VP-41 Patrol Squadron
U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron VP-41 operated PBY Catalina aircraft in Alaska and the Aleutians during 1942. The squadron played a central role in the Battle of Dutch Harbor and subsequent operations against Japanese forces in the North Pacific.
Call signs: 1V–12V (41-P-1 through 41-P-12)
Aircraft: Transition from PBY-5 to PBY-5A completed by 1 February 1942
Battle of Dutch Harbor (3–6 June 1942)
3 June 1942
Six A6M Zero fighters from the carriers Ryūjō and Jun’yō conducted low-level strafing attacks against Dutch Harbor.
A PBY-5A piloted by Lt (jg) Jack F. Litsey was strafed while preparing for takeoff, set ablaze, and forced back to the ramp. AP1c Merlyn B. Dawson and RM3c Martin H. Zeller were killed.
Other VP-41 aircraft experienced varied engagements:
• Lt (jg) Kirmsie evaded interception by climbing into cloud cover
• Ens. William Doerr encountered fighters without damage
• Lt Boyle (41-P-11, BuNo 05011) engaged two Japanese floatplanes
• Ens. Hildebrand’s crew claimed one enemy aircraft shot down
A separate patrol aircraft piloted by Lt (jg) Jean Cusick was intercepted and forced down at sea. Survivors were later captured by the Japanese cruiser Takao after drifting in life rafts. Several crew members were lost.
4 June 1942
A PBY piloted by Ens. James T. Hilderbrand, Jr. disappeared, bringing total Patrol Wing losses to four aircraft.
Later that morning, Ens. Freerks located the Japanese carrier force approximately 240 miles from Otter Point. Lt (jg) Stockstill relieved the patrol and continued shadowing the carriers.
Once weather conditions improved, Japanese fighters launched and intercepted Stockstill’s aircraft. PBY 42-P-11 was shot down with all crew lost.
5–8 June 1942
5 June: Multiple VP-41 patrol sorties continued (41-P-4, 41-P-7, 41-P-11).
6 June: Lt (jg) William J. Bowers reported Japanese positions on Kiska and Attu.
8 June: Two VP-41 aircraft independently confirmed Japanese occupation of Kiska and Attu.
8 August: Six PBYs attacked Kiska—three against shipping, three against shore installations. One aircraft (Ens. Herrin) was forced down due to fuel exhaustion and later rescued. Another aircraft (Lt (jg) Julius Raven) was lost in poor weather near Dutch Harbor with all crew missing.
Operational Incidents (June–August 1942)
• 12 June: Lt. Theis evacuated personnel from Kanaga Island
• Mid-June: Lt (jg) Jep C. Johnson’s aircraft crashed into Mount Carlisle
• 26 June: Lt (jg) Litsey’s aircraft (41-P-11, 11V) engaged by Japanese floatplane; sustained heavy damage but survived
Squadron Strength
| Date | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| 1 July 1942 | 7 PBY-5A |
| 1 August 1942 | 12 PBY-5A |
Withdrawal and Transition
22 August 1942: VP-41 withdrew to the continental United States, relieved by VP-42 and VP-61.
25 January 1943: Aircraft redistributed to VP-43, VP-61, VP-62, and Hedron. Flight crews transferred for PV-1 Ventura training.
1 March 1943: VP-41 redesignated VB-136. Personnel adopted “Empire Express” mission tracking cards and squadron traditions, including the Williwaw and 180th Meridian Club.
Legacy
The squadron’s identity carried forward into VB-136, which retained VP-41’s insignia—a husky against an Alaskan winter background—and continued operations in the North Pacific.
