|
F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Hi!
Anyone know what squadrons of US Marines had used the F4U-4 in combat in Okinawa, in April-June of 1945? For that I read, only the VMF-222, VMF-223 and VMF-212. Somebody would have photos or indication of books where could find more information? Cheers, Franklin - from Brazil |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
As far as I can tell, those are the only units to make claims:
VMF-212 2 VMF-222 3 VMF-224 4 All destroyed, no probables or damages. Robert Sherrod's History of US Marine Corps Aviation in World War 2 would probably be the best place to start looking. Frank. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Hi, Frank
I don't have this book. Barrett Tillman's Vought F4U Corsair (Warbirdtech Series) list three squadrons: VMF-212 - 36 F4U-4 Awase, Okinawa VMF-222 - 32 F4U-4 Anase, Okinawa VMF-223 - 31 F4U-4 Awase, Okinawa I'm searching especially photos of F4U-4 Corsairs used of marines, in Okinawa, june 1945. I found only two photos of F4U-4 of VMF-212 and VMF-223, in the book F4U Corsair in Color - Fighting Colors (Squadron/Signal Publications), p. 25, by Jim Sullivan. Cheers, Franklin |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Could not begin to tell you which squadron was flying what aircraft without dragging out a bunch of books and such, but a list, distilled from data in Sherrod, of VMF and VMF(N) squadrons operating out of Okinawa and Ie Shima in the period April though June 1945 looks like:
VMF-113 VMF-212 VMF-222 VMF-223 VMF-224 VMF-311 VMF-312 VMF-314 VMF-322 VMF-323 VMF-422 VMF-422 VMF-441 VMF(N)-533 VMF(N)-542 and VMF(N)-543 Rich |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Hello Names Ray Ledesma.
Writing book on Corsairs and to answer your question, there was VMF124 flying from the deck of the carrier Essex in 1945 and they participated in the bombing of Naha AB on Oki. the sqdn leader was Col millington. VMF124 was the first group to receive F4U's and the first to be assigned to a carrier. If you need more info let me know |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
I've got some good VMF-222 photos and can post a few after work and also some F4U-4 Bu/No's if you want.
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Has promised.....................
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...-2221945-1.jpg F4U-4s VMF-222 Okinawa 1945 http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...MF-2221945.jpg 2Lt Whisenhant taxies his F4U-4 VMF-222 Okinawa 1945 |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
VERY interesting photos, Jack! Yes I for one would be interested in BuNo information as well. Is "318" BuNo 81318 by any chance?
PS. Jack, over the past months I've sent you a number of e-mails/PMs regarding Mr Schiess. Did you receive them? I haven't had an answer. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Here are the losses for F4U-4s during WW2. Hope they're of interest.
HTML Code:
Date BuNo Squadron Origination Destination Hemisphere PilotFull loss list at: http://www.warbirdinformationexchang...-outsideUS.xls |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
And F4U-4s as they were deployed in various units, from USN Aircraft Location Reports. Available reports are, generally, 6 to 8 days apart, but some there are some gaps. First -4's appear in the 10 March 1945 returns; first USMC -4s appear in the 16 June 1945. Remember, also, that it took generally about 5-6 days to compile the world-wide reports in to the dated consolidated report. Also in more than just a few cases, the presence of -4's in a unit's complement, especially in obviously less than full strength numbers, is not necessarily indicative that these were the only aircraft in a given unit's inventory; earlier makes of F4Us, FGs and even F3As could be part of a squadrons mix. Many of these reports show squadrons in states of transitions as they increased their numbers or even gave up their -4s as part of a movement to another operating area, such as east coast squadrons moving to the west coast and on to Pacific deployments. On this list, if a unit no longer reports the presence of -4s it is so noted. If a squadron drops off the list it is because a report definitively shows it as no longer having -4s in inventory. Makes following their progress a little interesting. CASU and ServRon inventories were somewhat transitory, servicing line squadrons and serving as a source to turn in earlier types and draw new.
From 10 March 1945 Aircraft Location returns:
Oh, and my father's log shows he first flew the F4U-4 on 5 March 1945, b/n 80825 out of North Island NAS, during a period from 8 Feb 1945 to 2 April 1945 when the TF-38 staff (he was assistant ops officer) was in between deployments. He flew that same F4U-4 on two other occasions during that period, 17 March and 26 March. Other flights of interest around then were 2 February, 19 March, and 20 March in an A6M5 (b/n 5357) with the 19 and 20 March flights in practice interceptions against PB4Y-2's; a 16 March flight in a Ryan FR-1 (b/n 39647) and another FR-1 flight on 31 March (b/n 39653), though not his first in that hybrid dual engined type, that was back on 23 August 1944 in bn 48232, the XFR-1; and his first flight in an F7F, a -2N (b/n 80336) on 30 March. Regards, Rich |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Skyraider3D and especially Rich, thanks a lot for very interesting info
Juha |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Here are some F4U-4 BuNo's from VMF-222 combat missions
starting 5-17-45 81089, 80852, 80997,80197, 81057, 80977, 80827, 80318, 81110, 80868, 81052, 80965, 81046, 81342. 46 F4U-4 combat missions flown by Lt Whisenhant 79 total. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Quote:
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
PS. Thanks very much for that list, Rich
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Here's an interesting photo showing an F4U-4 in-theatre during WW2:
http://www.footnote.com/image/556850...|iwo/#55684807 |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Three Marine squadrons flew the F4U-4 in combat on Okinawa, VMFs 212, 222 and 223. All were part of MAG14 and received the new fighters at Guiuan, Samar in May. They were flown to Kadena in early June.
George Kernahan |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
I have a friend who is a retired GySgt/MGySgt(long story) who was on Okinawa. He was an Air Winger and here is one of the pictures he sent me of the flightline on Okinawa one night...note F4U's in background:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...tures20136.jpg Here is a picture of his squadron in Kadena circa May 1945...he is standing 4th from left: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...tures20219.jpg |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Quote:
"MAG-31 with 3 Squadrons , VMF 311 Helles Belles,VMF-312 Checkerboards, VMF 314 All with F4U-1C Corsairs. 1St Lt Klingman was famous from VMF 312 for climbing to 38,000 Ft where his guns were frozen & he closed in on a KI 45 Nick twin engine fighter on a photo mission. Chewed off the tail section. The Japanese Gunner had the frozen gun problem also. He was facing Klingman frantically trying to fire his gun when the plane dove in with no tail section. Klingman had a rough flight back to Kadena since the prop was all out of balance. I saw the plane after he landed." |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Hello all:
I was less than a year old when the Battle of Okinawa took place so I have no first hand knowledge to add. However, my brother-in-law served on the USS Chenango-CVE28-during the early part of 1945. He recently e-mailed me asking about something that happened on board. I attach his comments... Although no squadron of F4U's operated off carriers in the pacific, we trained a marine squadron of 28 F4U's on our way from Seattle to Pearl Harbor. Nobody could figure out why were training Marine pilots flying F4U's. It was total secrecy.Does anyone have any knowledge of this that I might share with him? Thanks a bunch! George |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
With so many experts, any of you able to either proof or disproof that cannon armed dash 4s were active over Okinawa? I'm getting mixed information on this particular subject.
We know that cannon armed -1Cs saw action over Okinawa, but some sources claim that there were also -4 (is it B?) cannon birds, although others claim this type so no operational service (or was it action, been a while) in WW2. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
The F4U-4B entered squadron service with VF58 in June 1946, The first Marine squadron was VMF224 in April 1947.
VMFs311, 314 and 422 had the cannon-armed F4U-1Cs at Okinawa. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
sorry, finger trouble---for VMF422 read VMF441, in previous post
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Quote:
George Look at message #10 on page one of this thread and you’ll find a long list of just F4U-4 aircraft assigned to many squadrons, many of which were USN VF or VBF squadrons operating off carriers in combat. And that leaves out the USN squadrons with F4U-1D’s and FG-1D’s of which there were several operating off carriers. You can find all this data in the USN aircraft location reports http://www.history.navy.mil/a-record/ww-ii/loc-ac/loc-ac.htm Where, also, if you look hard you will find various VMF squadrons operating off CVEs. You’ll also find VMFs operating off CVs as part of USN air groups. In fact, there was one USN air group that was briefly commanded by a Marine in the course of its deployment, CVG-4 aboard USS Essex, LTC William Millington. There were two F4U equipped VMFs operating off Essex at the time, VMF-124 and VMF-213, the other fighter squadron aboard was VF-4 operating F6Fs. The aircraft location report for 16 Jan 1945, for example, shows these assignments http://www.history.navy.mil/a-record/ww-ii/loc-ac/1945/jan1945/16-1-45.pdf. Millington took over CVG-4 when the CAG Cdr Otto Klinsmann was killed in action on 15 Jan 1945. So, really, there were plenty of F4Us operating off carriers, both USN and USMC. Rich |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Quote:
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Hi fellas,
My grandpa was a Marine pilot in WWII and flew a Corsair. I was looking up some info on Google and came across this thread and thought I'd chime in. I'm NO EXPERT, but I thought I'd pass along some info at least... Here's a neat site that has a little info about his squadron: http://warlords.hobbyvista.com/history.htm (My grandpa is in the 1st guy in the top row of the 2nd pic) This guy made a movie about the squadron: http://bluedevilsmovie.com/ Not sure if this helps answer your original question, but I thought it was interesting at least! ;-) ~Wendy |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
1 Attachment(s)
I wrote the book Corsair author Raymond L Ledesma.
this histrical fiction story outlines VMF- 124. that squadron flew F4U's off the deck of the USS Essex in 1945 in the Okinawa battle. Novel avaiable at Amazon in book or digital format.Attachment 13176 |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Iwrote a novel, Corsair-author Raymond L Ledesma, about Marine Sqd. VMF-124.
This group took the Corsairs (F4U's) to fight in the Pacific durring WWII. good read avaiable in Amazon book or digital format. |
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
VMF-124 was the first Marine group to take the F4U's to combat off carriers , USS Essex. complete history of that Sqaudron is covered in my Novel Corsair- Raymond L Ledesma Available at amazon.com in book or digital format
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
VMF-124 was first Marines to take the F4U's to carriers. complete story can be found in my Novel Corsair-Raymond L Ledesma, amazon.com Available in Book or digital forma. Great read.
|
Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
VMF-124 was first Marine Sqaudron. to fly off carrier USS Essex. Col.Millington USMC lead that Group of Marines. Can read the complete history of that group in my Novel Corsair-Raymond L Ledesma Amazon.com book or digital format.
|
| All times are GMT +2. The time now is 00:33. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net