Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron FIVE

1956, I was assigned to HS1 in Aug55, deployed in October on the USS Tarawa with HOS3 Copters. In January 1956 about one half of HS1 transferred to HS5 when it was commissioned. HSI was on the south half of the hangar and HS5 had the north half. This was on the old seaplane base in Key West. HS1 and HS5 both received 14 HSS1 or S58 copters. HS5 deployed from Norfolk, VA aboard the USS Valley Forge. One deployment was from Bridgeport, CT. I am a "Plank Owner" and still possess my certificate. I also still have the Sikorsky S-58 System Diagrams book. We hunter subs from Greenland, along the east coast, clear to the Caribbean. I was transferred from HS5 in July of 1957. E.E.Wagner AD2 -

1959, I joined HS-5, Key West, FL. Moved to Quonset Point after tours on USS Tarawa and USS Wasp then Lake Champlain. Aviation Metal Smith 2nd Class

1961, I joined HS-5, it was home ported at Quonset Point RI with a squadron of 30 H-34 sonar dipping gear Helocraft. At that time the USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) was our duty ship. Our mission was a part of task force which tracked USSR submarines in the North Atlantic which were usually home ported in Polionay, Russia. They had to come out to the Atlantic through the North Sea. Cruises were nine weeks to six months in duration. Most notable of those missions was the recovery ship for the first manned space flight when Commander Alan B. Sheppard, USN, road the first manned rocket in a Mercury 7 capsule down range from Cape Canaveral. On station, night dipping at night was particular dangerous on overcast nights with no discernable horizon. It wasn't until the SH3-A Sea King with twin jet engines arrived that new computerized IFR that HS-5 could truly become an all weather, 24/7/365 operational sub detecting unit.

1963 joined HS-5 at Quonset point . They were flying the SH-34J helicopter at the time . I was an AZ. Had many adventures aboard the USS Lake Champlain !! Was aboard when we picked up a space capsule !! I remember the capsule was boiling hot from coming thru the earths atmosphere . We ended up getting the SH3A jet helos . Ill never forget when they started having problems with the GE engines !! We were out at sea and one of them had a stalled engine and was having a major problem getting up on to the deck !! The highly skilled pilot kept gunning the working engine every time a big wave would come up . Finally he was able to get high enough to get it on the deck and saved a million dollar aircraft !!!! It was a great squadron !!!! Had deployments aboard the Independence and the Forrestal .Jerry Craig Aviation Administration Airman

1969 I was a Naval Aviator assigned to HS-5, which was based at Quonset Point, RI. we were flying primarily the SH-3D model. After . cnumerous short deployments, in May 1970 HS-5 deployed aboard USS Wasp (CVS-18) for a four month EASTLANT cruise. We visited Lisbon, Copenhagen, Oslo, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Plymouth. Shortly after our return, HS-5 deployed aboard USS Intrepid for a five week deployment without the rest of the Air Group. In 1971 we were gone a total of eight and a half months, deploying to the Mediterranean in January for seven weeks, various training deployments and, near the end of the year, a deployment along the Eastern seaboard on USS Saratoga with our sister squadron HS-7 to test the CV concept, the notion that a carrier could be used flexibly as either a CVA or a CVS. When we returned to USS Wasp in November the carrier had a major electrical generator failure that ended in its retirement form active service in December 1971. Steven L Fritz, CDR, USNR-Retired -

1969-1972 Great squadron to be attached too, AW3 J walton

1970-Sept72, Joined the unit in Hamburg Germany. Aboard the USS Wasp. Out of Quonset Point, RI. Did the North Atlantic cruise chasing Ruskie subs. Then did time on USS Intrepid, Uss Independence, and USS Saratoga. I was a flight deck troubleshooter. Aviation Electrian. Lovednthe SH-3 Helicopter. The Men I served with were of High Quality Sailors. I still remember those youthful days. AE2 Rex Stupp

1971-1974; Joined HS-5 after training in HS-1, also at Quonset Pt. We deployed aboard the USS Wasp (CVS-18) until they retired her. Then we joined HS-11 aboard Intrepid (CVS-11) and became HS-151 for the time we were aboard. My last cruise was aboard the Independence deployed to the Med. I was separated from duty upon arrival at Norfolk in January, 1974. The squadron was moved from Quonset to JAX at that time. Cal Waldhart AW2

Late 1971 or early 1972 until early 1975 I got orders to HS-5 as a jet engine mechanic (ADJ). Based out of Quonset Pt. R.I. And later Jacksonville, Florida. The “Mechs” as we were called were responsible for the G.E. T-58 turboshaft engines, fuel system, gear boxes and shafts back to the tail rotor on the Sikorsky H-3. We deployed on the Wasp, the Intrepid and the Independence. I only made one short cruise on the Wasp before its decommissioning. I heard that the Wasp was sold to Gillette. If that is true I wonder how many razor blades can be made from an aircraft carrier!? After a year of boot camp, ADJ school and helicopter school and then 3 yrs. In HS-5, I entered civilian life again. Met great people and learned a lot in that squadron. (ADJ-2) Jim Spry.

1972, Joined the unit aboard the USS INTREPID the last straight deck carrier in Scotland. The squadron was based in Quonset Point, but moved to NAS Jacksonville. We deployed aboard CV-62 IN 1972,1973,1974 in the Mediterranean Sea where we assisted in Pan AM FLIGHT 370 SEARCH AND RECOVERY. Tracked enemy subs. Petty Officer Third Class Walter Sample AMS-4

My father, AK (retired] "Guppy" Gutleben, served onboard the Independence with HS-5 in Quonset Point and Jax. I am writing his bio for the family as he passed away in 2006. I would like to correct one of the above statements-- It was NOT Pan Am flight 370. It was TWA Flight 841 (1974) in which HS-5 performed search and recovery. I remember very well how pulling victims from the water affected my dad. If any of y'all knew my dad and have any stories- you can contact me at soup sam wich @ g mail (remove the blanks) -

Sorry to hear your father passed. Thanks for correcting me about the recovery mission of TWA flight 841. All my cruise books got destroyed and I had been searching for that information. AMS3 Walter Sample flight deck trouble shooter and plane captain of HS-5 1972-1975

1973-1976, I was a Naval Aviator assigned to HS-5. In February 1974, (not 1976) HS-5 transfered from Quonset Point (not Quonset State) Rhode Island to Jacksonville, Florida. During that period HS-5 deployed aboard the USS Independence, CV-62, flying the SH-3H model helicopter. Jerry L. Meyer, CDR, USNR Retired

late 80s and 1990s, Looking for HS-5 squad members that were at AUTEC Andros Island, Bahamas