Escuadrón 201
Encyclopedia
El Escuadrón 201 was a Mexican
fighter
squadron
, part of the Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana
(FAEM — "Mexican Expeditionary Air Force") that aided the Allied
war effort during World War II
. The squadron was commonly known, apparently coined by members of the squadron during training, by the nickname Aguilas Aztecas, or "Aztec Eagles".
The squadron was attached to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) during the liberation of the main Philippine
island of Luzon
in the summer of 1945. The pilots flew Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt single-seat fighter aircraft carrying out tactical air support missions.
A Mexico City Metro
station on Line 8 (Dark Green) is named after the squadron, whilst it was also the subject of the Mexican film Escuadrón 201, directed by Jaime Salvador and released in 1945
.
and the rest were ground crewmen
. The ground crewmen were electrician
s, mechanic
s, and radiomen
. Its formation was prompted by the attack by German submarine
s against Mexican oil tankers Potrero del Llano
and Faja de Oro
, that were transporting crude oil
to the United States. These attacks prompted President Manuel Avila Camacho
to declare war on the Axis powers
.
The squadron left Mexico for training in the United States on July 24, 1944, arrived at Laredo, Texas
, on July 25, and moved on to Randolph Field in San Antonio
, where the personnel received medical examinations and weapons and flight proficiency admission tests. They received three months of training at Randolph, Foster Army Air Field in Victoria, Texas
, and Pocatello Army Air Base. The pilots received extensive training in armament
, communications and tactics.
The squadron arrived at Majors Field in Greenville, Texas
on November 30, 1944. Here, the pilots received advanced training in combat air tactics
, formation flying and gun
nery. The men were honored with graduation ceremonies on February 20, 1945 and the squadron was presented with its battle flag. This marked the first time Mexican troops were trained for overseas combat
. In charge of the group was Colonel
Antonio Cárdenas Rodríguez, and Captain First Class Radamés Gaxiola Andrade was named squadron commander.
Before leaving for the Philippines, the men received further instructions and physical examinations in Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, California
, in March 1945. The men left for the Philippines on the troop ship S.S. Fairisle on March 27, 1945. The squadron arrived in Manila on April 30, 1945, and was assigned as part of the Fifth Air Force
, attached to the U.S. 58th Fighter Group
, based at Porac
, Luzon
.
Beginning in June 1945, the squadron initially flew missions with the 310th Fighter Squadron
, often twice a day, using borrowed U.S. aircraft. It received 25 new P-47D-30-RA aircraft in July, marked with the insignia of both the USAAF and Mexican Air Force
. The squadron flew more than 90 combat missions, totaling more than 1,900 hours of flight time. It participated in the Allied effort to bomb Luzon and Formosa
to push the Japan
ese out of those islands. During its fighting in the Philippines, five squadron pilots died (one was shot down, one crashed, and three ran out of fuel and died at sea), and three others died in accidents during training.
Among the missions flown by the squadron were 53 ground support missions flown in support of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division together with the Philippine soldiers under the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary units and recognized guerrilla units in the break-out into the Cagayan Valley
on Luzon between 4 June and 4 July 1945; 37 training missions flown 14 July–21 July 1945 (including missions to ferry new aircraft from Biak Island, New Guinea); four fighter sweeps over Formosa on 6 July–9 July 1945; and a dive bombing mission against the port of Karenko, Formosa, on 8 August.
When the 201st deployed, no provision for replacement pilots had been made and the pilot losses incurred in the Philippines hampered its effectiveness. Mexican replacement pilots were rushed through familiarization training in the United States, and two more pilots died in flight accidents in Florida. When the 58th Fighter Group left the Philippines for Okinawa on July 10, the Mexicans stayed behind. They flew their last combat mission as a full squadron on August 26, escorting a convoy north of the Philippines. The 201st returned to Mexico City in November 1945.
The 201st Fighter Squadron was commended by General Douglas MacArthur
, but the FAEM was disbanded after returning from the Philippines. Escuadrón 201 is still an active duty squadron, flying the Pilatus PC-7
from Cozumel
, Quintana Roo
, and saw extensive counter-insurgency
service during the 1994 uprising in Chiapas
.
Pilots marked with an asterisk (*) were killed during flying operations in the Philippines.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
, part of the Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana
Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana
The Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana was a military aviation unit which represented Mexico on the Allied side during World War II...
(FAEM — "Mexican Expeditionary Air Force") that aided the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
war effort during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The squadron was commonly known, apparently coined by members of the squadron during training, by the nickname Aguilas Aztecas, or "Aztec Eagles".
The squadron was attached to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) during the liberation of the main Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
in the summer of 1945. The pilots flew Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt single-seat fighter aircraft carrying out tactical air support missions.
A Mexico City Metro
Mexico City Metro
The Mexico City Metro , officially called Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, is a metro system that serves the metropolitan area of Mexico City...
station on Line 8 (Dark Green) is named after the squadron, whilst it was also the subject of the Mexican film Escuadrón 201, directed by Jaime Salvador and released in 1945
1945 in film
The year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins....
.
Formation and training
Escuadrón Aéreo de Pelea 201 (201st Air Fighter Squadron) was composed of more than 300 volunteers; 30 were experienced pilotsAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and the rest were ground crewmen
Groundcrew
In aviation, the groundcrew is the support crew supplying the aircraft with fuel and maintenance, as opposed to the aircrew.In airlines, ground crew members include:*Airframe and powerplant technicians*Avionics technicians*Baggage handlers*Rampers...
. The ground crewmen were electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
s, mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
s, and radiomen
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. Its formation was prompted by the attack by German submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s against Mexican oil tankers Potrero del Llano
Potrero del Llano
SS Potrero del Llano was an oil tanker built in 1912. She sailed for a number of companies, and survived service in the First World War, only to be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War while sailing under the Mexican flag off the coast of Florida...
and Faja de Oro
Faja de Oro
SS Faja de Oro was an oil tanker built in 1914. She sailed for a number of companies, and survived service in the First World War, only to be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War while sailing under the Mexican flag in the Gulf of Mexico...
, that were transporting crude oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
to the United States. These attacks prompted President Manuel Avila Camacho
Manuel Ávila Camacho
Manuel Ávila Camacho served as the President of Mexico from 1940 to 1946.Manuel Ávila was born in the city of Teziutlán, a small town in Puebla, to middle-class parents, Manuel Ávila Castillo and Eufrosina Camacho Bello. He had several siblings, among them sister María Jovita Ávila Camacho and...
to declare war on the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
.
The squadron left Mexico for training in the United States on July 24, 1944, arrived at Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, on July 25, and moved on to Randolph Field in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, where the personnel received medical examinations and weapons and flight proficiency admission tests. They received three months of training at Randolph, Foster Army Air Field in Victoria, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, and Pocatello Army Air Base. The pilots received extensive training in armament
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
, communications and tactics.
The squadron arrived at Majors Field in Greenville, Texas
Greenville, Texas
Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557....
on November 30, 1944. Here, the pilots received advanced training in combat air tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, formation flying and gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
nery. The men were honored with graduation ceremonies on February 20, 1945 and the squadron was presented with its battle flag. This marked the first time Mexican troops were trained for overseas combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
. In charge of the group was Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Antonio Cárdenas Rodríguez, and Captain First Class Radamés Gaxiola Andrade was named squadron commander.
Before leaving for the Philippines, the men received further instructions and physical examinations in Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County, California, the outer portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 63,264 at the 2010 census....
, in March 1945. The men left for the Philippines on the troop ship S.S. Fairisle on March 27, 1945. The squadron arrived in Manila on April 30, 1945, and was assigned as part of the Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, attached to the U.S. 58th Fighter Group
58th Operations Group
The 58th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 58th Special Operations Wing. It is stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico....
, based at Porac
Porac, Pampanga
Porac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,962 people in 15,686 households.Porac is the largest town in Pampanga...
, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
.
Combat operations
| Escuadrón 201 | |
|---|---|
| Combat missions | 96 |
| Offensive sortie Sortie Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission.... s |
785 |
| Defensive sorties | 6 |
| Flying hours in combat | 1,966:15 |
| Flying hours in combat zone | 591:00 |
| Pre-combat flying hours | 281:00 |
| Flying hours per pilot | 82 |
| Total flying hours | 2,842:00 |
| Bombs dropped | 1,000 lb.: 957 500 lb.: 500 |
| Ammunition used (cal. 0.50") | 166,922 rounds |
| Aircraft lost in combat | 1 |
| Aircraft damaged in combat | 5 |
| Pilots lost in combat | 3 |
| Pilots lost in accidents | Crash-landing 1 Fuel exhaustion 3 |
Beginning in June 1945, the squadron initially flew missions with the 310th Fighter Squadron
310th Fighter Squadron
The 310th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training....
, often twice a day, using borrowed U.S. aircraft. It received 25 new P-47D-30-RA aircraft in July, marked with the insignia of both the USAAF and Mexican Air Force
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
. The squadron flew more than 90 combat missions, totaling more than 1,900 hours of flight time. It participated in the Allied effort to bomb Luzon and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to push the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese out of those islands. During its fighting in the Philippines, five squadron pilots died (one was shot down, one crashed, and three ran out of fuel and died at sea), and three others died in accidents during training.
Among the missions flown by the squadron were 53 ground support missions flown in support of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division together with the Philippine soldiers under the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary units and recognized guerrilla units in the break-out into the Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley is a region of the Philippines, also designated as Region II or Region 02. It is composed of five provinces, namely: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino...
on Luzon between 4 June and 4 July 1945; 37 training missions flown 14 July–21 July 1945 (including missions to ferry new aircraft from Biak Island, New Guinea); four fighter sweeps over Formosa on 6 July–9 July 1945; and a dive bombing mission against the port of Karenko, Formosa, on 8 August.
When the 201st deployed, no provision for replacement pilots had been made and the pilot losses incurred in the Philippines hampered its effectiveness. Mexican replacement pilots were rushed through familiarization training in the United States, and two more pilots died in flight accidents in Florida. When the 58th Fighter Group left the Philippines for Okinawa on July 10, the Mexicans stayed behind. They flew their last combat mission as a full squadron on August 26, escorting a convoy north of the Philippines. The 201st returned to Mexico City in November 1945.
The 201st Fighter Squadron was commended by General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, but the FAEM was disbanded after returning from the Philippines. Escuadrón 201 is still an active duty squadron, flying the Pilatus PC-7
Pilatus PC-7
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...
from Cozumel
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
, Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
, and saw extensive counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
service during the 1994 uprising in Chiapas
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
.
Squadron pilots
| Carlos Garduño Núñez | Radamés Gaxiola Andrade | Julio Cal y Mayor Sauz |
| Graco Ramírez Garrido | Amador Sámano Piña | David Cerón Bedolla |
| Fernando Hernández Vega | José Luis Pratt Ramos | Audberto Gutierrez Ramires |
| Carlos Varela Landini | Joaquín Ramírez Vilchis | Justino Reyes Retana |
| Ángel Sánchez Rebollo | Carlos Rodríguez Corona | Manuel Farías Rodríguez |
| Miguel Moreno Arreola | Roberto Legorreta Sicilia | Reynaldo Pérez Gallardo |
| Praxedis López Ramos | Jacobo Estrada Luna | José Barbosa Cerda |
| Raúl García Mercado | Roberto Urías Aveleyra | Guillermo García Ramos |
| Miguel Uriarte Aguilar | Jaime Zenizo Rojas | Crisóforo Salido Grijalva |
| Héctor Espinoza Galván* | José Espinoza Fuentes* | Fausto Vega Santander* |
| Mario López Portillo* | Mamerto Albarrán Nágera* | Javier Martínez Valle |
Pilots marked with an asterisk (*) were killed during flying operations in the Philippines.