While the United States did not invade the island, there were several significant battles around the island that resulted in the shoot down of several aircraft. The Japanese anti-aircraft gunners were known to be the most accurate in the Pacific. They also had the use of radar guided gunes. The ocean floor within 10 miles of Marcus Island is littered with Japanese and American aircraft. This is the story of those lost there.
US Losses Overview:
US Navy
F4F 1
F6F 2
SBD 1
TBF !
PB4Y-1 1
PB4Y-2 2
US Army Air Force
B24J 3
Individual Events:
US Carrier Attack # 1 – Task Force :
3 March 1942 – USS Enterprise
F4F USS ENTERPRISE:
SBD USS ENTERPRISE: Lt Hart Hilton and , Ditched 10 miles east of Marcus Island
US Carrier Attack # 2 – Task Force 15:
31 August – 1 September 1943 – USS Essex, USS Yorktown with USS Independence providing northern flank protection
F6F-3 USS YORKTOWN : At 0640K, when the first bombing attack was concluded, the early light of day disclosed 7 Type 01 Mitsubishi “BETTY” bombers lined up at regular intervals along the north edge of the E/W runway. The VF attack group, flying 16 F6Fs for the first time in combat, started making strafing attacks on these aircraft. A total of 16 strafing attacks were made on the BETTYS until all SEVEN were set afire and destroyed. The F6FS then switched their targets to the pier on the south shore, installations on the north side of the island and against actively firing AA positions. A total of 56 strafing runs were made against these targets.
Ensign Morgan, a pilot of one of the F6F-3s doing these strafing attacks, did not return to the Yorktown. It is believed that his plane was hit by AA installations which he had been strafing. When last heard from on the radio, he reported that his oil pressure was getting low. At 0845, the Commander of Air Group Nine, Commander Raby, reported having sighted a man swimming in the water in the center of a large green slick 10 miles north of the island.
At about 1245, Commander Air Group Five received a message the ship that a pilot had been seen in the water about ten miles from the island. No time was given. Commander Air Group Five immediately broadcast on 6835kcs the following messages: “Pilot reported in water ten miles North of island” This message was repeated three times. Within 15 minutes, a friendly submarine, the USS SNOOK, which was on station north of the island surfaced approximately 6 miles from the island and headed toward the reported position. Two planes aided the USS SNOOK in he search for the survivors but nothing was sighted on the surface of the smooth water. Commander Flatley spent 20 minutes attempting to locate the pilot, but without success. It is believed that this may have been Ensign Morgan.
VT Squadron Five TBF USS YORKTOWN: These were the first aircraft to attack the island from the USS Yorktown. They reported sighting the island at 0603 K, 42 minutes before sunrise. They attacked in 3 divisions of 6 aircraft each, in the dark. The approach to the island was made over cloud levels varying between 2,000 and 7,000 feet. Anti-aircraft fire began during the first wave of attacks. Gunfire form the northern and southeastern sections were particularly heavy. By the time the second wave attacked, they were receiving intense AA fire from all three corners of the island.
The third division of the BT Squadron Five, led by Lt Condit, led the attack in the third wave. At this time clouds extended down to approximately 2,000 feet, necessitating glide approaches through the clouds. Several pilots of this group were forced to make a second run because of the difficulty in obtaining a suitable point of aim after breaking in the the clear below the clouds and a lack of sufficient altitude. to escape the concussion and blast field of the 2,000 lb bombs.
Lt Condit was the first of this group to attack. He turned off his lights , entered hsi dive at 4,000 feet and disappeared into a cloud. This was the last seen of Lt Condit’s planed. It is believed that he dropped his incendiaries and a 500 lb bomb, as three groups of incendiaries were observed. The remaining planes of the divisions scored two 2000 lb bomb hits with delay daisy cutters near the buildings just north of the three radio masts and one hit in the center of the E/W runway. The remaining bombs were believed to have hit on or near buildings in the east central portion of the island.
A pilot from the VB dive bomber group, Lt (JG) Richards, sighted a rubber boat with three occupants at 25 35′ N and 154 32′ east. He circled the boat, checked his navigation, then proceeded to the YORKTOWN where he made a message drop concerning the sighting. The cruiser USS NASHVILLE was directed to launch two SOCs, with the rear seats empty, to search for and rescue the survivors. They were not able to sight any survivors. At 1350K eight TBFs were launched to form a scouting line and conduct a search on a true bearing of 245 degrees from the ship for the sersonnel reported in the rubber lifed boat. These planes carried no bombs or depth charges. The life raft was never seen again and the fate of the three crewmembers is unknown. The crewmembers weere Lt J. W. Condit; K.O. KAHLBERT, AMMic,; and MARSHALL, ARM2c. The submarine USS SNOOK patrolled the area for several days but did not find any survivors.
F6F-3 USS YORKTOWN: The fourth attack wave launched from the USS YORKTOWN at 1100. Marcus Island was 141 miles away at the time, to the south south west. During the dive bombing attach by , the pilot of the SBD, Lt (jg) Kilrain, noted an F6F passing him, strafing a Japanese antiaircraft position that was bringing intense fire to bear in the direction of the attacking TBFs. As Kilrain turned to avoid the fire, he saw the fighter hit by the gunfire. The pilot of the F6F apparently lost control of the plane, which rolled on its back and dove straight into the sea several hundred yards north of the island. The plane seemed to explode on striking the water. The pilot of the F6F was an Ensign Towns. Another F6F pilot flying with Ensign Towns was wounded in the attack and had numerous hits on his aircraft.
F6F-3 USS ESSEX: 9-F-5 (Lt (JG) M.A. Madden, jr.) In preparing for landing aboard the USS Essex after coming back from Marcus Island, the tail hook jammed. The pilot was unable to release the hook either electrically or manually and upon direction from the ship, made a water landing close aboard one of the escorting destroyers, USS HUGH WILSON McKEE. The pilot was recovered unhurt by the destroyer.
US Carrier Aircraft Attack – Task Force :
19-20 May 1944 -USS Essex, USS Wasp, & USS
US Army Air Forces B-24 Losses:
11 September 1944 – B24J 42-72989 : “Pistol Packin’ Mamma” Crew of 10 from the 38th Bomb Squadron, 30th Bomb Group, out of Isley Field, Saipan. Armed Reconnaissance. Shot down by Marcus Island anti-aircraft fire. Only one survivor, 2Lt Richard M. Smith, captured by the Japanese at Marcus Island.
8 May 1945 B24J 44-40617: “Temptation”. Crew of from the 98th Bomb Squadron, 11 Bomb Group, out of Harmon Field, Guam. Hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire over Marcus Island. Turned back to the closest US base (Saipan) but did not have the fuel to make it. Ditched 25 miles north of Saipan as the sun was going down. Even with a PBY rescue plane flying over head and being escorted, only two crewmembers survived the night and were picked up the next day.
19 Jun 1945 B24J 44-41576 “ “: Crew of from the 431 Bomb Squadron All crewmembers made a controlled bailout as they did not think they had the fuel to make it to a US base. The Flight Engineer, Abrego, refused to bail out and ended up flying it back to Tinian, where he attempted to land at West Tinian Air Field with 3 engines. For some reason, he made a go-around on 3 engines and crashed at the end of the runway where he died. One crewmember drowned after bailout but the others were picked up by the submarine USS Seafox.
US Navy PB4Y Losses:
9 May 1945 PB4Y-1 Liberator
9May 1945 PB4Y-2 Privateer
9 May 1945 PB4Y-2 Privateer