Sgt Grit Marine Forums

A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD




Well.....my dad was a marine corp pilot in WWII in the solomon islands.
He was a Major and flew in one of the first squadrons there.
(VMB-413)

He flew many different planes but most flight time and missions were flown in the B25 "PBJ" U.S.M.C. TWIN ENGINE BOMBER also known as the "MITCHELL BOMER" a variation which was used in the famous DOOLITTLE RAID on Tokyo where they took off aircraft carriers at the begining of the war.

A SHORT HISTORY

In February 1943, the first B-25C and D models were delivered to the Navy and given the designation PBJ-1C and PBJ-1D respectively. Army model letters was used to designate all subsequent PBJ variants. The Navy's Mitchells were to be used in the reconnaissance, anti-shipping and close support roles and flown by Marine Corps crews.

The first Marine bombing squadron, VMB-413, was organized in March 1943, and a number of its PBJ-1s were fitted with search radars mounted in place of the lower turret.

Since most Marine Corps pilots and crews were operating single-engine fighter and attack aircraft, VMB-413 acted as a training squadron for air and ground crews in the twin-engine Mitchell. By October 1943, seven more squadrons, VMB-423, 433, 443, 611, 612, 613 and 614, had been equipped with PBJ-1s to form the first Marine Medium Bombardment Group. First to see action in the Pacific was VMB-413, which arrived in January 1944 and entered combat in March of that year.

The squadron flew its first combat missions from Sterling Island, flying both day and night bombing strikes against targets in the Rabaul and Bougainville areas. Having to develop new tactics, the Marine PBJs suffered heavy losses at first. However, the squadron's effectiveness was noted in a commendation from the Army commander of aircraft in the Solomons area (ComAirSols), Brig. General William A. Matheny:

… you have, in the space of a few weeks, matched similar units which have been operating under ComAirSols for nine months… You have, further, developed the dangerous, tiresome mission of night heckling against the enemy bases to the highest perfection it has attained in the fourteen months I have been working under ComAirSols.

In late 1943, newer PBJ-1Hs were delivered, fitted with a 75mm cannon mounted in the nose and additional forward-firing .50 caliber guns. These were followed by PBJ-1Js in the spring of 1944. Those H models fitted with radar had a radome in the nose, while the PBJ-1J's radar was mounted on the right wingtip, allowing either a clear bombardier nose or solid gun nose to be fitted. In addition, both models could carry eight air-to-ground High-Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR) mounted under the wings. As described below, the rockets proved more effective than the slow-firing 75mm gun, which rarely got off more than 3 or 4 rounds during a pass on a target.

VMB-612, commanded by Lt. Col. Jack Cram, was selected for special training in night attacks on enemy shipping, using radar to locate and attack the targets. In addition to conventional bombs and torpedoes, the new 5-inch HVAR rockets were tried and found to be highly accurate and effective. By flying level about 300 feet above the water and correcting for wind and temperature variations, Cram's pilots learned to judge the rockets range. In one practice attack on a small island only 200 feet long by 100 feet wide, the squadron fired over 250 HVARs and scored 56 percent hits.

In November 1944, VMB-612 was stationed on Saipan, but the nearest shipping targets were near Iwo Jima and Chichi, 630 and 750 miles to the north, respectively. Cram's squadron stripped their PBJs of excess weight, including the upper turrets and cheek guns, and carrying 1520 gallons of fuel, successfully flew missions which lasted 10-12 hours.

From Saipan, VMB-612 moved to Iwo Jima in April 1945, where it could reach the coast of Japan during its nigh-time anti-shipping strikes. Cram's squadron claimed 7 ships sunk and 80 damaged during missions from Saipan and Iwo, with a loss of three PBJs in combat. On July 28, 1945, VMB-612 departed for its next base on Okinawa.

The HVAR rockets shown to be so effective by VMB-612 were an early product of the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) established at China Lake in 1943. Working with civilian scientists from the California Institute of Technology, the NOTS developed aircraft rocket weapons, including the big 11.75-inch "Tiny Tim", intended for attacks on enemy bunkers and other protected targets. Being the "rocket experts", VMB-612's PBJ-1Js were fitted with mounts for two Tiny Tims, one on each side of the fuselage, above the bomb bay doors. Cram's pilots flew three night missions with the big rockets against targets in southern Japan on August 11, 12 and 13, 1945, in the last days of the war.

Just over 700 PBJs were delivered to the Marines, 50 PBJ-1Cs, 152 Ds, 1 or 2 Gs, 248 Hs and 255 PBJ-1Js. Performance of the PBJ-1J powered by two Wright R-2600-29 1,700 horsepower engines included a top speed of around 275 mph at 12,500 feet, a cruse of 230 mph and normal range of 1,560 statute miles. Service ceiling was 20,600 feet with a normal gross weight of 34,000 pounds. A typical PBJ-1J was armed with twelve 0.50 caliber machine guns and up to 4,000 pounds of bombs, a Mark 13 aerial torpedo or 8 HVAR rockets.

Marine bomber squadrons lost 45 PBJs to all causes, along with 173 officers and men. Given the unusual reasons for choosing the Army-designed North American bomber, it is hard to imagine an aircraft more effective than the PBJ in the hands of its U.S. Marine Corps pilots and crews.

more info:

VMB-413, nicknamed, The Flying Nightmares, was the first squadron to see combat beginning in March 1944. VMB-413 began operations from Stirling Island in the Treasury Group. The primary job was heckling Japanese installations at Kavieng on New Ireland and Rabaul on New Britain.

The squadron's primary mission was heckling Japanese installations at Kavieng on New Ireland and Rabaul on New Britain. Losses were exceptionally heavy during the first two months of operation with VMB-413 losing five aircraft and 27 men, mostly through enemy action.


VMB-413 Patch

[
PBJ approaching Prince of York Island March 1944

[
The Boys

Losses



The following is a listing of personnel losses by all causes while serving with a PBJ units during World War II including VMB-614 which was not assigned to the Pacific.



VMB-413



22 January 1944



First Lieutenant S.M. Duval

Second Lieutenant Ramon Dickey

Sergeant William F. Moore

Sergeant C. J. Lee

Private First Class Lewis W. Evans

Corporal Charlie P. Jones

22 March 1944
Major J.K. Smith

Second Lieutenant F. Just Jr.

Captain J.F. Jackson

Corporal F.X. Newer

Corporal H.T. Nelson

Corporal W.M. Lytle

1 April 1944
First Lieutenant Rex A. Dreasher

Corporal Bernard A. O'Hara

21 April 1944
Major D.E. Keeler

Second Lieutenant G.R. Robertson

Second Lieutenant C.F. Leidberg

Staff Sergeant G.V. Enck

Sergeant A.S. Johnson Jr.

Sergeant R.C. Hubbell

5 May 1944
First Lieutenant G.W. Smith

First Lieutenant R.M. Jones

Sergeant J.S. Little

Sergeant G.D. Herbst Jr.

Corporal F.R. Gillen

Corporal M.F. Mazepa

Corporal R.S. Bleir

27 February 1945
Second Lieutenant George P. Boyes

Technical Sergeant I. E. Joyce

Corporal Peter R. Scorson

Corporal August L. Stark

Staff Sergeant Raymond Mambourg

Technical Sergeant Roy P. Mason

VMB-423
1 November 1943
Second Lieutenant James P. McCullough

Private First Class Charles E. Schwieman

Corporal Thomas S. Szymanski Jr.

Second Lieutenant Irving R. Werner Jr.

3 March 1944
Corporal Anthony J. Gallo

Staff Sergeant James W. Lee Jr.

Corporal Robert W. Lide

Second Lieutenant Bert C. Sanders

First Lieutenant Henry E. Seeman

20 April 1944
Second Lieutenant Thaddeus H. Banachowski

First Lieutenant Alden R. Carlson

Corporal John T. Gunn

Corporal Raymond T. Marks

Corporal Reber H. Smith

Staff Sergeant Clyde E. Yates

22 April 1944
Corporal John A. Donovan

Second Lieutenant Dwight D. Ekstam

Corporal Wayne R. Erickson

First Lieutenant Laverne A. Lallathin

Technical Sergeant James A. Sisney

Technical Sergeant Walter B. Vincent Jr.

Corporal John D. Yeager

2 June 1944
Sergeant Roderick H. Herndon

22 June 1944
Staff Sergeant Clifford S. Buckley, Jr

Staff Sergeant Jewel T. Hawkins

First Lieutenant Vernon R. Kistner

Second Lieutenant Richard B. Lucy

Corporal Edwin J. McDowell

Second Lieutenant Thornwell Rogers

Sergeant Winton G. Walk

29 June 1944
Captain Richard A. Edmonds

Corporal Dewett T. Greene, Jr.

Sergeant Raymond M. Hallbauer

Sergeant Roy H. Morrison

Second Lieutenant Nimrod C. Olinger

Staff Sergeant Loren N. VanBuskirk

23 December 1944
Private First Class Willie T. Phillips

VMB-433
2 September 1944
First Lieutenant Charles L. Ingels

First Lieutenant Richard R. Graves

Staff Sergeant John D. Hughes

Sergeant Stanley F. Stark

Corporal George R. Johnson

Corporal Leonard G. Klinger (passenger)

11 September 1944
First Lieutenant Eric E. Terry Jr.

Staff Sergeant Leo S. Pralat

First Lieutenant William J. Miller

Private First Class Billy G. Saferight

4 December 1944
First Lieutenant Glen H. Ulrich

27 February 1945
First Lieutenant Donald R. Harpley

Master Technical Sergeant Edward W. Trudnowski

Sergeant Andrew W. Pasterniak

Corporal Wallace Gregel

Corporal Frank R. Lacy Jr.

Private First Class Donald V. Hooly

MAG-61
6 August 1945
First Lieutenant C.W. Sieben

Second Lieutenant John J. Zelner

Master Technical Sergeant Otto T. Bergman

Technical Sergeant Paul J. Rogers

Technical Sergeant Clarence Post

Technical Sergeant James Mons

Staff Sergeant Arthur C. Thielon

Sergeant Fred J. Seitz

Corporal Bernard F. Banker



Note: These men do not appear on VMB-433's muster roll. However, the PBJ 35114 was assigned to the squadron.

VMB-443
8 February 1944
First Lieutenant Clifford McClinton

First Lieutenant Frank Crummer Jr.

Sergeant John H. Hopkins

Sergeant Robert H. Tarbell

Corporal Jack D. Moss

Staff Sergeant John E. Decker

10 July 1944
First Lieutenant Paul N. Kezerian

11 September 1944
First Lieutenant John O'Hara

First Lieutenant Henry A. Maasen

Master Technical Sergeant Ralph E. Holland

Technical Sergeant Robert J. Heger

Sergeant Arthur Browning

Sergeant Charles H. Shuler

17 September 1944
First Lieutenant Benjamin G. Kinnick

First Lieutenant Dominic F. Bellanca

Master Technical Sergeant Edward P. McCray

Staff Sergeant Edmund S. Santomasso

Staff Sergeant Arthur P. Going

Corporal Jay B. Fitzpatrick

19 September 1944
First Lieutenant John L. Braden

Master Technical Sergeant Gerald N. Griffin



VMB-611
February 1944
Second Lieutenant Howard B. Hartten

Corporal Charles W. Aubert

Corporal Robert E. Beisheim

Private First Class Louis A. Weiskittel

17 January 1945
First Lieutenant Charles H. Lawrence

Second Lieutenant Richard C. Nelson

Sergeant Jesse C. Duncan

Sergeant Edward H. Jackson

Sergeant Harvey B. Proper

2 May 1945
First Lieutenant Robert B. Mason

First Lieutenant Paul A. Frank

Technical Sergeant Ernest Z. Nevidjon

Staff Sergeant Harold C. Johnson

Staff Sergeant Edt Lberto Yanulevicus

Sergeant Harlmi L. Bushby

Sergeant Edward J. Byrne

Sergeant Richard N. McKnight

30 May 1945
Lieutenant Colonel George A. Sarles

First Lieutenant Charles A. Jones. Jr.

Technical Sergeant Floyd M. Sigler

Corporal George T. Cawley

First Lieutenant Doit L. Fish

First Lieutenant Donald C. Sculati

Staff Sergeant Richard C. Vorel

Sergeant Robert L. Harrison

Corporal Walter C. Charboneau

Corporal Chester D. Luberda

Corporal John D. Rood

Captain Sigurd J. Simonson (passenger)

19 June 1945
First Lieutenant Robert A. Griffith

Staff Sergeant Clyde W. Sams Jr.

Corporal Arthur D. Benz

Staff Sergeant Stanley I Aliskowitch

17 April 1945
Private First Class Barney B. Allen

First Lieutenant William A. Grant

VMB-612
16 November 1944

Second Lieutenant James W. Bostick

Master technical Sergeant Thomas V. Little

27 November 1944
First Lieutenant Edward Madray

First Lieutenant James W. Robbins

Master Sergeant Robert C. Jones

Sergeant Robert J. Boylan

Private First Class John W. Knop

29 November 1944
First Lieutenant Cleo J. Falgout

First Lieutenant John R. Johnston

Staff Sergeant Thomas J. Freeman

Staff Sergeant Tony A. Nedik

Sergeant Richard H. Petrilli

Corporal Sandro J. Bruz

11 February 1945
First Lieutenant Clifford James

First Lieutenant Charles B. Koeppen

Master Technical Sergeant Frank Dumany Jr.

Master Technical Sergeant Marvin W. Bender

Staff Sergeant William R. Constantine

Sergeant James J. McElroy

Corporal Warren A. Bolin

16 April 1945
Second Lieutenant Elwood D. Peters

Staff Sergeant Clinton E. Crain

22 April 1945
Lieutenant Samuel Balthrop

Lieutenant Josephy J. Bottalico

Master Tehnical Sergeant Benjamin S. Goodwin

Staff Sergeant Albert L. Chivis

Corporal William Winkler

Staff Sergeant Joseph A. Clementi

2 May 1945
First Lieutenant John Jarrell

Technical Sergeant John Clark

Private First Class Arthur Galloway

Staff Sergeant Harold Grant

27 July 1945
Lieutenant Myron C. Peterson

Lieutenant Calvin A. Swallow

Technical Sergeant Frank Brown

Sergeant Paul J. Techenbrock

Corporal Glen H. Owens

Sergeant Abram W. Stevens

Lieutenant Edward Ellis

VMB-613
6 February 1945
First Lieutenant William J. Love

First Lieutenant Thomas W. Stone

Sergeant Edward L. Baumbach

Sergeant John A. Becker

Staff Sergeant John R. Schwaller

Sergeant David Snider

Private William M. Farley

VMB-614
First Lieutenant James P. Bartholomew

First Lieutenant Patrick J. McGinley

Second Lieutenant William D. Bonner

Second Lieutenant Robert J. Carney

Sergeant Richard O. Spears

Corporal Jack M. Laraway

Corporal Francis J. Marshall

Private First Class Edward J. Shay

Private First Class Sterling L. Taylor

Private First Class Bruno J. Wachala

My Dad...back row left (not the sgt. in the inset)

VMB-413 was the first Marine PBJ squadron formed.

Commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina on 1 March 1943 the squadron moved to Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, San Diego, California in December 1943 after completing training.

Departing the U.S. on 3 January 1944 with their PBJs tied down on the deck of the escort aircraft carrier USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68) for transport to MCAS Ewa, Territory of Hawaii. The air echelon then flew their aircraft to Naval Operating Base (NOB) Espiritu Santo on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands (15.15S, 166.51E) arriving on 27 January 1944 with 13 PBJ-1Ds.

After receiving familiarization training, VMB-413 moved forward to Stirling Island, Treasury Islands, British Solomon Islands (7.13S, 155.19E), on 7 March. Located about 30 miles (48 km) off the southwest coast of Bougainville Island, this base made it easy to fly bombing and heckling missions against targets on Bougainville and the huge Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain Island.

The squadron flew its first mission against a supply dump near Rabaul on 14 March and for the next week, joined USAAF and USN aircraft in attacking the Rabaul area.

After these preliminary raids, VMB-413 switched to its primary function, night heckling raids against Japanese installations on Bougainville and Rabaul.

The squadron returned to NOB Espiritu Santo in May 1944 for rest and recreation and then moved forward to Munda Airfield (8.00S, 157.15E) on New Georgia Island in the British Solomon Islands and commenced bombing and strafing heckling operations against the Kahili-Choiseul area of Bougainville Island.

On 18 October 1944, the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Emirau on Emirau Island (1.40S, 150.00E) in the St. Matthias Group of the Bismarck Archipelago. For the remainder of the war, the squadron flew missions against the bypassed Japanese forces on New Britain and New Ireland Islands.

On 17 August 1945, the squadron was ordered to transfer to Titcomb Field, Malabang, Mindanao, Philippines Islands.


PS, interesting side note my son spent his 4 years in the Corps also at Cherry Point in aviation supply. (2001-2005)

A Newspaper interview Dec. 3rd 1996

QUOTE

York County man honored for role in World War II victory in Pacific Awarded: Distinguished Flying Cross Thanksgiving....somewhere in the Pacific   On Thanksgiving Day ,1944 Marine 1st. Lt. George Barlow was nearing the end of his combat tour in the South Pacific.For the previous nine months , Barlow had flown combat missions from a small island in the chain known as the Solomons.His squadron, VMB 413 was part of the air campain which prepared the way for the Marine landing forces which were island -hopping their way toward Japan.   He was assigned as command pilot , of the first Marine bomber squadron to see action in the South Pacific. Barlow flew the twin engine Mitchell B25 medium bomber, which the Marines called PBJ's.Loaded with 1,000 pound bombs and bristling with machine guns; the PBJ's would take off into the night to harass Japanese installations.   Half a century later, Barlow recalls those days from the saftey of his York County home.   "Once over the target we would alternitely bonb and strafe enemy positions, getting lower and lower with each pass. We would continue to do this until our supply of ammunition ran out.As one B25 left the target area to return home, it was quickly be replaced by yet anouther bomber which would continue the harassment." Barlow flew 34 bombing raids during his stint with the 413th.   "It's funny,"Barlow says."but the whole time I was flying, my plane never got hit, not a scratch on it. The only plane with out a scratch that I'm aware of. Some B25's were hit by ground fire or attacked by aircraft. Others were damaged by severe tropical storms.Still others simply failed to return to base,the reason and the fate of the crew ...unknown."   "On one mission when we got back, two planes failed to return. We never knew what happened to them." For these efforts...this fall... he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals....50 years after he flew his last combat mission. (The recomendations were submited in 1945) The certificates are signed by Gen. Charles C. Krulac, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps who was two years old at the time. It was really strange to get these after 50 years." Barlow said with a chuckle."But I guess its better late then not at all." D.F.C. The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in combat in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918."

THE FINISHED MOTORCYCLE








 

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