Leyte (CV 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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Officers VMF 461 Men VMF 461 MMi w m i M Men VMF 461

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MARINE Fighter Squadron 461 was commissioned at El Centro, California, on 15 March 1944, with Major William R. Lear as Commanding Officer. The squadron remained at El Centro under Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group Forty-Three as a training squadron giving to her many young Marine fighter pilots the final polish for overseas duty and combat. The squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, Santa Ana, California, in January, 1945, and joined Marine Aircraft Group 46 continuing its training mission. On 25 February 1946, the U.S.S. PALAU (CVE-122) took her shakedown cruise with Marine Fighter Squadron 461 on board. This started the squadron on her long career as a carrier-based squadron. March 16, 1946, saw the U.S.S. PALAU depart San Diego for Norfolk, Va., with VMF-461. April 4, 1946, the squadron flew from Norfolk to Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N. C. for temporary aviation duty with Ma- rine Aircraft Group Eleven remaining attached to the U.S.S. PALAU. The squadron, aboard the U.S.S. PALAU, made a three- weeks ' cruise to Quantanamo Bay in May, 1947, and a five- weeks ' cruise to Monrovia, Liberia, Africa, in July and August, 1947, stopping at Recife, Brazil, and Dakar, French West Africa. February and March, 1948, the squadron participated in the Second Task Fleet exercises at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, without the Scow Palau by flying down and operating land-bases. Again aboard the U.S.S. PALAU in August, 1948, a five- weeks ' cruise was made to Guantanamo Bay and a three- weeks ' operation in November, 1948, in the Second Task Fleet exercises to the sub-Arctic. Aboard the U.S.S. Midway on 2 January 1949, the squadron sailed for a two-months ' cruise in the Mediter- ranean Sea to be followed throughout the months of March through June bv many weekends aboard the U.S.S. MID- WAY and FDR for carrier demonstrations. July 1, 1949, VMF-461 was permanently assigned as a unit of Marine Aircraft Group Eleven with which it de- parted on its present cruise. Marine Fighter Squadron 461 has been under the able leadership of Maj. Orvin H. Ramlo since 29 April 1949.

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PAUL TANGAS Lt., U.S. N. C. O. VC-4 Detachment HISTORY OF THE COMPOSITE SQUADRON FOUR DETACHMENT FORMED at the Naval Air Station, Atlantic City, New Jersey, on 28 September 1948, Composite Squadron Four has grown to become one of the largest and best- known carrier squadrons in the Atlantic. Specializing in what most outfits avoid, instrument and night flying, VC-4 Detachments have served on nearly every carrier in the Atlantic and at any one time may be found in the Medi- terranean, Caribbean. North Atlantic and as far west as California. Visitors to the U.S.S. MIDWAY at Gibraltar may have noticed VC-4 ' s familiar letters NA on several F4U ' s, AD ' s and TBM ' s. The VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. LEYTE, actually began forming approximately two months prior to the beginning of the cruise. The men were chosen from a large group of volunteers and became welded with the pilots into one team. Near perfect plane availability, no accidents, and no Cap- tain ' s Masts were the result of this teamwork. In August, the Detachment became acquainted with the air group it was to become a part of, MAG-11, on a short cruise aboard the U.S.S. ROOSEVELT. Rejoining the air group in Sep- tember aboard the LEYTE, it became part of the team that eventually was to return to the States with an excellent record. Many aboard the ship came to know the Detach- ment well because of the night flying it did and because a large portion of the boat officers for those all-important liberty parties were pilots of the AD ' s and F6F ' s. When the VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. LEYTE, was re- lieved at Gibraltar by another VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. MIDWAY, it breathed a sigh of relief with the rest of the crew. The end of the cruise, though, was only the begin- ning of lrTany more to come. Three officers will be trans- ferred to the LEYTE for duty; other pilots leave for Fleet Maneuvers; and the men will become part of Detachments serving throughout the Atlantic.