Navy F6F-5s vs Germany

[BluBerry]

WW, thanks for all the badass photos.

[Widewing]

WW, thanks for all the badass photos.

You are most welcome... Here's a few more.

VF-37 Hellcat (F6F-3)




Ens Jim Schiller of VF-5 on USS Yorktown powers up for takeoff. Ensigns usually got the rattiest plane in the squadron. Schiller was no exception. This photo was originally published in Life magazine.




Here's an interesting sequence, showing why you can't lower elevators during a recovery (landing) evolution. In this case, aboard a CVE.

[MiloMorai]

Didn't some FAA Hellcats see some action off Norway?

[Widewing]

Didn't some FAA Hellcats see some action off Norway?

Yes, and Wildcats too.  Ops against the Tirpitz.

[GScholz]

Did they see any combat against Luftwaffe units stationed in Norway or was this too far out to sea?

[Widewing]

Did they see any combat against Luftwaffe units stationed in Norway or was this too far out to sea?

Norway based Luftwaffe units. On May 8, 1944, 18 Hellcat Is (from 800 squadron on the escort carriers Emperor and Searcher) were escorting a squadron of Barracudas on a strike mission at 10,000 feet. They were bounced by Bf 109s and Fw 190s of JG 5. Approximately 25 German fighters were involved. Two Hellcats went down in the first attack. However, the Hellcats recovered and shot down two Bf 109s and one Fw 190. A few days later, the same Hellcats from 800 Squadron shot down two Heinkels trying to locate the British CVEs.


Hellcat from 800 sqdrn land aboard Emperor...



Another view of the Hellcats on Emperor..




In formation....

[Nath[BDP]]

Hellcats vs Nazis, just great.

I think the Hellcat is becoming my favorite WW2 bird after seeing this.

[Oldman731]

Hellcats vs Nazis, just great.

I think the Hellcat is becoming my favorite WW2 bird after seeing this.

Storch, of all people, designed an AvA Tirpitz setup, with Corsairs and Hellcats on carriers against shore-based 109s and 190s.  It was quite a lot of fun, and presented some very interesting match-ups.

- oldman

[GScholz]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

[pangea]

Storch, of all people, designed an AvA Tirpitz setup, with Corsairs and Hellcats on carriers against shore-based 109s and 190s.  It was quite a lot of fun, and presented some very interesting match-ups.

- oldman

Whatever happened to Storch?

[Saxman]

Storch, of all people, designed an AvA Tirpitz setup, with Corsairs and Hellcats on carriers against shore-based 109s and 190s.  It was quite a lot of fun, and presented some very interesting match-ups.

- oldman

I think we ran that one year in FSO...

[Stang]

Very nice post... Do I see a two gun load out on the very first picture?

Edit: actually looks like the muzzles on the guns are capped, the third not protruding from the wing is simply covered... Did this prevent corrosion I assume?

[Stang]

Storch, of all people, designed an AvA Tirpitz setup, with Corsairs and Hellcats on carriers against shore-based 109s and 190s.  It was quite a lot of fun, and presented some very interesting match-ups.

- oldman

That set up was a blast, remember shooting storchita down over and over many times in my British skinned F6.

 

[Widewing]

Very nice post... Do I see a two gun load out on the very first picture?

Edit: actually looks like the muzzles on the guns are capped, the third not protruding from the wing is simply covered... Did this prevent corrosion I assume?

Yeah, it kept FOD out of the gun muzzles. However, the primary purpose was to show that the guns were loaded. When it returned, a simple glance would tell the armorers if the guns had been fired.

[GScholz]

Same with the red cloth the RAF glued over the gun ports on their fighters.