MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 11
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, FLEET MARINE FORCE,
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

WAR DIARY

From

Weather cancelled scheduled flight of twenty F4Us from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal this date. All aircraft and pilots are ready for flight when weather permits.

LANGLEY, MARSHALL, GILES PIE, BROWN, and POTICHA arrived Green Island this date.

DINGFELTER, DUGAN, McIVER, and ZANGER took off from Bougainville and landed at Green Island.
HAND, SAULIERE, LAWLER, OSTER, VAUGHN, SCHALLER, and SAINT along with 248 enlisted men arrived and disembarked at Green Island. After getting squared away in the Marine Aircraft Group FOURTEEN area assigned, immediate preparations were begun to care for the squadron's twenty aircraft.

This squadron joined Marine Aircraft Group FOURTEEN, First Marine Aircraft Wing, authorized by Wing Special Order No. 101-44, dated 5 August 1944.

BLAIN, DRIFTMIER, REEDER, and HANSEN off on Rabaul Patrol, They got around the front to the north and bombed native huts on the Duke of York Islands. They showed the need of a great deal of practice with bombs missing the targets from 100 yards to 600 yards. They released between 3,500 and 4,000'. Remaining flights were cancelled due to weather reported by BLAIN to be moving across Rabaul area.

For the Record: 8 Sorties, 19.6 hours.

DINGFELTER, McIVER, HEILMAN, and PERU off to Rabaul Patrol but were turned back with bombs.
All other flights were cancelled because of weather.

For the Record: 8 sorties, 10 Hours.

Weather cancelled all flying this date.

Major Gerald GEIGER joined the squadron this date from Headquarters Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-FOUR, First Marine Aircraft Wing, with the rank established him as the squadron's executive Officer.

LANGLEY, McCALL, GILLESPIE, and BROWN off and performed a negative local dusk patrol.
Bad weather secured all other scheduled flights.

For the Record: 8 Sorties. 14 hours.

SPURLOCK, BARNETT, DUGAN, and VAUGHN off on Rabaul Patrol. They bombed concentrations of buildings on the Tovakundum Plantation with unobserved results and the entire patrol was negative,

For the Record: 20 Sorties. 64.4 hours.

Nine pilots joined the squadron this date: 2ndLts AMERINE, DAY, GAUVREAU, NELSON SEMB, VITTITOE, WILDER, WRIGHT, and T/Sgt. RIX.

DINGFELTER, HEILMAN, McIVER, and PERU off to patrol Rabaul. They bombed a concentration of ten to fifteen houses, ten miles SW of Vunakanau; one scoring a direct hit destroying two houses. The remainder of the patrol was negative.
Three pilots joined the squadron this date from Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-TOUR, First Marine Aircraft Wing, they were first lieutenants PETERS, SCRIMGEOUR, and Second Lieutenant HOTT.

For the Record: 20 Sorties, 65 hours.

SHURLOCK, BARNETT, MATNEY, DUGAN, BLAIN, DRIFTMIER, REEDER, and HANSEN took off to practice night flying tactics and to log some of the required four hours per month of night flying.
It was presumed necessary because of the prospects of pre-dawn take offs for early morning strikes on far off targets as well as after dark landings for late afternoon strikes. Conditions for night flying depend mostly on weather here, although this runway has some bad bumps which tend to swerve the aircraft after the tail is down, the first flight landed at 2000, after the planes were refueled the next flight, consisting of CRAPO, MARKER, VAUGHN, LANGLEY. McCALL, GILLESPIE, and BROWN took off at 2145.

For the Record: 25 Sorties, 40.0 hours.

CRAPO, MARKER, VAUGHN, and ZANGER took off on negative local dusk patrol.

For the Record: 24 Sorties, 59.7 hours.

DINGFELTER, McIVER, PERU, and HEILMAN off to patrol Rabaul. No observed damage was done by the bombs dropped on Duke of York but a direct hit was- scored in a clearing, which had huts on all sides. Some trucks were observed In the Rabaul area but too near known heavily defended areas to chance strafing.

For the Record: 25 Sorties, 69.7 hours.

AMERINE, WRIGHT, WILDER, and VITTITOE off on negative local dusk patrol.

For the Record: 28 Sorties, 50.8 hours.

BLAIN, DRIFTMIER, REEDER, and RIX off on negative local dusk patrol.
Dumbo escorts and strike were cancelled because of weather.

For the Record: 9 Sorties, 12.2 hours.

SPURLOCK, BARNETT, MATNEY, and DUGAN off on last Rabaul Patrol. Three of then bombed Duke of York without inflicting any damage on the enemy and the fourth, DUGAN severely damaged two twenty by sixty foot warehouses near the shore In Rabaul Town. Rest of flight was negative.

For the Record: 21 Sorties, 66.6 hours.

CRAPO, MARKER, CHATHAM, and LYNCH off to patrol Rabaul. No damage observed by two bombs dropped on Rabaul city but a third bomb catered the NW end of Lakunai airfield. The fourth bomb failed to detonate because of electrical failure in the plane not arming the bomb. After being relieved of the negative patrol, the flight strafed the shores of Ataliklikan Bay to Liguan Bay but no damage was observed. This flight's weather report kept the last patrol on the deck.

For the Record: 21 Sorties, 57.2 hours.

BLAIN, DRIFTMIER, REEDER, and HANSEN off on a negative local dawn patrol.

GEIGER, PETERS, SCRNGENOUR and HOTT; and ANDERSON, ZANGER, MARSHALL, and GRIFFITH all took off to bomb bridges on New Ireland. They chose as a target the Sae River Bridge and of the seven bombs dropped only one found its mark knocking out half of the bridge when it exploded at the base of the bridge. One bomb hung and was jettisoned over the sea route to base. They strafed the bridge and surrounding area causing a small fire in a supply area and received moderate, accurate, medium caliber AA fire from Namatanai and Halls Plantations. PETER's plane was holed by a probable 7.7 MM three inches behind the cockpit.

MATNEY, and DUGAN off to escort Dumbo to Rabaul area. While orbiting near Duke of York they observed a thirty-five foot camouflaged barge apparently adrift one half mile off shore. After securing permission from Dumbo they each made three strafing runs on it and on the last, it exploded at the stern and sank immediately. The rest of the escort was negative.

For the Record: 19 Sorties, 41.2 hours.

GILLESPIE and BROWN took off on local patrol and after a negative dusk patrol they remained airborne to wait for night flying which was canceled because of weather moving in.

For the Record: 12 Sorties, 24.l hours.

LANGLEY, McCALL, BROWN, and GILLESPIE off on only patrol of day but were unable to get through the bad weather.
For the Record: 6 Sorties, 6.6 hours.

AMERINE, DAY, GAUVERAU, NELSON, SENB, VITTITOE, WILDER, and WRIGHT left for Sydney, Australia, for health and recreation.

Warrant Officer John L. SAINT transferred to Headquarters Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group FOURTEEN, First Marine Aircraft Wing, this date to take over duties of Group Adjutant.

DINGFELTER and HEILMAN took off to escort Dumbo to Rabaul area via Cape St. George. The flight was negative.

GEIGER, PETERS, SCRIMGEOUR, HOTT, MATNEY, DUGAN, BARNETT, CRAPO, MARKER, CHATHAM, LYNCH, LANGLEY, McCALL, GILLESPIE, and BROWN all took off to practice night flying tactics.

For the Record: 40 Sorties: 85.3 hours.

SPURLOCK and GEIGER leading fourteen others took off to practice night flying tactics. DINGFELTER hit some boundary lights upon landing which damaged the flaps slightly.

For the Record: 31 Sorties

LANGLEY, McCALL, GILLESPIUE, and BROWN took off on the final Rabaul Patrol. Three bombing installations at Vunapopo possibly damaging a twenty by forty building with one damaging miss. The fourth missed a camouflaged building north of Tobera airstrip twenty-five yards. They strafed targets on Watom Island and at Kamanokan Mission with unobserved results. They received moderate, fairly accurate, tracered, light AA from Neuwaun and Manton Plantations on New Ireland when strafing the west coast with unobserved results.

For the Record: 20 Sorties, 72.2 hours.

CRAPO, MARKER, CHATHAM, and LYNCH off to patrol Rabaul. They bombed targets on Watom Island; only one scoring a direct hit which destroyed at least two of a cluster of huts at Naweo. Weather was bad for any strafing or observations and the flight was recalled.

For the Record: 20 Sorties, 70.4 hours.

SPURLOCK, GEIGER, PETERS, SCRIMGEOUR, HOTT, REEDER, HANSEN MARSHALL, CRAPO, CHATHAM, LYNCH, DRIFTMIER, VAUGHN, and RIX off for night flying tactics. The flight was uneventful.

For the Record: 29 Sorties, 53.6 hours

ANDERSON, ZANGER off to escort Dumbo into St. George Channel. They were not on station long as the weather was poor and strikes cancelled.

REEDER, HANSEN, DRIFTMIER, and VAUGHN off and tried to reach Rabaul area but were turned back by the weather. They tried to get back to their own field with bombs but when it was closed-in also they jettisoned the bombs near Feni Island and continued to Emirau Island where they landed.

Captain Elmer L. BLAIN, his tour of duty overseas completed leaves this date enroute to United States.

CRAPO, MARKS, CHATHAM, and LYNCH off to patrol Rabaul. Repeated efforts to penetrate a front over New Ireland were repulsed and the flight returned with bombs.

For the Record: 17 Sorties, 51.3 hours.

CRAPO and MARKER off and performed a negative local dusk patrol.

For the Record: 18 Sorties, 32.7 hours.

Three pilots Joined the squadron this date from Headquarters Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group TWENTY-FOUR, as of 29 August 1944, they were Second Lieutenants BOLLER, GRAHAM, and VERMILLION. This brings the flight echelon's strength to forty pilots, 8 being STAD in Sydney on health and recreation.