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| USMC MAW-2 MAG-12 VMF-321 "Hell’s Angels"  William Bartsch 1975 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. James A. Vittitoe (survived) Ditched May 5, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Vought. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as F4U-1 Corsair bureau number 02270. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South Pacific (SoPAC) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the United States Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Wing 2 (MAW-2), Marine Air Group 12 (MAG-12), Marine Fighting Squadron 321 (VMF-321) "Hell’s Angels". No known nickname, nose art or squadron number. Mission History On May 5, 1944 took off from Quoin Hill Airfield piloted by 2nd Lt. James A. Vittitoe as one of twelve Corsairs to escort SBD Dauntless on a training mission. After four hours and 12 minutes of flight, Vittitoe ran out of fuel and ditched into shallow water off Quoin Hill on Efaté Island. Vittitoe survived the ditching unhurt. Wreckage This aircraft remained in situ until the late 1970s. At some point, most of the rear fuselage was removed. During 2009, Robert Jarrett / Classic Jets Fighter Museum (CJFM) negotiated with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and landowner to recover the wing section, removing everything from the crash site. The wreckage was exported to Australia. Restoration Since 2009, this aircraft is under restoration by Classic Jets Fighter Museum (CJFM) at Hanger 107. The wing section was restored. Parts from five other Corsairs are being used in the restoration. The finished Corsair will be restored to airworthy condition. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - F4U-1 Corsair 02270 "02270 ditched in lagoon on Efate Island, New Hebrides May 5, 1944 after running out of fuel. Reported recently recovered and delivered to Classic Jets Fighter Museum, Adelaide, Australia" USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List May 1944 - F4U-1 Corsair 02270 Classic Jets Museum - F4U Project Thanks to Robert Jarrett / Classic Jets Fighter Museum (CJFM) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated July 4, 2024 |
 F4U  0-1m Formally |
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