1940s Torpedo Squadron 19 (VT-19) was established at
NAAS Los Alamitos, California on 15 August 1943, flying the
TBM-1 Avenger. As unit of
Carrier Air Group 19 during
World War II, it was a part of
Admiral Bull Halsey's Naval Task Force. On 18 July 1944, the squadron flew its first combat mission when it conducted pre-invasion strikes against
Guam. The squadron participated in the
Battle of Leyte Gulf striking the Japanese Northern Force composed primarily of
aircraft carriers, resulting in 25
Navy Cross awards. The squadron supported the landings at
Palau,
Morotai and
Leyte. Squadron pilots also flew strikes against the
Carolines,
Philippines,
Bonin Islands,
Okinawa,
Mindanao,
Luzon, and
Formosa while embarked on .In October 1944, squadron aircraft participated in strikes against the Central Japanese Task Force in the
Sibuyan Sea, which included the super
battleship . Three of the squadron's personnel were awarded the
Silver Star for their actions during this strike. On 5 November 1944, squadron aircraft participated in the sinking of , a Japanese
heavy cruiser, which was making a sortie out of
Manila Bay. The squadron changed homeports several times during the Second World War, first to
NAS San Diego, then to
NAS Alameda,
NAAS Santa Rosa, California, and
NAS Barbers Point before finally ending up back at NAS Alameda in August 1946. VT-19 also upgraded their Avengers throughout the war, to the TBM-3 in February 1945, the TBM-3E in April 1945, and finally the TBM-3Q. On 15 November 1946, the squadron was redesignated
Attack Squadron 20A (VA-20A). In May 1947, the squadron transitioned to the
AD-1 Skyraider. In August 1948, VA-20A upgraded to the AD-2 and was redesignated
Attack Squadron 195 (VA-195). In January 1949, the squadron upgraded again to the AD-3.
1950s VA-195 upgraded to the AD-4 in July 1950, and served in the
Korean War while embarked on . On 5 December 1950, the squadron flew its first combat mission since the end of World War II, flying close air support missions for U.S. Marines near
Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. in August 1952 On 1 May 1951, the squadron's Skyraiders, making precise low level runs, delivered
aerial torpedoes on the heavily defended and strategically positioned
Hwacheon Dam in
North Korea. Destruction of the dam had been attempted by
Air Force and Navy bombers, but was finally accomplished by VA-195, earning them the nickname the
Dambusters. VFA-195 became the first Hornet squadron and first CVW-5 squadron to deliver a
Walleye II glide bomb in combat during an air strike against the Iraqi Navy's HQ at
Umm Qasr. During the strike,
LCDR. Jeffery S. Ashby guided his Walleye II into the T-shaped building at Umm Qasr Naval Base. The next day, F-14s equipped with TARPS confirmed the Walleye hit was a success and a strike that was planned the next day was cancelled., destroyed by LCDR. Jeff S. Ashby with a Walleye I (who was also the first F/A-18 pilot to use the Walleye II in combat).About three to four weeks into the war, LCDR. Ashby was about to lead a major six to eight plane strike against a communications building in the northern end of Basra, Iraq. Intelligence had been alerted by the presence of an Iraqi
Super Frelon Helicopter fitted with
Exocet ASM missiles. On 13 February 1991, LCDR. Ashby flying
NF-104 and another Hornet from VFA-195 found the helicopter in the desert, with Ashby destroying it with a Walleye I. This deployment would however be the last deployment made with the
Independence. VFA-195 arrived in the Persian Gulf on 5 February, before engaging in OSW. After four months, VFA-195 returned to NAF Atsugi on 5 June 1998. On 7 July 1998, the
Independence, CVW-5 and VFA-195 left Japan to swap with the
Kitty Hawk, which was to become the new home of CVW-5. The
Independence arrived at
Pearl Harbor on 17 July. During the cross-deck, VFA-195 replaced its F/A-18Cs with the F/A-18C (N) Night Attack Hornet. At 7:00AM on 24 July 1998, VFA-195 and CVW-5 along with the
Kitty Hawk departed Pearl Harbor for Japan while the
Independence went into retirement in the
Puget Sound, Washington State. VFA-195 arrived back on 11 August.
2000s VFA-195 flew in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, striking targets deep in
Afghanistan. VFA-195 called on for duty when on 23 January 2003, VFA-195 deployed off the coast of North Korea in the face of tensions over the latter's nuclear weapons program, as well as preventing North Korea from taking advantage of the deployment of US forces to the Persian Gulf that year. In February, VFA-195 and the
Kitty Hawk headed to the Persian Gulf to take part in Southern Watch for the last time. On 19 March 2003, as part of the first night attacks of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, eight F/A-18C (N)s from VFA-195 along with
F-14As from
VF-154 and Night Attack Hornets from
VFA-192 attacked SAM sites in Western Iraq. On 2 April 2003,
NF-405, an F/A-18C (N) from VFA-195; was shot down by a
Patriot PAC-2 SAM Site in a
Friendly Fire incident while in support of Coalition Forces approaching Baghdad, killing the pilot, Lieutenant Nathan D. White. The squadron would go on to fly 278 combat sorties in support of Iraqi Freedom, delivered 179,000 pounds of precision guided munitions against military targets over the course of a single month. On 23 April 2003, Iraqi Freedom was over for VFA-195, CVW-5 and the
Kitty Hawk, heading back to Japan from then on. Starting on 7 May 2004, as a result of VFA-27 transitioning to the F/A-18E Super Hornet,
VFA-27's F/A-18C (N)s were given to VFA-192. As a result, VFA-195 received VFA-192 Night Attack Hornets as well as
VMFA-212 at MCAS Iwakuni. On 19 July, VFA-195 and the rest of CVW-5 as well as the
Kitty Hawk deployed to the Western Pacific to take part in
Summer Pulse 2004, a Naval Exercise involving 7 Carrier Battle Groups including the
Kitty Hawk CVBG. During the Exercise, VFA-195 and CVW-5 worked alongside the
John C. Stennis and
CVW-14, taking part in JASEX 04, 600 nm east of Ioshima.
2020s In February 2026, VFA-195 received its first Block III advanced Super Hornets. ==See also==