{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-era-navy-vbf-17-bomber-fighter-squadron-seventeen-insignia-wooden-plaque-7-x-8","title":"Original U.S. WWII Era Navy VBF-17 Bomber-Fighter Squadron Seventeen Insignia Wooden Plaque - 7 ⅝ x 8”","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. Only One Available. This is an interesting original U.S. Navy \u003cb\u003eBomber-Fighter Squadron Seventeen, VBF-17, wooden insignia plaque\u003c\/b\u003e, measuring approximately \u003cb\u003e7 ⅝ x 8 inches\u003c\/b\u003e. The face displays the squadron’s distinctive skeleton-cowboy insignia, while the reverse retains a hanging hook and is inscribed \u003cb\u003eVFB-17\u003c\/b\u003e, an apparent transposition of the correct squadron abbreviation \u003cb\u003eVBF-17\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBomber-Fighter Squadron Seventeen was established on \u003cb\u003eJanuary 2, 1945\u003c\/b\u003e and became part of Carrier Air Group Seventeen. Personnel from the earlier VF-17 formed the core of the new squadron, which entered combat only a short time after being established. The squadron later became part of the lineage that was redesignated \u003cb\u003eVF-6B in 1946, VF-62 in 1948, and VA-106 in 1955\u003c\/b\u003e, before being disestablished in 1969.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an interesting wooden plaque painted or applied with a decal of the insignia for VBF-17, or Bomber-Fighter Squadron Seventeen. The squadron was active from January 2nd, 1945 their combat operations were as follows:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16–17 February 1945: The squadron participated in strikes against targets in and around the Tokyo area.\u003cbr\u003e20–22 February 1945: Squadron aircraft participated in strikes against Iwo Jima and provided air support for the landings on the island.\u003cbr\u003e18–19 March 1945: Major strikes were conducted by squadron aircraft against Kanoya, the largest airfield on Kyushu and against the Japanese Fleet anchored at Kure Naval Base.\u003cbr\u003eMarch–May 1945: The squadron conducted strikes in support of the Okinawa campaign\u003cbr\u003e7 Apr 1945: The unit participated in the combined task force strikes against the super battleship Yamato and its accompanying escorts, resulting in the sinking of Yamato, two cruisers and three destroyers.\u003cbr\u003eMay 1945: The squadron participated in strikes against Kyushu and Shikoku, hitting aircraft plants and airfields. On 14 May the squadron's commanding officer, LTCDR H. W. Nicholson, was killed in action during a strike against Kyushu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe insignia depicts a skeleton dressed as a cowboy riding an aerial bomb with a long thin shaft, almost like an oversized flechette. He also carries a bomb in one hand and a revolver in the other. There is a hook to hang the plaque and the back is inscribed \u003cb\u003eVFB-17\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe squadron’s wartime aircraft were primarily F6F Hellcats, and its pilots performed fighter, fighter-bomber, escort, and strike duties as part of the broader carrier air group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example is particularly noteworthy for the combination of its VBF-17 skeleton-cowboy insignia, wooden plaque construction, surviving hanging hardware, and direct association with a squadron that saw intense combat over Tokyo, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Kyushu, Kure, and the April 1945 strike against Yamato.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45890710962245,"sku":"ONAC26MAX13","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC26MAX13__01.jpg?v=1790622804","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-era-navy-vbf-17-bomber-fighter-squadron-seventeen-insignia-wooden-plaque-7-x-8","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}