Tillman B. US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II

Osprey Publishing, 2014. — 335 p. — (Osprey General Aviation). — ISBN 1841768056.PROLOGUE
During the World War II, 50 US Marine Corps fighter squadrons designated VMF (for heavier than air Marine fighter) were deployed outside the Continental United States (ConUS). This number included seven nightfighter units. A further 23 squadrons provided operational training, and two deployable units (VMF-514 and VMF-544) were established too late for combat. Thus, the US Marine Corps counted a total of 75 fighter squadrons, of which 67 percent deployed. That figure compares to about 160 US Navy fighting squadrons, 80 of which deployed to combat. Eight (VMF-111, VMF-114, VMF-155, VMF-231, VMF-324, VMF-331, VMF-333 and VMF-513) of the 50 VMFs west of Hawaii did not shoot down a single “bandit”, with eight more failing to produce a single ace.
Based on the published work of World War II aviation historian Dr Frank Olynyk, this book recognizes 120 US Marine Corps fighter aces — individuals credited with five or more enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat. They contributed 966 (35 percent) of the total 2,627 victories attributed to US Marine Corps fighter squadrons. That is in line with the ratio for other services. However, attrition among “leatherneck” aces was far lower — 16 lost to all causes equaled about 13 percent, versus as high as 24 percent for the other services. Three more US Marine Corps aces died in Korea, where 1Lt John Andre added to his four World War II victories to become an ace.