Author Topic: Coming this weekend, 4 Oct (Read 894 times)

Chanter · « **Reply #15 on:** October 03, 2002, 11:25:41 PM »

Phew, sitting in those straight winged planes was giving me the hives.

Gull-Winged Chanter

Soulyss · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2002, 11:03:17 AM »

Quote

I have found the fm2 and f4f really to be equal. Fm2 just isnt that much faster, and climb on both is still kinda sucky compared to the ijn.

HEATHEN!!!!

Yeager · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2002, 05:08:20 PM »

For me the FM2 will hold a tighter turn for a longer period of time and performs better in the vertical than the F4F.

The F4F has better firepower while the FM2 provides a ground attack capability absent in the F4F.

My vote goes soundly to the FM2

ergRTC · « **Reply #18 on:** October 07, 2002, 04:01:41 PM »

Somebody named suave was distracting me with dates of introduction last night in the CT (*darn newbies to the CT!

) so I just wanted to hear it from you ww2 book worms.. Could I have the first action dates (real action, not 1 fighter stationed in timbuktu saw an enemy plane once type stuff) for the following aircraft?

f4f-4
fm2
f6f-5 and previous models if you have it?
f4u-1

thank ya kindly......

erg

oboe · « **Reply #19 on:** October 07, 2002, 05:27:32 PM »

Unfortunately, many times the date books list is the date the first aircraft was accepted into service. "Real action" is sometimes difficult to pin a date to, but here is some general info:

F4F-4 - significant service begin late spring, 1942. Was primary Navy shipboard fighter on fleet carriers at the time of the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

F4U-1 - first significant use was by Marine squadrons in February 1943 over Bouganville.

F6F-3 - 1st recorded combat in August 1943. 15 squadrons were already equipped with the Hellcat by this time.

F6F-5 - wasn't flown until April 1944, which makes it a contemporary of AH's A6M5b.

FM-2 - 1st squadron deployments in early 1944.

Squire · « **Reply #20 on:** October 07, 2002, 05:40:40 PM »

F4F-4 saw action in June 1942 aboard USN CVs (Midway). The F4F-3 (4 gun version) was in service on CVs December 1941, and saw action at Coral Sea before Midway.

FM-2, as stated, deployed to the Pacific in large numbers in the Spring of 1944 on Escort Carriers. First kill March 1944. Was used by the USMC, the USN, and the Fleet Air Arm (In the Atlantic).

F4U-1 was deployed with the USMC to the Pacific in February of 1943, it scored its first kill with a Guadalcanal based VMF the same month.

F6F-3 Hellcat was deployed operationally to the Pacific aboard USN CVs in August 1943 (CV 10, USS Yorktown). The F6F-5 was an updated version, but not in a big way, I beleive it had some extra armor and wider variety of A/G ordnance. Air to air, they were very close, with almost identical performance.

The biggest mistake most folks make is thinking that the F6F was in action at the same time as the F4U. The F4U was in combat 6 months earlier at least. On the other hand, it wasnt untill late 1944 that the USN started operating the F4U from its Carriers, prior to that they were land based only, most with the USMC, and some with the USN (most notably VF-17).

Hope that helps a bit.

ergRTC · « **Reply #21 on:** October 07, 2002, 06:13:58 PM »

Yep, that is what i wanted, thanks you guys. Next time he bothers me I will send him hither.

~~erg~~

1Duke1 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 07, 2002, 11:39:02 PM »

Hey, can you fellas list the source's you are using for this information?? I'm trying to build a good library of these books and would like to see what everyone is using. Thanks!!!

~~Duke~~

HiJack · « **Reply #23 on:** October 08, 2002, 06:22:02 AM »

Duke try the military book club or get online library of military history, lots of links there, get alot of my Nam books there, some original after action reports, even got one with my unit in action 3rd 187th INF 101st ABN DIV , 2nd platoon Charlie company. LOts of links and such to find all kinds of military books.