Service dates of our aircraft.

[USCH]

Is there a link that says when each of the aircraft (and GV's) we use in Ace's High entered service?

[bj229r]

Good idea...I'd be interested in seeing entry date of D25, vs rest of midwar rides

[USCH]

I've been working my tail off all day looking and to the best of my knowlange the P47's go like this..
P-47D-11        (March 1943)
P-47D-25        (May 1944)
P-47D-40        (Aug 1944)                 
P-47M            (Jan. 1945)
P-47N             (Oct 1945)

[Simba]

The first P-47Ns to be deployed overseas were those of the 318th Fighter Group, which re-equipped from P-47Ds in Hawaii in March 1945 and then staged through the islands to Ie Shima, a few miles off the western coast of Okinawa, arriving early in April. They were followed by the 413th FG in mid-May and the 507th FG arrived there a month later and flew their first operation on July 1st. Finally, the 414th FG arrived on Iwo Jima in July, after a short pause at Guam, from which it flew its first combat operation, a ground attack mission to the Truk islands on July 13th. It was the last fighter formation sent to the 20th Air Force for escort and support duties, and the only Thunderbolt unit to operate from Iwo Jima.

 

 

[Saxman]

The only ones I can really say anything on are the F4Us.

F4U-1 - February, 1943
F4U-1D - Late 1944/Early 1945
F4U-1C - Mid 1945
F4U-4 - Mid 1945 (sometime after the 1C)

The F4U-1 is a very complicated matter. There was no definitive "Production Block" like what you have with the P-47s (so, no F4U-1A-5 or 1A-20). Upgrades and refinements were introduced to the production lines as they became available with no demarcation of when something changed, and finished aircraft were then retrofit in the field. As a result of this, the 1A designation was not originally an official variant, but was introduced later in production and "back dated" to cover changes to the F4U-1 after a particular S/N. Additionally, our F4U-1 is more of a hybrid. The R-1800-8(W) with the water injection (WEP) wasn't introduced until AFTER the change over to the 1A designation. Our F4U-1 should NOT have WEP (all F4U-1s and the first few F4U-1As used the R-1800-8 without water injection). What would be recognized as the F4U-1A first appeared in mid-1943 (maybe around June to August). However OUR 1A is from very late in the production that added the same paddle prop that was used in the 1D, (hence the improved acceleration and rate of climb of our 1A) c. mid to late-1944.

[Masherbrum]

Ki-61-I-Tei - Spring 1943

[USCH]

I got this for the F4's Saxman i did alot of digging and cant recalll every web page i went to yesterday  If you have detailed info stating otherwise i would love to read it so i can know i got everything right... Im going to start a new page with all the aircraft and see what people say.

F4U-1             (July 1942)
F4U-1A           (Sep. 1942)
F4U-1C           (April 1944)
F4U-1D           (April 1944
F4U-4              (Nov. 1944)

[Saxman]

Keep in mind: There's a HUGE difference between when the aircraft was developed and when it was actually deployed to the combat zone. It's the latter that's the important one.

NO F4Us were deployed to the combat zone until February, 1943. Their first combat action for the F4U-1 was on 13 and 14 February, 1943. The only Corsairs flying in 1942 were stateside.

As I said before, the F4U-1A is a more complicated bird to place due to the fact this was a post-war designation, but it stands to reason that there would have been NO F4U-1As in the combat zone before the F4U-1. The 1A designation was applied to aircraft built from mid to-late 1943 to reflect certain changes in the F4U-1..

The 1D was first deployed to land-based Marine squadrons in the Pacific in late 1944. They didn't start appearing in carrier-based squadrons until the beginning of 1945.

The F4U-1C was developed in parallel with the 1D, but wasn't actually deployed in combat until later. First combat for both the 1C and -4 were during the Battle of Okinawa

[USCH]

Ty saxman, the only question i have about the early F4's is when did the brits use them) i know i looked at it yetserday and i could again but by now my brain is smashed and i cant take it anymore.

About the 1C and -4 so you think i should change it to April 1945 for both?

[Saxman]

Yes.

The British use roughly coincided with their use by the US Navy and Marine Corps.

[USCH]

OK ill change that and Ty again... if you can narrow the other ones down to specific date/battle that would be great. Or ill get to it when i can. today just isn't that day as wife ack and the sleeping 6month old on my lap are making it hard.

[USCH]

Sax we can continue this in the other one and ill edit it from there as it is a complete list