WW2 (VMF) Pacific Island Hopping ...

[Mark Allen M]

This is a request from several USMC vets and enthusiasts. I've posted plenty of US Navy photos over the months but not too much as far as Land based VMF outfits. This series will cover quite a bit from Guadalcanal to Japan. Some real nice stuff here as most are various VMF outfits. A lot of interesting things can be observed in many of these photos. Sources, NMNA archives, Library of Congress archives, LIFE archives. My own collections.

Part 1 of 4


F2A-3 Buffalo fighting plane of VMF-112 1942


F2A-3 Buffalo fighting plane of VMF-221 1942


F4F-4 Wildcat of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 122 1942


F4F-4 Wildcat of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 121 1942


F4F-4 Wildcat aircraft of VMF-121 1942


Sailors inspect the TBF-1 Avenger of Torpedo Squadron VT8 piloted by Ensign Albert K Earnest in an attack against the Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Midway 1942


Marine Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats parked on the Fighter Strip at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal on January 1943.


Marine F4U Corsairs ready for take off from the Solomon Islands on November 1, 1943.


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-124, the Bull Dog Squadron, shipboard fighters stationed on Guadalcanal 1943


F4U-1 Corsairs of VMF-213 are standing by on Fighter Strip No. 1 of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-213 warmed up Henderson Field, Guadalcanal 1943


TBF-1 of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron One Hundred Thirty-One (VMSB-131) pictured parked on grass at Guadalcanal 1942


TBF-1 Avenger, of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron One Hundred Thirty-One (VMSB-131) pictured parked on grass at Guadalcanal 1942


SBD-4 Dauntless with Marine Scout Bomber Squadron Two Hundred Thirty-Three (VMSB-233) pictured at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal 1943


TBF-1's on the ground at Guadalcanal 1942


TBF's on Munda Islands 1943


TBF-1's on the ground at Munda 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-223 at Munda 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-221 on the ground at an unknown location. Pilot Lt. Donald Burch is an ace 1943


Four (4) F4U-1 Corsairs of VMF-215 1943

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Mark Allen M]

Part 2 of 4


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-123 or VMF-124 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-214 on the ground at Bougainville 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-214 on the ground at Turle Bay fighter strip on Espiritu Santo 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-214 taking of at Espiritu Santo 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-215 crashed in Munda, New Georgia 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-215 of Major R. G. Owens, USMC 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-215 on the flight strip at Munda 1943


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-215 on the flight strip at Munda 1943-2


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF(N)-532 is on the ground at Roi Island, Marshall Islands 1944


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-222 on the ground at Samar, Philippine Islands 1944


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-222 on the ground ready to taxi onto the runway for launch from Russell Islands 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-216 on the ground at Bouganville damaged by Japanese planes 1944


Fourth Marine Air Wing after a scramble to intercept an unidentified approaching plane 1944


Marine fighter planes, the F4U corsairs, of VMF-222, getting ready to launch from Vella La Vella 1944


SBD-5 assigned to unidentified Marine Corps squadron pictured in flight over Bougainville en route to a strike on Rabaul 1944


SBD-5s (VMSB-2321) at Majouro in the Marshalls prior to launch against Japanese installations on Mille Atoll. 1944


SBD-5s assigned to an unidentified Marine Corps squadron taxi on a runway on Bougainville just prior to launching on a combat mission 1944


two F4U-1A Corsair aircraft on on the ground at Bougainville. #735 is possibly Major Boyington's aircraft 1944

[Mark Allen M]

Part 3 of 4


Two (2) F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-224 1944


Three (3) F6F-5N Hellcat aircraft of VMF(N)-541 are in flight near Palau 1944


TBM on ground at Cylops Airfield, Hollandia, New Guinea 1944


TBF-1C on the ground at Vella Lavella 1944


MAG-45 F4U Corsair aircraft on the ground at Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll 1944


F4U-1D Corsair aircraft of VMF-114 is taxiing to take-off from Peleliu 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-224 is preparing to launch from Majuro 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-223 and a C-47 are on the ground on Green Island 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-222 on the ground in Bougainville being maintained by Marines 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-217 is on the ground in the Mariannas 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-212 on the ground at Vella Lavella 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-113 in flight over Eniwatok 1944


F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMA-321 of MAG-21 on alert on the ground in Guam 1944


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMA-321 on the ground at Guam 1944


F4U Corsair aircraft of MAG-21 on the taxiway on Guam 1944


An F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMA-211 or VMF-212 1944


A long line of Marine torpedo bombers with Japanese shipping the South Pacific Area as a principle target moves up a taxiway of a Bougainville Airstrip 1944


F4U-1A Corsair of VF-17 pictured at the squadron base in New Georgia in the Solomon Islands in 1944. The pilot is LTJG Ira Kepford 1944

[Steve Nelson]

TBF-1's on the ground at Munda 1943

This one's intriguing. The TBFs in the foreground appear to have had the bars on the insignia painted out..never seen that before. Of course, the red border was often painted out or left off in the Pacific, but I've never seen the white bars removed.

SN

[Mark Allen M]

Part 4 of 4


F4U-1 Corsair of VMF-114, 1st Marine Division are all set for take-off on the ground in Peleliu 1944


An F6F-5N Hellcat aircraft of VMF(N)-541, is on Peleliu with night radar 1944


TBM-1C Avengers with Torpedo Squadron Eighteen VT-18 from CV-11 USS Intrepid sitting on flight line at Peleliu 1944


Two F4U-1A Corsair aircraft of VMF-113 on the ground on Engebi Island in the Pacific 1945


Two (2) F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-122 ready for takeoff 1945


FG-1D Corsairs of VMF-323 over Okinawa 1945


FG-1D Corsair aircraft of VMF-312 being fitted with ordnance at Kadena airfield, Okinawa 1945


FG-1D Corsair aircraft from MAW-4 on the ground at Iwo Jima 1945


F6F-5N Hellcat aircraft of VMF(N)-541, MAG-45, are on the ground at Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll 1945


F4U-1D Corsair aircraft of VMA-321on the ground in Iwo Jima 1945


TBM-3E Avenger of Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron VMTB-242 taking off from Iwo Jima's Motoyama Number One Airstrip 1945


F4U-1D Corsair aircraft of VMA-312 is the second Corsair to land at Kadena airfield, Okinawa 1945


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-114 is on the ground in Okinawa 1945


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-312 are lined up on Kadena airfield on Okinawa 1945


F4U Corsair aircraft of VMF-222 on the ground Samar, Philippine Islands 1945


A four (4) plane division and the P-38 photo plane swing in low toward the Kushi-Take target, a Japanese strong-point in central Okinawa 1945


An F4U-1D Corsair of VMF-422 is on the ground at Ie Shima 1945


FG-1D Corsair aircraft of VMF-113 on the ground at NAB Omura, Japan 1945


F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of VMF-311 flying a surveillance patrol over Japan 1945

[The Inspector]

TRES' KUHL!! This series of photos sort of puts the lie to the Navy not allowing nose art, lots of very colorful and 'interesting' birds, are those two VMA-321 birds toting P-38 long range tanks?

[gary1954]

TRES' KUHL!! This series of photos sort of puts the lie to the Navy not allowing nose art, lots of very colorful and 'interesting' birds, are those two VMA-321 birds toting P-38 long range tanks?

I never said they didn't Inspector Sir, just not as it was in the ETO or with the AAC/AAF

[Robbie Stuart]

Nice stuff Mark!

[Mark Allen M]

Wonderful news to wake up to. Just got a real nice PM from a member who stated this Corsair may have belonged to his Great Uncle. I'll leave it for him to embellish additional information if me so wishes. This is what makes it so worth the effort to post old photos here for you all to see. Got nothing to do with me and any type of 'real' research, just a matter of posting photos on my part. I wish I could take credit for the research, but it's you guys who get ALL the credit. This type of news is really wonderful and very cool to see happen. BRAVO!!! It's happen a few times now. To ALL of you who take the time to research some of these photos I post. Thank you very much. Absolutely fantastic!!!


F4U-1A Corsair of VMF-217 in the Mariannas 1944

[Skyraider3D]

Great selection of photos!

I was wondering about that Corsair you highlighted in your previous post. Has any more info come to light since?

[Dan K]

A four (4) plane division and the P-38 photo plane swing in low toward the Kushi-Take target, a Japanese strong-point in central Okinawa 1945

Although attached to the 318th FG, the F-5s (and their pilots!) of the 28th Photo Recon Squadron seem to have covered just about everything involving Iwo and Okinawa.

Funny thing is I don't think I've ever seen a color pic of the unit's Lightnings. Can any WIXers definitively identify what color the vertical stab and rudder carried?

[hang the expense]

TBF-1's on the ground at Munda 1943

This one's intriguing. The TBFs in the foreground appear to have had the bars on the insignia painted out..never seen that before. Of course, the red border was often painted out or left off in the Pacific, but I've never seen the white bars removed.

SN

My bet would be a previous aircraft number and not the bars because it is not in line with star tips 2 and 5.

[bilwor]

Wonderful photos especially the Marine aircraft
bill word

[Taigh Ramey]

TBF-1's on the ground at Munda 1943

This one's intriguing. The TBFs in the foreground appear to have had the bars on the insignia painted out..never seen that before. Of course, the red border was often painted out or left off in the Pacific, but I've never seen the white bars removed.

SN

My bet would be a previous aircraft number and not the bars because it is not in line with star tips 2 and 5.

I don't think they were painted out in this shot but I believe they were cleaning and prepping the area to change the markings by adding the bar and surround.

Could also be at the time when they were complaining about the red border and someone said hold the presses until we receive word.

Wonderful shots Mark. I have not seen so many Navy nose art photos in one place before. Thanks for posting all of your great pictures. I hope you don't run out! Maybe you can sell some on eBay so you can go buy more!

[Mark Allen M]

Here's two more photos which clearly show the 'bars' have indeed been painted over, hmmm! very interesting. Photos state New Caledonia 1943
Correction: Taigh would be correct in his summation as "cleaning and prepping the area to change the markings by adding the bar and surround" would make the most sense now that I took another look.