VP-29 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 14-F (VP-14F) on 1 November 1935, redesignated Patrol Squadron 14 (VP-14) on 4 September 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 52 (VP-52) on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 72 (VP-72) on 1 July 1941, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 122 (VPB-122) on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Squadron 122 (VP-122) on 15 May 1946, redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron (Landplane) 12 (VP-HL-12) on 15 November 1946, redesignated Patrol Squadron 29 (VP-29) on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 18 January 1950.
Operational history
1 Nov 1935: VP-14F was established at NAS Norfolk, Virginia. The squadron flew a complement of six PM-2 flying boats, with tender support provided by . 1 March 1938: VP-14 participated in Fleet Landing Exercise No. 4, visiting ports at Miami, Florida, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, Port Padre, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. June 1938: VP-14 received 11 P2Y-2s from VP-10 when that squadron received its new PBY-1 Catalinas. The squadron aircraft allowance was subsequently raised from 6 to 12, although only 11 aircraft were ever in the inventory. 5 September 1939: President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued his proclamation of neutrality, paving the way for the establishment of the Neutrality Patrol. By 20 September 1939, the Neutrality Patrol was in effect; VP-52 teamed with VP-53 and a group of destroyers to protect the approaches to Norfolk. 1 October 1939: VP-52 was relocated to NS Charleston, South Carolina, to fill gaps in the coverage of the southern Atlantic coastline. August – October 1940: VP-52 operated from advanced bases at Parris Island and Winyah Bay, South Carolina, with tender support by USS Owl and . December 1940 – January 1941: VP-52 exchanged its well-worn P2Y-2 aircraft, the last still in operation in the fleet, for new PBY-5s. The P2Y-2s were flown from Charleston to NAS Pensacola, Florida, for use as training planes. The PBY-5 aircraft were ferried across country by VP-14 from NAS San Diego, California, and delivered to VP- 52 in Pensacola in January. While en route, aircraft 14-P-11 flown by Lieutenant (jg) Murray Hanson, met foul weather and made an emergency landing on a dry lake on King Ranch, Texas. The lake had only three inches of water over the mud bottom, but a successful landing was made without damage to the aircraft. After removal of gear and partial refueling, Hanson was able to make an equally successful takeoff to complete the delivery of the new Catalina. 1 January 1941: VP-52 relocated from NS Charleston to NAS Norfolk 1 February 1941: VP-52 joined VP-51 at the unfinished Naval Air Station at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Crews were forced to live in tents next to the civilian airport until the barracks were completed. The two squadrons shared Neutrality Patrol duties through the Caribbean from the West Indies to Trinidad. 1 March – 5 April 1941: VP-52 held a change of command at NAS Norfolk and, on the same date, Rear Admiral Arthur L. Bristol assumed command of Support Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet with responsibility for the Neutrality Patrol in the North Atlantic. Aviation assets in the new command consisted of VPs 51, 52, 55, and 56; and tenders and . VP-53 joined the Support Force on 5 April 1941. 5 May 1941: VP-52 and VP-53 were relocated to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island to further improve coverage in the Northern Atlantic sea lanes and better protect passage of war material to Britain. 15 May 1941: VP-52 deployed to NAS Argentia, Newfoundland, recently obtained from Britain in the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. The squadron operated 10 PBY-5s from this location, with a detachment of two aircraft at NAS Norfolk. This remained the forward U.S. base until July 1943, when operations were moved to locations in the United Kingdom. The Norfolk detachment rejoined the squadron at Argentia on 25 June 1941. 24 May 1941: all VP-52 aircraft were launched in the face of strong gales to search for the German battleship Bismarck, which had just engaged and sunk HMS Hood in the Strait of Denmark. The ship was not spotted, as it had turned south of the patrol area. Of the 11 aircraft aloft, none were able to return to NAS Argentia due to bad weather at the landing site, but all ll ultimately returned to base. 29 May 1941: VP-52 deployed four aircraft to Iceland, based on at Reykjavik. The planes surveyed the east coast of Greenland where Danish weather stations were suspected of being in use by the Germans for relaying forecasts to the U-boat wolfpacks. Inspections of the facilities showed them to be abandoned, and the detachment returned to NAS Argentia on 8 June 1941.