at Midway without the loss of a single aircraft or crew. The squadron flew routine patrols and awaited the expected Japanese attack. On March 1, 1942, while still at Midway, the squadron was split in two when VMSB-241 was created and the two squadrons operated side by side, even flying the same aircraft. Shortly thereafter, VMSB-231 was officially transferred back to Ewa, but a majority of its personnel and all of its aircraft remained at Midway. Reorganizing at MCAS Ewa, the squadron received Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers and was transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23). Slowly receiving new SBD-3 Dauntlesses and pilots, the squadron was notified in July 1942 that it would be deployed for duty overseas. Along with VMF-224, the squadron constituted the rear echelon of MAG-23 and was loaded aboard the aircraft transport during the last week of August 1942 and shipped to the South Pacific. Arriving at Efate, the squadron spent the night there and the squadron's aircraft were craned over to the escort aircraft carrier . The next day, the SBDs were catapulted from the 'Long Island and flown to Espiritu Santo. After another night's layover, the flight echelon flew to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on August 30, 1942, arriving right before the daily Japanese air raid on the field and becoming the second Marine dive bomber squadron to operate ashore Major Leo Smith, and Captains Ruben Iden and Elmer Glidden led the squadron during the stay on Guadalcanal. Captain Iden died in combat on September 20, 1942, a day after he assumed command. While on Guadalcanal, eleven of the squadron's twelve original SBDs were lost or rendered inoperable between August 30 and October 3, 1942. During this time Lieutenant Glen Loeffel was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism for his lone attack on the Japanese heavy cruiser Furutaka on October 4, 1942, causing substantial damage and leading to her eventual sinking on October 11, 1942. VMF-231 operated on Guadalcanal as part of the Cactus Air Force from August 30 until November 2, 1942. It then was shipped back to Naval Air Station San Diego, California, arriving there on November 19, 1942, and then moved further north to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, in January 1943. The squadron again deployed to the Pacific Theater and began operations bombing by-passed Japanese garrisons in the Marshall Islands on February 4, 1944. In October 1944,