The 1930's was a decade of great turmoil, not only in Europe and Asia, but also in Central America. While U.S. intervention in Nicaragua and Honduras is well known, less remembered is the Guatemalan banana crisis of 1934. It all began after an abysmal banana harvest...
The lack of bananas could only lead to instability and banditry. Every last banana not nailed down was ripe for the picking. One of the worst thieving bandit armies were the deadly Bananaqueros.
Led by the violent and ruthless El Chiquita, the Bananaqueros were a serious threat.
Initially, U.S. efforts to help end the Bananaquero terror were ineffective.
Sterner measures were called for.
Marine Fighter squadron 5 was quickly embarked on the carrier
U.S.S. Ranger to put an end to the Bananaqueros.
Fortunately, the Marines were equipped with one of the most modern pursuit fighters of the day, the Curtiss
YP-32 YF1234ABCD-1 Devil Hawk.
While the U.S. Congress was loathe to spend money on anything not absolutely essential in the 1930's, the U.S. Navy had been successful in obtaining funds to carry on aircraft development.
Biplane Curtiss Hawks and Helldivers were seen in newsreels and airshows at the time and fortunately, the original design had been upgraded and modernized into an all-metal, cantilever-wing monoplane. The YF1234ABCD-1 Devil Hawk had incredibly advanced features for the time such as an enclosed cockpit, heavy 4-gun armament and a pair of the hottest, most intimidating spatted landing gear yet seen.
The prototype flew in 1932 and exceeded all expectations and then some. The Secretary of the Navy ordered a service-test squadron into production. Unfortunately, the hidebound U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics was not about to accept such a cutting-edge design. Citing concerns about undercarriage weakness (Spats weak? Say it ain't so!), the Navy fobbed the service-test squadron on the Marine Corps who promptly dubbed the new pursuit the Devil Hawk.
This would prove a lucky break for the flying Leathernecks of VMF-5 and the nation of Guatemala.
The Marines were dogged in their pursuit of the Bananaqueros into the Guatemalan hinterlands. Having the bandit army cornered, the Devil Hawks used their four wing-mounted machine guns to great effect. Those bandits not killed or seriously wounded fled in fear, their morale shattered by bullets and those intimidating spats.
The Bananaqueros were finally vanquished and peace returned to Guatemala.
Brian da Basher