VMF 115 Unit History

Wayne,

The VMF 115 flew:

F4U-1 during WW II
F9F-2 Panthers beginning Dec. 1949
F4D Skyray beginning Spring 1957
on 1 Jan 1964 they became VMFA-115 and transitioned to F-4B Phantoms.

Hope that helps. Look for more info at www.globalsecurity.org

N.

Wow! lots of history on the web! I also have a book: US Navy A/C 1921-1941 / USMC A/C 1914-1959 by William T. Larkins. It shows VMF-115 formed 1 Jul 43 at MCAS Santa Barbara, Marine Base Defense Air Group 42 with the following aircraft in inventory: (20) FM-1; (2) F4F-3; (2) F4F-4; (3) SNJ-4. No further mentions until USMC Squadron Assignments of 1Jan 46 showing VMF-115 with MAG-24 in Peking (No a/c types listed, though web searches found they crashed some FG-1 Corsairs in 1943/1944: FG-1A Corsair
13029(VMF-115)midair near Muellton, CA 12/16/43. Pilot killed.
13037(VMF-115)nosed up during landing 11/21/43 MCAS Santa Barbara, CA.
13043(VMF-115)crash during air-to-air gunnery off Point Conception, CA 10/30/43. Pilot killed.
13202(VMF-115)engine froze in flight off Naples, CA 11/25/43. Pilot bailed out OK.
13217(VMF-115)in midair with P-38 near Lompoc, CA 1/22/44. Pilot killed.
The book later shows a photo of an F9F-2B, BuNo 123064, modex 5, tail code AE in Puerto Rico in the early 1950's. It's Overall Gloss Blue. Here's an interesting side note: The F9F-2s first went to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team based at NAS Pensacola on August 20, 1949, and a few days later F9F-2s went to VMF-115 at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina.
I also found these crashed Panthers belonging to VMF-115: 123056(VMF-115)dove in near Palmyra, Halifax County, NC 10/25/51. Pilot killed.
123060(VMF-115)stalled on takeoff from Roosevelt Roads NAS 2/24/50.
123063(VMF-115)lost off MCAS Cherry Point, NC 5/21/50 due to unknown cause. Pilot killed.
123077(VMF-115)undershot landing at Roosevelt Roads NAS 5/29/51.
123427(VMF-115)hard landing on FDR 11/28/50 bounced over barrier, hitting parked F9F-2s 123429 and 123398, and three other planes.
127108(VMF-115)dove in after catapult shot from Tarawa 7/31/51. Pilot killed. May have been F9F-4
127115(VMF-115)flamed out during training near San Juan, PR. Pilot bailed out.
127154(VMF-115)exploded in midair enroute to target 6/14/52.
Bomb fuse probably detonated.
127157(VMF-115)damaged when adjacent aircraft ordnance went off 6/14/52.
127170(VMF-115)ditches at sea after leaving target 6/20/52.
127195(VMF-115)hit by AAA, ditch near Sinanju, ROK1/15/53.
F9F-4/5
125168(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125170(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125173(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125178(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125181(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125182(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
125189(VMF-115)downed during combat mission 4/20/52.
125193(VMF-115)crashed due to explosion in cockpit after takeoff from K-3, 4/23/52.
125203(VMF-115)in midair collision with F9F-4 125215 near Yongwol, Korea 3/26/52.
125211(VMF-115)shot down by AAA 1/19/53.
125219(VMF-115)missing in action 12/3/52.
125223(VMF-115)diverted to K-3 due to bad weather and crashed into mountain 9/10/52.
*Very interesting note that (7) aircraft crashed into a mountain on 9/10/52. Tragic loss for the squadron.
**Major John F. Bolt had been a Pacific ace with six kills flying with Pappy Boyington’s Black Sheep of VMF-214. After 89 missions with VMF-115, he got a 90-day assignment with the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing. During May and June 1953, he shot down six MiG-15s to become a two-war ace, and the Marine Corps’ only jet ace.
Back to the book, a photo of an F4D-1 BuNo 123815, modex 2, tail code AE in 1956. It's Gloss Gull Gray over White. Another photo of an F4D-1, BuNo 134826, modex 10, tail code VE with VMF(AW)-115 on spine based in the Mojave in 1957. VMF(AW)-115 deployed to MCAF Mojave in the spring of 1957. They had recently received the new F4D Skyray which was the first Marine Corps aircraft to be equipped with an afterburner. While they were deployed they were required to install a great number of services changes to the aircraft which took over 6 months. This earned them the nickname of "The Desert Rats".
http://www.thebattlezone.com/marines/patchpix/vmf115di.jpg has patch of "Joe's Jokers", which is what the squadron was called when Maj. Joe Foss took over as C.O. in 1943.