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| USMC MAW-1 MAG-23 VMF-224 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. George A. Treptow, O-009927 (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL MIA October 2, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Grumman Corporation in Bethpage, New York as a model G-36 with manually operated folding wings. Delivered to the United States Navy (USN) as F4F-4 Wildcat bureau number 02112. Shipped overseas to the South Pacific. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23) to squadron Marine Fighting Squadron 224 (VMF-224). Squadron Number 121. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On October 2, 1942 at 12:20pm took off from Fighter 1 on Guadalcanal piloted by 2nd Lt. George A. Treptow during a red alert to scramble all available fighters to intercept 20-30 incoming enemy fighters. In total, thirty-six Wildcats were scrambled including fourteen F4F-4 Wildcats from VF-5, eleven F4F-4 Wildcats from VMF-223, eleven F4F-4 Wildcats from VMF-224 and seven SBD Dauntless dive bombers. Earlier at 9:10am thirty-six A6M2 Zeros from the 6th Kokutai (6th Air Group) and Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group) led by Lt. Kofukuda escorting nine G4M1 Bettys from Misawa Kokutai (Misawa Air Group) acting as decoys took off from Rabaul. By 10:00am. all the Bettys plus eight Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai and one Zero from 6th Kokutai aborted the mission due to engine trouble. By 12:10pm the remaining twenty-seven Zeros were over Guadalcanal at 27,880' to perform a fighter sweep. After take off, Treptow climbed alone attempting to reach the other Wildcats and entered a dogfight. No one saw Treptow go down and was likely shot down by Zeros. When this Wildcat failed to return and was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost was F4F 02110 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles W. Kendrick (KIA), F4F 02098 pilot 2nd Lt. Willis S. Lees (MIA), F4F 5195 pilot Ensign George J. Morgan, Jr. (MIA), F4F 03502 pilot Major John L. Smith (survived), F4F 02118 pilot Major Robert E. Galer (rescued). Several other Wildcats were damaged or suffered mechanical problems. Memorials Treptow was officially declared dead on February 19, 1945. He earned the Purple Heart and was promoted to Captain, posthumously. Treptow is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. He also has a memorial marker at Bethania Cemetery in Justice, IL. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - F4F-4 Wildcat 02112 USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List October 1942 F4F Wildcat 02112 piloted by Treptow NARA "United States Marine Corps Headquarters, Marine Aircraft Group Twenty-Three, First Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force page 62 "1230 Air Raid.... Radar reported flight of small fast planes approaching Henderson Field. 14 planes of VF-5, 11 of VMF-224, 11 of VMF-223 and 7 SBD's scrambled to attack. At 1300 about 30 Zeros and some bombers were engaged over field... Four Zeros were shot down and 6 of our fighters were shot down of which 2 pilots were recovered uninjured. VMF-224 - 2nd Lt. G. A. Treptow shot down within our lines plane & body burned." NARA "War Diary Marine Fighting Squadron 224 Marine Aircraft Group 23 First Marine Aircraft Wing, FMF From October 1, 1942 to October 31, 1942 page 3 "October 1, 1942 - At 0630 today, the decorations indicated were presented to the following squadron officers... In the same ceremony.. 2nd Lts Lees and Kendrick of VMF-223 were decorated... 2nd Lts Lees and Kendrick receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross." October 2, 1942 - At 1200, the air raid alarm was sounded and the following pilots of this squadron took off.... 2dLt Hartley, Treptow., Walter, Brooks and Johnson. The enemy's force, which consisted of twenty or thirty Zero fighters, was encountered over the [Henderson] field... 2nd. Lt. G. A. Treptow, flying with this squadron, and 2dLt Lees of VMF-223 failed to return from the engagement." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George A. Treptow FindAGrave - LT George Arthur Treptow (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Capt George Arthur Treptow (photo, tablets of the missing) First Team and The Guadalcanal Campaign (1994) Ambush [October 2, 1942 mission] Guadalcanal Tome I (2015) pages 305-310 (U.S. pilots page 306, Japanese pilots 309) Missing Marines - George A. Treptow (photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated December 12, 2023 |
 Wildcat  MIA 1 Missing |
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