Marine Attack Squadron 141 (VMA-141) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron fought as part of the Cactus Air Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II and they also saw service during the Korean War. While with the reserves, they operated out of the San Francisco Bay Area until their deactivation on 1 September 1969.
| Marine Attack Squadron 141 | |
|---|---|
 VMSB-141 Insignia | |
| Active |
|
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Fighter squadron |
| Role | Air interdiction |
| Part of | Inactive |
| Engagements | World War II * Battle of Guadalcanal Korean War |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | SBD Dauntless |
| Fighter | F4U Corsair |
History
editWorld War II
editMarine Scout Bombing Squadron (VMSB-141) was commissioned on March 1, 1942, at Camp Kearny, San Diego, California.[1] The Squadron was originally formed from personnel from VMSB-132 coming from Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Virginia.[2] On August 30, 1942, the squadron departed San Diego for the South Pacific with the first echelon of aircraft arriving at Henderson Airfield, Guadalcanal on September 23, 1942 becoming part of the Cactus Air Force (CAF).[1] On the night of October 13-14, the Japanese battleships Kongō and Haruna shelled the area of Henderson Field from a distance of about 16,000 yards (15,000 m), firing 973 14-inch high-explosive shells.[3][4] During this bombardment the squadron lost 26 of its 29 aircraft and five officers, including the commanding officer and executive officer. The squadron fought on the island until November 19, 1942, [5] when its flight echelon was transferred to Samoa. The squadron's ground echelon departed on January 19, 1943, bound for Efate in the New Hebrides.[1] During its time with the CAF the squadron lost 18 of its 41 officers killed in action.[6] VMSB-141 remained on Efate until May 1943 when it moved to Auckland, New Zealand.[1] In late September 1943, the squadron returned to the United States arriving at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.[7] In January 1944, the squadron was ordered to Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Gillespie in San Diego, CA where it undertook a rigorous syllabus in low-level bombing and strafing utilizing the Vought F4U Corsair.[citation needed]
On 14 October 1944 the squadron was redesignated Marine Fighter Bombing Squadron 141 (VMBF-141). In May 1945 the squadron again changed names. This time they became Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 141 (VMTB-141) and served as a training replacement squadron until the end of the war.[1] The squadron was deactivated on 10 September 1945.[7]
Post-World War II reserve service
editFollowing the war the squadron was reactivated on 5 July 1946, at Naval Air Station Livermore as part of the Marine Air Reserve. On 15 September 1946, it relocated to Naval Air Station Oakland.[7] In 1949 they were commanded by Medal of Honor recipient Colonel James Swett. The squadron moved to Naval Air Station Alameda on 1 July 1962. On that same date it was also redesignated as Marine Attack Squadron 141.[8] The squadron was deactivated on 1 September 1969.
Notable members
editSee also
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c d e Sherrod 1952, pp. 458.
- ^ MCAS El Toro Yearbook. Army and Navy Publishing Company of Louisiana. 1944. p. 118.
- ^ Stille 2008, pp. 19.
- ^ Falk, Victor (1953). "A Marine Dive Bomber Squadron at Guadalcanal, 1942". The Journal of Aviation Medicine. 24: 237–39 & 248.
- ^ Tillman 1998, pp. 51.
- ^ White 1996, pp. 75.
- ^ a b c Rottman 2002, pp. 440.
- ^ "United States Marine Corps Muster Rolls - 1962" (PDF). NARA. United States Marine Corps. p. 57. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
References
edit- Bibliography
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313319065.
- Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press.
- Stille, Mark (2008). Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship 1941–1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-280-6.
- Tillman, Barrett (1998). SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-732-5.
- White, Alexander (1996). Joseph Sailer Jr., Dive-Bombing Ace of Guadalcanal. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Press. ISBN 0-935553-21-5.
- Web