VP-42

From March 15th, 1942, two planes at a time have been send to Alameda for radar installation.

 

April-May 1942, Transitional Training Unit

PBY-5A

04401

04416

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June 1942- back to Cold Bay

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3 June 1942: 42-P-6 7282 was damaged by two Japanese single float biplane fighters, and landed at sea out of fuel. Crew of Lt.(jg) Campbell was picked up by the USS NEMAHA. The plane was sunk by the fire from NEMAHA after futile attempts to tow it.

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Lt Boyle in 42-P-11 fought 2 Japanese single-float recon planes.

 

4 June 1942: 

42-P-5 7281 piloted by Lt C. E. Perkins reported Japanese fleet 160 miles southwest of Otter Point.

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The Japanese began arriving at 1755. 

Ens. Albert E. Mitchell PBY 42-P-4 04436  received orders to fly the mail to Umnak and arrived in the middle of the Dutch Harbor attack. Warned to stay away by radio, Ensign Albert E.Mitchell sought refuge in a nearby cove, but was shot down by the Koga-Makoto- Shikada section of aircraft carrier Ryūjō. The plane went down in flames at Egg Island, Beaver Inlet, Unalaska Island. Few survivors had embarked in a rubber boat and been killed by enemy aircraft MG fife. Ens. Joseph M. Tuttle, MM3c Frank G. Schadl, AMM2c Wheeler H. Rawls, ARM3c Richard N. Sparks, S2c James D. Pollitt, and ARM3c James B. Strom. It is possible that AMM2c Wheeler H. Rawls was the man who damaged Tadayoshi Koga’s Zero.

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PBY-5 04511 VP-42 (Lost or damaged, DC)

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In the morning of 4 June, the second day of the Battle of Dutch Harbor, Ensign Marshall C. Freerks of VP-41 had been flying a night patrol, “groping through fog all night for 13 hours”. His PBY 41-P-11 BuNo 05011 made the first radar and visual contact with the Japanese carrier fleet at 0641 160 to 210 miles southwest of Umnak Island. He shadowed it for 20 minutes to one hour (depending on a source), then running out of gas, headed back to Dutch Harbor. During Ens. Freerks' patrol the seas were too rough for the Japanese combat air patrol to launch from their carriers.   At 0821, at the request of Dutch Harbor, 42-P-11 BuNo 7292 piloted by Lt (jg) Stockstill was sent from Cold Bay for relieve. At 1105, Lieutenant Charles E. “Cy” Perkins arrived in 42-P-5 BuNo 7281, armed with a torpedo and two bombs and began shadowing the Japanese for two hours until he ran out of cloud cover. The Japanese responded with heavy anti-aircraft artillery.  One round severed oil lines to an engine.  Perkins jettisoned the torpedo and bombs and headed back to his base on one engine after dumping part of his fuel to lighten the load. Lieutenant (jg) Stockstill flying PBY 42-P-11 relieved Lt Charles E. “Cy” Perkins and trailed the Japanese carriers.  Soon after, the weather had cleared, and the Zeros had launched. At 1824 they intercepted and shot down PBY 42-P-11 BuNo 7292 in flames. Lt (jg) Eugene W. Stockstill, AP1c Henry M. Mitchell, AM1c Cyril A. Day, ARM3c Glen E. Ray, ARM3c Oscar J. Alford, S1c David D. Secord, S1c Frank E. Birks, and AP1c M.B. Dawson were lost at sea.  

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Junyo CAP Flights: First launch at 1103 hours 4 June, last recovery at 2010 hours 4 June (0603 5 June and 1510 5 June, Japan time). Flights of 3 A6Ms each.

1 FPO1c Mankichi Sawada

2 FPO1c Juzo Okamoto

3 FPO1c Keishu Kamihira

Claimed a certain victory over a PBY at 1824 (1324 5 June, Japan time)

 

11 June 1942:

Navy Lt Clark A. Hood, an experienced pilot from VP-42 joined Lieutenant Todd’s B-24 crew to provide assistance since he was familiar with Aleutian flying plus his ability to identify Japanese ships.  Lieutenant Hood had boarded another B-24 at Cold Bay when he learned that the Aldis lamp used for recognition signals was not working in Captain Todd’s B-24. When they got at Otter Point, Umnak to load bombs and refuel before heading for Kiska, they were able to fix the lamp, and Lieutenant Hood boarded Captain Todd’s aircraft. Captain Jack F. Todd decided to make a low-level attack from the west crossing over the saddle into the harbor area.  The Japanese had sited anti-aircraft positions around the harbor.  The guns plus ones on the ships in the harbor opened up.  A round struck the right wing of Captain Todd’s B-24D, 41-1088. The bomber broke apart in mid-air and tumbled into the hill side near Trout Lagoon.

 

19 June 1942: Lt(jg) Donley in 42-P-9 rescued six survivors of Capt. Wintermute’s B-24 crew after their firs bombing mission to Kiska. On return flight they got lost in fog, exhausted the fuel after 14 hours in the air, and crash-landed in the sea. Two crew members drowned.

Lt (jg) R. Donley received the Award of the Air Medal from the Army for this rescue mission. 

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Lt (jg) Campbell in PBY-5 04408 42-P-4(R) lost both propellers during attempted takeoff in high waves after examining wreckage of B-26 at the beach of Bristol Bay north of Port Moller. The crew hiked down to Port Moller after spending a night on the beach. The plane was towed to Port Moller by boat for salvage.

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1 July 1942:

8 PBY-5A at Cold Bay

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24 July 1942:

Navy Patrol Squadron VP-62 with eight PBY-5A amphibian Catalinas arrived to replace VP-42.  The squadron was followed by the seaplane tender Teal (AVP-5) two days later and the World War I era Clemson class flush deck destroyer Kane (DD-235) shortly afterwards.

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30 July 1942: Lieutenant David A. Brough in 42-P-10 BuNo 7291, spotted the seaplane tenders Gillis (AVD-12) and Williamson (AVD-2), and attempted to land near them, thinking they were still in Nazan Bay, Atkta Island.  He landed instead on the open sea where the PBY smashed into the waves and sank.  The seaplane tender crews pulled three survivors from the sea: M.W. Schreck, AMM2c, J.H. Chestnutt, ARM3c, R.N. Gebhardt, AMM3c. The following died: Lt (jg) David A. Brough, Ens. Lloyd J. Mills, Ens. Louis M. Love (three bodies recovered), Alexander L. Cameron, AMM1c and William Small, ARM1c (bodies were not recovered).

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3 August 1942:

10 PBY-5A’s commanded by Squadron CO Comdr James S. Russell departed Cold Bay for the home base in Sand Point, WA.

 

22 August 1942:

the squadron returned for duty to Kodiak from Sand Point relieving VP-41

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Lt. R.L.Donley was transferred to OTU FAW6 in September 1942. 

 

November 1942-January 1943:

VP-42 under OTU FAW6

The Naval Air Station at Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Washington, became operational in early 1943.  Shortly after 1 January 1943, pilots and crews were gradually assigned to the station for operational training in the Consolidated PBY. Flight instruction was under the direction of Lt. Robert L. Donley, Lt. Marshall Freerks, Lt. J.A. Lindgruen, Lt. Jones and several others, all of whom had previous flight experience in the Aleutians, and enemy action at Dutch Harbor.

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24 January 1943:

VP-42 transferred its Catalinas as follows:

Two to VP-62

One to VP-43

One to Hedron

The squadron flight crews departed for Naval Air Station Sand Point, Lake Washington, Seattle, WA, where its crews began transitioning into the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura at nearby Ault Field, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA.

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15 February 1943:

VP-42 was re-designated VB-135

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21 April 1943: 

VP-45 was commissioned. Lt. Robert L. Donley was placed in Command. The squadron was ordered to report to Pat Wing Four Commander Cmdr. Leslie Gehres on the island of Adak in the Aleutians, leaving NAS Sand Point, Seattle on that same day. 

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BuNos and squadron codes:  (from Robert Donley’s logbook and from  Squadron documents)

42-P-1

42-P-2 To Dutch Harbor for radar repair 7 July

42-P-3 

42-P-4 04436 (or 7292?-DC) shot down 4 June 1942 (Ens. Albert E. Mitchell)

42-P-4(R) 04408 Lost both propellers in the surf 19 June 1942, crew OK. 

42-P-5 7281 4 June Lt Cmdr C. E. Perkins reported Japanese fleet 160 miles southwest of Otter Point. Bottom of the plane damaged in landing at Atka 11 June 1942, repaired between June 15 and June 30

42-P-6 7282 damaged by Japanese fighter 3 June 42, landed at sea out of fuel, and sank. Crew of Lt.(jg) Campbell was picked up by the USS NEMAHA

42-P-7 7293

42-P-8 20V?

42-P-9 19 June 1942 six survivors of Capt. Wintermute’s B-24 crew have been rescued by a PBY 42-P-9 piloted by Lt (jg) Donley

42-P-10 7291 crashed while landing in rough sea 30 July 1942, Lt (jg) David A. Brough. 3 survivors.

42-P-11 7292 3 June Lt Boyle fought 2 Japanese single-float recon planes. Late morning on 4 June 42, Zeros had launched, intercepted and shot down PBY 42-P-11 in flames.  Lt (jg) Stockstill and his crew were lost at sea: AP1c Henry M. Mitchell, AM1c Cyril A. Day, ARM3c Glen E. Ray, ARM3c Oscar J. Alford, S1c David D. Secord, S1c Frank E. Birks, and AP1c M.B. Dawson.

42-P-11(R) 7285 23V damaged on the ground 31 July 1942 by Army P-40 (port wing sheared off). 11 Oct 1942 attacked Japanese freighter (Ens. L.T. Nuss)

42-P-12 Front landing gear malfunction 5 July, forced to proceed to Dutch Harbor for repair and land on water there.

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PBY5s:

2307 Sep 41

2322 July 41

2323 June 41

2352 May 41

2353 May 41

2356 May 41

2364 July 41

2365 July 41

2369 Sep 41

2389 Oct 41

2406 Jan 42

2407 Nov 41

2408 Nov 41

2409 Nov 41

2410 Nov 41

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7270 

7272 Lost either 13 Nov 42 or 10 Dec 42 (DC)

7281 

7282 42-P-6 was damaged by Japanese fighters 3 June 1942, landed at sea 65 miles west of Scotch Cap, out of fuel, and sank. 

7285 42-P-11(R) 23V damaged on the ground 31 July 1942 by Army P-40 (port wing sheared off). 11 Oct 1942 attacked Japanese freighter (Ens. L.T. Nuss)

7291 42-P-10 crashed while landing in rough sea 30 July 1942, Lt (jg) David A. Brough and crew KIA, 3 survivors

7292 42-P-11 3 June Lt Boyle fought 2 Japanese single-float recon planes. Late morning on 4 June 42, Zeros had launched, intercepted and shot down PBY 42-P-11 in flames.  Lt (jg) Stockstill and his crew were lost at sea: AP1c Henry M. Mitchell, AM1c Cyril A. Day, ARM3c Glen E. Ray, ARM3c Oscar J. Alford, S1c David D. Secord, S1c Frank E. Birks, and AP1c M.B. Dawson.

7293 42-P-7

04276

04287 June 42

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04400 Sep 42-. Nose wheel failure on landing in Kodiak 2 December 1942 (VP-62); repaired by Hedron. Transferred to VP-43 14 December 1942. Per DC, lost off Adak 23 July 1943 while flying with VP-61. No confirmation in FAW diaries.

04401 May 42

04402 June 42

04404

04408 42-P-4(R) Lost both propellers 19 June 1942 during attempted takeoff in high waves. Plane was towed to Port Moller by boat for salvage.

04419 (marked by Donley as 0419; 7 October 1943)

04420 Oct 42-

​04436 42-P-4 shot down by the Japanese fighters 4 June 1942. Ens. Albert E. Mitchell and crew. 

04438 Aug 42–Feb 43. 8 Feb 1943 water-looped on landing and sank by NAS Whidbey Island (OTU FAW-6)

04441

04443 Lost or damaged (DC)

04444 (PBY-5) Apr 43; to Hedron in July 1943. Ex VP-43 or VP-61 aircraft, underwent major hull repair after storm 11/20/42

04447

04457 Lost or damaged (DC)

04464 Oct 42– Mar 43

04465 (PBY-5) Jan, Mar 43 (ex-VP-61); to Hedron in July 1943

04470 Mar 43 Crashed during landing and sank 1 May 1943 off Mukilteo, WA. 1 missing, 4 injured (VP-FAW-6)

04475 Water-looped and sank on landing at NAS Whidbey Island, 6 March 1943. 4 killed.

04477 Salvaged after sustaining damage on take-off 27 Sept 1942 (VP-61)

04483  (ex- VP-61)

04489 

04490 Lost or damaged (DC)

04996  To Hedron in July 1943

04497  water-looped on landing at NAS Whidbey Island, WA 3/11/1943. SOC.

04511 Lost or damaged (DC)

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04979 PBY-5A Lost or damaged (DC)

04993 PBY-5A Lost or damaged (DC)

05008 PBY-5A Lost or damaged (DC)

05024 PBY-5A to Hedron in July 1943

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