Overview

On 1 Nov 1955, Heavy Attack Squadron ONE (HATRON ONE or VAH-1) was established and temporarily based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida. On the same day, CDR P.F. Stevens assumed the command of the squadron. He was a highly decorated patrol-bomber pilot during World War II.In 1956, VAH-1 underwent an intensive training schedule in anticipation of the receipt of the new jet, Douglas A3D-1 Skywarrior. Designed with an eye toward the Heavy Attack mission, the A3D was an atomic bomber, fully capable of carrier operations. On 31 Mar 1956, the squadron received five A3D-1s, thereby becoming the first fleet unit to take delivery of the jet-powered nuclear bomber. The squadron's initial deployments were to the Mediterranean and North Atlantic area onboard USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) and USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA-62). Following their return from their Apr-Aug 1962 cruise, the SMOKIN' TIGERS began transitioning to the North American A-5A Vigilante. On 22 Jan 1963, the first A-5A was accepted for service by the squadron at NAS Sanford, Florida, and in March of that year, VAH-1 became the first squadron to win a monthly bombing contest while flying the A-5A. The squadron also completed one deployment with the heavy attack version of the Vigilante on the INDEPENDENCE during Aug 1963-Mar 1964, participating on several NATO and Sixth Fleet exercises. Upon returning to Sanford, VAH-1 began transitioning to the RA-5C, with squadron skipper CDR J. W. Taft delivering the first example from the North American plant at Columbus on 10 July 1964. On 1 Sep 1964, the squadron was redesignated RVAH-1. The SMOKIN' TIGERS logged their first combat deployment to Southeast Asia during May-Dec 1965, completing 308 combat missions. Over the course of the next 13 years, RVAH-1 alternated between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, completing three additional combat cruises. Like all RA-5C squadrons, it shifted homeports from Sanford to NAS Albany, Georgia, in 1968, and in 1974 moved to NAS Key West, Florida. The second fleet squadron to operate the Vigilante, RVAH-1 disestablished on 29 Jan 1979.

Full Product Details

9781734972757

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Angelo has published five books: Wings from Coral Sea (Golden Wing Publications, 1986), Naval Fighters (Osprey, 1990), Naval Air Weapons Meet 1956-1959 (Model Publishing, 2006), First and Foremost - An illustrated History of Carrier Air Wing One - CVW-1 Part One 1934-1957 (Model Publishing, 2006) and CVW-1 Part Two 1957-1973 (Model Publishing, 2008). Michael Grove was born in Silver Spring, Maryland on June 20, 1943. He started his military aviation photography at age 11 with his dad at the annual Andrews airshows on Armed Forces Day. Using a Kodak Retina 1A, Michael started recording aviation history. Joining naval aviation in 1964, he was aircrew on the P-2 Neptune for several years, transitioned to the P-3 Orion, and then left the Navy in 1972. He worked in senior management in a few the next few decades in the rapidly growing electronic industry of Silicon Valley. Surviving a hemorrhaging malignant brain tumor operation, Michael was forced to retire in Jan 2010. Now retired in Las Vegas he still is photographing military aircraft, has co-authored several books, written several articles for The Hook magazine and continues to support many books and publications with photographs. He is best noted for his 50+ years of photographic coverage on Navy Carrier Air Wings deployed to NAS Fallon. During that time, he has made several hundred visits to the base.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available