World War II Battle of Midway Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) was formed at
Midway Atoll on 1 March 1942 as part of
Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22). From 4–6 June 1942 the squadron fought in the
Battle of Midway where it lost 23 of its 30 aircraft and suffered 22
killed in action and 14
wounded in action. At 0605 on 4 June the squadron received word to scramble all of their aircraft to attack a Japanese aircraft carrier task force that had been spotted 180 miles of the atoll. VMSB-241 had divided into two striking units, the first composed of 16 SBD-2s led by Major
Lofton Henderson, and the second of 11 SB2U-3s commanded by Major Benjamin W. Norris. Henderson's group climbed to 9,000 feet to locate the enemy carriers, which were then undergoing an attack from
United States Navy TBFs(launched from Midway but assigned to the
USS Hornet) and the B-26s. Fliers of this group sighted the Japanese ships at 0744, but as the SBDs spiraled down they were set upon by swarms of
A6M Zeros flying air cover, which were soon reinforced by more fighters from the carriers below. Henderson and several other were shot down (only eight of these planes got back to Midway) and the strike scored no hits, although some were claimed. At 1700 a burning enemy carrier was reported 200 miles northwest of Midway, and Major Norris prepared VMSB-241's six operational SBD-2s and five SB2U-3s for a night attack. The planes took off at 1900, but could not find the carrier. Major Norris failed to return from this mission, although the other pilots managed to come home by the light of oil fires and the antiaircraft searchlights which were turned up as beacons. Early in the morning of 5 June 1942, Captain
Richard E. Fleming's
SB2U-3 Vindicator was hit and on fire as he continued his attack on the
Japanese cruiser Mikuma. He maintained his dive, released his bomb for a near miss and crashed into the sea aft of the cruiser. For this action he was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor.
1943 & 1944 VMSB-241 remained on Midway Atoll until March 1943 when it departed for
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa,
Territory of Hawaii. On 24 April 1943, VMSB-241, now part of arrived at
Tutuila where it remained for the next eight months. On 16 December 1943 the squadron moved up to
Efate. Remained on island until 2 February 1944 when it moved to Piva on
Bougainville. The squadron returned to Efate on 18 March. On 13 May 1944 the squadron's flight echelon moved to
Emirau to begin conducting bombing missions against the Japanese garrison on
Rabaul. Ground echelon moved to
Munda, Solomon Islands on 18 Jun and was joined by the flight echelon on 8 July.
Philippines On 20 September 1944, General
George Kenney, Commander of the
Far East Air Forces arrived on
Bougainville and informed
1st Marine Aircraft Wing leadership that all of the wing's
dive bomber squadrons were to be utilized to support the
Sixth United States Army during the upcoming campaign to liberate
Luzon. In preparation for departure, VMSB-241 was ferried from
Munda to Bougainville on 22-23 November.
Marine Aircraft Group 24's ground echelons sailed from Bougainville on 12 December onboard four transport vessels. VMSB-241's flight echelon departed
Emirau on 19 January heading for
Peleliu via
Momote and
Owi. On 25 January 1944, the squadron finally got the nod to fly into the newly built airstrip at
Mangaldan. On 27 January 1945, Major Ben Manchester, Commanding Officer of VMSB-241, led 18 of the squadron's SBDs in the first Marine Corps airstrikes on
Luzon. The squadron attacked military targets in the vicinity of
San Fernando. February and March saw VMSB-241 and the rest of MAG-24 providing close air support, flank protection and reconnaissance for the
1st Cavalry Division during its drive towards
Manila. Combat operations on Luzon were discontinued on 2 April to allow the squadron to prepare for follow on operations in
Mindanao. VMSB-241 departed
Clark Air Base on 20 April bound for
Malabang,
Mindanao. The squadron, along with the rest of MAG-24, was tasked with supporting the
24th and
31st Infantry Divisions in their eastward push across Mindinao. During its time in the Philippines, VMSB-241 suffered six Marine
killed in action and another six Marines
wounded in action. On 16 July 1945, while stationed at Titcomb Field south of Malabang, VMSB-241 was ordered to decommission along with
VMSB-133 by 1st MAW General Order No. 18-45. == Reserve years ==