WW2 (VMF) Pacific Island Hopping ...

[Mark Allen M]

And for those who have an interest in F4U-1 wing assemblies, gun bay details, gun and ammo loading etc.


F4U-1 Bougainville c 1943


F4U-1 NAS Jax 26 July 1944


F4U-1 Bougainville c 1943


F4U-1 Bougainville 9 Dec 1943


F4U-1 guns 11 August 1942


F4U-1 wing 8 June 1942


F4U-1 wing 11 August 1942

[Mark Allen M]

Marine F4U-1 Esperitu Santa March 1944


F4U-1A Corsairs of Marine Squadron VMF-216 at Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 10 Dec 1943.


F4U-1A Corsair of Marine Squadron VMF-216 at Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 10 Dec 1943.


Marine Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, Commanding Officer of VMF-214 the 'Black Sheep' F4U-1 Corsair at the Barakoma airstrip on Vella LaVella Island, Solomons, Dec 1943.


US Marine Corps F4U-1 Corsair fighter with drop tanks, Gaudalcanal, Solomon Islands, Sep 1944

[Rajay]

Part 1 of 4


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


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

I can't remember if the subject was ever covered during my days in A&P school almost 30 years ago - but what is the purpose of the thick blade cuffs on these Wildcat props?
They seem to correspond to the size of the engine cowling - does it have something to do with cooling air for the engine - or something else entirely?

Thanks!

(And very cool thread, Mark!)

[Skyraider3D]

Absolutely splendid photos! Thanks for posting!

[hang the expense]

Part 1 of 4


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


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

I can't remember if the subject was ever covered during my days in A&P school almost 30 years ago - but what is the purpose of the thick blade cuffs on these Wildcat props?
They seem to correspond to the size of the engine cowling - does it have something to do with cooling air for the engine - or something else entirely?

Thanks!

(And very cool thread, Mark!)

Cooling would be the reason.Same with mustangs with prop cuffs.

[djltucker]

Mark,
great photos! I am just completing a family history on my uncle, Lt. William R Larson of VC38. He was a TBF pilot during the Bougainville Campaign and was stationed on Munda Point. What is your source of these two photographs. I am wanting to get a higher resolution picture, since I have his log book and can possibly ID the TBF 1c plane(s) he flew during that time. I have the squadron number and bureau number from this log book and available declassified mission reports. Thanks for any assistance.

PHOTOS: TBFs at Munda 1943 - mistitled New Caledonia 1943

Also - do you have any photos of VC38?

Best Regards,
Don

[Snake45]

US Marine Corps F4U-1 Corsair fighter with drop tanks, Gaudalcanal, Solomon Islands, Sep 1944

If this is an F4U-1D, and it seems to be, then it's a very rare early one in Tricolor camo. (Most -1Ds were delivered in GSB).

For some reason, the RNZAF got a good number of the very early F4U-1Ds, including some of the Tricolor ones.

If it's not a -1D, but a field mod for the double hardpoints, that might be even MORE interesting....

[Mark Allen M]

Greetings Don, welcome and nice to have you visit. Most all the photos I posted in this thread came from the National Museum of Naval Aviation archives and my own collections. Nothing of better quality than what you see though. I noticed your contribution here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ ... bum-vc-38/
Very nice indeed. Your uncle was quite a warrior and he is very much missed. (but never forgotten) I'll see what I can dig up on VC-38.

Mark

[djltucker]

Thank you Mark,

any assistance or photographs/information on VC 38 would be greatly appreciated. I've finished the family history book and am now trying to close up the Tribute to VC 38, but I keep finding great info from others like yourself. VC 38 was based at Munda in late 1943 and then Bougainville in early 1944. It was comprised of 12 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighters, 9 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers, and 9 TBF-1 Avengers.

In fact, if anyone on this forum has info or photographs of VC 38 - please contact me - much,much appreciated.

A short history:

Composite Squadron 38 was commissioned June 12, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Brunton. VC 38 trained with the Grumman TBF Avenger, a torpedo bomber plane, while at NAAS Otay Mesa Airfield (currently Brown Field airport) and NAS El Centro, California.
The squadron’s flight training in the TBF-1 planes included torpedo bombing, gunnery, night torpedo tactics, catapult take-offs from carrier decks, carrier landings, anti-sub bombing, and night oxygen flying. The squadron spent over a month training at NAS El Centro practicing night illumination, mine laying, carrier rendezvous, and glide bombing maneuvers, all while flying at night.
VC 38 squadron shipped out from San Diego, California, on August 1, 1943, aboard the escort carrier, USS Long Island (CVE-1), for Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides (present day Vanuatu). VC 40 squadron was also aboard ship. The ship crossed the equator on August 14, 1943 and arrived at Espiritu Santo on August 25, 1943. VC 38’s torpedo bombing missions initially operated from Bomber #1 airfield, Espiritu Santo (code named: Buttons). VC 38’s first mission against the Japanese was on September 15, 1943, and was a bombing mission over Ballale airfield located a few miles southeast from the Island of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Lt. William R. (Lucky) Larson and his fellow VC 38 Squadron were part of the Solomon Air Offensive that began after the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal of November 13, 1942. The VC 38 Squadron flew missions with other Naval squadrons and U.S. Marine Fighting Squadrons and Scout-Bombing Squadrons throughout September, October, November, and December 1943, mercilessly pounding the Japanese airfields of Kahili, Kara, Buka, and Ballale, including Japanese supply areas of Tarlena and Kieta, Bougainville. VC 38 flew missions with VC-24, VC-40, VMTB-143, VMTB-232, VMTB-233, VMSB-243, and VMF-213.
Initially these bombing missions were large scale assaults including up to 126 aircrafts, consisting of TBFs, SBDs, and Hellcat fighter planes in a single attack. The VC 38 Squadron worked off both land-based air fields (Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, and Munda) and carrier-based operations (USS Breton and USS Saratoga). However, the majority of Lucky’s time was spent in bombing operations based out of Munda airfield.
The invasion of Bougainville (Bougainville Campaign) began on November 1, 1943 when the U.S. Marines (3d Marine Division and two attached Marine Raider battalions) landed on Cape Torokina, in central Bougainville’s Empress Augusta Bay. Lucky and VC 38 actually bombed the Japanese troops fighting the marines on November 14th and 20th, 1943 by dropping 100 pound bombs near the Japanese positions. Success at Bougainville setup the U.S. forces to finally reach the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul on the Island of New Britain.
Rabaul was the Japanese fortress of military power, which included a harbor and five airfields. The march up the Solomons chain, starting at Guadalcanal to now Bougainville airfield (Piva airfield), allowed Allied fighter aircraft to finally reach Rabaul within their operational range. VC 38 Squadron’s heroic actions during the Bougainville and the New Britain campaign’s from October 1943 to March of 1944 culminated in a Scorecard of 112 aerial missions, 3 night missions, and 37 aerial victories, with over 30 enemy ships sunk or damaged. VC 38’s military war power consisted of 12 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighters, 9 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers, and 9 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger torpedo bombers.
By all accounts, the TBF attack on Keravia Bay - Rabaul, on February 17, 1944 was astonishing. Several of the TBF pilots of VC 38, under a curtain of anti-aircraft maching gun fire, flew low on the water to “skip bomb” several key targets. These heroic tactics resulted in several Japanese ships being damaged or sunk; including a battleship, transport ship, and patrol vessel. The COMAIRSOLS STRIKE COMMAND TBF INTELLIGENCE REPORT for February 17, 1943 vividly details this event (included below and in Appendix D). I have been able to account for nine awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross to members of the VC 38 TBF squadron during this dive bombing attack, though there may be more. The list includes the following aviation officers:
• Cmdr. Charles E. Brunton – D.F.C
• Lt. Jack P. Scholfield – D.F.C
• Lt. Graham Tahler – D.F. C.
• Lt. Robert B. Giblin – D.F.C
• Lt. John A Leary – D.F.C.
• Lt. Robert F Regan – D.F.C.
• Lt. Arthur McDonald – D.F.C.
• Lt. Robert H. Behn – D.F.C.
• Lt. Bruce C. Bishop – D.F.C.

Following the return of VC 38 to the west coast, several members continued in the naval service and had distinguished careers. These include the following:
• Cdr. Charles E. Brunton – Rear Admiral
• Lt. Graham Tahler – Rear Admiral
• Lt. Robert B. Giblin – Commander of USS Lexington
• Captain Robert F. Regan – Command of NAS Corpus Christie (3 time D.F.C. recipient)
• Lt. Thomas Milton Gammage – D.F.C. as Section Leader of VT-47 (July 1945) at Honshu Island, Japan.

Several members of VC 38 also had distinguished legal careers, including the following:
• Lt. John A Leary – Judge of New York State
• Lt. Jack P Scholfield – Judge of Washington State

This list is likely incomplete, as my research was limited. Based on ARM 1/C Richard (Wag) Wagner’s War Diary, VC 38 departed the Pacific Theater of War on March 20, 1944 aboard the USS Long Island, was disbanded in May of 1944, and commissioned VT-38. VC 38 was one unit and one tour that contributed to the end of World War II within the Pacific Theater of War. By all accounts, they performed tremendously.


Thanks again,
Don

[djltucker]

Thanks Mark for posting these two pictures. I would have never known these existed except for this web page posting. I went ahead and ordered up hi res copies of these from the National Archives and received them this morning. Based on declassified Mission/Intelligence Reports from TBF Operations/ Munda Airfield, I was able to assign Plane Bureau Numbers to most of the planes in these two photographs from 1943. Thank you again - I found one of the planes my uncle flew on October 28, 1943 on a bombing raid to Kara Airfield! Unbelievable after 70 years. Thanks again.

I'll post the two pictures and the list of pilots from VC38, VC40, VMTB-232, VMTB-233, and VMTB-143 that flew these TBFs under a separate topic - I can't attach anything to this reply.

Cheers.

[Mark Allen M]

Don if your still floating around here.
Take a look see at this video clip, looks to have footage of VC-38 Avengers at Munda.
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... ell-Bomber

Mark

[djltucker]

Mark,
that is excellent - can't make out the plane numbers on video, but the video is definitely TBFs, likely VC38 as they were the first TBF squadron to be based at Munda (code name Shag) on October 17, 1943.

thanks for sending my way.

don

[Mark Allen M]

I believe you can purchase a HD version of that video. Haven't seen an example of an HD video someone has acquired from the critical past website, but it may be worth looking into.

M

[Mark Allen M]

Could use some help with this Corsair. Below is what's known. It would be nice to find out some more information like the BuNo. and Pilot. Any help would be appreciated.

Mark

"F4U-1 Corsair. Bu no. unknown. “Tojo Eats Sh*t!” VMF-222. Pilot unknown. Munda Airfield, New Georgia. Solomon Islands."





A real nice fellow by the name of Roy has a blog here. The photo and rendering are property of Roy's blog below.

http://barracudacals.blogspot.com/

[Warbird Kid]

F4U-1 Bougainville c 1943

Anyone else notice that this looks like a F4U-1A with a -1 Birdcage front windscreen and canopy?