Country United States Nickname(s) Knightriders | Part of Inactive | |
Active 1 May 1945 – 23 February 1959 | ||
Fighter Squadron 52 or VF-52 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as Bombing Fighting Squadron 5 (VBF-5) on 8 May 1945, it was redesignated Fighting Squadron 6A (VF-6A) on 15 November 1946, redesignated as Fighter Squadron 52 (VF-52) on 16 August 1948 it was disestablished on 23 February 1959. It was the third US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-52.
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Operational history
VF-52 was the only Navy squadron equipped with the TO-1 Shooting Star, a version of the Air Force's F-80C that was acquired to familiarise Navy pilots with jet aircraft due to delays in developing naval jets.
VF-52 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5) on board the USS Valley Forge and was deployed to the Western Pacific and Korea from 1 May to 1 December 1950. VF-52 was the first Navy jet squadron to see combat. On 18 November 1950 two VF-52 jets shot down a Korean People's Air Force MiG-15, this was the Navy's second jet vs jet kill.
VF-52 served its second Korean War deployment assigned to Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1) aboard the USS Boxer from 30 March to 28 November 1953.
VF-52 embarked on the USS Lexington for a Western Pacific deployment from 28 May to 20 December 1956.
VF-52 embarked on the USS Ticonderoga for a Western Pacific deployment from 4 October 1958 to 16 February 1959.