US Marine Corps squadron VMF-312 Checkerboarders

World War II

Marine Fighter Squadron 312 (VMF-312) was commissioned on June 1, 1943, at Page Field, Parris Island, South Carolina. Originally it was part of MAG-31, 1st MAW. As first aircraft the squadron received 10 SNJ-4 Texans and one F4U-1D Corsair. As their unit crest the squadron members choose a satan-like bulldog wearing a flying helmet and carrying -at that time- six .50 caliber machineguns (the armament of the Corsair) drawn by Technical Sergeant James R. Wroble.[3] In honor of their commanding officer, Major Richard M. Day, the men nicknamed their squadron "Day's Knights".

Also at this time, the Checkerboards emblem began to appear on both the cowling and rudder of the aircraft.

After being transferred in August 1943 to MAG-32, 3rd MAW, the squadron relocated to San Diego, California, and departed Parris Island on January 2, 1944, and headed for Miramar. They departed MCAS Miramar on February 28, 1944 and headed for Marine Corps Air Station Ewa on Hawai. VMF-312 trained at Ewa for 3 months and then headed out for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides to become part of MAG-11, 2nd MAW.

Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 on June 25, 1944, the squadron was transported to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, where they received 24 FG-1 Corsairs. VMF-312's first combat action came on April 12, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa as part of Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), when four squadron aircraft intercepted 20 Japanese Zeros and achieved eight kills without a loss. VMF-312 continued to operate from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa until the cessation of hostilities. By war's end, the squadron had accounted for 59.5 air combat kills in the Pacific Theater.

On May 10th, one of the most unique fighter interceptions of the war took place. Captain Kenneth Reusser, callsign Ruby 6, was on patrol with 3 other Checkerboarders over the island of Okinawa. The following excerpt is from an article published in the May 1995 edition of Leatherneck. The author is Ray Schanamann, 1st Lt. of VMF-312.

…The pilots started their climb to altitude, prepared for another routine patrol. Instead, they received a transmission from "Handyman", the Air Defense Control Center.

"Ruby 6, this is Handyman, over."
"Handyman, Ruby 6, go ahead."
"Ruby 6, Handyman, We have a bogey approaching on course one eight zero, angels 25 (altitude 25,000 feet). Climb to angels 25, steer 270 buster (full speed), over."
"Handyman, Roger, course 270 angels 25, out."
The flight dropped their belly tanks, test fired their guns, put their props in full low pitch, and firewalled their throttles. Klingman remembered, "We could see the vapor trails as the bogey made two complete circles over the harbor."

The Marines had a good idea about the plane they were pursuing. For several days that week their squadron and others took turns trying to intercept a plane that followed the same flight plan. Intelligence believed the plane was on photo reconnaissance of the ships in the harbor, for use in planning kamikaze raids. The previous intercept attempts failed because the intruder, aware of the chase planes, kept climbing as he headed for home. With his initial altitude advantage he easily outran his pursuers. This time the Marines tried to close while climbing at their best speed. Captain Reusser said, "We were turning inside him to try and join up, but we were so far below him we had little chance of reaching him. I just pulled the nose up and held the trigger down, no aim, no accuracy, just trying to loop it up there. I saw a couple of glints, but I remember I didn't think anything of it at the time. He leveled off and headed back toward Japan."

The division kept climbing and stayed on the bogey's tail even though it didn't seem possible to overhaul him. Captain Jim Cox's plane fell back until he was about a thousand feet below the others-he couldn't coax another knot of speed out of the battle-weary Corsair. Reusser ordered Cox and 1st Lt. Frank Watson to return to orbit over Point Nan while he and Klingman continued the pursuit. Now they were at 38,000 feet, the service ceiling for the Corsair. The bogey was still about a mile ahead, and the chase continued.

Because of the thin air and limited power, maneuvers had to be limited to small, careful changes in direction or altitude; otherwise a stall or spin would result with small chance of recovery. At such an altitude bailing out would have meant freezing to death.

"As we got closer, Ken was firing, and I guess the bogey was firing at us. I had a few small bullet holes in the plane. My plane had no gun heaters and the guns were frozen, but I was pretty eager to get me a Jap plane. My plane was faster because it was a brand new so I went on ahead of Ken at max speed and streamlined as much as I could…"

"…We closed on the bogey until I was 20 or 30 feet behind him-I couldn't get any closer to him due to his prop wash. It held me back and kept me from running into him. I had to slowly climb above the airplane, and then I nosed over and ran into his tail with my prop. I only had enough extra speed to chew off some of his rudder and elevator before being blown away (from Nick's prop wash) Since he was still flying, I climbed above him for a second run. I nosed down and I pulled out too soon and only got some of his rudder and part of the top of the rear canopy. At this time I remember seeing the rear seat gunner frantically looking around and trying to operate his machine gun. I imagine at this altitude he was probably freezing to death. I realized that a third wasn't necessary, but I was even more determined so I climbed above him for my third run and chopped the right side of his elevator, and we both went into a spin. This run did the most damage to my plane, but I recovered after losing only about 1,000 feet. Ken was along side then, and we both observed the enemy plane in a spin with both wings coming off at about 15,000 feet."

Bob Klingman surveys the damage caused by his "encounter".

Reusser had a bird's-eye view when Klingman first passes were made and related. "The Japanese gunner pounded on his machine gun to free it up, but it was frozen solid and so was mine. When Bob came down on the canopy with his prop, he tore the gun away from the mount and hit the gunner. His plane was full of bullet holes and shrapnel holes from fragments of the Nick." Klingman had his kill but they were hundreds of miles from base and his plane shook and vibrated with the stick jumping in a large circle. Close to home at about 10,00 feet Bob ran out of fuel but felt he could still reach the strip even though Ken suggested he bail.

Pilots stood quietly at the upwind end of the runway. They watched the Corsair plunge silently in a steep glide: no engine roar, the prop windmilling slowly.

"Don't stretch the glide: don't be short.: they said almost prayerfully

At the last possible second, Klingman raised the Corsair's nose and the plane slammed into the ground and bounced the few remaining feet onto the airstrip.

Watchers gasped as they saw the planes condition. The tips of all three blades jutted outward with 6 inches missing from each end and the blades pierced by bullets; each wing contained large holes, and pieces of the Nick were in the cowling. After extensive tests and a new propeller, the F4U Corsair Bob Klingman used in the downing of the Japanese Nick was returned to service!

Bob Klingman and Ken Reusser both received the Navy Cross for their actions.

Bob Klingman relating his incredible engagement with the Japanese Nick

Bob Klingman explained it this way:
"I'm gonna get this son of a bitch if it's the last thing I do."
Two days after this amazing victory, Bob Klingman was forced to bail out of his Corsair when it developed hydraulic problems. He landed safely and was picked up by a destroyer a short time later.

On May 14th, 1945 VMF-312's commanding officer Major Richard M. Day and his flight encountered heavy antiaircraft fire at 10,000 feet. His plane was seen to go into a dive as antiaircraft shells burst all around it; moments later his Corsair was completely on fire. Major J. Frank Cole assumed command of the unit ten days later but the war continued and so did the 312. Just 11 days after Major Day was killed in action, May 25th brought the single highest amount of kills in a single day for the 312. Sixteen Japanese aircraft were shot down with only a single loss. 2nd Lt. Malcolm M. Birney was shot down by a zero, after he had destroyed one himself. On June 10th the squadron joined forces with VMF-323 to make the first land based fighter sweep over the Japanese home islands. The 32 plane strike force destroyed 14 enemy aircraft on the ground and caused extensive damage to other aircraft and facilities to airfields on southern Kyushu Island. Two days later VMF-312 returned to the same airfields with 24 Corsairs. This time the Japanese had antiaircraft guns in place and 2nd Lt. Merlin E. O'Neil was hit by fire. His F4U badly damaged and being seriously wounded, he returned home to Kadena airfield where he bailed out but when rescuers reached O'Neil he was dead. Good hunting continued through June and by the end of the month the squadron's total score was 60 and a half enemy aircraft destroyed, four probable, and seven damaged. On July 1st 1945, 1st Lt. Samuel S. Smith was forced to bail out after losing oil pressure. We was captured, tortured, and held as a Prisoner of War for two months. The last pilot to be killed in VMF-312 before the end of the war was Captain Paul H. Brown Jr., who was flying over Japan on July 12th, when his plane was hit by antiaircraft fire and exploded.

Web Reference: http://www.f4ucorsair.com/vmf-312.html

Between September 1945 and February 1946 VMF-312 participated in the occupation force stationed on Okinawa.

1946-1950

Returning to the United States in February 1946, the squadron began operations at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro still as part of MAG-33, where the squadron completed a transition to F7F-3 Tigercats, a single seat day fighter variant of the two seat Tigercat night fighter. Although the night fighters continued in service for several years, the day fighter version proved unsuitable, and VMF-312 transitioned back to Corsairs, this time F4U-4s, a higher performance model.

The Korean War, 1950-1955

The squadron transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 12, MCAS El Toro in July 1950 and was alerted for deployment and service in the Korean War. The first VMF-312 aircraft flew in Korea on September 19, 1950. Flying out of Wonson Air Base, the Checkerboards flew missions in support of the 1st Marine Division during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Redeployed in March 1951 aboard the light carrier USS Bataan (CVL-29), the Checkerboards were assigned escort and blockade missions. Leaving the ship in June 1951, the squadron amassed 4,945 accident-free hours of carrier operations while logging 1,920 carrier landings. After a short period of ground based close air support operations, the squadron returned to sea, first with Bairoko, then with Bataan, and later with Sicily.

While aboard Bataan, the Checkerboards became the first piston engine squadron to shoot down a jet aircraft, when Captain Jesse Folmar shot down a MiG-15 jet fighter with 20 mm cannon fire. On June 8, 1953, the Checkerboards were relieved by VMF-332, and returned to the United States in anticipation of transitioning to F9F Panthers at Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida