VMF(N)-533 | Marine Night Fighting Squadron 533 | Black Mac's Killers

[walika]

VMF(N)-533 | Marine Night Fighting Squadron 533 | Black Mac's Killers

 

Commissioned: October 10, 1943 at Cherry Point
Nickname of Unit: Black Mac's Killers
Artist: BGen. Homer Hutchenson USMC(ret)
Date of Insignia: 1944
Authorization: HQMC
Aircraft Employed: F6F-3N, F6F-5N
Aerial Combat Record: 35 victories, 1 ace

 

Deployments
Gilberts-Marshalls | May 1944-April 1945 (F6F-3N)
Okinawa | May-August 1945 (F6F-5N)

Remarks about insignia: Original design did not have the outer white band on it. The band, squadron nickname, and squadron designation were added when the squadron went to Okinawa.

 

Type I | American embroidery on wool

 

https://www.cinderpeak.com/usmc/vmf(n)-533-600.jpg

 

 

 

Maj Marion Magruder was a product of the small prewar US Marine Corps fighter community. Winged in 1938, his colleagues included John L. Smith and Marion Carl. In early 1943 he was among the Marine aviators sent to Britain to fly with RAF night fighter squadrons, and upon his return Magruder began a long career at the pinnacle of the US Marine Corps nocturnal aviation.

 

He established VMF(N)-533 at Cherry Point that October, flying F6F-3Es. Six months later "Black Mac's Killers" went to the Pacific, arriving at Eniwetok Atoll in May 1944. Upon relieving the Corsairs of VMF(N)-532 the Hellcats assumed Night Cap responsibility for the area, moving to Enegebi at the end of November.

The squadron served an extraordinarily lengthy apprenticeship, flying in the Central Pacific for 12 months before reaching combat. But on short notice "Mac's Killers" flew up to Okinawa - - more than 1000 miles over water in single-engine aircraft. VMF(N)-533 landed at Yontan on May 14, pending arrival of the ground echelon. McGruder's F6F-5Ns were kept extremely busy, providing airborne patrols in hours of darkness. The"Killers" lived up to their name almost immediately, 1Lts Al Branham and Bob Wilhide scoring a probable Anna and confirmed Anna, respectively, in the early morning hours of May 16. 1Lt Bob Wellwood took an early lead, downing three intruders during the night of the 18th while Ed Le Faivre splashed two.

 

On the night of the 24th the squadron added five more, with 1Lt Al Dellamano also scoring a rare triple. That was the night of the Giretsu airborne commando raid on Yontan, and a VMF(N)-533 officer, 1Lt Maynard Kelly, was fatally wounded by friendly fire. By month-end the Hellcats had scored 16 kills in two weeks. The full squadron was reunited in June, settling with the ground echelon on Ie Shima.

 

Despite continuing bad weather, June was equally busy, with VMF(N)-533 logging 15 more victories. Capt Bob Baird became the only Marine night ace, although Bruce Porter and Wally Sigler of VMF(N)-542 scored their fifth victories in Hellcats. McGruder downed a "Betty" on the 22nd -- the same night that Baird made ace.

The squadron lost just one aircraft during its Okinawa tour and no pilots to enemy action. On May 17 Bob Wilehide was killed by undisciplined shipboard gunfire, prompting McGruder to seek an audience with the commander of the amphibious force offshore. There, he proceeded to reprimand Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, who pledged there would be no repeat offenses. Tragically, Wilhide's  Wilfred younger brotherof VMF-311 died in an F4U the next month.

In early June another VMF(N)-533 Hellcat was transferred out with heavy damage after lLt Ralyan Parkhill was wounded by trigger-happy Corsair pilots in a twilight incident. However, the intended victim recovered to splash a "Rufe" floatplane on the 26th. In early July Magruder turned over to Maj Sam Folsom. "Mac" had led VMF(N)-533 for the first 21 months of its life - a record for nightfighter skippers. Meanwhile, the "Killers" added five more victories through month's end for a total of 35. Twenty-one pilots scored, including eight with multiple victories. The squadron finished the war at le Shima with VMF-223 veteran Bob Keller at the helm. Upon receiving some F7Fs, VMF(N)-533 saw brief postwar service during a tour in China.

 

The "Killers" tally of 35 victories rated them not only top among Pacific Theater landbased nightfighter units, but seventh of the 22 TAF fighter squadrons at Okinawa, and an impressive 20th among all US Marine Corps squadrons during the war - all while losing one aircraft and a pilot to friendly fire, plus an officer on the ground. Additionally, VMF(N)-533 probably established the best wartime safety record of any US Marine Corps fighter squadron in combat - nearly 11,000 flight hours with few accidents and no pilots lost to operational causes or enemy action.

 

Sources:

Millstein, Jeff. U. S. Marine Corps Aviation Unit Insignia 1941-1946. p 100.

Tillman, Barrett. U. S. Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II. pp 147-148.

 

[patrick_usmc]

Sam Folsom is still alive and 100 years old. Also the last remaining pilot (I believe) from the Cactus Air Force. 

[pararaftanr2]

Some more information on the squadron: https://pilotsmanyourplanes.com/Page_160.html

 

 The squadron's insignia, designed by the XO, Major Hutchinson, depicts a devilish elf shining a flashlight into the dark night (representing the radar on the plane's right wing) and holding a six-barreled pistol (representing the .50 cal. armament of the Hellcat). "Black Mac" was the nickname the British gave Magruder while he was learning night fighter tactics from the RAF by doing "on the job training" in England during the previous year, 1943.

[RWW]

These are the medals of Robert M. (Bob) Wilhide referred to in the original post. The memorial service bulletin was for both him and his brother . 

 

[walika]

Looks like the image from my post did not survive the Forum software upgrade a while ago. It is below.

 

Type I | American embroidery on wool