History of Marine Corps Aviation

Between the Wars

Aerial Combat in Nicaragua and Haiti

O2U Corsair biplane, the type flown by Lt. Schilt

The First Aviation Force returned to the U.S. in January 1919 and was promptly disbanded. Most of its personnel and equipment went to Quantico and Parris Island, Calif. From its remnants, Maj. Cunningham formed a new Squadron D to serve in the Dominican Republic, and Squadron E to support the Marines in Haiti. The Marine Corps, along with the other armed services, began a desperate struggle to convince Congress that it should maintain prewar levels of personnel and equipment.

Survival: 1919-1920

Within this overall struggle, Maj. Cunningham fought for the permanent status of Marine Aviation. He appeared before the General Board of the Navy and wrote articles on the value of aviation in military operations. Largely as a result of his tireless efforts, Marine Aviation survived as an independent entity. Congress authorized a thousand Marines for aviation and established permanent Marine air bases at Quantico, Parris Island, and San Diego.

In October, 1920, Major General Commandant Lejeune approved an aviation organization of four squadrons. The First Squadron consisted of the planes and crews in the Dominican Republic. The Second and Third Squadrons were at Quantico, and the Fourth Squadron at Port au Prince, Haiti, in support of the Marine's First Provisional Brigade.

The detachment at Parris Island was designated Flight L, and it was ordered to Guam. In 1924, the Marine Corps moved its air units from the Dominican Republic to the West Coast; this Second Air Group, which was formed in 1925, consisted of an observation, fighter, and headquarters squadron.

Air Races and Long Distance Flights

At the end of WWI Marine Aviation had to prove itself to Congress, the public, and to the rest of the Corps. They combined serious military exercises with headline-making displays to promote Marine aviation in particular and the Corps in general.

In 1922, a large maneuver of this type was conducted. It included a march of 4,000 Marines from Quantico to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, while three big Martin MBT bombers flew in support of the ground forces. They flew 500 hours and 40,000 air miles, carrying passengers and freight, while maintaining radio contact with the column during the exercise. Similar exercises were held almost annually to advertise the capabilities of the Corps and Marine Aviation.

In addition, Marine Aviators tested new equipment and techniques during the Twenties. They made several long-distance flights and participated in air races. On one flight, Lt. Col. Thomas C. Turner led two DH-4s from Washington to Santo Domingo, the longest unguarded flight over land and water made up to that time. On another occasion, Maj. Geiger commanded a flight of three Martin MBTs from San Diego to Quantico. This flight took 11 days, with many stops for repairs and fuel along the route.

Lt. Ford Rogers led another dramatic flight, involving two DH-4s flying round trip from Santo Domingo to Washington, St. Louis, and San Francisco, and then back to Washington and Santo Domingo. This flight, including engine changes on the way back to Washington, took two and one-half months and 127 hours of actual flying time. It demonstrated the skill of Marine pilots and the technical competence of Marine mechanics.

Curtiss Hawk 2, in Chilean air service Air races became an American institution in the twenties. Marines sometimes flew Navy aircraft and at other times flew their own squadron aircraft. A prime participant in the former was Lieutenant C. F. Schilt who flew a Navy seaplane to second place in the renowned Schneider Cup race in 1926. In another famous race, the winning Marine pilot was Major Charles A. Lutz who took first in the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race at Anacostia in 1928, flying a Marine Curtiss Hawk.

The Quantico Marines had a show schedule of no small proportions well into the thirties. They worked up well- practiced precision show routines which literally put Marine Aviation "on the map." These shows helped to establish a solid reputation for competence and flying skill for Marine Aviation in the eyes of the American public. Prime leaders of these spectacular squadron air demonstrations through the late twenties and into the thirties included Majors "Tex" Rogers, "Sandy" Sanderson, Oscar Brice and many other great Marine pilots - almost always under the expert tutelage of Roy S. Geiger. These public shows, always in addition to the normal emphasis on routine training and proficiency requirements, were important factors in the progress of Marine Aviation to mature stature.

Overseas - Haiti, the Dominican Republic, China and Nicaragua

During the twenties and thirties, Marine Aviation had units in support of the brigades in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, China and Nicaragua. The aviators, for the first time, had a real chance to demonstrate their ability to support ground operations. In both Haiti and Santo Domingo there was drawnout, tedious guerrilla warfare in largely roadless tropical jungle terrain. Generally, because of limitations of armament and performance of the aircraft - plus the lack of reliable air- ground communications - aviation was most effective in the indirect support role. The ability of aviation to enhance operations in trackless terrain was becoming clear to the Marine Corps through these types of expeditionary deployments.

Haiti

Marines had been in Haiti from 1915. The 4th Air Squadron, commanded by Capt. Harvey B. Mims, disembarked at Port-au-Prince in March, 1919. Their equipment consisted of seven HS-2 seaplanes and six Jenny landplanes. Marine fliers operated in Haiti for 15 years.

In 1919, Lieutenant L. H. M. Sanderson of Squadron Four made a change in the delivery tactics used in bombing. He abandoned the usual practice of having the bomb sighted and released by the observer in the rear seat of the aircraft. Instead, he put the aircraft into a dive of abour 45 degrees, sighted the target over the nose of the plane, and released the bomb himself from the front cockpit, at about 250 feet. He found this method improved the accuracy of the drops and his success brought about the adoption of the dive method by the squadron. While Sanderson never claimed to be the inventor of dive-bombing, he was certainly one of the first Marine or Naval Aviators to use it as a standard technique.

China

In addition to operations in Haiti and Santo Domingo, the outbreak of civil wars in China and Nicaragua in 1927 also saw Marine Aviation deploying with the Marine brigades dispatched to each area. In China, Fighting Squadron Three from San Diego, and Observation Squadron Five, which was formed in China with aircraft from San Diego and personnel from Guam, were dispatched to Tientsin. The airfield was about 35 miles from Tientsin and the aviation personnel had to furnish their own security in a very exposed position. There was no combat during their 18-month stay. The squadron flew a total of 3,818 sorties in support of the brigade.

Nicaragua

In Nicaragua, the guerrilla-type warfare gave aviation its first opportunity to provide a form of close air support to Marines in combat, In 1927, a civil war led to American intervention. Following were years of sporadic bush fighting which continued until 1932. Observation Squadron One from San Diego and Observation Squadron Four from Quantico, constituted the Marine Aviation support for the brigade. The Nicaraguan deployment produced some notable achievements by Marine Aviation, precursors of what was to become the Marine air-ground team standard of future decades.

In Jan. 1927, 8 officers and 81 enlisted men of VO-1M, led by Maj. Ross Rowell, arrived at Corinto, Nicaragua with six DH's. Amidst the anarchy of the civil and banditry, the U.S. Marines held the railroad. In July the Sandinista rebels (the original ones) besieged 37 Marines at the Ocotal garrison, 125 miles from Manaagua. Patrolling Marine pilots, Lt. Hayne Boyden and Gunner Micahel Wodarczyk, discovered the defenders' plight. After they reported this to Maj. Rowell, he led five DH's to bomb the rebels. From 1,500 feet, they conducted one of the first dive bombing missions, killing dozens of Sandinistas. Rowell and his fliers flew 50 missions against the Nicaraguan guerrillas.

Quilali

In December, several hundred Sandinistas ambushed a Marine column near Quilali. Many of the wounded needed to be evacuated. The Marines burned and leveld part of the town to make a crude airstrip, and Lt. Christian Schilt landed his O2U Corsair biplane. Between Jan. 6 and 8, 1928, he made ten trips to evacuate wounded men.

Schilt's Medal of Honor Citation:
SCHILT, CHRISTIAN FRANK
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Place and date: Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7 and 8 January 1928. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 1 March 1895, Richland County, Ill. Other Navy awards: Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 gold star.

Citation: During the progress of an insurrection at Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7, and 8 January 1928, 1st Lt. Schilt, then a member of a marine expedition which had suffered severe losses in killed and wounded, volunteered under almost impossible conditions to evacuate the wounded by air and transport a relief commanding officer to assume charge of a very serious situation. 1st Lt. Schilt bravely undertook this dangerous and important task and, by taking off a total of 10 times in the rough, rolling street of a partially burning village, under hostile infantry fire on each occasion, succeeded in accomplishing his mission, thereby actually saving 3 lives and bringing supplies and aid to others in desperate need.

The last Marine aviators withdrew from Nicaragua in 1932.

Marine aviators also participated in such notable events as Byrd's Antarctic expeditions; Captain Alton N. Parker flew over King Edward VII Land and was awarded the DFC for his courage.

In October 1931, the Director of Marine Aviation, Col. Thomas Turner, died in an accident in Haiti; he stepped in front of his Sikosky amphibian's propeller, which cleanly severed the right side of his face. While Turner was able to walk into the hospital unassisted, he died two days later.

History of Marine Corps Aviation in WWII, by Robert Sherrod - the authoritative reference work on this topic