My photos of the Lucky Lady of HU-1 aboard USS Iowa, July 1952. The HO3S-1 pictured here proved to be an extremely capable multi-mission helicopter during this deployment. July of 1952 was a very active month on the gun line off the Korean Peninsula for USS Iowa and this detachment from the fleets first and only West Coast (San Diego) helo squadron provided aerial spotting for the shelling of Wonson and various other locations in direct support of UN forces. The month before, this aircrew rescued at least one downed aviator from the carrier Princeton. When HU-1 stood up at Miramar four years earlier, it consisted of about 18 pilots and a few helicopters. Almost immediately following the outbreak of war in Korea, demand for helicopter pilots swelled so dramatically that it gave rise to a dedicated training squadron that we know today at HT-8.
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