Tag Archives: VMFA-232

Red Devil Crusaders

Posted on by Leave a comment

With the 100th anniversary of the Red Devils recently, these two great images from its bad old Crusader Days in Vietnam felt appropriate. While the F-8 was a gunfighter built for speed, when used as a low altitude strike aircraft, it took heavy losses.

Official caption “Poised for Action: An ordnance-laden F-8E Crusader jet of Marine All-Weather Fighter Squadron 232 [VMF (AW)-232] stands ready on the Marine Aircraft Group 11 [MAG-11] flight line (official USMC photo by T. J. Mercurio).” From the Jonathan Abel Collection (COLL/3611), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections.

“On the Way: An F-8E Crusader jet of Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 232 [VMF (AW)-232] launches on a scramble mission in support of Marine ground forces south of Da Nang (official USMC photo by Staff Sergeant Bill Fisher).” From the Jonathan Abel Collection (COLL/3611), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections.

The above airframe, Bu150316, WT Red 17, was damaged by ground fire over South Vietnam on 4 May 4  1967. The plane made it to the South China Sea, where the pilot (Major Edward F. Townley) ejected and was rescued by a helicopter.

As noted by the unit history:

The squadron, flying the newer F-8E Crusader, which it received in August 1966, began full combat operations in December. The F-8E was similar to the F-8D but with higher-performance radar, which, being mounted in the nose section, changed the appearance slightly.

By the end of the month, VMF(AW)-232 had flown 571 sorties while delivering 418 tons of ordnance to enemy targets; four aircraft had received hits, and the Red Devil pilots had become familiar with the I and H Corps area as well as portions of the area north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

During the first 4 months of 1967, 19 more F-8Es were hit. In most cases, the damage was caused by a single small arms round and was easily repaired. Most importantly, no pilots were injured, but in May and June, the Red Devils were not quite as fortunate.

On 4 May, Major Edward F. Townley’s jet was hit as it circled over a suspected enemy position. Soon, the fighter was heading seaward, trailing fire and smoke. Major Townley was ejected and recovered uninjured.

On the 19th, the first Red Devil was killed in action, and the squadron lost its second aircraft. While flying a direct air support mission, Captain Harold J. Hellbach reported receiving fire over the target area. As the pilot turned toward the sea, the jet suddenly pitched nose up and then entered a dive, exploding when it hit the ground about 6 miles from the target area.

On 21 June, Major Charles L. Cronkrite, who, after his transfer from 232 to the group staff, continued flying with the Red Devils, was killed. After experiencing mechanical difficulties, Major Cronkrite ejected, and “it was suspected that the pilot was unconscious when he hit the water.”

July was a better month in that no one was killed or injured, but one aircraft was lost on the 2nd when Major Bruce A. Martin ejected after his plane was hit.

Two other F-8s were destroyed on 15 July as a result of an enemy rocket attack on Da Nang.

August marked the last month of the unit’s combat tour, and on the 30th, when the last plane landed, the Red Devils had amassed totals of 5,785 sorties, 7,273 flight hours, and 6,271 tons of ordnance expended.

The Red Devils received their first two-seater F-4B/J Phantoms on 19 September 1967 and, as VMFA-232, deployed with them back to Vietnam in March 1969.

Red Devils Mark a Century

Posted on by One comment

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, stand in formation during a centennial ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 15, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Samantha Devine) 250815-M-YL719-1079

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, earlier this month, celebrated the 100th anniversary of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232 “Red Devils,” an F/A-18C/D Super Hornet squadron with Marine Aircraft Group 11, during a commemorative ceremony aboard MCAS Miramar. It is the Marine Corps’ oldest active fighter attack squadron.

The squadron was established as VF-3M on 1 September 1925, at NAS San Diego, and its long combat history began less than two years later when the squadron’s Boeing FB Hawk single-seat biplanes provided reconnaissance and air support to Gen. Smedley Butler’s 3rd Brigade in Teintsin. Their ersatz mud field was about 35 miles from the city, and the ground crew had to provide their own security against bandits and warlords. The squadron nonetheless logged 3,818 sorties in support of the 3rd Brigade over 18 months.

The “Red Devils,” later flying SBD dive bombers as VMSB-232, became the first flying squadron to land on Guadalcanal’s Henderson Field on 20 August 1942 during World War II and made history as part of the Cactus Air Force, earning two presidential citations during the war.

Wreckage of an SBD scout-bomber, still burning after it was destroyed by a Japanese air attack on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Catalog #: 80-G-14409

When it left Henderson two months later, only one of the original 15 Guadalcanal Red Devils was still walking.

Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 Insignia, circa 1942, Guadalcanal, where they specialized in paving Iron Bottom Sound with Japanese ships/The drawing was done by I.F. Waldgovel in 1983.

Then came Korea (the squadron itself did not deploy, but all of its original pilots and 40 percent of its enlisted were sent overseas as replacements), two tours in Vietnam, numerous carrier deployments, 740 combat missions in Desert Storm, etc. It later became the first F-18 squadron to land in Afghanistan in 2010 during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Over the past century, the squadron has flown 15 different aircraft (including TBM Avengers, F6F Hellcats, F4U Corsairs, FJ Furys, F-8 Crusaders, and F-4 Phantoms) and participated in every major (and many minor) U.S. conflicts.

The legacy aircraft figure will soon be updated to 16, as it is slated to move to F-35Cs in the next few years.

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet, serving as the color bird for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, is staged in the hangar during a centennial ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 15, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Samantha Devine)

Marines: Harriers out by 2027, More F-35Cs, and Hornets C/Ds to Tread Water

Posted on by Leave a comment

The 44-page 2025 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, released earlier this week by Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, Deputy Commandant for Aviation, gives lots of insight into how the Corps intends to move forward with preserving its legacy MAGTF model that has been a thing since 1963 despite deep cuts to field the Marine Littoral Regiments of (supposedly) highly mobile anti-ship missile slingers.

The way of the future: 

U.S. Marines and Sailors with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, pose for a unit photo before a ceremony on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2024. At the ceremony, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division officially received the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) from Marine Corps Systems Command, becoming the first U.S. Marine Corps unit to field the system. (U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Sgt. Jacqueline C. Parsons) (This image was created using photo merging techniques.)

Out are the last 39 AV-8B Harriers, set to leave the force by 2027 while plans to sunset the elderly Charlie and Delta F-18s are on hold until FY30 ish (the Navy already ditched the type in 2019 in favor of the Rhino Super Hornets, with even the Angels converting over).

The Harrier line closed in 2003 while the F-18C/D line ended in 2000. For what it’s worth, Boeing plans to halt all Super Hornet (E/F) production in 2027 when the last 17 on the order books are delivered to the Navy.

In are more carrier-optimized F-35Cs at the expense of STOVL F-35Bs. This will allow the Corps to field four more squadrons (eight total) for likely inclusion in Navy CVN-based air wings than what was originally planned. I wouldn’t be surprised if a ninth squadron gets moved to that in the near future, which would be one per active CVW. 

The Marine Tactical Air transition plan (click to big up):

Takeaways:

“At the end of 2025, 183 F-35B and 52 F-35C aircraft will have been delivered to the Marine Corps. While the program of record (420 total F-35 aircraft) has not changed, we have updated our F-35 procurement profile to reflect an increase in F-35C squadrons. Per the TACAIR Transition plan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA) and VMFA-323, VMFA-112, and VMFA-134 will now transition as F-35C squadrons. The program of record now includes 280 F-35Bs and 140 F-35Cs to support 12 F-35B squadrons and 8 F-35C squadrons.”

Tsushima Strait, (Sept. 18, 2024) A U.S Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) in the Tsushima Strait, Sept. 18, 2024, for a defensive counterair mission. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Helms)

“The Marine Corps F/A-18 inventory includes 161 F/A-18C/D aircraft. FMF will maintain four active squadrons and one reserve squadron through the end of FY25. F/A-18C/D structure requirements remain in place until the end of FY29 then will transition to F-35s by FY30/31.”

“Of the two Harrier squadrons, Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA) will sundown in late FY25, VMA-223 will sundown in late FY26, and both squadrons will transition to F-35B.”

U.S. Sailors and Marines conduct preflight checks on U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers with the Aviation Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in the Atlantic Ocean, June 27, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Armando Elizalde)

Make that, Mr. Charles

Posted on by Leave a comment

Some folks like to throw rocks at the F-35 Charlie, the carrier variant of the Lightning II fighter aircraft. However, these recent images of a ‘Salty Dogs” VX-23 F-35C carrying twin 200+nm range AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs) and self-defense Sidewinders are just outright sexy.

NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — An F-35 Lightning II test pilot conducts flight test Sept. 10 to certify the carrier variant of the fighter aircraft for carrying the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).

As part of ongoing integration efforts, the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (Pax ITF) team flew two days of test flights to evaluate flutter, loads, and flying qualities with two AGM-158 loaded on external stations. LRASM is a defined near-term solution for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) air-launch capability gap that will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets.

The Pax River ITF’s mission is to effectively plan, coordinate, and conduct safe, secure, and efficient flight tests for F-35B and C variants, and provide necessary and timely data to support program verification/certification and fleet operational requirements.

In related news, the Marines are currently validating the AGM-158A JASSM on a legacy (30-year-old) F/A-18D Block 44 Hornet assigned to the “Red Devils” of VMFA-232 at MCAS Miramar earlier this month. Of note, NAVAIR already worked it out for the bigger Rhino back in like 2016.

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, MAG-11, load an AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile on an F/A-18 Hornet assigned to VMFA-232 during the AGM-158A validation and verification at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 27, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

The presser included this:

Marine Corps strike fighter platforms are postured to acquire long-range, maritime strike capabilities with the inclusion of the AGM-158B joint air-to-surface standoff missile extended range and AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile on the F-35B/C weapons integration roadmap.

“The JASSM not only surpasses the capabilities of any other weapon currently in the Hornet’s extensive weapons portfolio but also the Marine Corps at large,” Kirby said. “This added capability will greatly increase 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s ability to support the joint force and enable greater freedom of maneuver across all operational domains.”