Possible corsair request

[Krusty]

"The Corsair to your right is new. It depicts an F4U-1D assigned to USS RURDYERD BAY (CVE-81). The large checkers are rather interesting!"



A cursory internet search shows that CVE-81 served in WW2. One page even had photos of an F4F/FM2 that flipped over on landing. The profile has white bars on the star, which is one indicator that it was a WW2 plane. The question is whether it's post war or pre-war.

If pre-war, I'd like to request this from our corsair skinners.

[Saxman]

Do they have the squadron she was assigned to? Search of the squadron designation would be a quick way to determine history.

[Krusty]

I don't see any mention of it..

Here's the URL
http://webpages.charter.net/ltdann

The guy's name is Richard Dann. Apparently he's done several Squadron/Signal books.

[Stoney]

USS Rudyerd Bay, commissioned 25 February, 1944.  Should have been in the fight towards the end of the war.  I'm trying to look up the squadrons assigned to the ship, and aircraft type.

[Saxman]

I'd take her if it was a skin that made it into combat, but besides focusing on the 1A (just started work on a very famous aircraft that has a unique place in WWII aviation history. Screenshots to come) I'm sure Skuzzy's getting tired of seeing my name pop up on Corsair skins.

[Xasthur]

I'm sure Skuzzy's getting tired of seeing my name pop up on Corsair skins.

Mate, if you do 'em well and you enjoy it..... fill the bloody list up. 

That's a fantastic paint job.

[Halo46]

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Rudyerd Bay

An Alaskan bay.

(CVE - 81: displacement 7,800; length 512’3”; beam 65’; extreme width 108’1”; draft 22’6”; speed 19 knots; complement 860; armament 1 5”, 16 40mm., 20 20mm., aircraft 28; class Casablanca; type S4-S2-BB3)

Rudyerd Bay (CVE-81) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1118) on 24 October 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Wash.; launched 12 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Scott E. Peck; acquired by the Navy on 25 February 1944; and commissioned the same day, Capt. C. S. Smiley in command.

Following shakedown off southern California, Rudyerd Bay ferried planes to Espiritu Santo in April and May; conducted qualification exercises off California into July; then made another ferry run, this time to Majuro. On her return, she embarked Composite Squadron 77 (VC-77) and, on 8 August, she again headed west. At Eniwetok, she joined TG 30.8, the fast carrier forces' replenishment group, with which she arrived at Manus on the 31st.

During early September, she covered the replenishment group as the 3d Fleet supported the Palau campaign. In October, she continued that cover as strikes against the Philippines began. On the 18th, she took on survivors of Houston (CL-81), transported them to Ulithi, whence, in November, she resumed covering operations which continued into the new year.

On 29 December, Rudyerd Bay, with Nehenta Bay (CVE-74), tankers, and other ships, departed Ulithi. In the Philippine Sea until 10 January 1945, the replenishment group shifted to the South China Sea as the fast carriers continued support of the Lingayen assault and conducted strikes against enemy installations and shipping from Indochina to Formosa. On the 22d, they retired, via the Sulu and Mindanao Seas and Leyte Gulf, to Ulithi.

Rudyerd Bay remained at Ulithi until 10 February. She then proceeded to Saipan to prepare for the assault on Iwo Jima. Departing the Marianas in TG 51.17, she provided air cover for the troop transports en route to the Volcano Islands, 16 to 18 February. On the 18th, she joined TG 52.2 and, from then until 8 March, operated to the east of Iwo Jima as VC-77 flew support missions over the contested island and antisubmarine patrols over the surrounding waters.

Anchored at Ulithi from 11 to 20 March, Rudyerd Bay, with VC-96 now embarked, got underway for the Ryukyus in TU 52.1.2 on the 21st. On the 25th, she arrived at her position 60 miles to the south of Okinawa and began launching strikes against enemy positions on Kerama Retto and on Okinawa. With the exceptions of 1 April and 8 April, VC-96 flew daily support missions until 17 April. On 13, 14, and 15 April, the squadron target was shifted from Okinawa Gunto to Sakishima Gunto. On 17 April, Rudyerd Bay rotated to TG 50.8. For the next 10 days, she provided air cover for that group, then returned to TG 52.1 and resumed support missions for the troops fighting ashore. On 8 May, she again joined TG 50.8, which she covered until retiring from the Ryukyus on the 20th. By that time, VC-96 had flown 1,257 missions in support of the Okinawa offensive.

Rudyerd Bay arrived at Guam on the 23d, detached VC-96, and embarked VC-85 as passengers for transport back to the United States.

By the end of July, the escort carrier had completed a shipyard overhaul and had been reassigned to plane ferry duty. On 1 August, she departed Alameda for the Marshalls. On the 14th, hostilities ceased. Rudyerd Bay continued on, discharged cargo and passengers at Eniwetok, then proceeded to Ulithi and the Philippines, whence she moved VC-33 to Okinawa. There, she embarked another squadron for the voyage back to California.

On 8 October, she arrived at San Francisco, underwent repairs and alterations to enable her to carry troops, then joined the "Magic-Carpet" fleet. Into the new year, she brought veterans of the Pacific war back to the United States. On 23 January 1946, she completed her last transpacific run; and, on 18 February, she departed California for the east coast. Transiting the Panama Canal on the 28th, she offloaded aircraft at Jacksonville in early March, and proceeded to Boston to begin inactivation.

Decommissioned 11 June 1946, Rudyerd Bay, redesignated CVU-81 on 12 June 1955, and AKV-29 in 1959, remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, berthed at Boston, until struck from the Navy list on 1 August 1959. In January 1960, she was sold for scrap to Cantieri Navali Santa Maria, Genoa, Italy.

Rudyerd Bay (CVE-81) earned five battle stars during World War II.

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r9/rudyerd_bay.htm


A son's website on his father's service aboard Her...unsure to it's accuracy.
http://home.sprynet.com/~ernynsv/rudyerd.htm

Hope some of this might be helpful

[Saxman]

Guess that makes the F4U from VC-77, then?

[Halo46]

Not looking like it Saxman. The info I have found so far is USN Overseas Aircraft Loss Report for October, 1944 and March, 1945 both of which lists the following AC types lost by Rudyerd Bay:


10,18,44   FM-2   VC-77   Phillipines   
10,6,44   FM-2   VC-77   Phillipines   
10,18,44   FM-2   VC-77   Phillipines    Ens Gerald E. Broomquist
3,2,45    TBM 1-C    VC-77    Iwo Jima      
3,6,45    FM-2    VC-77   Iwo Jima       LtJG Shornstein
3,8,45   TBM 1-C   VC-77   Iwo Jima      Ens Travis L. Scott
3,8,45   FM-2   VC-77   Iwo Jima      Lt Knudson
3,8,45   FM-2   VC-77   Iwo Jima      Lt Eber W. Bessett
3,23,45   FM-2   VC-96   Iwo Jima      
3,23,45   TBM 3   VC-96   Iwo Jima      

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLOct44.htm
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLMar45.htm

Just got off the phone with a crewman from the Rudyerd Bay who lives in town and served the entire service of the ship. He did not recall any F4U's operating in the two squadrons. He did say they tested with a Marine F4U outfit, but the ship was not well suited for landings due to size. He could not recall the specific squadron markings for VC-77 and VC-96. I have the opportunity to meet with him and look through his photos and ask him any specific questions. Be advised though, he was part of the ships compliment and not associated directly with the squadrons except for cleaning up their crashes aboard deck, he was part of the damage control team. He recalls squadron size as approx. 12 Fighters and 8 TBMs.

[Fencer51]

I have a resource which tells what Naval or Marine squadron was assigned where every two weeks during WWII.  It also lists plane types and numbers in service.  Unfortunately the website is down right now, I may have saved it at home, I will check.

[Guppy35]

Here's the photo it must be based of off.  No date for the image however.  Wondering if it was training?


Another view


Images from this site:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/081.htm

Looks like operationally, like most CVEs she had FM2s and TBMs

[Guppy35]

Just to clarify the "training" comment.  I always look for photos to back stuff up.  I don't see any combat F4Us with letter codes to go with the numbers.  FF51 that we have in game is based off a September 45 photo so even that one potentially is post-war markings added when it didn't make a difference, kinda like the aircraft codes added to the bottom of ETO birds so folks could ID the guys who were low flying against the rules, or the RAF adding the serial numbers on the lower wings right after the end of the war for the same reasons.

The photos I find of Navy birds with letter/number codes all seem to be either East or West Coast Advanced Training birds.

I'd be the first to admit my F4U knowledge is way down the list, but that letter code and high viz checkers make me wonder if it was a training bird, potentially after the war as well.  There are no captions with the photos posted on the web and the other photos from the same guy show FM2s and TBMs as the main birds of that CVE.

[Krusty]

I didn't think there were many -1Ds in service after the war? I thought those were mostly later models?

Well, I guess I'd personally wonder if this was "just" a training unit, or if they were using an active unit to run the tests, but decided the escort carrier was too small.

In-game, we have a couple of skins that were training unit skins, but that also saw action, if memory serves. If there's any chance this F4u L54 also fits this description, I'd say that's enough to include it in-game.


 

[Halo46]

While I did not ask Mr. Admundson when they had the F4U's on board, I got the impression it was during the war. He did not talk much about post war service. He is by no means an aviation specialist but did ask if they were the 'gull wing' bird. He remembers the avengers and wildcats as squadron AC. The ship did ferry many birds to and from the PTO as well, though that is not the impression I get of this bird from the photos - for what that's worth.

If anyone has specific questions for Mr. Admunson, let me know, he has agreed to meet me for lunch sometime and tell me more about the Rudyerd Bay. I will also be looking at his private photo collection.

[Saxman]

Krusty,

There were far more 1Ds and earlier models than -4s in the theater by war's end, and there was no true intermediate between the 1D and 4. The -2 was a nightfighter modification of the -1 Birdcage, and the -3 was an test bed.

Also, are we sure this is a 1D? Note that in the photos she has tape right about where the inside panel line of each wing fuel tank would be, and AFAIK the wing tanks were removed in the 1D. While hard to tell for certain, she also appears to NOT have the under-wing pylons, which were permanently attached in the 1C/D and 4, even when flying without ordinance or DTs.

The canopy frame is also the earlier type, which while was present in some earlier 1Ds, most had the full-glass canopy.