VMF-313 "Lily Packin' Hellbirds"

[walika]

VMF-313 "Lily Packin' Hellbirds"

Established at El Centro on October 1, 1943

 

Aircraft: F4U-1

 

Deployment: Philippines - December 1944 to May 1945 (FG-lA)

Aerial Combat Record: 9 victories, no aces

 

Nickname: Lily Packin' Hellbirds

 

Artist: Lt. William Long

 

Date of Insignia: 1944

 

Authorization: HQMC

 

Type 1 | Australian embroidery on wool.

 

 

 

Millstein writes:

The first insignia were manufactured in Australia during an R&R and distribution was limited to flight personnel only. When it was decided to make the insignia available to all hands, the background was changed from medium blue to brown and all references to the identity of the squadron were dropped for security reasons.

 

 

Type 2 | Decal on leather.

 

The "Hellbirds" were established at El Centro, California, under Maj Hugh Russell. He rolled out after five weeks, eventually leading VMF-312 for a brief period on Okinawa. The second skipper was Maj Phil White, who had survived Midway in a Buffalo. He remained until Joe McGlothin assumed command in February 1944. White subsequently took over VMF-113 in late 1944. McGlothin took VMF-313 to Ewa, Hawaii, in March 1944, proceeding to Midway in April before returning to Ewa in June.

The "Hellbirds" alit at Emirau in September, flying shipping attacks around Kavieng. In early December VMF-313 joined MAG-12 in the Philippines, based at Tacloban on Leyte. The "Hellbirds" observed the third anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by supporting a US Marine Corps-US Army attack on a Japanese convoy near the eastern exit ofSurigao Strait. The next day VMF-313 engaged in the first of just two aerial combats the unit would experience during its tour, Maj Ted Olsen and 1Lt Lewis Hamity claiming "Oscars" near Negros Island.

On December 11 the squadron claimed the sinking of a large transport vessel off Panay, pilots reporting that the ship went under in about four minutes. Later that day a VMF-313 division intercepted bomb-toting "Zekes" displaying suicidal intent toward a US convoy. Oddly, the kamikazes concentrated on the destroyer USS Reid (DD-369), three hits sinking her immediately. The Corsairs splashed five attackers, then returned to base perforated by US Navy AA fire in the understandable confusion.

On December 13 Ted Olsen, who had briefly commanded VMF-314, took off in heavily repaired F4U bearing 300 patches from battle damage suffered two days before. His Corsair "failed while airborne" and he fatally hit the tail bailing out.

The squadron covered the Cebu operation in March, then moved to Zamboanga that month. From September 1944 through to its deactivation, the "Hellbirds" lost 19 aircraft and seven pilots. By far the worst month was January 1945, when five pilots and eight Corsairs were lost.

The squadron was deactivated on June 1, 1945 at Moret Field, Zamboanga.

Sources

Millstein, Jeff. U. S. Marine Corps Aviation Unit Insignia 1941-1946.

Tillman, Barrett. U. S. Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II.

 

[mortaydc60]

Thanks for sharing another little seen patch.

[walika]

Type 3 | Decal on leather.

 

 

Squadron photo