Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 151 (VMTB-151) was a dive bombing squadron in 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 ...

. The squadron fought in

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 ...

but was quickly deactivated after the war, on 20 March 1946.

History

The squadron was commissioned on 1 July 1937, as VMO-1, at

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...

. It was redesignated Marine Observation Squadron 151 (VMO-151) on 1 July 1941. The squadron left for

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

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 ...

in December 1941 with the rest of the

1st Marine Aircraft Wing The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa Island, Okina ...

, but returned to MCB Quantico in January 1942. From January to April, it trained at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Ham ...

until departing for Tafuna Airfield in

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

on 9 April 1942. It arrived a month later and remained for the next 13 months. On 15 September 1942, the squadron was re-designated again, this time as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 151 (VMSB-151).Sherrod(1952): 459. SBC-4 VMO-151 1941 NAN1-90

On 10 June 1943, the squadron moved to Uvea Island in the Wallis Group. The squadron remained there until 29 February 1944 when it arrived at

Engebi Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; , , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and dee ...

. From 9–12 March, the squadron covered Marine landings on

Wotho Atoll Wotho Atoll ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 13 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon of . The name "Wotho" means ...

Ujae Atoll Ujae Atoll ( Marshallese: or , ) is a coral atoll of 15 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon of . It is located about ...

and

Lae Atoll Lae Atoll ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 20 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon with an area of . It is located ...

. During this time, it also made bombing runs against bypassed Japanese bases in the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

until 31 May 1945. On 9 June 1945, the squadron returned to the United States. Squadron VMSB-151-Engebi Island-June1944

Upon return to

Marine Corps Air Station Mojave The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of . It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a spa ...

, it was assigned to Marine Air Support Group 51 and was redesignated Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 151 (VMTB-151). on 30 June 1945. The squadron was deactivated at

Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara (MCAS Santa Barbara) was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located in Goleta, California north of Los Angeles during World War II. It was also known as the Goleta Air Station in the 194 ...

, California on 20 March 1946.Millstein (1995); 40.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * ;Web
VMSB-151
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vmtb-151 TBF Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps

History

See also

References