U.S. Marine Corps VMF-111 ("Devil Dogs") History

VMF-111 (1925-1965) - Wildcat Squadron

History: VMF-111 kicked off its long run on September 1, 1925, when the Marine Corps stood up VF-2M at Quantico, Virginia, under Capt. Roy S. Geiger, a wiry aviator who’d later rise to general, aiming to build a pursuit squadron close to D.C. for both training and impressing brass. The squadron started with Boeing F4B-4 biplanes—open-cockpit relics with red-white-blue roundels—and flew loops over the Potomac, often buzzing visiting senators. By August 1, 1930, it became VF-9M, swapping biplanes for Curtiss F6C Hawks, and in 1937, after a stint aboard USS Saratoga under Capt. William Halsey, it took the name VMF-1, moving to Grumman F3F-2 fighters, barrel-chested planes with retractable gear that pilots loved for their agility. On July 1, 1941, the Corps redesignated it VMF-111 as war loomed, equipping it with Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats at Quantico, where Maj. Ralph K. Rottet took command, drilling a mix of 18-20 leather-jacketed pilots in dogfight tactics. After Pearl Harbor rocked the nation, VMF-111 shipped out on March 10, 1942, landing at Tafuna Airfield in Tutuila, Samoa—the first Marine squadron there—under Maj. Harold C. Major, flying F4F-4 Wildcats with folding wings and six .50-caliber guns, painted in fresh gray camo. The squadron patrolled the steamy Samoan skies, engines growling over coral runways, and by July moved to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu, where Seabees had carved a longer strip; pilots like 1st Lt. Robert E. Lee scanned for Japanese Zeros that never came, logging endless hours over turquoise seas. In early 1943, VMF-111 traded Wildcats for F4U Corsairs under Maj. William E. Classen, a lanky Texan, and by January 1944 shifted to the Central Pacific, staging from Hawkins Field on Betio, Tarawa, to raid bypassed Japanese bases like Mili Atoll in the Marshalls. There, on a standout mission, eight Corsairs—led by Capt. James L. McCartney—dropped 1,000-pound bombs on Mili’s AA guns, a rare fighter-bomber run that rattled the enemy, while Wildcat days faded into memory. The squadron likely splashed 5-10 Japanese planes across these raids, though records are thin—pilots like 2nd Lt. John F. Kinney claimed kills in scrappy fights over atolls. By late 1945, VMF-111 sailed home to San Diego, deactivating on November 26, 1945, its Wildcats long gone. The Devil Dogs woke again on June 1, 1948, as a reserve outfit at NAS Dallas, Texas, flying F4U Corsairs under Lt. Col. John P. Wagner, then F8F Bearcats by 1950 when called up for Korea—but they stayed stateside, training pilots amid Texas heat. In January 1964, VMF-111 got F-8A Crusaders, sleek jets shared with VMF-112, before shutting down for good on October 22, 1965, at Dallas, its gear handed off as the reserves wound down.

Highlights:
Established: September 1, 1925, as VF-2M at Quantico—early photos might show F4B-4s with fabric wings, pilots in goggles posing by wood props.
Aircraft (Wildcat Era): F4F-3 Wildcats in 1941 (four guns, fixed wings, blue-gray paint, e.g., BuNo 4019), upgraded to F4F-4s by 1942 (six guns, folding wings, gray camo)—check for cockpit shots with pilots like Lt. Lee in fur-lined helmets.
Redesignations: VF-9M in 1930, VMF-1 in 1937, VMF-111 in 1941—Saratoga days might yield deck pics with F3F-2s, roundels gleaming.
Samoa Deployment (1942): Arrived Tafuna, Tutuila, March 10, 1942, then Faleolo by July—photos could show F4F-4s on coral strips, “111” stenciled on fuselages, or Maj. Major briefing shirtless pilots under palm trees.
Wildcat Star: F4F “Old #122” flew 100 missions in Samoa without a hiccup—look for a weathered Wildcat with faded paint, maybe a citation plaque.
Central Pacific (1944): Switched to F4U Corsairs by 1943; bombed Mili Atoll in ’44—Corsair pics might show bomb racks, Capt. McCartney in flight gear, or smoke over atolls (Wildcat era ended here).
Kills: Estimated 5-10 Japanese aircraft, mostly in 1944 raids—Kinney’s kills might tie to a photo of a Wildcat or Corsair with victory marks.
Post-War: Reactivated 1948 at NAS Dallas with F4Us—possible shots of Corsairs in hangar dust, then F8Fs in ’50s, and F-8 Crusaders by ’64 with sleek lines.
Disestablished: October 22, 1965—final photos might show Crusaders parked, “Devil Dogs” patch on a locker.