Fighting Squadron Eighty Seven - VF-87 unit history 3

HISTORY OF FIGHTING SQUADRON EIGHTY SEVEN
From 1 July 1944 to 15 August 1945

SHAKEDOWN

Trinidad, At Trinidad, the squadron was eager to try out rough weather tactics and the air-department on USS Randolph complied. Simulated combat air patrols to attack the Randolph were practiced daily. Arial gunnery, rocket firing and bombing were zealously practiced. All of the pilots had the opportunity to make night landings on the carrier. On 19 December 1944, The group started transit thru the Panama Canal bound for San Francisco for some reorganizing, rest and of course - more training. On 21 January 1945, the squadron was hustled aboard a CVE, the Copahee, and headed to Hawaii for several more months of practice and training in Maui. Finally, in early May the training period came to an end and on the 12th CVG-87 were welcomed aboard the USS TICONDEROGA CV-14 recently repaired after a 21 January Kamikaze attack.

During this period a small ceremony marked a notable achievement. The group received some new F6F-5's. One of them was the 10,000th delivered since December of 1942. As the fighter had progressed down the assembly line at the plant,a bucket was hung on its tail. Grumman workers dropped spare change into the bucket as a contribution to the welfare fund of the squadron which would receive the new fighter. A check for several hundred dollars was made out and marked for delivery to the appropriate unit. Commander Porter W. Maxwell landed the special F6F aboard USS Ticonderoga. Grumman's "tech rep" Ralph Clark was on hand to present the check to Maxwell and air group 87 on behalf of all Grumman employees. The new fighter-bombers would soon be put to use.

COMBAT ACTION

The group got their first crack at actual combat on 17 May as planes were launched in an attack on Taroa in the Marshall Islands. the carrier then continuing to Ulithi where she joined Task Force 58 in time to participate in the final support missions of the Okinawa campaign.

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