D-Day and Naval Aviation (VCS-7)

[SteveG75]

6 June Allied Invasion of Normandy—Seventeen Naval Aviators taken from aviation units on battleships and cruisers were assigned to bombardment duty as part of VCS-7. They operated with units of the British Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force, flying gunfire spotting missions in RAF Spitfires over the Normandy beaches from D-Day until 26 June.

More info:
http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfires-of-the-us-navy.html

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g300000/g302116c.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g300000/g302115c.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g300000/g302114c.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g300000/g302108c.htm

 

[NavAir42]

Now that's what I call a good deal. "Hi, we want you to go learn to fly one of the worlds great fighters for a couple weeks and get off the boat. Enjoy."

 

[PropAddict]

Now why can't we get cool IA's like that these days?

Heck, I'd even take the same old planes they used.

 

[Pags]

Hellcat of VOF-1 from on board USS Tulagi. If you look close you can see the four swastikas underneath the canopy from engagements against the Luftwaffe during Operation Dragoon.

 

[SynixMan]

Pretty cool article about Naval Air's part in the invasion of Europe: http://www.history.navy.mil/download/ww2-30.pdf

 

[SynixMan]

Flak acounted for VOF-l’s three losses. Lieutenant David S. Crockett was shot down while spotting over Toulon Harbor on 20 August. He bailed out and was taken prisoner by German troops. He was released on the night of the 23rd when the fort in which he was being held surrendered. He returned to Tulagion the 26th.

That's one helluva week!

 

[GreenLantern330]

"A pair of SBD-5 Dauntless dive-bombers assigned to Bombing Squadron (VB) 10 pass over the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV 6) while she steams in the Pacific Ocean during 1944. The "Big E" was one of the last fleet carriers to operate the venerable SBD, which was responsible for sinking all four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. VB-10 flew Dauntless dive-bombers from Enterprise during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944"

Taken from: http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/...SS-Enterprise-(CV-6)-Exhibit--Page-1-(1).aspx