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NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive


Courtesy of CAPT Gene Oleson, CHC, USN (Ret)	Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS RANDOLPH (CV-15)
(later CVA-15 and CVS-15)

Photo Albums

Album of David Oestreich

After graduating from Yale, David served as a gunnery officer on USS Randolph (CVA-15). While there, in 1954–56, he took a number of pictures of the ship and flight ops.

1954–1955
"USS *Randolph* (CVA-15)" 2.03 Mb	"Flight ops." Two HUP-2 Retrievers from HU-2 Det. 36 "Fleet Angels;" AJ-1 Savage from VC-8 Det. 36 "Checkertails" 2.74 Mb	"Helo up." Two HUP-2 Retrievers from HU-2 Det. 36 "Fleet Angels;" F2H-2P Banshee from VC-62 "Fighting Photos" (left); AJ-1 Savage from VC-8 Det. 36 "Checkertails" (right) 2.69 Mb	"Flight deck." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" (foreground); F2H-3 Banshees from VF-41 "Black Aces" (left); AD-6 Skyraiders from VA-42 "Green Pawns" (background) 3.01 Mb
"Flight ops." F9F-6 Cougars from VF-21 "Mach Busters" (foreground and right); F2H-3 Banshees from VF-41 "Black Aces" (left); AD-6 Skyraiders from VA-42 "Green Pawns" (background) 2.05 Mb	"Cougar." F9F-6 Cougars from VF-21 "Mach Busters" (right); F2H-3 Banshees from VF-41 "Black Aces" (left); AD-6 Skyraiders from VA-42 "Green Pawns" and AJ-1 Savages from VC-8 Det. 36 "Checkertails" (background) 2.46 Mb	"Flight deck." F9F-6 Cougars from VF-21 "Mach Busters" (right); F2H-3 Banshees from VF-41 "Black Aces" (left); AD-6 Skyraiders from VA-42 "Green Pawns" and AJ-1 Savages from VC-8 Det. 36 "Checkertails" (background) 2.17 Mb	"Banshee taking off." F2H-2 Banshees from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.00 Mb
"Taking off." F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.14 Mb	"Taking off." F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.21 Mb	"Cat fires." F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.18 Mb	"Away she goes." F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.39 Mb
"Away." F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.39 Mb	"Landing." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 1.98 Mb	"Landing." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 1.97 Mb	"Landing." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 2.02 Mb
"Wings Up." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 2.18 Mb	"LSO" 2.55 Mb	"Landing." TBM-3 Avenger from VR-24 "World's Biggest Little Airline" gets waved off 2.50 Mb	"Fly By." F2H-3 Banshee from VF-41 "Black Aces" 2.03 Mb
"Get That Wire." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 2.66 Mb	"Down." F2H Banshee 2.58 Mb	"Safe." F9F-6 Cougar from VF-21 "Mach Busters" 2.68 Mb	TBM-3 Avenger from VR-24 "World's Biggest Little Airline" launching; F2H-3 Banshees from VF-41 "Black Aces" and AJ-1 Savage from VC-8 Det. 36 "Checkertails" (right) 2.04 Mb
	'3"/50 Firing.' F2H-2 Banshee from VF-34 "Blue Blasters" 2.28 Mb	"Attack." These appear to be AD-4N Skyraiders from VC-33 Det. 36 "Night Hawks" 2.07 Mb

Album of William Gwaltney

Photos submitted by Paul Gwaltney on behalf of his father, LT(JG) William Gwaltney (USNR, Retired), who was an AD-5W pilot assigned to VAW-12.

1956–1957
Fire power demonstration 264 Kb	Fire power demonstration 379 Kb	Fire power demonstration 300 Kb	AJ-1 Savage, VAH-11 "Checkertails" Det. 36 591 Kb
AD-5W Skyraider, VAW-12 "Bats" Det. 36 563 Kb	AD-5W Skyraider, VAW-12 "Bats" Det. 36 354 Kb	AD-5W Skyraider, VAW-12 "Bats" Det. 36 597 Kb	AD-5W Skyraider, VAW-12 "Bats" Det. 36 587 Kb
AD-5N Skyraider, VA(AW)-33 "Night Hawks" Det. 36 (tail code "SS") and AD-5W Skyraider, VAW-12 "Bats" Det. 36 ("NE") 535 Kb	F9F-8 Cougar, VA-46 "Clansmen" 626 Kb	F9F-8 Cougar, VA-46 "Clansmen" 521 Kb	F9F-8 Cougar, VA-46 "Clansmen" 246 Kb
Ready room 101 Kb	Ready room 446 Kb	- 305 Kb	This may be a real rescue operation (?) 210 Kb
F9F-8 Cougars, flyby for King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece 239 Kb	FJ-3/3M Fury, VF-62 "Boomerangs" 201 Kb	Heading to the Liberty Boat: LT(JG) William Gwaltney 213 Kb	Fire power demonstration 236 Kb
Liberty call; LT(JG) William Gwaltney and fellow VAW-12 pilots 320 Kb	LT(JG) William Gwaltney 262 Kb	Officer quarters 505 Kb	Officer quarters 571 Kb

Album of Donald Tenney

Thanks to Bob Canchola, BT, USS Oriskany, 1971–73, for his help

1956–1957
F9F-8 Cougar, Attack Squadron (VA) 46 "Clansmen." 564 Kb	AD-6 Skyraider, Attack Squadron (VA) 176 "Thunder Bolts." 566 Kb	F2H-4 Banshee, Fighter Squadron (VF) 102 "Diamondbacks." 598 Kb	"Mail coming." Not sure if this one was taken in 1956–57 or 1957–58. 2.11 Mb
Highline transfer, possibly with USS Altair (AKS-32) 2.36 Mb	Highline transfer, possibly with USS Altair (AKS-32) 2.35 Mb	Orphans Christmas party, Naples, Italy, 1956 1.20 Mb	Orphans Christmas party, Naples, Italy, 1956. Note AD-5N Skyraider, VA(AW)-33 Det. 36 "Knight Hawks" (left foreground) and AD-6 Skyraider, VA-176 "Thunder Bolts" (tail code "X"). 1.17 Mb
F2H-4 Banshees in the center of the photo are from Fighter Squadron (VF) 102 "Diamondbacks," BuNo 147674 (X106) and 147647 (X106) 2.01 Mb	HUP-2 Retriever, Helicopter Utility Squadron (HU) 2 "Fleet Angels" Det. 36. 2.29 Mb	HUP-2 Retriever, BuNo 130007 (UR61), Helicopter Utility Squadron (HU) 2 "Fleet Angels" Det. 36. 1.96 Mb	Aircraft of Air Task Group (ATG) 202, tail code "X," on the flight deck of USS *Randolph* (CVA-15). Aircraft with tail code "PL" were F9F-8P Cougars attached to Light Photographic Squadron (VFP) 62 "Fighting Photos" Det. 36. 1.95 Mb
Left: FJ-3D Fury, Guided Missile Group (GMGRU) 2 Det. 36 (modex DB30); AJ-1 Savage, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 11 "Checkertails" Det. 36 "Bear Kats" (NB10). Right, foreground: FJ-3/3M Fury, Fighter Squadron (VF) 62 "Boomerangs" (X200 and X207). 2.36 Mb	Off-loading AD-6 Skyraider, BuNo 139619 (probably), modex X407, Attack Squadron (VA) 176 "Thunderbolts," Aircraft Task Group (ATG) 202. Mayport, Florida. 1.42 Mb	Strait of Messina. Two AJ-1 Savage, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 11 "Checkertails" Det. 36,on deck. 719 Kb	Strait of Messina. Aircraft of Air Task Group (ATG) 202 on deck. 625 Kb
	Naples and Mt. Vesuvius, 1956. Note F2H-4 Banshee of VF-102 "Diamondbacks," right, on deck. 623 kb

1957–1958
"Mail going." Not sure if this one was taken in 1956–57 or 1957–58. 2.07 Mb	AJ-2 Savage, VAH-7 Det. 36 (partially visible, left); F2H-4 Banshee, VF-22 (main subject). USS Salem (CA-139) in the background. 2.32 Mb	Note two F9F-8P Cougars (side numbers 34 and 33), from VFP-62 Det. 36 "Fighting Photos." 1.91 Mb	FJ-3/3M Fury, VF-73 "Jesters." 1.62 Mb

1958–1959
Note A4D-2 Skyhawks, modex AG402 (BuNo 142683, Attack Squadron [VA] 86 "Sidewinders") and AG304 (possibly BuNo 142712, VA-72 "Hawks"). 2.43 Mb	A4D-2 Skyhawks, VA-72 "Hawks," modex AG302 (BuNo 142706) and AG304 (possibly BuNo 142712). 2.18 Mb	A4D-2 Skyhawks, VA-72 "Hawks," BuNos 142700 and 142707. 426 kb
	New York City, after redesignation to ASW carrier (CVS). Two HSS-1 Seabats, BuNo 140125 (HE58) and 138462 (HE51), Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 9 "Sea Griffins," and S2F Trackers in the background. 1.01 Mb

Year Unknown
USS *Randolph* (CVA-15), destroyers and an ocean minesweeper off a Greek(?) port. 2.53 Mb	Officers' (or Captain's) gig. 1.72 Mb	During an UNREP with *Randolph* the auxiliary fuel line busted. 1.60 Mb	*Randolph* returns home. 2.34 Mb

Album of Sully Augustine

LT(JG) Sully Augustine took pictures of flight ops aboard USS Randolph in 1967.

Thanks to Bob Canchola, BT, USS Oriskany, 1971–73, for his help

1967
S-2E Trackers parked on the forward flight deck 296 Kb	E-1B Tracer recovering aboard, and a squadron mate parked on the flight deck 249 Kb	S-2E Tracker recovering aboard 305 Kb	S-2E Tracker has just recovered aboard *Randolph* 278 Kb
S-2E Tracker, VS-24 "Duty Cats." 343 Kb	SH-3D Sea King, BuNo 152694, AU53, HS-3 "Tridents." (Later converted to SH-3H and UH-3H; transferred to Canada as a training airframe in 2001.) 382 Kb	SH-3D Sea King, BuNo 152710, AU65, HS-3 "Tridents." (Later upgraded to SH-3G.) 312 Kb	SH-3D Sea King, HS-3 "Tridents" (appears to be AU65 again). 307 Kb
SH-3D Sea King, HS-3 "Tridents." 230 Kb	SH-3D Sea Kings, HS-3 "Tridents." 247 Kb	SH-3D Sea King, HS-3 "Tridents." E-1B Tracer (with its radar "dish") and S-2E Tracker on deck. 313 Kb	SH-3D Sea King, BuNo 152708, modex AU63, HS-3 "Tridents." 331 Kb
	One of the HS-3 "Tridents" SH-3D Sea Kings in flight. 214 Kb	S-2E Tracker, BuNo 152360, modex AU18, VS-24 "Duty Cats." 290 Kb