VMFA-112

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112


caption= VMFA-112 Insignia
dates= March 1, 1942 - September 10, 1945
July 1, 1946 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Fighter/Attack
role= Close air support
Air interdiction
Aerial reconnaissance
size=
command_structure= Marine Aircraft Group 41
4th Marine Aircraft Wing
current_commander= LtCol. Steven M. Roepke
garrison= NASJRB Fort Worth
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Cowboys
patron=
motto=
colors=MA
colors_label=Tail Code
march=
mascot=
battles= World War II
* Battle of Guadalcanal
Korean War
Operation Iraqi Freedom
aircraft_fighter= F4F Wildcat
F4U-1 Corsair
F9F Panther
F8U-1 Crusader
F-4 Phantom II
F/A-18A Hornet
anniversaries=

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112) is a reserve United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron is based at NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41), 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (4th MAW).

Mission

Conduct of Air-to-Air-to-Ground operations in support of the Marine rifleman.

History

World War II

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, was originally activated as VMF-112, at San Diego, California on March 1, 1942. Its 140 air-to-air kills ranked it third among Marine Corps squadrons in World War II.

Deploying shortly after to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in their F4F Wildcats, the Wolfpack joined the Cactus Air Force with Marine Aircraft Group 11. In recognition of its valor and its contributions to victory during its service on Guadalcanal, VMF-112 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US) for August 7 – December 9, 1942.

VMF-112 was withdrawn from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo for a respite. There it began to switch to the Vought F4U-1 Corsair, the aircraft that it would fly for the rest of World War II. VMF-112 returned to the United States on September 5, 1943 and took up duty at MCAS Miramar, outside of San Diego. It was there that VMF-112 was redesignated VMF(CVS)-112, denoting that the squadron was carrier qualified. In December 1944, VMF-112 was assigned to Air Group 82 aboard USS "Bennington" for its second combat tour. In mid-May 1945, Lieutenant Robert Cook scored the only downing of a barrage balloon by a Marine squadron during the war when he shot one down over Kyūshū. [DeChant "Devilbirds", p.217.] Following the surrender of Japan VMF-112 returned to the United States where it was deactivated on September 10, 1945.

Post World War II

The squadron was reactivated on July 1, 1946 as the Marine Air Detachment, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Station (NAS) Dallas, Texas. VMF-112 was reactivated with the Corsair, but eventually flew the Grumman F9F Panther and Vought F8U-1 Crusader.

When VMF-111 was deactivated, its aircraft passed to VMF-112, which became the Marines' largest reserve squadron. Upon receipt of the all-weather D/E model of the Crusader, the squadron was redesignated VMF(AW)-112 and flew several more versions of the F-8 until 1975, when it switched to the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II and was redesignated VMFA-112. On January 18, 1992, VMFA-112 retired the last active F-4S squadron in naval servicecite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = RF-4B Phantom II
work =
publisher = National Museum of Naval Aviation
date =
url = http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16043008&QueryPage=%2FDtlQuery.php
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-12-16 ] . Some F-4 Phantom II's remained in naval testing facilities after this. VMFA-112 flew the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet on their first official flight October 8, 1992. VMFA-112 moved to NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (JRB)in September 1996 and continues to operate there.

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

:Marine Corps

;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
year = 2000
location = Paducah, KY
isbn = 1-56311-926-9
*cite book
last = Condon
first = John Pomeroy
title = Corsairs and Flattops - Marine Carrier Air Warfare, 1944-45
publisher = Naval Institute Press
year = 1998
location = Annapolis Maryland
page =
isbn = 1-55750-127-0
*cite book
last = De Chant
first = John A.
title = Devilbirds - The Story of United States Marine Aviation in World War II
publisher = Harper & Brothers
year = 1947
location = New York
page =
isbn =
*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.
year=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.mfr.usmc.mil/4thmaw/mag41/vmfa112/ VMFA-112's official website]
* [http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/4thmaw/mag41/Header/VMFA%20History/vmfa-112%20history.pdf VMFA-112 history]
*cite web|url=http://marines.centreconnect.org/vmf_112/index.html
title=VMF-112 Wolf Pack at Guadalcanal official website
accessdate=2006-07-15