VPB-211

Patrol Bombing Squadron 211
VP-211 PBM-3S off Brazil c.1944
Active	15 February 1943 - 14 June 1945
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Type	squadron
Role	Maritime patrol
Engagements	World War II
Aircraft flown
Patrol	PBM-3

VPB-211 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron Two Hundred Eleven (VP-211) on 15 February 1943, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron Two Hundred Eleven (VPB-211) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 14 June 1945.^[1]

Operational history

VPB-211 PBM-3s over Rio de Janeiro in December 1943

• 15 February 1943: VP-211 was established at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, as a medium seaplane squadron flying the PBM-3C Mariner under the operational control of FAW-5. Training continued at Norfolk through May. Shakedown training was conducted at NAAS Elizabeth City, North Carolina, commencing on 21 May 1943.
• 7 August 1943: Lieutenant (jg) E. C. Scully and crew attacked and damaged a surfaced U-boat off the coast near Elizabeth City. On the first and second bomb run, the bomb release malfunctioned. By the third bombing run the submarine was below the surface. The manual release was used and the U-boat was blown back to the surface. Lieutenant (jg) Scully made several strafing passes on the damaged submarine, but one after another of his aircraft’s machine guns froze up until only the tail gun, firing single shots, remained. By this time the heavy anti-aircraft fire from the U-boat had severely damaged the hull of the Mariner. Scully was forced to leave the area before leaking fuel tanks forced him down. He managed to land safely and beach the aircraft on a spit of sand before it sank.
• 25 August 1943: A detachment of eight crews was sent to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, for advanced Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) warfare training at AsDevLant, returning on 25 September.
• 27 September 1943: VP-211 received orders to deploy to NAF Aratu, Bahia, Brazil. The squadron’s last section of four aircraft arrived at Aratu on 16 October and relieved VP-74, coming under the operational control of FAW-16. VP-211 became a part of Task Force 44, an integral part of the Fourth Fleet. A detachment of six aircraft was maintained at Governor’s Island, NAF Galeão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, due to the distance of Aratu from the “slot” where U-boat hunting was so abundant. The slot was the area where the U-boats traversed the Atlantic from north to south via a regular route. On 12 November the squadron shifted its headquarters to Galeão for a three-month period, leaving a three-aircraft detachment at Aratu. NAF Galeão, while nearer to the hunting area, had primitive living conditions and frequently was shrouded in early morning fog. The squadron’s first searchlight mission was conducted in February, and from that time on, nearly all of the squadron’s patrols were conducted at night.
• January 1944: The squadron’s 14 to 16 hour patrols began to take their toll on the aircraft. Maintenance facilities in the area were very basic, so engine changes were made at sea off Florianópolis, Brazil. Engine changes were made in four sections of three aircraft each, with one Mariner undergoing the change, while the second stood by to assist in the maintenance, with the third hauling supplies, gasoline, personnel and food.
• 12 January 1944: The squadron suffered its first operational loss during a training exercise when Ensign Thomas E. Donahue and crew P-8 dropped a depth charge from too low an altitude. The munitions exploded near the tail, causing the plane to crash and burn. Crew P-4 landed immediately and rescued five critically injured survivors from the water.
• 10 June 1944: VP-211 was relocated to NAF Natal, Brazil, the equal of Galeao in terms of primitive living conditions. In addition, the operating area of the seaplane base at NAF Parnamirim Field was located on the Potengy River 18 miles (29 km) down river from the crews’ quarters. The primary duties while at this location consisted of barrier sweeps, which were plots predicated on the relative movement of German submarines conducted at distances approximately 800 miles (1,300 km) from base.
• 28 September 1944: Crew P-4 located a surfaced U-boat by radar and was driven off by the heavy anti-aircraft fire before an attack could be made. An accurate fix on the location of the submarine was made, and on 29 September two VB-107 aircraft flown by Lieutenants E. A. Krug and J. T. Burton made a coordinated attack on U-863. The U-boat was found in the same vicinity as the sighting made by VP-211 on the previous day. The sinking was confirmed by postwar review of enemy records.
• 29 September 1944: VP-211 was reduced in size from 12 aircraft to 9; these aircraft and personnel were sent to join VPB-98 at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas.
• 21 November 1944: The squadron’s second operational loss occurred when Lieutenant Robert H. Lind and crew P-2, while on patrol between Natal and Aratu, encountered a violent thunderstorm and crashed into the sea, losing all hands.
• January 1945: VPB-211 was temporarily based aboard USS Matagorda at Bahia Bay to assist in the training of the ship’s crew in handling seaplanes at advanced bases.
• February 1945: VPB-211 was temporarily based aboard USS Rehoboth at Bahia Bay to assist in the training of the ship’s crew in handling seaplanes at advanced bases.
• 1–31 March 1945: The squadron was temporarily based aboard USS Rockaway for advanced base training.
• April 1945: VPB-211 was based aboard USS Humboldt at Bahia Bay to assist in the training of the ship’s crew in handling seaplanes at advanced bases.
• 16 May 1945: Convoy patrols were discontinued. On 24 May orders were received to turn over the squadron’s aircraft to HEDRON-11 at NS San Juan, Puerto Rico, and proceed to NAS Norfolk for disestablishment.
• 14 Jun 1945: VPB-211 was disestablished at NAS Norfolk.^[1]

Aircraft assignments

The squadron was assigned the following aircraft, effective on the dates shown:^[1]

• PBM-3 May 1943
• PBM-3S June 1943

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:^[1]

• NAS Norfolk, Virginia 15 February 1943
• NAAS Elizabeth City, North Carolina 21 May 1943
• NAF Aratu, Bahia, Brazil 27 September 1943
• NAF Galeão, Brazil 12 November 1943
• NAF Aratu, January 1944
• NAF Natal, Brazil 10 June 1944
• Bahia Bay, Brazil 1 January 1945
• NAS Norfolk, 24 May 1945

See also

• Maritime patrol aircraft
• List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of squadrons in the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons
• History of the United States Navy

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

United States Navy
Portal Category
Leadership	Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy 4-star admirals House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower
Structure	Navy Navy Reserve Fleet Marine Force Expeditionary Combat Command Merchant Marine The Pentagon Units Aircraft wings Aircraft squadrons Carrier strike group Installations Naval Observatory Master jet base Operating forces Fleet Forces Command Pacific Fleet Naval Forces Europe Naval Forces Central Command Naval Forces Southern Command Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Reserve Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Force Naval Network Warfare Command Military Sealift Command Shore Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Air Systems Command Naval Facilities Engineering Command Naval Supply Systems Command Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Fleet Cyber Command Naval Academy Naval Education and Training Command Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Office of Naval Intelligence Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center Naval Legal Service Command Naval Observatory Navy Occupational Safety & Health Bureau of Naval Personnel Chief of Naval Personnel Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy Installations Command Fleets Third Fleet Fourth Fleet Fifth Fleet Sixth Fleet Seventh Fleet Tenth Fleet Ships A–B C D–F G–H I–K L M N–O P Q–R S T–V W–Z Aircraft carriers Airships Amphibious warfare ships Auxiliaries Battleships Cruisers Destroyers Destroyer escorts Escort carriers Frigates Mine warfare vessels Monitors Patrol vessels Sailing frigates Steam frigates Steam gunboats Ships of the line Sloops of war Submarines Torpedo boats
Personnel and training	People Officers Insignia Designators Enlisted Rates Ratings Classification Personnel Chaplain Corps Chief United States Navy EOD Medical Corps Dental Corps Nurse Corps Medical Service Corps Supply Corps Civil Engineer Corps JAG Corps NCIS Boatswain's mates Hospital corpsman Naval Aviator SEALs Seabees SWCCs Hispanic sailors Training Recruit United States Naval Academy Officer Candidate School STA-21 NROTC BESS BFTT CNATT COMPTUEX NAWCTSD AIM Naval Chaplaincy School Naval Hospital Corps School Naval Justice School Naval Postgraduate School United States Armed Forces School of Music Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Navy Supply Corps School Naval War College Nuclear Power School JMTC TOPGUN USNTPS Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Equipment	Uniforms Awards Badges Current fleet Reserve fleet Aircraft Weapons Naval reactors
History and traditions	History "Anchors Aweigh" Blue Angels Ceremonial Barge Chesapeake Continental Navy Ensign Fleet bands Fleet Week Jack Line-crossing ceremony National Museum Navy Band Navy Flag Navy Hymn Navy Memorial Navy service numbers Sailor's Creed Ship commissioning Ship decommissioning Tingey House USS Constitution Wetting-down United States naval gunfire support debate