Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Fighting Bengals", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Bengals are the only Marine F/A-18D Hornet Squadron currently operating out of MCAS Beaufort.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 (VMFA-312) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Checkerboards", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Radio Callsign is "Check."
Marine Fighting Squadron 111 (VMF-111) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Devil Dogs", the squadron was one of the first aviation squadrons in the Marine Corps and gained national attention in the 1930s as the Marine Corps show unit. The squadron fought in World War II and was later transferred to the Reserves where they fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing while stationed at Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas. They were decommissioned on 22 October 1965.
Marine Fighting Squadron 313 (VMF-313) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. They were a part of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and stationed at Naval Air Station New York. Also known as the "Lily Packin' Hellbirds" and the "Lilly Packin' Death Falcons", they fought in World War II mainly during the Philippines Campaign, 1944-45. The squadron was decommissioned in the 1950s.
Marine Fighting Squadron 422 (VMF-422) was a Vought F4U Corsair squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the "Flying Buccaneers", fought in World War II but is perhaps best known for its role in the worst accident in naval aviation history when 22 of the squadron's 23 aircraft were lost flying through a typhoon on 25 January 1944. After being reconstituted, the squadron participated in the Battle of Okinawa. VMF-422 was decommissioned on 7 April 1947. Since that date, no other Marine Corps squadron has carried the lineage and honors of VMF-422.
Marine Attack Squadron 322 (VMA-322) was an attack squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the "Fighting Gamecocks", fought in World War II and later became a part of the Marine Forces Reserve based out of Naval Air Station South Weymouth, Massachusetts.
Marine Fighter Squadron 113 (VMF-113) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and in the Marine Forces Reserve until 1965. Known as the "Whistling Devils", the squadron participated in aerial combat over the Marshall Islands in 1944 and took part in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. It was decommissioned on 30 April 1947 following the end of World War II but was reactivated in the Reserves a few years later only to be deactivated for the last time in 1965.
Marine Fighter Squadron 911 (VMF-911) was an aircraft squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Known as the "Devilcats", it served as a training squadron during the war, and was decommissioned in early 1946.
Marine Transport Squadron 216 (VMR-216) was a reserve cargo squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was based out of Washington. Known as the "Bulldogs", VMR-216 started out as a fighter squadron and participated in numerous combat engagements in the Pacific Theater during World War II to include the Battle of Guam and the Battle of Iwo Jima. The squadron was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war but was reactivated in 1946 as part of the Marine Air Reserve. The squadron remained in the Reserve until being decommissioned on 21 December 1972.
Marine Fighting Squadron 215 (VMF-215) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was commissioned and fought during World War II. Known as "The Fighting Corsairs", the squadron fought in many areas of the Pacific War, including the Battle of Bougainville. During its four-and-a-half month tour, the squadron was credited with shooting down 137 enemy aircraft, fourth most in Marine Corps aviation history.
Marine Fighting Squadron 222 (VMF-222) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was activated and fought during World War II. Known as "The Flying Deuces," they fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and fought in many areas of the Pacific War, including the Philippines campaign (1944–45) and the Battle of Okinawa. During the war, the squadron was credited with shooting down 53 enemy aircraft and was the sister squadron to VMF-215. They were deactivated on 31 December 1949.
Marine Fighting Squadron 511 (VMF-511) was a fighter squadron of the Marine Corps and Marine Forces Reserve during World War II and the Cold War which flew aircraft types such as the F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, and the F-8 Crusader. They were originally activated during World War II and fought during the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan (1945). They specialized in close air support and during the course of the war were credited with only one plane shot down.
Marine Fighting Squadron 452 (VMF-452) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was commissioned and fought during World War II. Known as the "Sky Raiders", they flew the F4U Corsair, and the Grumman TBF Avenger, fell under the command of Marine Carrier Group 5 (MCVG-5) and fought in the Battle of Okinawa. The squadron is best known for being aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13) when she was severely damaged by Japanese kamikaze planes of the coast of Okinawa on 19 March 1945. VMF-452 was deactivated on 31 December 1949 and has remained in an inactive status since.
Marine Fighting Squadron 218 (VMF-218) was a reserve fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was originally activated during World War II. Known as the "Hellions", they flew throughout the South Pacific but saw the majority of their fighting during the Philippines Campaign (1944–45). The squadron was credited with downing 18 enemy aircraft during the course of the war.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 124 (VMFA-124) was a flying squadron in the Marine Forces Reserve based out of Naval Air Station Memphis flying the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. They were part of Marine Aircraft Group 42 and were decommissioned on 19 June 1999.
Marine Fighting Squadron 512 (VMF-512) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II. The squadron was aircraft carrier based during the last year of the war and supported combat operations during the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan (1945). Following the end of World War II they were deactivated on 10 March 1946 and remain in an inactive status today.
Marine Fighting Squadron 213 (VMF-213) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Hell Hawks", the squadron fought during World War II in the Philippines and at the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. With its assignment to the USS Essex (CV-9) and Air Group 4, VMF-213 along with VMF-124 was one of the first two Marine squadrons to augment carrier air groups during World War II. The squadron was credited with downing 117 enemy aircraft during the war.
The Tactical Air Force, Tenth Army (TAF) was a joint aviation command of the Tenth United States Army that was responsible for commanding all land-based aviation and aviation command and control units during the Battle of Okinawa. The TAF's headquarters was provided by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and it was the largest joint aviation unit under Marine Corps command during World War II. During the battle, the TAF was commanded by Major General Francis P. Mulcahy until ill-health forced him to be relieved by MajGen Louis E. Woods. According to United States sources, TAF aircraft were responsible for shooting down 637 Japanese aircraft during the battle.
Marine Night Fighter Squadron 532 was a United States Marine Corps night fighter squadron that was commissioned during World War II. The squadron, which flew the F4U-2 Corsair, was the second night fighter squadron commissioned by the Marine Corps, the first to fly a single-seat, radar-equipped night fighter, and the only Marine squadron to fly the F4U-2 in combat. VMF(N)-532 saw extensive combat operations throughout 1944 in support of Marine Corps operations at Kwajalein Atoll and the Mariana Islands. The squadron was decommissioned on 31 May 1947, as part of the post-war draw down of the service. Since then, no other Marine Corps squadron has carried the lineage and honors of VMF(N)-532.
Marine Fighting Squadron 514 (VMF-514) was a short-lived fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Flying the Vought F4U Corsair, the squadron was originally commissioned to be part of the ill-fated Project Danny, a plan for carrier based Marine Corps aircraft to interdict German V-1 flying bomb launch sites. The squadron did not participate in combat action during the war and was decommissioned on 9 December 1945. No other Marine Corps squadron has carried VMF-514's lineage and honors since that time.
