VMF-422

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Marine Fighting Squadron 422


caption = VMF-422 Insignia
dates = January 1, 1943 - April 7, 1947
country = United States
allegiance =
branch = USMC
type = Fighter squadron
role = Air interdiction
size =
command_structure = Inactive
current_commander =
garrison =
ceremonial_chief =
colonel_of_the_regiment =
nickname = Flying Buccaneers
patron =
motto =
colors =
march =
mascot =
battles = World War II
* Marshall Islands Campaign
* Battle of Okinawa
aircraft_fighter= F4U Corsair
anniversaries =

Marine Fighting Squadron 422 (VMF-422) was an F4U Corsair squadron in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the “Flying Buccaneers”, fought in World War II but is perhaps best known for its role in the worst accident in naval aviation history when they lost 22 of 23 aircraft flying through a storm on January 25, 1944.

History

VMF-422 was commissioned on January 1, 1943 at Naval Air Station San Diego and initially flew the F4F Wildcat. Later that month it moved to Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara as the squadron continued to train its pilots. In August, they boarded the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) for transport to Pearl Harbor with follow on movement to Midway Island. The squadron transitioned to the F4U Corsair on December 15, 1943.

On January 25, 1944, 23 of the squadrons 24 aircraft left Tarawa Atoll headed for Funafiti, a flight of 469 miles. A failure in pre-flight planning led them to fly directly into a major storm. 10 of the aircraft were lost at various times during the flight and the remaining 13 were forced to crash land in the ocean. The survivors spent 3 days at sea in life rafts before being spotted by a Navy PBY Catalina from Patrol Squadron 59. After taking on the survivors, the patrol boat was too heavy to take off and had to radio for help. Later that evening they were met by the destroyer USS Hobby (DD-610) who ushered the men to safety. In all the squadron lost 22 aircraft and had 6 pilots killed.

VMF-422 was quickly reconstituted after the disaster and by mid-1944 they were flying interdiction missions against Japanese shipping in the Marshall Islands.

Following the war, the squadronreturned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in November of 1945. They later moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point but were deactivated April 7, 1947. [Rottman "USMC WWII OOB", p. .]

ee also

* United States Marine Corps Aviation
* List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
* List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons

Notes

References

;Bibliography
* cite book
last = Crowder
first = Michael J.
title = United States Marine Corps Aviation Squadron Lineage, Insignia & History - Volume One - The Fighter Squadrons
publisher = Turner Publishing Company
date = 2000
location = Paducah, KY
isbn = 1-56311-926-9
*cite book
title=U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945.’’
author=Rottman, Gordon L.
date=2002
publisher=Greenwood Press
id=ISBN 0-313-31906-5
*cite book
last = Sherrod
first = Robert
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1952
chapter =
title = History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II
publisher = Combat Forces Press
location = Washington, D.C.
id =

;Web
* [http://www.grunt.com/scuttlebutt/corps-stories/heroes/tale.asp www.grunt.com]
* [http://www.militarymuseum.org/MCASSantaBarbara.html Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara]
* [http://www.dvhaa.org/fj4b.html DVHAA collection]