VMF-211 | "Wake Avengers"

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VMF-211 | "Wake Avengers"

Established as VMF-8M in 1935. Redesignated VMF-2 in 1937 and redesignated VMF-211 July 1, 1941.

DEPLOYMENTS
Wake Island- December 1941 (F4F-3)
Palmyra Atoll- May 1942 (F2A-3)
Solomons/Emirau - October 1943 to November 1944 (F4U-1D)
Leyte/Zamboanga - December 1944 to VJ Day (F4U-1D)

 

 

Australian embroidery on wool. Designed by Maj. Charles Endweiss.

 

 

 

 

Chinese embroidery on silk.

 

 

 

VMF-211 can trace its lineage to January 1, 1937 when Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M) was activated at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. On July 1, 1937 VF-4M was re-designated Marine Fighting Squadron 2 (VMF-2) and by the end of the year, had completely reequipped with Grumman F3F-2s which replaced F3F-1s and a few even older F2F-1s. The squadron participated in annual Fleet Problems while at San Diego and even played a part in the making of the movie "Dive Bomber." Several future Medal of Honor recipients served with the squadron during this period, including Henry Elrod, Robert Galer, and Gregory Boyington. In January 1941, the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii and was re-designated VMF-211 on July 1, 1941.

From Hawaii, Maj Paul Putnam's squadron was ferried to Wake Island by USS Enterprise (CV-6) in late November 1941. The advance portion of the squadron gained national acclaim for its defense of the island into late December. On December 8, 1941 the Japanese attacked Wake, destroying seven of the aircraft on the ground. Over the next two weeks, the remaining five planes repelled numerous attacks and inflicted great losses on the enemy. A planned operation to reinforce Wake Island was deemed too dangerous by the fleet command, and on December 23 Wake Island was finally overrun by a numerically superior enemy.

 

VMF-211 achieved a rare success by sinking a Japanese destroyer, and it also claimed nine enemy planes shot down before the last Wildcat was destroyed. After the island was seized on December 23 the surviving squadron members spent the rest of the war in captivity. The first Marine airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II was VMF-211's Capt. Henry T. Elrod, who received the medal posthumously.

Upon being reinforced with additional personnel and aircraft, the "Wake Avengers" moved to Palmyra Atoll, temporarily flying Buffaloes before being re-equipped with F4Fs. After receiving Corsairs in July 1943 the ''Avengers" entered combat in the Solomons in October, advancing to Bougainville and flying from the newly completed Torokina and Piva strips. Under Majs Bob Harvey and Tom Murto, VMF-211 claimed 71 kills over and around Rabaul in January 1944. The top three scorers - Franklin Thomas, J. C. Hundley and Julius Ireland - claimed most of their victories during this period.

By far the ''Avengers"' best day was January 23, 1944, with 16 kills being credited in two missions - sprawling combats over Blanche Channel in the morning and Duke of York Bay late that afternoon. In the latter fight Julius Ireland and Tom Murto each scored doubles. However, January was a costly month with at least ten planes lost and five pilots killed. Amongst the latter were senior aviators Maj William T. Campbell, posted missing over Buka on the 8th, and Maj Robert L. Hopkins, who collided with a VF-17 Corsair while trying to land in darkness at Piva Uncle on the 30th.

Subsequently, the squadron staged through Green Island and Emirau, arriving in the Philippines in December 1944. Flying leathernecks had little opportunity for aerial combat in the area, although VMF-211 notched its last ten victories in December and January. The Corsairs supported a succession ofUS Army landings in the region, being based at Zamboanga, Mindanao, at war's end. After duty in China the squadron returned home in 1949. Source: Tillman, Barrett. U. S. Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II.

 

 

Wake Island - December, 1941

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1941

 

 

 

 

1942

 

 

 

1943-1946