1930s Navy side numbers.

[JDupre5762]

I have a photograph of three Grumman F3F biplane fighters in formation. Thier
side numbers all begin with 2-MF and then different numbers in the third and
last position. I believe 2 stands for the Carrier Lexington CV 2. What does
MF stand for? Marine Fighter? Did Marine fighter squadrons deploy on carriers
in the 1930s? Were Marine squadrons given numbers based on carriers they might
be assigned to?

Thanks all,

John Dupre'

[Ogden Johnson III]

(JDupre5762) wrote:

>I have a photograph of three Grumman F3F biplane fighters in formation. Thier
>side numbers all begin with 2-MF and then different numbers in the third and
>last position. I believe 2 stands for the Carrier Lexington CV 2. What does
>MF stand for? Marine Fighter? Did Marine fighter squadrons deploy on carriers
>in the 1930s? Were Marine squadrons given numbers based on carriers they might
>be assigned to?

Then, and today, when a Marine squadron deployed aboard a carrier, it
adopted the carrier's, or more properly the CAG/CVW's, numbering
scheme. Which in the '30s, was 2-F-xx where 2 was the carrier's
designation, F was fighter, and the xx was the CAG numbering. Today,
the carrier's name is on the aircraft's fuselage, and the side numbers
are coded by squadron within the CVW, 1xx, 1st squadron, 2xx, 2nd
squadron, 3xx, 3rd squadron, etc.

OJ III

[Mike Weeks]

>From: (JDupre5762)
>Date: 9/21/2003 19:32 Pacific Daylight Time

>I have a photograph of three Grumman F3F biplane fighters in formation.
>Thier
>side numbers all begin with 2-MF and then different numbers in the third and
>last position. I believe 2 stands for the Carrier Lexington CV 2. What does
>MF stand for? Marine Fighter? Did Marine fighter squadrons deploy on
>carriers
>in the 1930s? Were Marine squadrons given numbers based on carriers they
>might
>be assigned to?
>
>Thanks all,

2-MF-xx:

VMF-2; Marine Fighting Squadron Two.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/ac-usn22/f-types/f3f.htm

Doing a google search on "VMF-2" and "squadron" will get other hits related to
the subject.

The Marines did not number their squadrons based on any carrier assignments.
For example, VMF-1 was not assigned to the Langley.

Hope this helps some.

MW
-------------------------------------
"As soon as movement begins, so does the fog of war" - Edward N. Luttwak

[Thomdenton]

As Mike said, 2-MF-x stands for VMF-2 (Marine Fighting Squadron 2). This is the
current VMA-211 "Wake Island Avengers". Marine squadron numbers were assigned
sequentially, not by base location.

Until 1944, the only Marine squadrons assigned to carriers were VS-14M and
VS-15M (pre-1937 designation system). These scouting squadrons operated from
Saratoga (VS-14M) and Lexington (VS-15M) from 1931 to 1934.