Carrier Air Wing CVW-1 Plaque, Navy, 14 Mahogany

A carefully crafted 14 inch wooden plaque of Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1).  CARAIR WING ONE was recently transferred the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt from the U.S.S. Enterprise in 2013.

The use of naval aviation insignia is a modern form of heraldry that dates back to the early period of naval aviation in the 1920’s and captures many proud moments of its history. The practice fosters a sense of pride, unit cohesion and contributes to high morale, esprit de corps and professionalism within the community. It also serves as an effective means of preserving a command’s tradition, continuity of purpose and recognition, as traced through its lineage. The following rules are provided to ensure that all command insignia and slogans are in keeping with the highest traditions of the proud naval aviation heritage.

On July 1st, 1938 the compliment of squadrons attached to the USS Ranger (CV-4) after her 1934 commissioning were officially designated the Ranger Air Group. VF-4, VB-4, VS-41, and VS-42 would initiate Carrier Air Wing One’s lineage while conducting carrier suitability trials from San Diego to Monterey, CA. The Ranger was the Navy’s first vessel designed and constructed as an aircraft carrier and paved the way for the creation of Air Groups. 2013 also marks 50 years since Carrier Air Group ONE (CVG-1) was officially designated Carrier Air Wing ONE (CVW-1) on December 20th, 1963. The early days of carrier aviation saw several name changes in a time when air groups were named after the ship they were attached to.

World War II

Operating in the Atlantic when the US entered WWII, the USS Ranger participated in the North African campaigns called OPERATION TORCH and OPERATION LEADER. OPERATION TORCH was at that time the most ambitious naval operation yet conducted in the European-African Theater. The major responsibility was anti-sub patrol and escort duty in the North Atlantic. VF-9 and VF-41 launched towards French Morocco where they found themselves dog fighting French Pilots, some of which were Aces against the Luftwaffe from the Battle of France. The Ranger fighters accounted for 16 French fighters, strafed enemy ships and airfields, and gave air coverage to landing operations. Attacks on shore batteries and French ships continued in support of Allied Forces and showed the German-dominated French military leaders the striking power of the carrier task force operating off French Morocco. The Ranger Air Group discontinued involvement in OPERATION TORCH on 12 November 1942 and returned to home base at Norfolk, Virginia.

Ranger Air Group was designated CVG-4 on Aug.3, 1943 in line with CV-4 and ordered to Pacific Fleet duty. On 4 Oct 1943, OPERATION LEADER initiated a carrier based attack on the Nazi-held Norwegian Coast with Ranger operating as part of the British Home Fleet. The Attack was a complete surprise to the Germans that endangered submarines and supply ships, causing fear for repeated surprise attacks by the Allied Forces. This also marked the end of Ranger’s combat career as she became a training carrier for the remainder of the war.
Air Group FOUR (VB-4, VT-4, and VF-4) left the Ranger and deactivated from operational status on the East Coast in the spring of 1944. Now designated as CVG-4, they departed on the USS Barnes (CVE-20) for transport to Hawaii. In October of 1944 they transited aboard the USS Long Island (CVE-1) to Saipan where they would transfer to the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) and replace CVG-8. The Air Group participated in the Allied invasions of several Philippine islands, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and became a part of the carrier-based attacks on Tokyo in November 1944 with VF-4, VB-4, and VT-4. Air Group FOUR remained in theater and transferred to the USS Essex (CV-9) on November 21, 1944. They were tasked to continue supporting Task Force 38 and were soon after credited with sinking a 4-Ship Japanese convoy. The group survived a Kamik