VP-43, VP-44 and VP-45
VP-52, VP-53 and VP-54
VP-61, VP-62 and VP-63
VP-71, VP-72, VP-73 and VP-74
VP-81 and VP-84
VP-91, VP-92 and VP-94
VP-101, VP-102, VP-103, VP-104, VP-105, VP-106, VP-107, VP-108 and VP-109
VP-125, VP-126, VP-127 and VP-128
VP-130, VP-131, VP-132, VP-133, VP-134, VP-135, VP-136, VP-137, VP-138 and VP-139
VP-140, VP-142, VP-144 and VP-146
VP-201, VP-202, VP-203, VP-204, VP-205, VP-206, VP-207, VP-208 and VP-209
VP-210, VP-211 and VP-212
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Location of U. S. Naval Aircraft - Dated 09 Nov 1943..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/ [01OCT2006]
VP SQUADRONS MENTIONED
CASU and PATSU
VD-1, VD-2, VD-3 and VD-4
VJ-1, VJ-2, VJ-3, VJ-4, VJ-5, VJ-15, and VJ-16
VP-6 Coast Guard
VP-1
VP-11, VP-12, VP-13, VP-14, VP-15 and VP-16
VP-23 and VP-24
VP-32, VP-33 and VP-34
VP-43, VP-44 and VP-45
VP-52, VP-53 and VP-54
VP-61, VP-62 and VP-63
VP-71, VP-72, VP-73 and VP-74
VP-81 and VP-84
VP-91, VP-92 and VP-94
VP-101, VP-102, VP-103, VP-104, VP-105, VP-106, VP-107, VP-108 and VP-109
VP-110, VP-111, VP-112, VP-113, VP-114, VP-115 and VP-116
VP-125, VP-126, VP-127, VP-128 and VP-129
VP-130, VP-131, VP-132, VP-133, VP-134, VP-135, VP-136, VP-137, VP-138 and VP-139
VP-140, VP-141, VP-142, VP-143, VP-144, VP-145, VP-146, VP-147, VP-148 and VP-149
VP-150
VP-201, VP-202, VP-203, VP-204, VP-205, VP-206, VP-207, VP-208 and VP-209
VP-210, VP-211, VP-212, VP-213, VP-214, VP-215 and VP-216
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...NAF Dunkeswell, Devonshire, England..." WebSite: http://www.townfacts.co.uk/new_page_118.htm [14NOV2005]
Construction of the airfield for 10 Group, Fighter Command started in 1941 and, after its transfer to Coastal Command the runways were upgraded for 3 maritime squadrons and completed in the Spring of 1943. That summer saw the Flying Fortresses of the 479th Bombardier Group, USAAF, soon replaced by the Liberators and Catalinas of FAW-7, US Navy, in the form of Patrol-Bombing Squadron VB-103. This was joined by VB-105, VB-110 and VB-111 operating anti-submarine patrols over the Channel and the Bay of Biscay until the cessation of hostilities in May 1945.
A BIT OF HISTORY: APPENDIX 3 Submarines Sunk by Patrol Squadrons During World War II - Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol2.htm [04MAY2001]
U-966, 10 November 1943 (shared) Type: VIIC Laid Down: 1 May 1942, Blohm & Voss, Hamburg Commissioned: 4 March 1943, Oblt. Eckehard Wolf Commander: Oblt. Eckehard Wolf Career: Assigned: March 1943 July 1943, 5th Flotilla (Kiel) training; August 1943 November 1943 9th Flotilla (Brest)
Successes: None
Fate: Sunk 10 November 1943 in the Bay Biscay near Cape Ortegal, Spain, by American and Czech aircraft bombs in one of the longest surface battles of aircraft against a U-boat in WWII. At 0800, a VB-105 PB4Y-1 Liberator piloted by Lieutenant L. E. Harmon was alerted by an RAF aircraft of a radar contact near the coast of Spain. Harmon located the surfaced U-boat and made two strafing attacks. Heavy AA fire damaged his aircraft and forced him to break off the attack. An RAF fighter then dove to attack the submarine. Harmon made a third strafing attack, but had to break off afterwards due to a fuel shortage. Lieutenant K. L. Wright of VB-103 located U-966 near Ferrol at 1040 and delivered a strafing and depth charge attack. Intense AA fire drove him off and he, too, had to depart the target for lack of fuel. Lieutenant W. W. Parish and crew then arrived on the scene. A depth charge attack was conducted in cooperation with a rocket-firing RAF Liberator at 1230. The submarine was abandoned by its crew after running aground at Oritiguiera, Spain. The German crewmen were quickly picked up by nearby Spanish fishing vessels and interned in Spain.
Circa 1942-1945
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...History of FAW-5 - History of Headquarters Squadron Fleet Air Wing Five - 01SEP42 through 01JAN45. Squadron's Assigned: VP-15, VP-16, VP-17, VP-18, VP-21, VP-22, VP-25, VP-26, VP-27, VP-28, VP-31, VP-52, VP-63, VP-81, VP-92, VP-94, VPB-105, VPB-107, VPB-110, VPB-111, VPB-112, VPB-113, VPB-114, VPB-126, VPB-134, VPB-147, VPB-149, VP-201, VP-205, VP-208, VP-209, VP-210, VP-211, VP-212, VP-213, VP-214, VP-215 and VP-216 - Submitted Feburary 1, 1945..." Official U. S. Navy Records (National Archives and Records Administration) via Fold3 http://www.fold3.com/ [27NOV2012]
Circa 1941-1944
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...History of FAW-7 - History from 01MAR41-31DEC44 Submitted June 11th, 1945. Squadron's Assigned: VP-31, VP-52, VP-53, VP-63, VP-71, VP-72, VP-73, VP-74, VP-82, VP-84, VP-92, VP-93, VP-103, VP-105, VP-110, VP-111, VP-114, VP-125, VP-126 and VP-128..." Official U. S. Navy Records (National Archives and Records Administration) via Fold3 http://www.fold3.com/ [30NOV2012]
"VP-105 History Summary Page"
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