B11B381 Franklin Mint Armour #98142 F4U-1 Corsair "Checkerboard" 1/48

Description

B11B381 Franklin Mint Armour #98142  F4U-1 Corsair "Checkerboard" 1/48
Franklin Mint Armour Collection - B11B381
Chance Vought F4U-1D Corsair; BuNo 57530; "White 530"
USMC Fighter Squadron VMF-312,"
Checkerboards
"
Pilot: 1st Lt. Merritt Chance, Okinawa, April 1945
Dimensions:  1/48 scale; pre-finished diecast metal
Wingspan: 10 1/2 inches - Length: 8 inches
U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Squadron 312 (VMF-312) was commissioned on June 1, 1943, at Page Field, Parris Island, South Carolina. Originally it was part of Marine Aircraft Group 31, (MAG-31) 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. The first aircraft the squadron received were ten SNJ-4 Texans and one F4U-1A Corsair. As their unit crest the squadron members choose a Satan-like bulldog wearing a flying helmet and carrying -at that time- six .50 caliber machineguns (the armament of the Corsair) drawn by Technical Sergeant James R. Wroble. In honor of their commanding officer, Major Richard M. Day, the men nicknamed their squadron "
Day's Knights
". Also at this time, the "
Checkerboards
" emblem began to appear on both the cowling and rudder of the aircraft.
VMF-312 ran up 60.5 victories at Okinawa, led by Capt Herb Valentine with six kills and lLt Bill Farrell with five. Capt Paul Brown became the last fatality, his F4U exploding from AA fire over Japan on July 12. In all, the "
Knights
" lost 30 aircraft and at least nine pilots killed or missing. The squadron was based at Awase on Okinawa's east coast at war's end.
Used - like new and complete.
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