Editing VMFA-232 (section)

===World War II===
With the tension in the Pacific increasing, VMB-2 was deployed to [[Marine Corps Air Station Ewa]], [[Oahu]], [[Hawaii]]. Early 1941 also saw the transition from the colorful pre-war scheme to the tactical, and less colorful, light gray scheme, but still the Red Devil insignia was absent. On 1 July 1941, in anticipation of the large expansion marine aviation was about to undergo, VMB-2 became '''VMSB-232''', the designation it carried during the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] during which one member of the squadron was killed and nine of the squadron's aircraft were destroyed, with ten more requiring major overhaul. On [[Battle of Wake Island|Wake Island]], a Red Devil detachment suffered twenty five enlisted Marines killed or captured while assisting in the defense of the doomed island.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

On 20 August 1942, the squadron became part of the [[Cactus Air Force]].<ref>{{cite web| url =http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-AvPhil/USMC-M-AvPhil-1.html| title =Marine Aviation in the Philippines| access-date =16 December 2007| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080625061201/http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-AvPhil/USMC-M-AvPhil-1.html| archive-date =25 June 2008| url-status =dead}}</ref> and flew [[SBD Dauntless]]es from [[Guadalcanal]]'s 3,000-foot dirt runway [[Honiara International Airport|Henderson Field]]. The Red Devils became the first Marine dive bomber squadron to fly against the Japanese. On the evening of 11-12 September, cruisers and destroyers of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] sailed into [[Ironbottom Sound]] and began shelling Henderson Field. Two pilots from VMSB-232 were killed and another two Marines were wounded.{{sfn|Toll|2015|pp=105}} The squadron departed Guadalcanal on 12 October 1942, heading for [[Marine Corps Air Station El Toro]], California, where it was redesignated again, this time as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 ('''VMTB-232'''), flying newly acquired [[Grumman TBF Avenger]]s. The squadron returned to the Pacific in July 1943 where it was first based in [[Espiritu Santo]]. From there it moved to [[Munda Airport|Munda]] in order to support allied forces during the [[Battle of Bougainville|Bougainville landings]] in November 1943.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

For the next few months, the squadron participated in strikes against the isolated Japanese garrison at [[Rabaul]]. On 14 February 1944, Avengers from VMTB-232 and [[VMTB-233]] took part in a mission to sow [[Naval mine|mines]] in [[Simpson Harbour]] at [[Rabaul]]. The Grumman TBM Avengers were to fly up in three groups of eight each at the speed of 160 knots to drop their parachute-mines, weighing 1,600 pounds apiece. The first group lost one plane. The commanding officer tried to radio the other TBFs to warn them to turn back but he couldn't make radio contact. The second group lost two planes. The third group was immediately found by searchlight and anti-aircraft guns while flying at 800 feet over the water and had five aircraft shot down. Six planes and eighteen men were lost during the attack.<ref name=Foster>Foster 1961, pp. 192–193.</ref><ref name="Pacific wrecks1">{{cite web
 |title        = MONDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1944
 |publisher    = Pacific Wrecks
 |url          = http://pacificwrecks.com/60th/today/1944/2-44.html#14
 |access-date   = 2007-12-20
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20061030035228/http://pacificwrecks.com/60th/today/1944/2-44.html#14
 |archive-date = 30 October 2006
 |url-status     = dead
 |df           = dmy-all
}}</ref>
Four of the eighteen men survived the loss of the six TBFs that evening. Of the four, none survived captivity. One was murdered at Tunnel Hill, two died of starvation, disease or [[medical neglect]], and a fourth was murdered by the Japanese Navy some time in April.<ref name="Pacific wrecks2">{{cite web
  | title = TBF-1 Avenger Bureau Number 06311
  | publisher = Pacific Wrecks
  | url = http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/avenger/06311.html
  | access-date =  2007-12-20}}</ref>

The next few months would see them move continuously, operating from Piva, [[Green Island, Papua New Guinea|Green Island]], [[Emirau]] and [[Falalop Airfield|Ulithi]]. VMTB-232 landed at [[Kadena, Okinawa|Kadena]] on 22 April 1945, and began flying [[close air support]] missions three days later and for the rest of the [[Battle of Okinawa]]. In July 1945 they began to fly strikes against the Japanese mainland until the [[surrender of Japan]].<ref name=Sherrod_p464>[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 464.</ref> During its participation in operations throughout [[World War II]], VMTB-232 lost forty-nine Marines and seventeen aircraft. On 16 November 1945, the squadron, one of the few to earn two presidential citations during the war, arrived at San Diego, and was temporarily decommissioned.