VF-162

Fighter Squadron 162
VF-162 squadron patch
Active 1 September 1960 – 29 January 1971
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
Role Fighter aircraft
Part of Inactive
Nickname(s) Hunters
Engagements Vietnam War
Aircraft flown
Fighter F4D-1 Skyray
F-8 Crusader

Fighter Squadron 162 or VF-162 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy established on 1 September 1960 and disestablished on 29 January 1971.[1]

Operational history

VF-162 F4D-1 Skyray in flight c.1961
VF-162 F-8E Crusader in 1968

Vietnam

VF-162 served 6 Vietnam deployments:[2]

  • 1 August 1963 – 10 March 1964, operating F-8As from the USS Oriskany
  • 5 April-16 December 1965, operating F-8Es from the USS Oriskany. On 5 October F-8E #150848 was hit by a SA-2 Guideline SAM over North Vietnam, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[3]
  • 29 May-16 November 1966, operating F-8Es from the USS Oriskany. On 11 July F-8E #150902 was hit by anti-aircraft fire over North Vietnam, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[3] On 14 July F-8E #150908 was damaged in a dogfight with a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) MiG, the pilot CDR Dick Bellinger ejected successfully and was rescued.[3] On 19 July F-8E #150919 was shot down southeast of Hanoi, the pilot LT Terry Dennison was captured but died in captivity, his remains were returned in March 1974.[3][4] On 6 August F-8E #150300 was hit by antiaircraft fire, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[3] On 6 October F-8E #145924 was hit by antiaircraft fire, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[3] On 9 October CDR Dick Bellinger shot down a VPAF MiG-21.[5]
  • 16 June 1967 – 31 January 1968, operating F-8Es from the USS Oriskany. On 16 July F-8E #150925 was hit by an SA-2, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[6] On 19 July F-8E #150899 was damaged by antiaircraft fire and crashed on landing, the pilot CDR Herbert Hunter was killed.[6][7] On 20 July F-8E #150916 crashed into the sea on launch, the pilot ejected underwater and was rescued.[6] On 11 September F-8E #150910 crashed due to lack of fuel the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[6] On 26 October F-8E #150310 was hit by an SA-2, the pilot LTJG Charles Rice ejected successfully, was captured and released on 14 March 1973.[4][6] On 14 December LT Richard Wyman shot down a VPAF MiG-17.[5] On 4 January F-8E #150865 was hit by an SA-2, the pilot LTJG Richard Minnich was killed and his remains were returned in December 1985.[4][6]
  • 1 February-18 September 1969, operating F-8Js from the USS Ticonderoga
  • 5 March-17 December 1970, operating F-8Hs from the USS Shangri-La. On 30 April F-8H #148650 crashed into the sea on launch the pilot ejected successfully and landed on the carrier deck.[8] On 8 May F-8H #147916 crashed into the sea while landing, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[8] On 12 August F-8H #148660 experienced fuel problems while on a combat air patrol, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[8] On 20 October F-8H #148643 suffered engine failure on takeoff, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued.[8]

VF-162 had the second highest combat loss rate after VF-111 of the F-8 fighter units deployed to Vietnam.[5]:103

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports:

Aircraft Assignment

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fighter Squadron Lineage". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. ↑ "Carrier, Carrier Based Squadrons and Non-Carrier Based Squadron Deployments to Vietnam" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1995. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vought F-8 Crusader Losses & Ejections Part 2: 1965 - 1966". ejection-history.org. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "U.S. Accounted-For from the Vietnam War (Sorted by Name) Prisoners of War, Escapees, Returnees and Remains Recovered" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Mersky, Peter (2012). F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War. Osprey Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 9781782006527.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vought F-8 Crusader Losses & Ejections Part 3: 1967 - 1968". ejection-history.org. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "CDR Herbert Perry Hunter". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Vought F-8 Crusader Losses & Ejections Part 4: 1969 - 1973". ejection-history.org. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
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