page_title: VMA-231
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: VMA-231 / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: A U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless from Marine scout/bombing squadron VMSB-231 Ace of Spades flying from Majuro Atoll in early 1944. The markings indicate 23 bombing missions having been flown by the aircraft. Note the mission markings and Ace of Spades insignia on the aircraft. The pilot of the aircraft is Major Elmer G. Glidden, a Midway and Guadalacanal veteran, who commanded VMSB-231 twice during the period September 1942-September 1943 and 1 November 1943-September 1944. He logged 104 combat dives during World War II. Redesignated from Marine Scouting Squadron Two (VMS-2) in July 1941, VMSB-231 aircraft flew to Midway in December 1941, and in March 1942 some elements returned to Hawaii. The remaining personnel formed the nucleus of a new squadron, VMSB-241, which fought during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Following the battle, the survivors returned to VMSB-231. The squadron arrived at Guadalcanal on 30 August 1942, and remained there until November. Subsequently, the squadron served in the Marshalls, where for a brief time it flew F4U Corsairs under the designation VMBF-231. The squadron was redesignated VMTB-231 in August 1945. (National Museum of Naval Aviation)
context_page_description: Marine Attack Squadron 231 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets. The squadron, known as the "Ace of Spades", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
context_section_description: Although the squadron was aboard the Lexington during the attack on Pearl Harbor, the rear echelon still at Ewa suffered the loss of seven of the spare SB2U-3s which had been left behind at Ewa.  The squadron returned to Ewa on December 10, 1941, but one week later it was headed back to Midway, but not aboard a carrier.  Fitted with an extra fuel tank and accompanied by a PBY Catalina flying boat acting as a plane guard, the squadron conducted the longest overwater flight by single-engine aircraft on record at that time and arrived at Midway without the loss of a single aircraft or crew.  The squadron flew routine patrols and awaited the expected Japanese attack.  On March 1, 1942, while still at Midway, the squadron was split in two when VMSB-241 was created and the two squadrons operated side by side, even flying the same aircraft.  Shortly thereafter, VMSB-231 was officially transferred back to Ewa, but a majority of its personnel and all of its aircraft remained at Midway.
  Reorganizing at MCAS Ewa, the squadron received Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers and was transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23).  Slowly receiving new SBD-3 Dauntlesses and pilots, the squadron was notified in July 1942 that it would be deployed for duty overseas.  Along with VMF-224, the squadron constituted the rear echelon of MAG-23 and was loaded aboard the aircraft transport USS Kitty Hawk (AKV-1) during the last week of August 1942 and shipped to the South Pacific.  Arriving at Efate, the squadron spent the night there and the squadron's aircraft were craned over to the escort aircraft carrier USS Long Island (AVG-1). The next day, the SBDs were catapulted from the 'Long Island and flown to Espiritu Santo. After another night's layover,  the flight echelon flew to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on August 30, 1942, arriving right before the daily Japanese air raid on the field and becoming the second Marine dive bomber squadron to operate ashore. Major Leo Smith, and Captains Ruben Iden and Elmer Glidden led the squadron during the stay on Guadalcanal. Captain Iden died in combat on September 20, 1942, a day after he assumed command. While on Guadalcanal, eleven of the squadron's twelve original SBDs were lost or rendered inoperable between August 30 and October 3, 1942.  During this time Lieutenant Glen Loeffel was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism for his lone attack on the Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka on October 4, 1942, causing substantial damage and leading to her eventual sinking on October 11, 1942. VMF-231 operated on Guadalcanal as part of the Cactus Air Force from August 30 until November 2, 1942. It then was shipped back to Naval Air Station San Diego, California, arriving there on November 19, 1942, and then moved further north to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, in January 1943.
  The squadron again deployed to the Pacific Theater and began operations bombing by-passed Japanese garrisons in the Marshall Islands on February 4, 1944.  In October 1944, it was redesignated VMBF-231 and converted to the F4U Corsair fighter.  Two months later, on December 30, 1944, it reverted to the name VMSB-231 and remained in the Marshalls until the surrender of Japan in August 1945.  During the course of World War II the squadron was credited with downing seven Japanese aircraft in air-to-air combat.
caption: An SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber of VMSB-231 during World War II. The pilot is Major Elmer P. Glidden
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