Marine Fighter Squadron 541 (VMF-541) was a
reserve fighter squadron of the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
. Originally commissioned during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as a
night fighter
A night fighter (later known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor post-Second World War) is a largely historical term for a fighter aircraft, fighter or interceptor aircraft adapted or designed for effective use at night, during pe ...
unit flying the
F6F-5N Hellcat, the squadron participated in combat action over
Peleliu
Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II.
...
and while supporting the
liberation of the Philippines
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
in 1944–45. During the war, VMF(N)-541 was credited with downing 23 Japanese aircraft. Following the war, the squadron participated in the occupation of Northern China until returning to the States to be decommissioned on 20 April 1946. The squadron was reactivated sometime after the war in the Marine Corps Reserve until being decommissioned again in the early 1960s.
History
Formation, training and movement overseas
Marine Night Fighter Squadron 541 (VMF(N)-541) was commissioned on 15 February 1944, at
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 an ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
with Maj Peter Lambrecht serving as the first commanding officer. On 14 March, the squadron commenced training for aerial combat at night and in poor weather and low visibility. Training was complete on 17 July and on 20 July the squadron's ground echelon departed for the West Coast. The aircraft departed MCAS Cherry Point on 22 July with all elements of the squadron having arrived in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
by 26 July. On 9 August the squadron boarded the and sailed from
Naval Air Station North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...
arriving at
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...
on 25 August.
Peleliu
On 24 September 1944, eight fighters from VMF(N)-541, flying in from
Emirau
Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . Emira is part of what on many maps are charted as the St Matthias Islands, also known as the Mussau Islands, a small group to the northwest of the main islan ...
, landed on Peleliu escorted by an
R5C flown by MajGen
James T. Moore. On the evening of 31 October, Maj Norman Mitchell from VMF(N)-541 became the only Marine to shoot down a Japanese aircraft in the
Palau
Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...
s when he intercepted an
Aichi E13A JAKE Observation seaplane
Observation seaplanes are military aircraft with flotation devices allowing them to land on and take off from water. Their primary purpose was to observe and report enemy movements or to spot the fall of shot from naval artillery, but some were a ...
.
During the squadron's time on Peleliu it flew 287 night-bombing missions and 461 nighttime
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
s. Three F6F Hellcats were lost during this time with all three pilots surviving the incidents. At the end of November, a request was received from US Army forces in the Philippines for a land-based night fighter squadron flying F6Fs because the local
P-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed specifically as a night fighter.
Named for the North American spider ''Latrodect ...
s were being outclassed by Japanese aircraft. The squadron was alerted to move on 28 November and twelve VMF(N)-541 night fighters departed Peleliu on 3 December 1944, flying 602 miles west to
Tacloban Airfield.
Philippines
VMF(N)-541 was the first Marine squadron to land at
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...
. It was assigned to the
308th Bombardment Wing and began flying the same evening it arrived. VMF(N)-541 assumed facilities that had been left by the
421st Night Fighter Squadron
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
Evolution of the Hi ...
. Initial tasking for the squadron did not involve maintaining a continuous overhead presence at night as had been expected. Instead, the squadron was asked to conduct combat patrols at dawn and dusk when leadership viewed itself as most vulnerable. The squadron netted its first victory in the Philippines on 5 December when Second Lieutenant Rodney Montgomery Jr. downed a
Nakajima Ki-43 OSCAR. On the morning of 12 December, three fighters from VMF(N)-541 were flying off of the west coast of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has been ...
when they were vectored toward a large formation of thirty-three Japanese aircraft split into five separate groups heading towards the US Fleet in
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a large bay in the island of Leyte (island), Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an extension of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar.
The Pacific War, World War II Batt ...
. The squadron's fighters immediately engaged and were credited with downing 12 Japanese aircraft at the end of the fighting. This marked the largest one-day tally for the squadron during the war.
Beginning on 15 December, the squadron provided aerial protection for the US
landing at Mindoro. Dawn/dusk patrols and providing protection to allied convoys in the area continued until 3 January 1945, when a Japanese aircraft was able to strafe the runway at Tacloban multiple times. From that point forward, VMF(N)-541 was tasked with continuous nighttime combat air patrols. While in the Philippines, the squadron flew 312 sorties equaling 924 combat hours. It was credited with downing 20 Japanese aircraft and destroying another five more on the ground. VMF(N)-541 departed the Philippines headed back to Peleliu on 11 January 1945. For actions in support of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
in the Philippines, the squadron became the only Marine Aviation unit to be awarded the United States Army's
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
.
Remainder of the war and occupation duty
VMF(N)-541 continued flying combat air patrols from Peleliu. On 23 March 1945, a six-plane detachment and maintenance personnel were sent to
Falalop Airfield to assist with local air interdiction after having been trained in nighttime dive bombing. The squadron was operating from both Peleliu and Falalop when the
Japanese surrendered. The Falalop detachment returned to Peleliu on 28 August in anticipation of follow-on movement of the squadron. In September 1945 the squadron departed Peleliu for
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. AFter a two-week stint on
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
, the advanced flight echelon arrived at
Nanyuan Airfield on 8 October with all elements of the squadron arriving by 5 November. While in China the squadron was responsible for flying combat air patrols and reconnaissance flights. VMF(N)-541 returned to the United States in 1946 and was decommissioned on 30 April 1946.
Reserve years
After the war the squadron was reactivated in the reserves and originally based at
Naval Air Station Birmingham,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. On 10 January 1951, VMF-541 personnel were assigned to extended active duty as part of the call up of reserves in support of the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
mobilization. On 4 March 1951, VMF(N)-541 was the first Marine Corps squadron to win the Pete Ross Safety Award, beating out 29 other Marine Corps squadrons.
See also
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United States Marine Corps Aviation
The United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providi ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
*
Citations
References
;Bibliography
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{{US Marine Corps navbox
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Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps