Photographic Squadron One (VD-1)
Fleet Air Photographic Photographic Squadron One (VD-1)
Fleet Air Photographic Unit Pacific (FAPUPAC)
United States Navy (USN)
Background
On May 2, 1942 commissioned in the U.S. Navy (USN) as Fleet Air Photographic Unit Pacific (FAPUPAC) at NAS North Island. On May 3, 1942 elements from FAPUPAC became Fleet Air Photographic Squadron Pacific (FAPSPAC). On October 1, 1942 redesignated as Fleet Air Photographic Photographic Squadron One (VD-1). In late 1942, placed under the command of Fleet Air Wing West Coast at NAS San Diego.
PB4Y-1 "Bonnie Bee" 31998 crew pose at Carney Field (Bomber 2) on Guadalcanal (Photo by VD-1, 1943)
Wartime History
On March 1, 1943 redesignated Photographic Squadron One (VD-1). For administrative purposes, the squadron remained attached to Fleet Air Wing One. Sent overseas to the South Pacific (SOPAC) under Fleet Air Photographic Group One, Photographic Wing as part of Task Unit 33.14 (TU 33.14). The squadron operated specially equipped PB4Y-1 Liberators for photographic reconnaissance missions in the South Pacific (SoPAC).
On July 24, 1943 PB4Y-1 Liberator 31980 suffered a nose wheel collapse while landing without injuries and was written off.
During November 1943 operated from Carney Field (Bomber 2) on Guadalcanal.
On November 26, 1943 at 6:10am PB4Y-1 "Bonnie Bee" 31998 pilot Lt(jg) Engel took off from Carney Field on a photographic mapping mission to photograph Blanche Harbor in the Treasury Islands. Next, proceeded to the southern coast of Bougainville to photograph Japanese positions near Monoitu then returned to Guadalcanal at 2:34pm.
Meanwhile, at 6:15am PB4Y-1 Liberator 66 pilot Lt. Ross took off from Dobodura on a mission to photograph Manus Island and returned at 2:25pm. At 6:20am PB4Y-1 Liberator 67 pilot Lt. Gehlbach took off from Carney Field on a photographic mapping mission over Torokina with additional coverage over the Torokina River. Afterwards, this film was air dropped to the forward echelon on Bougainville then returned to Guadalcanal at 3:18pm. At 7:29am PB4Y-1 Liberator 79 pilot Ensign Graham took off and flew to Munda Airfield to rendezvous with U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) B-24s and accompanied them to photograph their strike on Buka. Over the target, anti-aircraft fire was medium intensity and ineffective then lands at Munda Airfield to deliver the film then returned to Guadalcanal at 3:30pm.
On November 27, 1943...
On November 28, 1943...
On November 29, 1943 at 615am PB4Y-1 "Bonnie Bee" 31998 pilot Lt(jg) Engel took off from Carney Field on a photographic mapping mission over the Torokina on Bougainville taking verticals from the Laruma River to the Torokina River and obliques from Piva to Torokina. During the flight, the crew received a radio message to shoot special oblique of Japanese positions at the fork in the Torokina River. Afterwards, this film was air dropped to the forward echelon on Bougainville then returned to Guadalcanal at 2:10pm.
Meanwhile, at 6:20am PB4Y-1 Liberator 31979 pilot Lt. Jones took off on a photographic mission for vertical coverage of a section of the southern coast of Bougainville and Japanese occupied areas of the Jaba River area. Afterwards, covered U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) strike on Kieta supply area and experienced ineffective medium anti-aircraft fire and returned to Guadalcanal at 4:49pm. At 8:55am PB4Y-1 Liberator 31966 piloted by Lt.(jg) Bradley took off to photograph the Dobodura Airfields and returned at 11:55am.
On November 30, 1943 at 6:19am PB4Y-1 Liberator 31996 Commander McElroy took off from Carney Field on a photographic mission over northern Bougainville and later covers the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) strike against the Shortland Islands and experiences intense, heavy anti-aircraft fire from Ballale, Poporang and Shortland Island that inflicts slight damage and returning lands at Munda Airfield to deliver the exposed film then took off again and returns to Guadalcanal at 3:35pm.
Meanwhile at 6:20am PB4Y-1 "Bonnie Bee" 31998 piloted by Ensign Graham took off from Carney Field on a mission to photograph the Torokina area and returned at 3:02pm. PB4Y-1 Liberator 66 piloted by Lt. Ross took off from Dobodura on a familiarization flight over ports on the coast of New Guinea and returns to land at 2:45pm.
On December 1, 1943 operated seven PB4Y-1 Liberators specially equipped for photographic reconnaissance missions from Carney Field (Bomber 2) on Guadalcanal. The planes included: PB4Y-1 Liberators 31966, 31967, 31979, 31998. Meanwhile, a three plane detachment under the command of LtCdr Eady including PB4Y-1 Liberators 31982, 31983 and 31996 operated under the First Army Air Task Force at Dobodura in New Guinea in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).
On December 4, 1943 a PB4Y-1 Liberator No. 96 under the command of LtCdr Eady flying from Carney Field bound for Dobodura spots SS Augusta Thomas aground on a reef off the coast of New Guinea to the south of Oro Bay and communicated with the ship via signals then transmitted the message to USS Mahan (DD-364) operating east of Buna. The stranded ship was later towed off by a tugboat and safely reached Oro Bay.
On December 21, 1943 the New Guinea detachment rejoins the rest of the squadron at Carney Field on Guadalcanal.
On December 27, 1943 at 2:00am PB4Y-1 Liberator 31996 pilot Commander McElroy and PB4Y-1 Liberator 31983 pilot Eady took off from Carney Field on a mission bound for the Mortlock Islands (Nomoi Islands). Despite bad weather enroute, the pair arrived at 8:00am with Eady taking vertical photographs from 20,000' and McElroy oblique photographs from 7,000' and spot completed Satawan Airfield defended by anti-aircraft guns on Satawan Island. Without enemy resistance the pair completed the mission then returned to land at Munda Airfield then returned to Carney Field at 5:00pm and 6:01pm.
On December 17, 1945 the squadron was disbanded.
References
Fleet Air Photographic Squadron One - War Diary November 1943
(Page 12) "Prints made... Nov. 1-Nov. 30... total 66,043... 303 rolls of film were exposed, of which 12 were color film and 7 were infra-red. The total number of negatives made was approximately 14,348."
Fleet Air Photographic Squadron One - War Diary December 1943
(Page 8) "Prints made... Dec. 1-Dec. 31.. total 36,693... a great portion of the film exposed was dropped at Torokina and processed there or developed and printed by the Wing Interpretation Unit at Munda."
Fleet Air Photographic Squadron One War Diary October 1942–February 1943 pages 1-22
(Page 7) "December 21... In compliance with orders received from Command South Pacific Forces on December 19, 1943, our New Guinea detachment returned [to Carney Field] his date."
U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons - VD-1
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