VMF-112 was withdrawn from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo for a respite. There it began to switch to the Vought F4U-1 Corsair, the aircraft that it would fly for the rest of World War II. VMF-112 returned to the United States on 5 September 1943 and took up duty at MCAS Miramar, outside of San Diego. It was there that VMF-112 was redesignated VMF(CVS)-112, denoting that the squadron was carrier qualified.
In December 1944, VMF-112 was assigned to Air Group 82 aboard USS Bennington for its second combat tour. In mid-May 1945, Lieutenant Robert Cook scored the only downing of a barrage balloon by a Marine squadron during the war when he shot one down over Kyūshū.[1] By the completion of World War II, the Wolfpack was credited with the destruction of 140 Japanese aircraft in aerial combat, ranking it third among Marine Corps squadrons in terms of enemy aircraft destroyed.[2] Following the surrender of Japan VMF-112 returned to the United States where it was deactivated on 10 September 1945.
VMF(AW)-112 F-8H Crusader II at Dallas NAS in 1975F/A-18 Hornet from VMFA-112 at Iwo Jima
When VMF-111 was deactivated, its aircraft passed to VMF-112, which became the Marines' largest reserve squadron. Upon receipt of the all-weather D/E model of the Crusader, the squadron was redesignated VMF(AW)-112 and flew several more versions of the F-8 until late 1975, when it switched to the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II and was redesignated VMFA-112. On 18 January 1992, VMFA-112 retired the last active F-4S squadron in naval service [3] (though some F-4 Phantom IIs remained in naval testing facilities after this). VMFA-112 flew the McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18A Hornet on their first official flight 8 October 1992. VMFA-112 moved to NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (JRB) in September 1996 and continues to operate there.
2000 & beyond
In 2002, VMFA-112’s aircraft were reconfigured to the F/A-18A+ aircraft. The Cowboys were the first Reserve squadron to deploy on a Western-Pacific exercise since the Korean War. In the summer of 2004, the squadron supported Operation Jungle Shield and Exercise Southern Frontier while operating out of Japan, Guam and Australia. In 2005, VMFA-112 deployed to Oerland Main Air Station, Norway, for the multinational exercise: Battle Griffin. The exercise was conducted to enhance cohesive operations between multinational forces and hone air-to-ground combat skills. The Marines experienced cold weather and harsh conditions during the exercise.
Currently, VMFA-112 has been working closely with sister squadron VMGR-234 on
what has been called the "Herc/Hornet Expeditionary Package." The conceptual program would allow an F/A-18A+ to land on a hastily constructed runway and refuel and rearm quickly without having to return to base, as is the current operating procedure. The program would be in keeping with the Marine Corps nature of self-sufficiency.
The squadron was deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Al Anbar Province, Iraq in late 2009. During their deployment, the Cowboys supported the ground withdrawal from the major cities in Iraq, supported special forces during numerous missions, and provided key aerial surveillance for intelligence. The squadron was the last fighter/attack squadron to leave Iraq closing that chapter on the Iraq War.
By Fiscal Year 2029, VMFA-112 is scheduled under the USMC Force Design 2030 Aviation Plan to begin conversion from their F/A-18's to F-35B aircraft.[4]
^M.J. Crowder & GySgt Rusty Baker (2006). "The History of MVFA-112"(PDF). United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original(PDF) on December 30, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"RF-4B Phantom II". National Museum of Naval Aviation. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
^"Marine Corps Aviation". www.aviation.marines.mil. p. 56 (numbered from first page of the document's 222 pages, and titled "TACAIR TRANSITION PLAN"). Retrieved 18 May 2024.
Crowder, Michael J. (2000). United States Marine Corps Aviation Squadron Lineage, Insignia & History - Volume One - The Fighter Squadrons. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company. ISBN1-56311-926-9.
Condon, John Pomeroy (1998). Corsairs and Flattops - Marine Carrier Air Warfare, 1944-45. Annapolis Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-127-0.
De Chant, John A. (1947). Devilbirds - The Story of United States Marine Aviation in World War II. New York: Harper & Brothers.
Hubler, Richard G.; Dechant, John A (1944). Flying Leathernecks - The Complete Record of Marine Corps Aviation in Action 1941 - 1944. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc.
Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945. Greenwood Press. ISBN0-313-31906-5.
