In 1942,
Ewa Field at
Naval Base Hawaii became a major
United States Marine Corps and US Navy aviation training facility for Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASU). Flight crews and air mechanics trained at Ewa Field for the upcoming Pacific War, including Battles at Wake Island, Guadalcanal, and Midway. Aircraft mechanics of Carrier Aircraft Service Units traveled with the
island hopping troops as new
airfields were built across the
Western Pacific Ocean. The many
aircraft fighting and patrolling the
South West Pacific theatre of war needed ongoing maintenance. CASU-11 was deployed for three years and nine months. CASU-11 decommissioned on November 1, 1946, at Naval Air Facility
Yonabaru Okinawa with the war over. In that time CASU-11 traveled over 1,700 troops worked in CASU-11 and the unit traveled over 27,000 miles. CASU-11 worked on Naval planes at Naval Air Stations from
Guadalcanal to
Okinawa. Carrier Aircraft Service Units worked on
seaplanes,
fighter planes,
bombers
torpedo planes,
dive bombers, and later
night fighters. Out of necessity Carrier Aircraft Service Units sometimes worked on marine craft,
United States Army Air Forces and other allied aircraft. Carrier Aircraft Service Units worked on
aircraft carrier planes and land-based planes. Some Carrier Aircraft Service Units worked in United States on training aircraft and other planes. If needed a Carrier Aircraft Service Unit could be redesignated into a Combat Aircraft Service Unit, Scout Observation Service unit or Patrol Service units. •
Carrier aircraft used during World War II by US Navy: (years used) (number built) •
Douglas TBD Devastator -
torpedo bomber (1937–1944) (130) •
Grumman F4F Wildcat -
fighter (1941–1945) (7,885) •
Grumman TBF Avenger - torpedo bomber (1941–1948) (9,839) •
Grumman F6F Hellcat -
fighter-bomber (1942–1947) (12,275) •
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver -
dive bomber (1943–1953) (7,140) •
Vought F4U Corsair - fighter-bomber (1943–1953) (12,571) ==Combat Aircraft Service Units==