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Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East. |
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#1
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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 |
#2
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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.
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#3
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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 |
#4
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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 |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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.
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#7
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Re: F4U-4 in action in Okinawa, 1945
Has promised.....................
F4U-4s VMF-222 Okinawa 1945 2Lt Whisenhant taxies his F4U-4 VMF-222 Okinawa 1945 |
#8
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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.
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#9
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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 Pilot 25-Mar-45 80802 VBF-89 USS Antietam Cent.Lant. Lt. T.F. Godding 28-Mar-45 80805 VBF-89 USS Antietam Cent. Lant. Lt.(jg) A.S. Paulson 10-Apr-45 80799 VBF-89 USS Antietam Cent. Lant. Ens. David L. Girardet 15-Apr-45 80810 VBF-89 USS Antietam Cent.Lant. 17-May-45 80851 VMF-223 Samar P.I. 2nd Lt. Robert Huxham 20-May-45 80912 VMF-212 Samar P.I. 30-May-45 80856 SERVRON-14 Samar P.I. 31-May-45 81553 VBF-89 USS Antietam Panama Cent.Lant. Lt.(jg) T.F. Kendrick 07-Jun-45 81028 VBF-94 USS Lexington Pearl E.Cen.Pac. Ens. R.S. Isaacs 07-Jun-45 81118 VBF-94 USS Lexington Pearl E.Cen.Pac. Lt.Cdr. L.S. Wall, Jr. 09-Jun-45 81084 VBF-6 USS Hancock E.Cen.Pac. 09-Jun-45 81346 VBF-2 Pearl E.Cen.Pac. Ens. Donald K. Hobson 11-Jun-45 81000 SERVRON-14 Okinawa Empire 11-Jun-45 81173 SERVRON-14 Okinawa Empire 13-Jun-45 80892 SERVRON-14 Okinawa Empire 13-Jun-45 81493 VBF-86 USS Wasp P.I. 14-Jun-45 81121 POOL Pearl E.Cen.Pac. 15-Jun-45 81336 VBF-86 USS Wasp P.I. 16-Jun-45 81217 VBF-94 USS Lexington W.Cen.Pac. Lt.(jg) C.W. Snyder 17-Jun-45 81116 VBF-2 Hilo E.Cen.Pac. Ens. Louis J. Smoley 17-Jun-45 81210 VBF-2 Hilo E.Cen.Pac. Lt. Richard W. Hellis 18-Jun-45 81304 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire 18-Jun-45 81332 VBF-86 USS Wasp P.I. 20-Jun-45 81209 Pool Pearl E.Cen.Pac. 20-Jun-45 81262 VBF-94 USS Lexington Wake Island W.Cen.Pac. Lt. Nicholas M. Pavonetti 21-Jun-45 81052 VMF-222 Okinawa Empire Lt. A.J. Austin 21-Jun-45 81066 VMF-212 Okinawa Empire 2nd Lt. Thomas R. McKay 25-Jun-45 80862 SERVRON-14 Okinawa Empire 28-Jun-45 80882 SERVRON-14 Okinawa Empire 28-Jun-45 81187 Pool Pearl Pearl E.Cen.Pac. 28-Jun-45 81309 VBF-86 USS Wasp Pearl E.Cen.PaC. 29-Jun-45 80913 VMF-212 Okinawa Empire 2nd Lt. James B. Wortman 29-Jun-45 81018 VMF-212 Okinawa Empire 01-Jul-45 81061 VMF-222 Awase Empire 02-Jul-45 81158 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt.(jg) John F. O'Neil 02-Jul-45 81303 VBF-86 USS Wasp Empire 02-Jul-45 81605 VBF-89 Hawaii E.Cen.Pac. Lt.(jg) S.C. Bain 04-Jul-45 81529 VBF-150 USS Lake Champlain Culebra Island Cent.Lant. Lt. J.P. Hancock 05-Jul-45 81760 VBF-150 USS Lake Champlain Cent.Lant. Lt. J.F. Oliver 07-Jul-45 80817 VMF-222 Awase Empire 07-Jul-45 81012 VMF-212 Awase Empire Operational - not enemy action 07-Jul-45 81044 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire Ens. Milton Zehr 08-Jul-45 81589 VBF-89 Hawaii E.Cen.Pac. Ens. E.J. Heitinger 08-Jul-45 81671 VBF-10 USS Intrepid E.Cen.Pac. 09-Jul-45 81034 ACORN-30 Tacloban P.I. 09-Jul-45 81139 VBF-89 Hawaii E.Cen.Pac. Ens. M.K. Spiess 09-Jul-45 81540 VBF-89 Hawaii E.Cen.Pac. Ens. R.L. Hearn, Jr. 10-Jul-45 81180 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire Lt. Harvey G. Odenbrett 10-Jul-45 81330 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt.(jg) Edward Clancy 11-Jul-45 81110 VMF-222 Okinawa Empire 2nd Lt. Clark Ketcham 11-Jul-45 81684 VBF-10 Hawaii E.Cen.Pac. Ens. L.A. Penick 13-Jul-45 81315 VBF-2 Saipan W.Cen.Pac. Ens. Roy K. Sorenson 16-Jul-45 80875 VMF-223 Awase Empire Cpt. Donald L. Radway 16-Jul-45 80941 VMF-223 Awase Empire 2nd Lt. William V. Everett 17-Jul-45 80982 VMF-223 Awase Empire 17-Jul-45 81085 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire Ens. N.T. Edmondson 18-Jul-45 80955 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire 18-Jul-45 81073 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire 18-Jul-45 81535 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt.(jg) Milton L. Adams 18-Jul-45 80847 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire 19-Jul-45 81298 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire 21-Jul-45 80963 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire 21-Jul-45 81095 VMF-212 Okinawa Empire 2nd Lt. John F. McGrath 22-Jul-45 81501 VBF-86 USS Wasp Empire Lt.(jg) Arthur W. Anderson 24-Jul-45 80920 VMF-223 Awase Empire 24-Jul-45 80995 VMF-223 Awase Empire 24-Jul-45 81070 VMF-223 Awase Empire 24-Jul-45 81088 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt.(jg) Thomas Brett 24-Jul-45 81099 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt. T.A. Sinclair 24-Jul-45 81119 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Ens. H.F. Donnelley, Jr. 24-Jul-45 81179 VBF-6 USS Hancock Empire Ens. C.L. Bausor 24-Jul-45 81319 VBF-94 USS Lexington Empire Lt. Ralph E. Boggs 24-Jul-45 81371 VMF-212 Awase Empire 24-Jul-45 81185 CVG-2 Saipan W.Cen.Pac. Full loss list at: http://www.warbirdinformationexchang...-outsideUS.xls
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#10
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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 Last edited by R Leonard; 24th September 2007 at 17:41. |
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