VF-211 F8U-1 143708 aboard the Coral Sea, at NAS North Island, on 8-19-61. The only marking was a thin red stripe below the tan fin cap. (Swisher)The Checkmates became the second F-8 Crusader squadron to be designated VF-211 on 9 March 1959 in what has probably been the most confusing designator swap in naval history. On that same day the first VF-211, the Checkertails, were redes¬ignated VF-24 (see VF-24) and VF-24, the Checkmates, became the second VF-211.
VF-211 was originally commis¬sioned on 1 May 1945 as Bombing Squadron Seventy Four (VB-74) at NAAF Otis Field, Maine, flying Curtiss Helldivers. On 15 November 1946 VB-74 was redesignated VA-1 B and the Helldivers were replaced with AD-1 Skyraiders in July 1947. On 1 September 1948 , VA-1 B was redes¬ignated VA-24 and the AD-is were upgraded to AD-2s in December. However, continued engine problems with the AD-2s resulted in them being swapped out for F4U-4 Corsairs in February 1949. On 1 December 1949, while assigned to NAAS Oceana, VA-24 was redesignated VF-24 and transferred to NAS Alameda, Califor¬nia, in June 1950 in preparation for the Korean conflict.
A Korean combat cruise on the USS Boxer (CV-21) was concluded on 9 June 1951 and the squadron transi¬tioned to the Grumman F9F-2 Panther at NALF Santa Rosa, California, prior to the squadron's second Boxer de¬ployment to Korea. This cruise ended on 26 September 1952 when VF-24 returned to NAS Alameda.
The squadron was upgraded to the F9F-6 Cougar which in turn were replaced by FJ-3 and FJ-3M Furys in late 1955. The highly maneuverable Furys were phased out in the summer of 1957 for the all-weather F3H-2M Demon. Then during Christmas week of 1958 the Demons were replaced by Grumman F11F-1 Tigers and the squadron was relocated to NAS Mof¬fett Field, California.
On 9 March 1959 VF-24 switched squadron designations with VF-211, becoming VF-211 Checkmates, the designation still used today. The squadron's association with the Cru¬sader started in December 1959 when the F11 F-1 s were replaced by F8U-1s (F-8As). The squadron would go on to fly various models of the Crusader for the next sixteen years and make twelve carrier deployments including seven Vietnam combat cruises up till December 1975 when the F-14A
Tomcat replaced the Crusader.
The squadron became known as the Fighting Checkmates and as the MiG Killers, with seven confirmed kills and one probable, including both the first and the last F-8 kill. VF-211 was second in MiG kills only to VF-96's F-4 Phantoms who had ten kills including Cunningham and Driscoll's five.
VF-211 took their F8U-1s aboard the USS Lexington (CVA-16) on 29 October 1960 for the squadron's first WESTPAC cruise in the type. The cruise ended on 5 June 1961 and the squadron was relocated to NAS Mira¬mar, California, by the end of the month.
This deployment was followed by two more F8U-1 (F-8A) cruises. Both cruises were aboard the USS Hancock (CVA-19) and were conducted from 2-2-62 through 8-20-62 and from 6-7-63 through 12-16-63.
After the 1963 cruise, the squad¬ron began to replace its F-8As with the all-weather F-8E in February 1964. The first F-8E deployment started on 10-21-64 aboard the Hancock. The Hanna was operating off Southeast Asia when VF-211 became the first U.S. fighter squadron to encounter MiGs over North Vietnam. The squad¬ron took part in retaliatory air strikes in February 1965 against Dong Hoi.
The squadron returned to Mira¬mar on 29 May 1965 and after a quick turnaround were back to sea on 10 November. It would be during this eventful cruise that VF-211 would start earning the MiG Killer name. Three confirmed and one probable kill as well as the first F-8 MiG kill would occur.
The first MiG would be killed by the squadron's CO, CDR Harold L. Marr, in F-8E 150924 on 12 June 1966. A probable kill was also scored that same day by CDR Marr. Nine days later CDR Marrs wingman LTJG Phil Vampatella, flying the same air¬craft (150924), downed the squad¬ron's second MiG-17 during a photo mission turned search and rescue when LT C. Eastman from VFP-63 in RF-8A 146830 and LT C. Black from VF-211 in F-8E 149152 were shot down. In spite of Vampatella's efforts both Eastman and Black became POWs.
LTJG Vampatella and his flight of for four Crusaders were called in to cover LT Eastman's rescue attempt. Vampatella's horizontal stabilizer was hit by 37mm during the attempt and being low on fuel, he and his wingman were departing for a tanker when they were alerted to incoming MiGs. Turn¬ing back to the threat Vampatella found he was unable to keep up with his section leader due to his flak darn-age. He arrived at the fight 30 seconds after his leader and spotted a MiG-17 tailing LT Black. He shouted a warning but the MiG downed his shipmate. He then spotted a second MiG trying to gain firing position on him. He dove for the deck in a tight turn pulling out just above the trees, and checked his six to see the MiG heading for home. He turned again and closed rapidly on the unsuspecting MiG and fired a Side¬winder for the squadron's second vic¬tory. For his action Vampatella was awarded the second Navy Cross is¬sued to a Naval Aviator in Vietnam.
On the same day Vampatella shot down his MiG-17, LT E. J. Chancy bagged one too, just five minutes lat¬er. Chancy (Gene), who was also involved in the rescue attempt, scored his kill with a AIM-9D Sidewinder while flying F-8E 150867. This kilt enabled Chancy to settle up for being shot down by North Vietnamese AAA on 2 May 1966 while flying 149169.
Two more Checkmate Crusaders were shot down during this cruise. LTJG T. E. Brown was killed on 29 April 1966 during combat over the north in 150867, and LT L. S. Miller was recovered on 23 May after AAA had hit 150901. A third F-8E, 150891, was lost on 24 December 1965 during normal flight operations.
The squadron returned to Mira¬mar on 1 August 1966 to regroup for another cruise. This cruise aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) lasted from 26 January 1967 until 25 August 1967.
During this cruise the squadron's scores continued to rise. LCDR M. 0. Wright scored first on 1 May 1967, when a MiG-17 was clobbered by a Sidewinder fired from "Moe's" F-8E 150303. A few weeks later, on 19 May, the squadron's CO CDR Paul Speer in 150348 and LTJG Joseph Shea in 150661 scored another dou¬ble kill for VF-211. For his kill, Shea employed the unusual tactic of herd-ing the MiG into firing position for his Sidewinder by firing short bursts with his 20 mike mike. A fourth occurred on 21 July when LCDR Ray G. (Tim) Hubbard downed a MiG-17D with both cannon and Zuni fire while flying 150859.
The squadron ended the cruise with four confirmed kills and four loss¬es, none of which were to MiGs. 150930 was downed by a SAM on 19 May 1967 which resulted in LCDR K. Russell becoming a POW. On 21 May LCDR Hubbard was shot down in 150348 by AAA prior to his 21 July MiG kill. Then on 6 June LTJG T. R. Hall was downed in 150303 and re¬covered only to again be downed in 150352 on 10 June. The second Urns around Hall was not so lucky as he was captured and became a POW.
For the 1968-69 cruise the MiG Killers returned to the Hancock. The squadron sailed for Vietnam on 18 July 1968 and returned on 3 March 1969. The F-8H (remanufactured F-8D) was used for this deployment. But the fresh mounts encountered no MiGs during this relatively uneventful cruise. Two aircraft, 148694 and 147923, were lost on 24 August and 15 November respectively during operational accidents.
After returning to Miramar the squadron traded their F-8Hs for F-8Js (remanufactured F-8Es) in preparation for the 1969-70 cruise. Even though no MiGs were downed during the pre¬vious cruise, VF-211 were still the number one MiG Killers in the Navy, a position they held until Cunningham and Driscoll bagged three out of four MiGs downed by VF-96 Phantoms on 5 October 1972. During the cruise, which lasted from 21 August 1969 un¬til 6 April 1970, VF-211 lost only one aircraft (150349) on 28 November 1969.
The squadron deployed again from 22 October 1970 until 2 June 1971 during which time two F-8Js, 149197 and 150294, were lost due to operational accidents. For the third time MiGs were not encountered.
The squadron's seventh and final combat cruise took place from 7 Jan¬uary 1972 until 3 October 1972. On 22 April a lone MiG-17 was spotted by LCDR Frank Bachman and LT Jerry Tucker, but as the MiG Killers rolled in on him at a half-mile out, he nosed over and bailed out. Unfortunately this was not listed as an official kill, but it would be the last MiG downed by a Crusader.
The next cruise, which started on 8 May 1973, was once again to the Tonkin Gulf, where the squadron took part in Operation End Sweep Support Carrier. The cruise was to have ended on 15 August but was extended while the Hancock took part in the Mid-East crises. The squadron returned on 8 January 1974.
One last Crusader cruise took place from 18 May 1975 until 20 Oc¬tober 1975, after which the MiG Killers transitioned to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat in December.
VF-211 F-8E 150909 landing at NAS At-sugi on 11-24-64. (T. Matsuzaki)
VF-211 F811-1 144436 at North Island on 8-25-62. A red and white checker¬board rudder and a red stripe below the fin tip as well as a red kangaroo adorn the tail. (Jansson) F-8A 143743 at NAS Miramar on 1-19-63. (Jansson) F-8A 143701 with speed brake extend¬ed and dumping fuel in preparation for recovery aboard the Hancock on 3-26-63.
(USN) F-8A 145363 landing at NAS Atsugi on 9-19-63. USS HAN-COCK is painted in red above NAVY on the aft fuselage. (T. M atsuzaki)
LTJG TOM HALL taxiing forward in his F-BE an 4-25-67. (USN) F-BE 150352 catapults from the Hancock on 5-24-67. 150352 would be the aircraft in which Hail was shot down in on 6-10-67_ (USN)
VF-211 F-8A CAG bird (144428) at NAF Litchfield Park, Arizona, on 3-23-64. Stars on the rudder were in the Air Wings colors. (William Swisher)Like 150891 above, the aircraft was armed
with Zuni rocket tubes on the lower "V"
rack rail. (William Swisher)
with Zuni rocket tubes on the lower "V"
rack rail. (William Swisher)
VF-211 CAG bird, F-BE 150891 on 8-7-65. Multi-colored stars and "?" mark were painted on the red and white rudder. Squadron insignia was also located on the tall. (Clay Jansson)
CDR Harold L. Marr, right, is congratu-lated by his wingman, LTJG Phil Vampatella, after downing a MiG-17 on 6-12-66 with F-8E 150924 in the back-ground. Nine days later, on 6-21-66, Vampatella would down his own MiG while flying 150924. (USN)
VF-211 F-8E 149210 on 8-7-65. This Han-cock based Crusader was armed with four Zunis per fuselage side. (Clay Jansson)
VF-211 F-13E 149193 taxiing In after gunnery practice as evidenced by the gun powder stains surrounding the lower gun ports. (Vaught)
CDR Paul Speer and LTJG Joseph Shea, 5-19.67 M1G Killers. (USN)
CDR PAUL SPEER, VP-211 CO's F-8E 149150 on 8-26-67. On return from the 1967 cruise, VF-211 F-8s carried six red kill marks with yellow stars on the ven¬tral fin. Another kill mark is under the pilot's name. This was a personal kill, not this aircraft's. (Jansson) 149146 with LCDR TIM HUBBARD's name and kill marking on the nose. (Jansson) CDR R. B. RUTHERFORD's 150351. (Jansson) VF-211 CAG bird with the name CDR JACK MONGER painted on the canopy rail. (Jansson)
Two VF-211 F-8Es, 149175 (#103) and 150923 (#102), refueling with a KA-3B. (via Jansson) F-8H 148659 on 5-24-68. For the 1968-69 cruise, the F-8H was used and VF-211 returned to the Hancock. (Jansson) F-8J 150680 on 7-31-69 with revised markings. For the 1969-70 cruise and all subsequent cruises the F-8J was used. (Swisher)
LCDR JOHN McCARTHY's F-8J 150294 aboard the Hancock on 7-31-69, two days before sailing to Vietnam. 150294 would be lost on 3-16-71 during an op-erational accident. (William Swisher)
VF-211 F-8J 149195 in flight In 1971. When the squadron transitioned to the F-8Js, a large red check mark was add-ed to the tail and the ventral fins were painted red and white. (Barry Miller)
VF-211 F-8J 149210 patrols the Ton¬kin Gulf on 3-18-71. The name LT RICK AMBER was painted below the canopy rail and BEAR was painted on the fuselage aft of the cockpit. (USN) VF-211 F-8J at Da Nang in November 1970. The name LTJG BRIAN FOYE was painted below the canopy rail and FOYBOY was painted on the fuselage aft of the cockpit. (Barry Miller)VF-211 F-8J 149186 at NAS Lemoore on10-10-71. The cannon ports were red and the name LT JERRY TUCKER was painted below the canopy rail. (D. Kasulka via Fred Roos)
VF-211 F-8J 149216 over the Grand Cyn. in 1970-71. (Don Priest)
VF-211 F-8J 149220 at NAS Miramar on 2-9-75. The gun ports were stained with pow-der burns. (Clay Jansson)
May 1975 overhead view of four VF-211 F-8J Crusaders over Hawaii. Compare the wing codes shown here with those seen on the previous pages. (USN)
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