Editing VMFA-212 (section)

===World War II===

[[File:VMF-212 WWII logo.jpg|thumb|left|150px|VMF-212 logo during World War II]]
[[File:Talley sign painted by the 37th Seabees for the 212nd.jpg|thumb|Talley board painted by the 37th Seabees for the 212th]]
[[File:37th Seabees unloading new F4Us for the 212nd.jpg|thumb|37th Seabees unloading new F4Us for the 212th at Torokino airfield on Bougainville]]
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 was activated as Marine Fighting Squadron 212 (VMF-212), the "Hell Hounds", at [[Marine Corps Air Station Ewa]], [[Hawaii]] on 1 March 1942. Deploying in May to the [[Pacific Ocean|South Pacific]] in their [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]]s, the squadron was stationed at [[La Tontouta International Airport|Tontouta]] on the island of [[New Caledonia]], and later moved up to the [[Quoin Hill Airfield]] on the island of [[Efate]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Brand|first=Max|title=Fighter Squadron at Guadalcanal|year=1996|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=1557500886}}</ref>  As preparations for the invasion of [[Guadalcanal]] increased, the squadron operated a detachment at [[Turtle Bay Airfield]] on [[Espiritu Santo]] until the arrival of [[VMO-251]] ensured that the island was provided with adequate aerial defense.  During the early part of the [[Battle of Guadalcanal|Guadalcanal campaign]], VMF-212 sent detachments to operate with [[Cactus Air Force]] squadrons deployed to [[Honiara International Airport|Henderson Field]] until the entire squadron was committed to the battle in mid-October.

On June 27, 1942, a Wildcat of the squadron attacked a [[Royal Australian Air Force]] [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|Catalina]] flying boat of [[No. 11 Squadron RAAF|No. 11 Squadron]], having mistaken it for a Japanese aircraft.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PahbHutdCNkC&q=wildcat+catalina+guadalcanal+hell&pg=PA100 |title=Hell's Islands:The Untold Story of Guadalcanal |last=Coleman Jersey |first=Stanley |date= 6 December 2007|via=[[Google Books]] |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |access-date=June 23, 2018 |isbn=9781585446162 }}</ref> This led to the RAAF removing the red dot from the center of its [[roundel]] for the duration of the war in the Pacific in order to prevent confusion with the all-red [[Flag of Japan|''hinomaru'']] used as a roundel by Japanese aircraft.<ref name=roundel>{{cite web |url=https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/your-air-force/roundel |title=Air Force Roundel |work=About the RAAF |date=3 November 2017 |publisher=Royal Australian Air Force |access-date=23 June 2018}}</ref>

The squadron acquired an enviable record by destroying 64½ enemy planes including that of [[Toshio Ohta]], a Japanese ace. Of this number, [[Harold W. Bauer|LtCol Harold "Indian Joe" Bauer]], the squadron's first Commanding Officer, was credited with 11 kills and posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his valor.

The squadron returned to the United States in November 1942 and remained on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] until June 1943 when they sailed for [[Midway Atoll]].  The squadron remained on Midway for two months and then returned to Espiritu Santo.  By August 1943, VMF-212 was back in the [[Solomon Islands]] where they participated in the campaigns to retake [[Vella Lavella]] and [[Battle of Bougainville|Bougainville]].  From 20 October through 27 November 1943 the squadron was based out of [[Barakoma Airfield]] and supported operations in the [[Treasury Islands]], [[Choiseul Island|Choiseul]] and Bougainville.  By December 1943 they moved to [[Torokina Airfield]] and remained there until they moved again on 20 January 1944 this time to [[Piva Airfield]].  Another move came on 20 March when they transited to [[Green Island, Papua New Guinea|Green Island]] and later back to Vella Lavella.  VMF-212 remained in the vicinity of the Solomons and [[Bismarck Islands]] for the remainder of 1944 running fighter sweeps against the Japanese garrison on [[Rabaul]] and providing [[close air support]] for ground forces on Bougainville.  On 8 January 1945, VMF-212 landed on [[Samar]] and provided close air support for [[United States Army]] troops during the campaign to retake the Philippines.  During this time they flew over [[Mindoro]], [[Luzon]], [[Visayas]] and [[Mindanao]].  It was also during this time that the squadron was a part of one of the worst aviation accidents of the war.  At 09:40 on 24 January 1945, while taking off, 1Lt Karl Oerth of [[VMF-222]] hit a lump in the runway, blew a tire and his Corsair careened wildly into his own squadron's revetment area, which was shared with VMF-212. It completely wiped out the tents housing the intelligence, oxygen, parachutes and materiel departments. Many men attempted to rescue the pilot but while they were making this brave effort the plane exploded and set off all its .50 cal ammunition.  14 men were killed and over 50 wounded during this incident.<ref name="Walsh">{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5428/galle212.html |title=JOHN GALLE'S 212 HISTORY PAGE |access-date=16 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020033306/http://geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5428/galle212.html |archive-date=20 October 2009 |url-status=unfit }}</ref>  In June 1945 the squadron arrived at [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]] on the {{USS|Hillsborough County|LST-827}} and conducted operations from there until the end of the war.<ref>Sherrod ''History'', pp. 460–461.</ref>  During the duration of World War II, VMF-212 was credited with shooting down 132½ enemy aircraft<ref>Sherrod ''History'', p. 430.</ref>  A Corsair which came to grief on Approach to Quoin Hill Airfield on Efate, Vanuatu is now a great dive attraction.