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Of all the Corsair histories I have researched, the deployments recorded on BuNo.17799’s history card are some of the most obscure that I’ve seen. In the vast majority of circumstances, the facts spelled out on the US Navy A/C History Cards can be directly verified through alternate research of the squadrons or aircraft carriers to which the plane in question was assigned. The Navy was very diligent about their record keeping, even if it was somewhat of a crude process back then.
BuNo.17799 was first deployed to the Assembly & Repair station at NAS San Diego, California from August thru October of 1943. I believe this is where some of the post-production modifications were applied to the plane that otherwise had not been implemented into the Vought production line.
By December of 1943 it was listed as being assigned to VF-84. As Jack pointed out, there simply was no “VF-84” in late 1943 – early 1944…or at least US Navy Records show no official record of it. Like the vast majority of the USN Aircraft History Cards, I’ve found the USN Location Records to be extremely accurate as well, and they stand up well to cross references with Squadron and Aircraft Carrier deployment records.
By January of 1944, BuNo.17799 was listed as being assigned to VBF-14. Once again, the USN Location Records show no direct referenced to VBF-14. There was in fact a VF-14 (F6F Hellcat), VB-14 (SB2C Helldiver), and a VT-14 (TBF Avenger) listed as being stationed aboard the USS Wasp. These would be the fighter, bomber, and torpedo sections of Squadron 14, and in the majority of cases you would find that they would travel together as a combined force, especially on a carrier deployment. That leads me to believe that BuNo.17799 might have been associated with Squadron 14, though there are no official records of even a single Corsair accompanying the squadron. During those latter months of 1943, Squadron 14 had been operating along the US East Coast. A quick description of the USS Wasp’s deployment at that time reads as follows:
“Following a shakedown cruise which lasted through the end of 1943, Wasp returned to Boston for a brief yard period to correct minor flaws which had been discovered during her time at sea. On 10 January 1944 the new aircraft carrier departed Boston; steamed to Hampton Roads, Va.; and remained there until the last day of the month…”
By February 1944, BuNo.17799 is listed as having been transferred to VBF-98. Once again, there are no records during that time period alluding to a VBF-98. There was a VB-98 (an SBD dive-bomber squadron), but it had been stationed in the South Pacific Solomon Islands essentially since before BuNo.17799 was ever commissioned. It had previously been known as VC-24, but was redesignated in the field as VB-98 during the first of December. There is no evidence whatsoever that a Corsair of any type was associated with them as well.
By April of 1944, BuNo.17799 was assigned to CASU-33. This particular Carrier Air Service Unit was based at NAS Los Alamitos, California. If BuNo.17799 had in fact spent time in the South Pacific, it was most definitely back in the United States by this point in time.
In July of 1944, BuNo.17799 was assigned to VBF-84 "Wolf Gang" Squadron - once again bringing reflection to it’s earlier reported assignment to “VF-84” eight months prior. By this time, VBF-84 was well documented as operating from NAS San Diego, California.
BuNo.17799’s final reassignment came in August of 1944 when it was once again returned to CASU-33 at NAS Los Alamitos, California, after which it was stricken from service by the end of that month.
Soon I plan to pull up the microfilm reel containing BuNo.17799’s history card so I can reference any other F4U-1A’s from that time frame that might have shared some of the same deployments. Many times the planes attached to a particular squadron would be redeployed, at least as a partial group, together to their next assignment. With luck I’ll be able to group BuNo.17799 together with planes that arrived or departed some of the same squadrons at the same time, in hoped that the records from those other aircraft will shed some light on the logic behind BuNo.17799's deployments, and maybe even illuminate a possible clerical error on it's card. As for now, much of the early-recorded history on BuNo.17799’s card just doesn’t jibe with other facts of official Navy record.
_________________ Rob Mears 'Surviving Corsairs' Historian robcmears@yahoo.comhttp://www.robmears.com
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I doubt that a elderly F4U-1A would be anywhere near combat in late 1945.
