The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. Their callsign is Camelot, and their tail code is NG.
History
Since its inception the squadron has flown 23 different type aircraft, had its designation changed fourteen times, operated from 20 different aircraft carriers (and several battleships) and had 91 commanding officers (the 92nd is now in command).
Over the years the squadron has been assigned many different missions, including patrol and observation in its early years, and scouting, attack, fighter, bombing, and forward air control missions when it became associated with carrier-based operations. The squadron adopted the classic Top Hat as its squadron patch and called themselves the "High Hats".
Early years
The squadron began carrier operations on board the Navy's first aircraft carrier in 1926. The squadron, then designated Fighter Plane Squadron One, set the record for carrier landings in a single day. Flying the TS-1, they logged 127 traps by the end of flight operations.
In 1929 the squadron was assigned to , where it began as a fighter squadron and transitioned to a bomber squadron. Throughout the 1930s, it flew the Boeing FB-5, Boeing F2B, Boeing F4B, Curtiss F11C Goshawk, Curtiss SBC Helldiver and the SB2U-1 Vindicator. In 1939, while flying the Vindicator, the squadron was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet and .
1940s
While on Ranger, the squadron provided air support for the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. During the four days of 8 – 11 November, the pilots destroyed 16 enemy aircraft. Flying the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, the squadron participated in Operation Leader, the only American naval air strike against German forces in Norway.
In November 1944, the squadron transferred to the Pacific Fleet, and participated in the Leyte Campaign while attached to . After transferring to , the squadron bombed fortifications on Formosa in January 1945, supported the assault on Iwo Jima in February, participated in the first naval carrier strike on Tokyo, and completed Pacific combat operations with strikes on Okinawa in early March 1945.
After the war's end VB-4 made four cruises aboard , including a world cruise between 28 September 1948 and 21 February 1949, after which the squadron was based on the U.S. East Coast. On 15 November 1946 VB-4 became Attack Squadron 1A (VA-1A), and in August 1948 the squadron was again redesignated Attack Squadron 14 (VA-14) and transitioned from the SB2C-5 Helldiver to the F4U-4 Corsair. In December 1949 VA-14 was redesignated Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14).
1950s
In 1951 and 1952 VF-14 made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the modernized , still flying the F4U Corsair. In 1953, they deployed in USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) on another Med cruise with Air Task Group (ATG-201), (which included VF-11, VA-12, VF-13, AND VA-15). In 1954, VF-14 took on the role of all-weather interceptor when they transitioned to the F3D-2 Skyknight, but only made a three-months deployment aboard in late 1954. As the F3D proved unsuitable for carrier operations, the squadron transitioned to the F3H-2N Demon in 1955. VF-14 made two deployments aboard in 1957. The squadron was then re-equipped with F3H-2s. VF-14 and its parent CVG-1 were then reassigned to and made eight deployments to the Mediterranean Sea up to 1969.
1960s
In May 1963, the squadron transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II and on 23 January 1964 they became the first Phantom squadron to operate on board Franklin D. Roosevelt. In June 1966, after moving to NAS Oceana, the squadron deployed to the South China Sea to conduct air strikes and support missions against military targets in North Vietnam. During this combat deployment, the squadron flew 1,688 hours on 967 combat sorties and delivered 651,624 pounds of ordnance, in addition to flying its traditional combat air patrol and fighter escort missions. When Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for modernization, CVW-1 and VF-14 were reassigned to in 1969 and stayed with it for nine deployments until 1982.
