VMFA-211

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Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211
F4U Corsair (1943–52)
F-35B Lightning II
(2016–present)

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) is a

F-35B Lightning II stealth STOVL strike fighter jets. Known as the "Wake Island Avengers" and the "Bastion Defenders", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
(3rd MAW).

Mission

To attack and destroy surface targets, intercept and destroy enemy aircraft, provide electronic warfare support, and network enabled reconnaissance support across the full spectrum of combat operations.[2]

History

Early history

Grumman F3Fs of VMF-2

VMFA-211 was commissioned on 1 January 1937 as Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M) at

Gregory Boyington. In January 1941, the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa
, Hawaii and was re-designated VMF-211 on 1 July 1941.

World War II

F4F-3
after the Japanese captured Wake Island

In November 1941, VMF-211 embarked 12 of its 24

F4F-3 Wildcats and 13 of its 29 pilots aboard USS Enterprise for movement to Wake Island, the scene of the squadron's heroic battle, launching from the carrier and arriving at Wake on 3 December.[4] On 8 December 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.[3]

During the course of this defense, the Marine ground forces and VMF-211 caused the loss of at least four enemy warships, including the first major Japanese naval vessels sunk during the Pacific war. The squadron was also credited with 8 aircraft destroyed. After the loss of its last aircraft, the squadron became a ground unit and fought until the surrender of the atoll. The first Marine airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II was VMF-211's Henry T. Elrod. A planned operation to reinforce Wake Island was deemed too dangerous by the fleet command, and on 23 December Wake Island was finally overrun by a numerically superior enemy.

VMF-211 F4U-4s on USS Coral Sea in 1952

The squadron's rear echelon at

Treasury-Bougainville Campaign, Battle of the Bismarck Sea, Northern Solomon, Battle of Leyte Gulf
and Southern Philippine campaigns.

After World War II

A VMA-211 AD-4N over Onslow Beach

After World War II, VMF-211 participated in the occupation of

A4D-1 Skyhawks and subsequently moved to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan in 1958. VMA-211 flew several versions of the Skyhawk, receiving the A4D-2 (A-4B) in 1958, the A4D-2N (A-4C) in 1960, the A-4E in 1964, and the A-4M in 1976.[8]

Vietnam War

VMA-211 A-4Es in 1971

With escalation of the Vietnam War, VMA-211 moved to Iwakuni Japan in 1965 and commenced the first of four deployments to Chu Lai Air Base, South Vietnam. LtCol. F.H. Thurston became the CO of the Squadron on 25 August 1967.

VMA-211 was deployed in the spring of 1972 to

Naha Air Force Base and on 16 May 1972 redeployed to Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam.[9] It reinforced the USAF 8th Special Operations Squadron flying the A-37B Dragonfly, as well as F-4s tasked from Shaw AFB in support of operations against the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Easter Offensive
.

The other unit at Bien Hoa was an AH-1 Cobra gunship squadron. The four different squadrons representing three branches of service were significant contributors to blunting, then rolling back the PAVN's siege of An Lộc, destroying significant numbers of PAVN armor being used for the first time in the war. VMA 211's A-4E were invaluable in close air support of the beleaguered ground troops in An Loc and surrounding areas. In August 1976, the squadron returned to MCAS El Toro.

Post Vietnam

In September 1987, the squadron celebrated an aviation milestone when it passed 30 years of flying the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Following a UDP rotation to Westpac, VMA-211 relocated to MCAS Yuma, AZ on 10 December 1987 joining MAG-13.[3] After successfully completing the last overseas deployment with the A-4M Skyhawk in 1989, VMA-211 began transferring these aircraft to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing in preparation for transition to the AV-8B Night Attack aircraft. In June 1990 the squadron began flying the Night Attack variant of the Harrier. During this time the Avengers were awarded Marine Corps Aviation Association "Attack Squadron of the Year" three times, in 1995, 1996, and 1998.

In September 2000, the squadron began introduction of the latest Harrier variant, the AV-8B II+ radar aircraft. The squadron soon fielded a complement of both Radar and Night Attack Harriers.

Global War on Terror

After the 11 September terror attacks, the squadron deployed to the Arabian Sea aboard USS Bonhomme Richard. The Avengers participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, flying combat missions against targets in Afghanistan from January to March 2002.

After a short break, the following January found the Avengers aboard USS Bonhomme Richard. This time the squadron was headed for the

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In one month of combat flying, the squadron flew over 360 sorties and 640 hours of flight time. The squadron returned to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
in May 2003.

A VMA-211 Harrier II refueling over Iraq in October 2006

The squadron deployed to Iraq off

Al Asad Airbase. They again deployed to Al Asad from USS Tarawa
in support of OIF from October 2005 until January 2006.

In September 2006, the Avengers again deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to

Al Asad Air Base. From January til August 2009, the squadron again deployed as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
on board USS Essex.

In April 2012, the Avengers deployed in support of

Camp Bastion
in July.

While at Camp Bastion, the Avengers experienced six Harriers destroyed, and two severely damaged, during an

attack on the base in September. Two Marines were also killed, including the squadron commander Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible.[10][11][12] Occurring during the heat of the 2012 Presidential campaign, John Gresham on the Defense Media Network called this successful Taliban attack "arguably the worst day in [U.S. Marine Corps] aviation history since the Tet Offensive of 1968."[citation needed
]

In September 2014, the Avengers deployed to Bahrain to support the fight on terrorism in Iraq and Syria until April 2015.

Transition to F-35B Lightning II

A VMFA-211 F-35B in June 2016.

The Avengers conducted their last AV-8B Harrier flight on 6 May 2016 and received their first two F-35B Lightning IIs on 9 May. On 30 June 2016, VMA-211 was redesignated as VMFA-211, becoming the second fleet squadron in the Marine Corps to operate the F-35B Lightning II as their primary aircraft.

In September 2018 VMFA-211 deployed aboard USS Essex as part of the Essex

Amphibious Ready Group deployed to the United States Central Command area of operations.[13] On 27 September 2018 an F-35B from Essex carried out an air strike using a precision-guided bomb against a Taliban position in Afghanistan, marking the first US combat use of the F-35.[14]

On 4 September 2020 the squadron deployed to RAF Marham in the United Kingdom, with 10 F-35Bs.[15] The squadron trained alongside 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force in preparation for a deployment where the two squadrons formed the fixed-wing component embarked on HMS Queen Elizabeth during the UK Carrier Strike Group's debut deployment in 2021.[16]

Squadron Aces

The following Marines from the squadron have been credited with more than five victories in aerial combats:

  • John C. Hundley - 6.0[17]
  • Julius W. Ireland - 5.333 [18]

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Rottman 2002, pp. 441.
  2. ^ "Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211". Marines.mil. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "'Wildcat' to 'Harrier:' VMA-211 celebrates combat history". University of Florida Digital Collections. Commander, Naval Air Forces. Fall 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. ^ Shettle 2001, pp. 88.
  5. ^ "Corrections to VMF-211 War Diaries from April, 1942 through September, 1942" Dated 21DEC1942; USMC, VMF-211, 4th Marine Aircraft Base Defense Wing, Fleet Marine Force
  6. ^ Mersky 1983, pp. 121.
  7. ^ "United States Marine Corps Muster Rolls - 1949-1953" (PDF). NARA. United States Marine Corps. p. 24. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  8. ^ "VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers". www.skyhawk.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2002. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. ^ "USMC Status of Forces January - June 1973" (PDF). www.usmcu.edu. United States Marine Corps. p. 172. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Marine Attack Squadron loses eight Harrier jets in worst U.S. air loss in one day since the Vietnam War". theaviationist.com. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  11. ^ Sterling, By Barbara Starr, Chris Lawrence and Joe (16 September 2012). "NATO releases details of brazen raid on base in Afghanistan - CNN". cnn.com. Retrieved 2 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Rubin, Alissa J. (16 September 2012). "Taliban Raid on NATO Base Inflicted Severe Damage". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2017 – via www.nytimes.com.
  13. ^ "Essex ARG 13th MEU with embarked F35B enters Central Command". US Navy. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  14. ^ "US Marine Corps' F-35B makes first air strike in Afghanistan". Flightglobal. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  15. ^ "US F-35 Jets arrive at RAF Marham". Royal Air Force. RAF MarHam. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  16. ^ "HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH WELCOMES UK AND US JETS FOR MAJOR EXERCISE". Royal Navy. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  17. ^ Sherrod 1952, pp. 432.
  18. ^ Tillman 2014, pp. 100.

Bibliography

Web

External links

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