Tag:

F4F

When Luftwaffe Bf 109Gs were overwhelmed by Fleet Air Arm F4Fs and why the little Wildcat could be more than a match for Messerschmitt Bf 109

by Till Daisd May 26, 2024

The F4F Wildcat

First flown in February 1939, the rugged and heavily armed F4F Wildcat became the Navy/Marine Corps premier fighter until late 1942. By the end of that year, Navy and Marine F4F pilots had amassed a 9:1 kill ratio over the Japanese, despite the reputation of the vaunted Mitsubishi A6M Zero.

The stubby Grumman design was responsible for 1,006 enemy aircraft by the end of the war, and its pilots included 58 aces.

The Martlet

Strong single-seat monoplane fighters were desperately required by the British Royal Navy at the outset of the Second World War. This was satisfied by the new F4F-4 Wildcat fighter, built in the United States by Grumman.

The F4F fighters, known as Martlets by the Royal Navy, showed great skill in the Battle of the Atlantic and on the Arctic Convoys. They were able to efficiently support other fighters from escort carriers and collaborate with Fairey Swordfish to hunt down German U-boats.

Some Messerschmitt Bf-109Gs of III Gruppe/JG5 were overrun by fighters from Fleet Air Arm Squadron 882 F4F Wildcat (Martlets were renamed Wildcats in 1944 to align with combined US and British operations) during the last days of the war.

Luftwaffe Bf 109Gs Vs Fleet Air Arm F4Fs

‘On 26 March 1945, in a last action, FM-2’s from 882 Squadron Lieut Comdr. GAM Flood, RNVR) off ‘Searcher,’ escorting a flight of Avengers along the coast of Norway, was attacked near Christiansand by a flight of eight III Gruppe JG 5 Me-109Gs that may have been the -14 model,’ Pete Feigal, Former Pro Military Artist and Aviation Expert, says on Quora.

The story of the Fleet Air Arm F4Fs that overwhelmed Luftwaffe Bf-109Gs and why the little Wildcat could be more than a match for the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109

‘The Wildcats shot down four of the Bf-109Gs at a cost of one Wildcat damaged. A fifth 109 was claimed as damaged.

‘As near as can be determined from available Luftwaffe loss lists, there were three 109’s lost, werk# 412398 (Fw. Hermannn Jaeger), 782139 (Uffz. Gottfried Rösch), and 782270 (Fw. Heinrich Dreisbach). One other 109 crashed, (pilot unknown) on landing, however the information available does not indicate if the crash was due to pilot error or from battle damage. Damage to this airplane was noted as 25%. Available Luftwaffe credit lists show no claims from this action.

‘One other 109 crashed, (pilot unknown) on landing, however the information available does not indicate if the crash was due to pilot error or from battle damage. Damage to this airplane was noted as 25%. Available Luftwaffe credits lists show no claims from this action.

Angry little opponents: Fleet Air Arm F4Fs

‘Capt. Eric Brown wrote about the F4F Wildcats (Martlets) vs the Messerschmitt Bf 109:

“The Wildcat, although faster and more manoeuvrable than the Sea Hurricane, was still some 60mph slower than the German fighter. The lower the altitude the less the odds favoured the Me109F. The Wildcat also had a heavier punch to deliver. Verdict: As a dogfighter the Wildcat was superior to the Me 109F, but the initiative always lay with the German because of superior performance. At low altitudes the Me109F had the edge over the Wildcat, but not by much.”’

Feigal concludes;

‘However by the time the Wildcat VI was on the scene (1944) his assessment was rather less rosy:

“Wildcat VI Versus Messerschmitt 109G-6: The agile little Wildcat could outmanoeuvre the latest version of the Me 109, but the performance differential had widened and the German could run rings around the Wildcat. If the Me 109G-6 was tempted to mix it in a dogfight, the Wildcat had a better than even chance of success. Verdict: The Wildcat was no real match for the Me 109G-6, but the German could not afford to take liberties with his angry little opponent.”’

Photo by Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany and Rob Hodgkins via Wikipedia

May 26, 2024 0 comment

History

Jefferson DeBlanc shot down five Japanese aircraft before abandoning his downed Wildcat due to fuel shortage

by Till Daisd March 31, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F4F Wildcat

When the US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC) went to war in December 1941, their primary carrier fighter was the tubby Wildcat, the first of Grumman’s famous “cats,” built by the company. Despite the F4F’s inferior performance compared to the Japanese Zero-sen, its sturdy construction and ample armament allowed the Wildcat pilots to hold their own against some of the world’s best naval aviators during air battles between the US Navy/USMC and the IJN.

Jefferson DeBlanc, USMC F4F Wildcat “ace in a day” pilot

A claim confirmed by the action on Jan. 31, 1943, that saw 2Lt Jefferson DeBlanc, a USMC pilot from VMF-112, argue two Type 0 Observation seaplanes and three Zero-sens shot down over Vella Gulf while protecting a flight of SBD dive-bombers. An “ace in a day” feat that earned him the Medal of Honor.

In his book F4F Wildcat South Pacific 1942–43, Edward M. Young explains that at 1500 hours on that day, VMF–112 sent off two divisions of Wildcats to escort SBDs and TBFs on a mission to attack Japanese shipping in the Vella Gulf, which is located between the Kolombangara Islands and Vella Lavella Islands to the north of Guadalcanal. Six aircraft took off in two flights, with two aircraft climbing to offer high cover and DeBlanc leading four as close escort while two F4Fs were forced to turn back.

The Type 0 Observation seaplanes attacked the dive-bombers as they were finishing their runs and regrouping for the return flight. DeBlanc observed two “Petes” flying in trail and closing in on the SBDs. DeBlanc saw two “Petes,” flying in trail, closing in on the SBDs. With his wingman, SSgt. James Feliton, providing cover, DeBlanc attacked the trailing floatplane, coming in from the “six o’clock” position and setting it on fire. DeBlanc then went after the lead “Pete,” again from behind. After his initial burst, he noticed flames trailing from his target. The floatplane then turned slowly to the right, climbed slowly, and exploded.

Medal of Honor

DeBlanc and Feliton stayed with the SBDs, fighting off Zero-sens strikes even though they were running low on fuel. DeBlanc stated that before having to bail out his severely damaged fighter, three of the fighters were shot down. Feliton had to use his parachute as well. After thirteen days, both DeBlanc and Feliton made their way back to Guadalcanal with the help of coastwatchers and the Solomon Islands police force. DeBlanc received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

F4F Wildcat South Pacific 1942–43 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Gareth Hector via Osprey and NARA

The story of Jefferson DeBlanc, the USMC F4F pilot that with his Wildcat low on fuel escorted SBDs and TBFs and shot down 5 Japanese aircraft before bailing out of his stricken F4F — In early November 1942, VMF-112 arrived on Guadalcanal from Nouméa. One of the young aviators in the squadron was 2Lt. Jefferson DeBlanc, who went into combat with fewer than the normal 40 hours of flying time considered it necessary for a pilot to become
familiar with the Wildcat. Unfazed by this, DeBlanc claimed two “Betty” bombers
shot down on Nov. 12 on only his second combat mission. On Jan. 31, he claimed
five aircraft destroyed while defending USMC SBDs and TBFs. The latter feat earned DeBlanc the Medal of Honor. (DM-SD-03-09572, NARA)

March 31, 2024 0 comment

History

Legendary naval aviator Jimmy Thach possessed 27 F4F Wildcat fighters

by Till Daisd September 23, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Being the first and sole pilot in his squadron, Thach test-flew each of the 27 aircraft he was given, noting any anomalies for his maintenance team to address while he waited for more pilots to show up

Jimmy Thach was in confusion the day before the Battle of Midway because his squadron had been effectively disbanded by the transfer of its strength to VF-2 to support that unit in the Coral Sea. Thach was instructed to train a new group of novice Ensigns arriving from the States at a time when his squadron was at its lowest point of strength. Thach, a seasoned pilot who had flown a wide range of aircraft, handled everything with ease. Thach joined Fighter Three as the unit’s gunnery officer in 1939 after a varied prewar aviation career.

Thach’s proficiency with air-to-air gunnery served him well in battle as well as in his career. He stayed with Fighting Three so that he could use his abilities to help his unit.

“I progressed from gunnery officer to operations officer, and when the then-commanding officer, Cooper, was detached and Lieutenant Commander Sid Harvey took command of the squadron, I was made executive officer, No. 2 in command.”

Sadly, Sid Harvey passed away from a heart attack en route to his assignment, and Thach was fleeted up to temporary Command of the squadron after Lt. Cmdr. Harvey was detached for observer duty in Britain. Thach thus took control of Fighting Three as a Lieutenant, far ahead of his Naval Academy peers. Thach recalled receiving an intelligence report in the spring of 1941 that described the Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Sen and was probably written by Claire Chennault.

“This was the Zero, and I decided, well, we’d better do something about this, and remembering my days on the football field and basketball court, if you have somebody who’s faster than you are, you have to trap him somehow so that he can’t use his superiority, whatever it is. You’ve got to bait him or do something. I believed we had one advantage if we could ever get into a position to use it. We had good guns and could shoot and hit even if we only had a fleeting second or two to take aim. Therefore, we must do something to entice the opponent into giving us that one all-important opportunity-it was the only chance we had.”

Thach himself described the process:

“I developed it before the war in the summer of 1941—summer and fall—on my kitchen table in Coronado. A lot of people don’t realize this. I’ve read in various places that I studied the combat reports of the Coral Sea Battle and then figured it out just before the Battle of Midway. This is not true at all. We’d been practicing this for a long time. Jimmy Flatley gave it the name Thach Weave. I didn’t.”

Instead, Thach had developed a formation that negated the benefit of a superior-performing aircraft, and he did so in such a way that it still had an impact on Navy fighter tactics and organization. Afterward, Thach made a remark about his time on Midway that is still applicable today.

“It may surprise people these days but as a lieutenant, I made more decisions than some very high-ranking officers have been making in the Vietnam War. I was making decisions in World War II that McNamara made in the Vietnam War, believe me. He was telling us how many planes to send, what formation to fly, and at what altitude.”

Following his cruise on board Lexington and O’Hare’s illustrious Fight on February 20, 1942, and the raids on Lae-Salamaua on March 10, Thach was sidelined in an unusual manner. The following provides an example of both the difficulties Thach experienced while working alone to rebuild his unit and his tenacity to complete the task. Thach received notification from Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch in April 1942;

“Your squadron is finally going to be increased to 27 aircraft, but I’m taking all your pilots and giving them to Paul Ramsey, and that will build up his squadron. Then you’ll get some more people, some more pilots, and 27 airplanes.”

Before-Transfers-left-Thach-as-the-only-pilot-in-his-squadron — Before Transfers left Thach as the only pilot in his squadron; Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3), Mar. 5, 1942. Standing, l to r: Mason, Clark, Sellstrom, Eder, Johnson, Lackey, Haynes, Stanley, Peterson, Dufilho, Lemmon. Sitting: Morgan, Vorse, Lovelace, Thach, Gayler, O’Hare, Rowell.

Despite a critical pilot shortage, Thach’s innovative arrangement of his squadron of one quickly proved successful. As the squadron’s initial sole pilot, Thach test-flew each of the 27 aircraft he was given, noting any inconsistencies so that his maintenance team could address them while he waited for more pilots to show up. As replacement pilots eventually poured in, Thach was able to confirm the usefulness of his equipment. Thach noted:

“Then I began to get a stream of young fellows right out of training, out of Pensacola. About this time, my executive officer (Don Lovelace) who didn’t go with Paul Ramsey, was detached, and he was scheduled to go back to San Diego and get a new squadron, get command of a squadron, going from the exec of my squadron of command, and that squadron was going to be VF-2.

(Note: Despite receiving orders to return to the United States, Lovelace chose to stay with Thach as his XO in order to try to assist in restoring Fighting Three.)

“I had another doctrine that I established, oh some time back, but it still held in the Battle of Midway. If there was a Lieutenant JG that was new, right out of Pensacola, and an ensign that had experience in combat, I would tell the lieutenant that he was going to be a wingman and the ensign was going to be the section leader because he’d had more experience, and I asked if he had any objection to that and he said, “no, thank goodness, I’d rather follow somebody for a while.”

Thach explains how he increased the novice pilots’ self-assurance in their abilities.

Thatchs-Fighting-Three — An embarrassment of Riches. Thatch’s Fighting Three was stripped of all its pilots to reinforce Fighting Two on the eve of Coral Sea, leaving Thach as the unit’s only assigned pilot.nnThach solved this organizational nightmare in a rather creative manner.

“I said “Look, you have landed aboard a carrier, right?” and they said, “Yes, Sir.” I said you have landed this airplane, right?” “Yes, Sir.” “All right. you are hereby qualified to land this airplane aboard an aircraft carrier. All you’ve got to do now when you go out is you just do it and prove it. Then that’ll be that. I don’t want to hear any more about it.” There was nothing more I could do.”

“A day or two before embarking in Yorktown, about fifteen pilots from VF-42 reported to me to fill out the roster of 27 pilots… So, we got the 27 airplanes and 27 pilots, and they called me up and gave me an inkling that there was something big coming up in the Central Pacific. They said it looks like the Japanese are going to try and hit us again… I had enough people so that the flight leaders, for instance, the ones leading a combat air patrol or the section leaders going with the strike group, those people had some experience, but maybe nobody following them, nobody else.”

The following tragedy occurred with his XO Don Lovelace during the Yorktown’s landing;

“He landed and he had taxied across the barrier, the barrier had just lifted behind him, and his wingman landed too hard, bounced clear over the barrier, and landed right on top of Don Lovelace and cut his head off, and that was the end of Don Lovelace. That was a pretty bad blow at any time. It was especially a difficult thing to accept at that moment because by this time we’d all been briefed on what was coming along, not only a sad thing to lose the life of a good friend, but to lose his ability and leadership and everything else in the air was a doubly bad blow.”

Wildcats — Grumman F4F-4 “Wildcat” Fighter (Bureau # 5171), of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) at Naval Air Station, Kaneohe, Oahu, on May 29, 1942, with ground crewmen folding the starboard wing. On June 4, 1942, in the Battle of Midway, this plane was flown by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, VF-3’s Commanding Officer, during the afternoon combat air patrol defending USS Yorktown (CV-5), wherein Thach probably shot down Lieutenant Joichi Tomonaga, leader of the attacking Japanese torpedo planes.

He gathered his squadron for the following since he was aware of the effect such a loss had on them:

“I got them all in the ready room immediately and told them that they had to just wash that out of their minds, that If I could do it, they could do it, because he was one of the best friends I ever had and the loss to me was far greater than they may imagine, and I was going to forget about it right now. We have work to do, we’re going to do it. We’re going in into a big battle and we can’t let something like this affect our performance in any way. So that’s the end of that, and I don’t want to hear any more talk about it. So, they took it that way.”

On the eve of the largest carrier battle in the history of the Pacific, Jimmy Thach went to war in this way with a unit that he had built from scratch.

[Note: All Thach quotes taken from the Reminisces of Admiral John “Jimmy” Thach, Volume 1, interviewed by Cmdr. Etta-Belle Kitchen, USN, (Ret.)]

Below you can see the Pensacola Aerospace Museum Turntable Rendering of Jimmy Thach’s White 23 F4F-4, which he flew on June 4, 1942, while escorting TBDs of Torpedo Squadron Three.

Check out Pensacola Aerospace Museum’s Facebook page for further aviation photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Navy

September 23, 2023 0 comment

History

The Fleet Air Arm F4Fs that overwhelmed Luftwaffe Bf-109Gs

by Till Daisd July 21, 2023

written by Till Daisd

In the closing stages of the war, some Messerschmitt Bf-109Gs of III Gruppe/JG5 were defeated by Fleet Air Arm Squadron 882 F4F Wildcat fighters

The British Royal Navy was in dire need of a powerful single-seat monoplane fighter at the outbreak of World War II. This requirement was met by the brand-new Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter produced in America.

Martlets in the Battle of the Atlantic and on Arctic Convoys distinguished themselves by providing efficient fighter support from escort carriers and successfully collaborating with Fairey Swordfish to find German U Boats.

Fleet Air Arm Squadron 882 F4F Wildcat(Martlets were renamed Wildcats in 1944 to align with combined US and British operations) fighters even defeated a few Messerschmitt Bf-109Gs of III Gruppe/JG5 in the last days of the war.

‘On 26 March 1945, in a last action, FM-2s from 882 Squadron Lieut Comdr. GAM Flood, RNVR) off ‘Searcher,’ escorting a flight of Avengers along the coast of Norway, was attacked near Christiansand by a flight of eight III Gruppe JG 5 Me-109Gs that may have been the -14 model,’ Pete Feigal, Former Pro Military Artist and Aviation Expert, says on Quora.

‘The Wildcats shot down four of the Bf-109Gs at a cost of one Wildcat damaged. A fifth 109 was claimed as damaged.

‘As near as can be determined from available Luftwaffe loss lists, there were three 109’s lost, werk# 412398 (Fw. Hermann Jaeger), 782139 (Uffz. Gottfried Rösch), and 782270 (Fw. Heinrich Dreisbach). One other 109 crashed, (pilot unknown) on landing, however, the information available does not indicate if the crash was due to pilot error or from battle damage. Damage to this airplane was noted as 25%. Available Luftwaffe credit lists show no claims from this action.

‘One other 109 crashed, (pilot unknown) on landing, however, the information available does not indicate if the crash was due to pilot error or from battle damage. Damage to this airplane was noted as 25%. Available Luftwaffe credits lists show no claims from this action.

‘Capt. Eric Brown wrote about the F4F Wildcats (Martlets) vs the Messerschmitt Bf 109:

“The Wildcat, although faster and more maneuverable than the Sea Hurricane, was still some 60mph slower than the German fighter. The lower the altitude the less the odds favoured the Me109F. The Wildcat also had a heavier punch to deliver. Verdict: As a dogfighter, the Wildcat was superior to the Me 109F, but the initiative always lay with the Germans because of its superior performance. At low altitudes, the Me109F had the edge over the Wildcat, but not by much.”’

Feigal concludes;

‘However, by the time the Wildcat VI was on the scene (1944), his assessment was rather less rosy:

“Wildcat VI Versus Messerschmitt 109G-6: The agile little Wildcat could outmaneuver the latest version of the Me 109, but the performance differential had widened and the German could run rings around the Wildcat. If the Me 109G-6 was tempted to mix it in a dogfight, the Wildcat had a better-than-even chance of success. Verdict: The Wildcat was no real match for the Me 109G-6, but the German could not afford to take liberties with his angry little opponent.”’

Photo by Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany, and Rob Hodgkins via Wikipedia

July 21, 2023 0 comment

History

The dogfight that gave rise to the “Thach Weave” maneuver

by Till Daisd January 23, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On June 4, 1942, during the Battle of Midway, one of the crucial moments in the evolution of US Navy fighter tactics during World War II occurred

During the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, one of the key moments in the evolution of US Navy fighter tactics during World War II occurred.

Lieutenant commander (LCDR) John Thach, commanding VF-3 embarked in Yorktown and took off that morning with five other F4F-4s as escort to VT-3’s TBD Devastators on their way to attack the Japanese carrier force, as described by Edward M. Young in his book F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen Pacific Theater 1942. The Zero-sen combat air patrol shot down one Wildcat from Thach’s division of four as they instantly dove to attack the US Navy formation as they approached their targets.

As the Zero-sens surrounded them, Thach, who had been put on the defensive, guided his two remaining Wildcats through a series of evasive actions. He made the decision to use the Beam Defense strategy that he and his wingman, ENS Robert “Ram” Dibb, had practiced before the war started.

Thach waited for his chance while directing Dibb to his right and keeping LT Brainard Macomber tightly grasped to his wing.

As Thach remembered years later, “I got a shot at one or two of them and burned them. One of them passed at my wingman, pulled out to the right, and then came back. We were weaving continuously, and I got a head-on shot at him. Just about the time I saw this guy coming, “Ram” said, “There´s a Zero on my tail”. He didn´t have to look back because the Zero wasn´t directly astern, but at about 45 degrees, beginning to follow him around. This gave me the head-on approach I desired. I was mad because, here, this poor little wingman who´d never been in combat before – in fact he had had very little gunnery training – and was experiencing his first time aboard a carrier, was about to have a Zero chew him to pieces. I probably should have decided to duck under this Zero, but I lost my temper a little bit and I decided I´m going to keep my fire going into him and he was going to pull out, which he did. He just missed me by a few feet, and I saw flames coming out of the bottom of his airplane”.

The tactic Thach used went as well as he had intended. Thach’s maneuver, which was effectively used by LCDR James Flately during the Battle of Santa Cruz and was given the nickname “Thach Weave,” became the common defensive counter used by all US Navy and US Marine Corps fighter pilots when dealing with the Zero-greater sen’s maneuverability.

The Dogfight that led to the birth of the “Thach Weave” maneuver, the defensive counter employed during WWII by all US Navy and USMC fighter pilots when dealing with the Zero´s superior maneuverability

F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen Pacific Theater 1942 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Gareth Hector via Osprey

January 23, 2023 0 comment

History

The Brewster F2A, superior to Grumman’s F4F but outclassed by Japanese fighters

by Till Daisd January 18, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Buffalo became the first monoplane fighter aircraft for the US Navy in 1939 after defeating the Grumman F4F Wildcat in a competition

The F2A Buffalo was one of the first US monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modifications for aircraft carriers, designed and manufactured by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation. The Buffalo became the first monoplane fighter aircraft for the US Navy in 1939 after defeating the Grumman F4F Wildcat in a competition. The Buffalo was unstable and overweight when the US entered the war, especially when compared to the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, even if it was superior to the Grumman F3F biplane it replaced and the early F4Fs.

The Buffalo was ordered by several air forces, including the British Royal Air Force (RAF), and employed in South East Asia.

The RAF in the Far East was made up virtually exclusively of obsolete aircraft, as revealed by Mark Stille in his book Malaya & Dutch East Indies 1941-42. Few aircraft were available to bolster the Far East due to the demands of the war in Europe and North Africa and the beginning of Lend Lease supplies to the USSR. With few exceptions, those that were sent east were second-rate.

In the year before the war began, the RAF did establish a number of new squadrons in Singapore, and in the six months before the war began in December 1941, the number of aircrews assigned to the RAF Far East Command doubled. The new squadrons came primarily from recruits from training units, while a few combat veterans of the fighting in Europe were also deployed there.

The Brewster Buffalo served as the squadron of the Far East air command’s standard fighter. This aircraft was chosen due to its availability rather than its capabilities. Four Buffalo squadrons, including the 243 RAF, 21 and 453 RAAF, and 488 (NZ) RAF Squadrons, were present in the Far East when the war first broke out. There were 118 primarily inexperienced aircrews in these units. 28 of them perished throughout the campaign, either by death or capture.

Buffalo flop! The story of the Brewster F2A, the aircraft deemed superior to Grumman’s F4F but that was totally outclassed by Japanese fighters — Twelve Brewster Buffalo Mark Is of No. 243 Squadron RAF, based at Kallang, Singapore, in flight over the Malayan jungle in formations of three, accompanied by a Bristol Blenheim Mark IV of No, 34 Squadron RAF (lower right), based at Tengah.

One can consider the situation of the 488 (NZ) Squadron, RAF, to be typical. The squadron, which had its founding in Wellington in September 1941, set off for Singapore on September 11 and reached there on October 11 after a stop in Australia. The following day, the squadron received its official designation. The new unit was transported to Singapore’s Kallang Airfield, where it was based throughout the battle. Squadron Leader Wilf Clouston was a wise choice to establish the first New Zealand fighter squadron as the squadron commanding officer.

He was a New Zealand-born pilot who had served with the RAF since 1936. The aircrews were transferred to Kluang in Malaya for Brewster Buffalo conversion training after arriving in Singapore. Except for Clouston and his two flight leaders, none of the pilots had any prior experience. The 21 Buffalos were actually hand‑me‑downs from 67 Squadron when it left for Burma; exactly zero were operational. There were also no tools or spare parts.

To make the majority of their aircraft operational, the New Zealanders stole enough spare parts from the 243 Squadron and a Dutch squadron at Kallang that also flew the Buffalo. The 488 Squadron lost 12 aircraft and two pilots before entering combat while trying to establish operational status. Since there were no radios on board, communication during the flight was only possible through hand gestures. The lax work schedule put in place by the British hindered the training. The workday was limited to 7:30 to 12:30, with most afternoons off. No one was allowed to work on Sunday, and Wednesday was designated as a half-day holiday.

When Buffalos from 488 Squadron first encountered Japanese forces, the outcome was obvious. Eight Buffalos took off on January 12 to stop a raid of 27 bombers that were being escorted by fighters. They were attacked by Zeros with a height advantage before they could get to the bombers’ altitude. Two Buffalos were shot down and the other four were damaged as a result of the forced disengagement; no Japanese aircraft were lost. 30 minutes later, a second flight of six Buffalos took off, but only one made contact with the Japanese, and the pilot cut off the action to stay alive.

Five damaged airplanes were written off the following day. These initial engagements supported the squadron’s conclusion that the Japanese were superior to the Buffalo. By January 24, 488 had only three Buffalos left. It was given nine Hurricane fighters as new equipment. On the morning of January 27, the Japanese arrived with 27 bombers after the ground crews spent an inordinate amount of time getting the nine Hurricanes ready. Two of the fighters were destroyed and the remaining seven were seriously damaged when the bombers dropped their payloads on Kallang.

But compared to the Buffalo, the Hawker Hurricane was a huge advance. In actuality, the latter was a complete failure as a fighter. Early on, the British realized this and decided the aircraft was unfit for use in Europe. The Buffalo was regarded as adequate against a subpar enemy, like the Japanese, though. Lack of speed and maneuverability were the Buffalo’s difficulties, which are both bad traits for a fighter. The British made their Buffalos heavier, which decreased their top speed to 204 mph and their rate of ascent to 2,600 feet per minute. It took an exhausting 35 minutes to reach 25,000 feet, the maximum altitude at which the aircraft could operate.

The Buffalo was initially well-equipped with four.50-caliber machine guns. The RAF changed the heavy .50-caliber armament for lighter.303 machine guns and lowered the amount of ammo in order to lighten the aircraft and improve its performance. Also decreased was the fuel load. As a result of these modifications, pilots frequently encountered the problem of running out of fuel or ammunition.

Malaya & Dutch East Indies 1941–42 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Jim Laurier via Osprey and Crown Copyright

January 18, 2023 0 comment

History

Butch O’Hare, the F4F Wildcat pilot who shot down 5 Japanese bombers

by Till Daisd January 18, 2022

written by Till Daisd

O’Hare rejected the Congressional Medal of Honor recommendation made by Frederick Sherman, the captain of the Lexington, saying that any one of his squadron members would have taken the same action

For the American public, the first six months following the attack on Pearl Harbor were dark days. With the loss of Singapore, Burma, and the Philippines, the Japanese war machine appeared to be unstoppable. Solomons and the Dutch East Indies would also fall. Darwin, Australia, has already experienced Japanese air strikes. Even a Japanese submarine was able to surface off the coast of California and shell targets on the coastline. Rommel’s Afrika Corps was steadily making progress in the direction of the Suez Canal. The German U-boat assault in the Atlantic was severely impacting shipping.

With the building of a significant base in Rabaul in the Solomon Islands and the Japanese landing on New Guinea, Australia’s populous east coast might come within striking distance. The carriers Enterprise and Yorktown had already carried out a diversionary raid in the Marshall Islands, and it was left to the carrier Lexington to carry out a diversionary raid against Rabaul several weeks later, as JP Santiago explains in an intriguing article that appeared in his website, Tails Through Time. A Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” flying boat that had sighted the carrier attack force on February 20, 1942, was intercepted by Grumman F4F Wildcats from Fighter Squadron 3 (VF-3) under the command of Lt. Commander John Thach as the Lexington steamed 400 miles to the northeast of Rabaul.

The Lexington had been exposed despite shooting down the flying boat, and later that afternoon, a formation of nine Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” bombers flew toward the carrier at 11,000 feet. Despite Lexington’s combat air patrols shooting down four of the bombers, five of the aircraft made a level bombing run against the carrier. The Lexington avoided damage by delaying rapid turns until the bombs had dropped. Unfortunately, only two of Lexington’s F4F Wildcat fighters were able to intercept the incoming Bettys as the second flight of nine G4M bombers approached. Lt. Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare piloted one of the Wildcats.

The Story of Butch O’Hare, the F4F Wildcat Pilot that shot down 5 Japanese Bombers Expending only 60 Rounds of 0.50-caliber ammunition — Two U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighting Squadron 3 (VF-3) were in flight near Naval Air Station, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, on Apr. 10, 1942. The planes are BuNo 3976 (F-1, foreground), flown by VF-3 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, and BuNo 3986 (F-13), flown by Lieutenant Edward H. O’Hare.

A bomb run on the Lexington was about to begin when O’Hare firewalled his Wildcat and headed straight toward the bomber formation. The Betty has four machine gun defensive stations and a 20mm cannon tail gun. Known for his accuracy, O’Hare took down two bombers during his initial pass over the V-shaped formation. Then, while the sailors on board the Lexington could see it, he pulled the Wildcat into a tight turn for another run at the formation and shot down three additional bombers.

John Thach, O’Hare’s commanding officer, entered the battle and downed some additional bombers before dispersing the formation as it hastily retreated from Lexington. Butch O’Hare saves the Lexington in just four minutes, becoming the first ace in the US Navy.

O’Hare had only used sixty rounds of 0.50-caliber ammo, according to Thach! O’Hare was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day by the Lexington captain, Frederick Sherman, as detailed by Michael O’Leary in his book The United States Naval Fighters of World War II in Action. Still, he turned it down, telling his captain that any one of his squadron mates would have done the same thing.

But with the raid on Rabaul abandoned due to the loss of the element of surprise and the never-ending stream of bad news from the Pacific and Europe, O’Hare instantly rose to fame because he was young, attractive, and the naval aviation branch’s recruiting poster boy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited him to the White House in April 1942 to receive the Medal of Honor.

O’Hare replaced Thach as the skipper of VF-3 in June 1942, and the squadron changed its name to VF-6 the following spring as O’Hare upgraded to the more powerful Grumman F6F Hellcat. O’Hare set out aboard the USS Independence with future ace Alexander Vraciu as his wingman, and during operations against Wake Island, he added three more victories to his score. O’Hare was elevated to become the new CAG (commander air group) for Air Group 6 onboard the USS Enterprise after the battle over Wake Island.

When a carrier battle group’s defenses were most vulnerable, at night, single or dual aircraft strikes were a concern for the Navy at the time. O’Hare had the brilliant idea to use a Grumman TBF Avenger equipped with radar that was orbiting the carrier at night. Grumman F6F Hellcats would be stationed on each wing of the Avenger and would be alerted to nighttime intruders by the Avenger’s crew.

On November 26, 1943, O’Hare flew one of the Hellcats over the Enterprise together with the radar-equipped Avenger and a second Hellcat. Butch O’Hare’s Hellcat would drop out of the formation that night and vanish after some initial trouble coordinating the formation with incoming bombers seen on radar. For years, it had been assumed that he had unintentionally been struck by the Avenger’s gunner after becoming caught in the crossfire between the Betty bomber and Avenger.

O’Hare, however, was most likely downed by a lucky shot from a Betty gunner, according to a later study that comprised interviews with the crew members of that formation. He was listed as missing in action but was later found dead. Chicago’s Orchard Depot Airport was renamed O’Hare Airport in his honor in 1947, and it is because of this change that O’Hare’s three-letter code is ORD. The restored Grumman F4F Wildcat from Butch O’Hare’s Medal of Honor mission is displayed in Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 2.

O’Hare’s father, “Easy Eddie” O’Hare, was renowned as Al Capone’s lawyer in the 1920s, which is an intriguing historical side note. According to urban legend, the senior O’Hare turned informant on Capone after having a moral crisis while teaching his son Butch about right and wrong, which resulted in the gangster’s imprisonment for tax evasion.

The older O’Hare, however, may have been more concerned with his own survival because he had already agreed to meet with the IRS following the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, which saw rival gang members brutally murdered. O’Hare provided extensive records, which assisted in Al Capone’s 1933 conviction. Eddie O’Hare was shot and killed in his car in November 1939 while returning from the dog track; the crime is still unsolved to this day.

The following is an excerpt from Butch O’Hare’s Medal of Honor citation:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in aerial combat, at grave risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, as section leader and pilot of Fighting Squadron 3 on February 20, 1942. Having lost the assistance of his teammates, Lieutenant O’Hare interposed his fighter between his ship and an advancing enemy formation of 9 attacking twin-engine heavy bombers. Without hesitation, alone and unaided, he repeatedly attacked this enemy formation, at close range in the face of intense combined machine gun and cannon fire. Despite this concentrated opposition, Lieutenant O’Hare, by his gallant and courageous action, his extremely skillful marksmanship in making the most of every shot of his limited amount of ammunition, shot down 5 enemy bombers and severely damaged a sixth before they reached the bomb release point. As a result of his gallant action—one of the most daring, if not the most daring, single action in the history of combat aviation—he undoubtedly saved his carrier from serious damage.”

Photo by U.S. Navy

January 18, 2022 0 comment