Almansur: Hijacking the Sluggers

SLUGGING IT OUT WITH VF-103

Fighter Squadron VF-103 Sluggers had a fine tradition in the US Navy. Establishment came on May 1st 1952, and they flew a long list of aircraft: F4U Corsair, F9F Cougar, F-8A and E Crusader, F-4J and S Phantom and F-14A and B Tomcat.

They got the only nighttime MiG kill of the Vietnam war. Flying the F-4J, LCDR Robert "Gene" Tucker and LT (jg) Stanley "Bruce" Edens shot down one MiG-21 with an AIM-7E Sparrow missile. They flew from the USS Saratoga. Date was August 10, 1972.

They intercepted the terrorists who had taken control of the Achille Lauro.

They took part in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The only Tomcat lost in Desert Storm was a Bravo Turkey from VF-103 undertaking a TARPS mission. The Sluggers also flew more missions and had more combat time on the Gulf War than any other Tomcat squadron.

During the months of March and April 1995, VF-103 pioneered the use of the LANTIRN pod on the F-14 Tomcat. The original "Flir Cat" nose art was theirs, and their XO, CDR Alex Hnarakis, flew many demo missions to prove the concept.

If there was one field in which the Sluggers were lacking, it was on the uninspired squadron markings they painted on their aircraft. Otherwise they were a proud squadron with a distinguished history. The big question then is, why on earth did they surrender their insignia to the Jolly Rogers?

All the answers I ever heard to this fundamental question are vague and incomplete. Obviously a lot of old chips were cashed, back stage maneuvers took place, phone calls traded. Although the bureaucrats selected VF-84 as a unit to go, with the cold, dispassionate, reasoning that bean counters use for such tasks, there was a critical mass of support on the operational Navy for the continuation of the Jolly Rogers' traditions.

There were even gestures by VFA squadrons to house the Bones. The Tomcat community was not amused. It became pretty clear that one Tomcat squadron would be ordered to take on the Jolly Rogers jack, like it or not. The hammer fell on the Sluggers of VF-103. They lived in relative anonymity, they were ashore (their carrier, the USS Saratoga, was decommissioned on August 20, 1994). They were vulnerable.

On the very day that witnessed the disestablishment of VF-84, VF-103 officially took the designation of the Jolly Rogers and all associated insignia, colors and traditions. Around that time David F Brown took the very interesting photo shown bellow. The F-14B Tomcat is still painted with the Sluggers colors, however notice the drop tank.

The color scheme adopted by the new Jolly Rogers was very similar to the one used on VF-84's CAG aircraft of 1991, as documented on this US Navy photograph.

The TPS scheme applied to most of the squadron's aircraft is again documented by David F Brown on the following photo.

This transitional period has had some interesting minor variations on the schemes applied to the line birds, as documented on the next David F Brown photos. Modex 211 shows CVW-17 titles at the wing glove, black fuselage band and gray Bones:

Modex 217 has black Bones and fuselage band, and shows USS Enterprise titles:

Modex 207 is doing carrier qualifications with gray Bones, but missing the AA titles inside the tail fin:

CDR Hnarakis took command of VF-103 Jolly Rogers in February 1996. His XO was LCDR Jim "Mean Jim" Greene.

Thierry Van Pevenaeyge took these pictures in Belgium, in 1996, during a visit of Enterprise's CVW-17 aircraft to an air show.

The 1996 deployment was to be VF-103's sole cruise aboard the USS Enterprise. It is very easy to identify an aircraft from this deployment, although the general color scheme of the new Jolly Rogers would remain basically the same until the present day: they flew with modex numbers on the 200 range.

Joan Martorell got this picture at Palma de Mallorca on 27 July 1996. Note this variation: CVW-17 titles on the wing glove section instead of USS Enterprise on a full-markings modex 206.

During this deployment VF-103 pioneered the operational use of the LANTIRN system, flying strike missions against Serbian targets in operation Decisive Endeavor. They also flew Fast-FAC (Forward Air Control), CAS (Close Air Support) and TARPS missions. Later on they flew TARPS and deny-flight missions over Iraq in operation Southern Watch.

Their next home, again for a single cruise, was the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. In July 1997, David F Brown took these pictures of Jolly Rogers Tomcats, already with the new 100 modex numbers, but still without carrier titles or tail codes.

The aircraft with the low-viz scheme shows a deviation from the Enterprise days, in which the skull and crossbones are presented in a much lighter color, outlined in a darker gray for contrast.

The high-viz aircraft also introduces CAG colors to the 103 modex. Usually the high-viz aircraft have modex numbers that end in 00 or 01, but a play with the squadron's number has the Jolly Rogers painting their richest colors on 103 henceforth.

Aircraft 103 received a special treatment for the Christmas season of 2000, with the Skull wearing a Santa Claus hat, and with crossed candy bars replacing the crossed bones. Season's Greetings was written in white on the side of the black drop tanks. This special livery was henceforth known as the Santa Cat. My friend Brian Marbrey sent me these official VF-103 pictures of the Santa Cat at sea:

CVW-17 joined the USS George Washington for the 2000 cruise, that took them to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.

The appalling events of September 11 2001 put the George Washington and her airwing on the war path. Their combat cruise started on June 20, 2002, and had them bombarding Taliban positions in Afghanistan, and on at least one occasion providing close air support to heavily engaged special forces.

Their CAG (modex 100) and CO (modex 103) aircraft were caught on camera by David F Brown prior to the deployment.

The commander of CVW-17 was CAPT Dana "Smudge" Potts, himself a world class and well published aviation photographer. Note that the 100 aircraft is on a low-viz scheme, although it carries some personal nose art, "San Antonio Rose", a dedication to Dana Potts' wife. The next photo is by Dana himself, and shows to good effect the nose art.

Note that on this photo the canopy frame is darker. Modex 100 was repainted prior to deployment, and is shown bellow in a far more attractive scheme. This photo and all the following were taken by Dana Potts during the 2002 cruise.

Modex 103 was painted in the full Jolly Rogers regalia, and is picture to great effect on the next three photos, the second of those showing a unique formation with Croatian MiG-21s.

The end photo document the other color scheme variation from this cruise. 110 and 112 show the low-viz markings with very dark gray tails that seem to be destined to be the norm on the Jolly Rogers Tomcats.