Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (VMM-164), is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron operating the MV-22B Osprey. Known as the Knightriders, they fall under the command Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW). They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton.
History
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 164 (HMM-164) was activated under LtCol. Herbert J. Blaha on 1 July 1964 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana, California as part of Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) operating UH-34s. In August 1965 the squadron transferred to Marine Wing Support Group 37 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. The squadron received the first CH-46A Sea Knights assigned to West Coast squadrons. The squadron had to address various technical teething problems including excessive rotor vibration and sand damage to the engines. In addition as a result of combat experience in South Vietnam the helicopters had to be modified to mount machine guns on either side of the helicopter.
Vietnam War
On 16 February 1966 the squadron was loaded aboard for transport to U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. Arriving at Subic Bay on 4 March they were transferred to the . On 8 March the squadron flew ashore to Marble Mountain Air Facility near Da Nang, South Vietnam joining Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and becoming the first CH-46 squadron to join the war. Despite the earlier modifications the CH-46A experienced problems with sand damaging the engine compressors with the result that engines had to be replaced every 200-300 sorties, however by the end of August filters had been installed which remedied the issue. In late March the squadron supported Operation Kings. On 23 June the squadron supported Operation Turner to destroy munitions left at the A Shau Special Forces Camp after the camp was abandoned at the end of the Battle of A Sau. During Operation Hastings on 15 July at LZ Crow () two squadron CH-46s collided and crashed, while a third CH-46 from HMM-265 hit a tree and crashed. As a result of these collisions, two Marines were killed and seven injured and all three helicopters were too badly damaged for recovery and had to be destroyed. Later that day another CH-46 from HMM-265 was hit by People's Army of Vietnam fire and crashed, killing 13 Marines. Marines promptly renamed the area as "Helicopter Valley". From 4 July the squadron supported Operation Macon.
On 3 April 1967 the squadron became the Special Landing Force (SLF) helicopter squadron. In late April the squadron supported The Hill Fights around Khe Sanh Combat Base. In later April the squadron supported Operation Beacon Star. From 20 May the squadron supported Operation Hickory. In early July the squadron supported Operation Buffalo. On 13 July the squadron returned ashore to Phu Bai Combat Base. On 16 October the squadron was assigned to MAG-36.
On 3 March 1968 the squadron was assigned to SLF Bravo on USS Valley Forge. On 16 June the squadron returned ashore. In late August the squadron supported Operation Sussex Bay. On 29 December the squadron was again assigned to SLF Bravo on .
In January 1969 the squadron supported Operation Bold Mariner. On 20 October the squadron left South Vietnam and relocated to Okinawa. In early November the squadron embarked on board Amphibious Ready Group Bravo, alternating maintenance and training at Subic Bay and periods at sea along the littoral of South Vietnam, from the Cà Mau Peninsula to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone.
In May 1971 the squadron was part of 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (31st MAU) on Amphibious Ready Group Alpha on .
On 11 April 1972 the squadron was reassigned to 33rd Marine Amphibious Unit (33rd MAU). On 12 and 23 May the squadron operating from transported South Vietnamese Marines in a series of raids known as Operation Song Than 5-72 and Operation Song Than 6-72 in defense of Battle of the Mỹ Chánh Line. In late June the squadron again transported South Vietnamese forces in support of Operation Lam Son 72.
Throughout 1974 and into early 1975 squadron units were always assigned as a component of the 31st MAU on board Amphibious Ready Group Alpha ships. The assigned unit actually was a composite squadron, usually augmented by detachments of CH-53D Sea Stallions from HMH-462; UH-1Es of HML-367 and AH-1J SeaCobras of HMA-369. On 20 June 1974 the squadron replaced HMH-462 on USS New Orleans at Okinawa and departed for Subic Bay arriving there on 22 June.