Yap Island Mission Loss—21 March 1945

The following plane was lost on 21 March 1945 on a mission to Yap Island. I would greatly appreciate anyone's help to locate additional information regarding the information listed below.Submit additional information, updates, newpaper articles, pictures, and supporting documents to: pat@missingaircrew.com

Date:	Plane Type:	Unit:	Crew Names:	Supporting Documents:
21 March 1945	F6F-5 Hellcat	VF-12	ENS. DELBERT L MARTIN, 364035	Action Report
Description: HIT GRD STRAFING;POSS AA HIT United States Naval Reserve Entered the Service from: Indiana Died: 22-Mar-46 Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal Ens. Delbert LaRue Martin USNR Parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Martin from Fountaintown, IN VF-12 and VB-12 flew this mission from the Marine Air Base in Ulithi due to their carrier being damaged by a Japanese attack in the Ulithi harbor. They flew with a support package of Marine planes (F6F-5, TBM-3 and PBY-5A) from Casu-51 and VPB-23. Ens. Martin went into a dive with the other F6F-5 from VF-12 but never pulled out. It was not known whether he had been hit by AA, blacked out, or a structural failure caused the plane to crash near the Pelak harbor entrance on Gagil-Tomil, Yap. Please submit additional information.

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