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VN-14 A and B and VN-15 A and B were based at NAAS Kingsville, TX teaching Navy Intermediate CV aircraft flight instruction. Kingsville was part of the NATC Corpus Christi training complex. CV aircraft training was done in NAA SNJ Texans. Here is the info on Carrier Aircraft Intermediate: All CV squadrons taught a core syllabus in the SNJ of familiarization, navigation, aerobatics, night flying, instruments, basic combat tactics and fixed gunnery. CV students then specialized in a warfare skill. The VF squadrons emphasized air-to-air gunnery and basic combat tactics. VB students received free-gunnery training and dive-bombing tactics. VT students practiced glide bombing, low-level over-water flights in group tactics that culminated in single and group practice torpedo runs on fixed and moving targets. From June to August 1942, VT students at Corpus flew the last of the Douglas TBDs before the aircraft were transferred to NAS Miami. By the end of 1943 the surviving Devastators were gone from the Training Command and stricken by early 1944.
The CV course used later in mid-1944 did away with the specialized mission emphasis and provided glide and dive bombing, basic combat tactics (1-v-1), section and division tactics and flak evasion along with air-to-air gunnery training.
Students who studied at NAS Jacksonville from 1942 to February 1943, received only a general CV course in advanced.
Students successfully completing Intermediate training at Pensacola and Corpus Christi received their wings and went on the operational training in the type aircraft they were to fly in the fleet - VF, VSB, VTB, VO/VCS,VPB, and multi-engine landplanes. The CV guys (VF, VTB and VSB), after completing their operational training Unit (OTU) when on to NAS Glenview and carrier qualified on the two Great Lakes carriers - Sable and Wolverine.
Here is where the SBD you asked about may come in to play. CV Pre-Operational: In September 1944 additional training was established for CV students at VN-9 in NAS Pensacola and VN-19 at Corpus Christi to lengthen the flight program and make use of surplus SBD Dauntless’s returning from fleet use. All CV students completed their last three-week phase of training and nine to 15 hours in the SBD flying familiarization, formation, navigation and glide-bombing flights. The availability of SBDs was due to their replacement in the fleet by the Curtiss SB2C in spring 1944. This training lasted into early 1946 and by this time the SBD was a pretty tired lot for studs to fly.
Doug Siegfried
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