Commando 42-96665

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96665

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30327

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU863

FATE: Written off

  August 1944

  42-96665 - USAAF (USA)

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9 August 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

  August 1944 to April 1948

  39550 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

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9 August 1944

Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

2 September 1944

Assigned to VMR-953, based at Corvallis AAF, OR.

30 September 1944

Moved with VMR-953 to MCAS Ewa, HI.

Operated flights extending into Pacific combat areas including Leyte in December 1944 and Okinawa in May 1945.

June 1945

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-15.

September 1945

Assigned to VMR-252, based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

January 1946

Assigned to VMR-353, based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

February 1946

Assigned to MAG-35 Service Squadron (Servron-35).

April 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

22 October 1946

Reconditioned at NAS San Diego, CA.

October 1946

Assigned to VMR-253, based at MCAS Miramar or MCAS El Toro, CA.

November 1946

Assigned to VMR-152, probably based in China.

January 1947

Assigned to MAG-25 Service Squadron (Servron-25).

February 1947

Assigned to Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

18 June 1947

Assigned to VMR-153, probably based at MCAS Tsingtao, Shandong, China.

5 April 1948

Damaged beyond repair in China in a forced landing (no  fatalities).

The crew was forced to make an emergency landing for unknown reason. The aircraft came to rest in mud flats and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

30 April 1948

Struck off charge as Class 3-5-Z. [?]