Air War #3: American

On 30 April 1944, ten naval aviators were rescued in the vicinity of Truk Atoll by North Carolina's (BB-55) planes after they were catapulted to rescue an American aviator downed off the reef. After one plane had turned over on landing and the other, having rescued all the airmen, had been unable to take off with so much weight, Tang (SS-306) saved all involved. The next day North Carolina destroyed coast defense guns, antiaircraft batteries, and airfields at Ponape. The battleship then sailed to repair her rudder at Pearl Harbor. Drawing by Edward T. Gromane, LTCR USNR.

Grumman XF4F-3 fighter prototype (Bureau # 0383) in flight during early testing, 3 April 1939. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-2889.

Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat" fighter of Fighting Squadron 41 (VF-41) In flight, circa early 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-7026.

Grumman F4F "Wildcat" fighter takes off from USS Enterprise (CV-6), while she was operating in the Coral Sea area, 18 May 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-7725.

Lieutenant Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, U.S. Navy: View taken on 10 April 1942 at Naval Air Station, Maui, Hawaii in the cockpit of his Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighter. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for shooting down five Japanese planes on 20 February 1942, while he was defending USS Lexington during an attempted raid on the enemy base Rabaul. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-10562.

Douglas TBD-1A experimental floatplane  (Bureau No. 0268) in low-level flight during torpedo drop tests at the Newport Torpedo Station, Rhode Island, 10 October 1941. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-10570.

Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6): Four VF-6 pilots pose beside a Grumman F4F-4 (Bureau No. 5126) on board USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 August 1942. They were credited with shooting down eight Japanese aircraft during the Guadalcanal-Tulagi operation a few days earlier. The men are (from left to right): Machinist Donald E. Runyon, credited with four planes; Aviation Pilot First Class Howard S. Packard (one plane); Ensign Joseph D. Shoemaker (one plane); and Ensign Wildon M. Rouse (two planes). Note shoulder holster rigs for .45 pistols worn by the three officers. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-11092.

Grumman F4F-3 "Wildcat" fighters, of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) in flight near Naval Air Station, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, 10 April 1942. The planes are Bureau No. 3976 (marked F-1), flown by VF-3 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, and Bureau No. 3986, flown by Lieutenant Edward H. O'Hare. Both of these aircraft were lost while assigned to Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2) with USS Lexington (CV-2), during the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942. Photographed by Photographer Second Class H.S. Fawcett. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-10613.

Ensign Wildon M. Rouse, USNR of Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) in the cockpit of an F4F-4 Wildcat fighter, on board USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 August 1942. Ensign Rouse was credited with shooting down two Japanese aircraft during the Guadalcanal-Tulagi operation a few days earlier. These victories are represented by two flags painted below the cockpit. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-11089. [The victory flags are not “painted”, but they a type of label temporarily applied to the aircraft for this publicity photo. U.S. Navy aircraft rarely carried kill markings on a regular basis.]

Machinist Donald E. Runyon, U.S. Navy of Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) on board USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 September 1942, during the Guadalcanal campaign. He is standing by the tail of his F4F-4 (Bureau No. 5193, VF-6's No. 13), which is decorated with a tombstone containing 41 meatballs, each representing a Japanese plane claimed by the squadron. Runyon was one of the leading F4F Aces, credited with shooting down eight Japanese aircraft while flying Wildcats. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-11103. [Note the F4F in the background also carries the same scoreboard on its tail.]

Curtiss P-40F Warhawk fighters are being hoisted onto the USS Chenango at Pier 7, NOB Norfolk, Virginia, October 15, 1942.

A Curtiss P-40F Warhawk (41-14305) fighter is being hoisted onto the USS Chenango at Pier 7, NOB Norfolk, Virginia, October 15, 1942.

Grumman F4F Wildcat of VF-6 testing out machine guns aboard USS Enterprise, 10 April 1942.

Ensign Darrell Bennett stood beside his Grumman FM-2 Wildcat 'Smokey's Lucky Witch', USS Gambier Bay, 1 August 1944

A Grumman F6F Hellcat carrier-based fighter aircraft of VF-12 on the flight deck of USS Saratoga (CV-3) in November 1943.

Bell YFM-1A Airacuda.

Bell XFM-1 cockpit. Left sub-panel contains electric switches; propeller controls are below magneto switch. At extreme right are wobble pump, flap and gear controls. Note the early LEAR nav-aid and auto-pilot installation.

Ryan FR-1 Fireball.

Ryan FR-1 Fireball.

Captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger being flight tested in the United States, probably out of Wright Field near Dayton, Ohio, 1944.

Ridgefield PG-2 glider, 42-77062.

PG-1 glider.

PG-2 glider.

PG-3 glider.

PG-4 glider.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew in flight.

The Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew (BuNo 1385) in the wind tunnel of the NACA Langley Research Center, Virginia, 17 October 1940.

The U.S. Navy Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Biloxi (CL-80) catapults a Curtiss SO3C-3 Seamew floatplane, during her shakedown period, circa October 1943. Note the plane’s national insignia, with the red surround briefly used in mid-1943.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew in flight in early 1942.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew in flight.

Curtiss SO3C-1K, BuNo 4744, NAS Santa Ana, 1946.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C-2 Seamew (BuNo 4914) in flight.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C Seamew on a catapult of the light cruiser USS Columbia (CL-56), in 1942-43.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C Seamew in flight. Note that this photo is obviously a photomontage, using the wreck of the Normandie liner as a background. Official description: “A SO3C Seamew flies over the wreckage of Lafayette (ex Normandie), a French passenger liner that was procured by the United States, 17 August 1943 (wrong: 12 December 1941). While being converted to a troop ship, it caught fire at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal.”

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Personnel inspection on the afterdeck of the Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Biloxi (CL-80), during her shakedown period, circa October 1943. Note her aircraft catapults, with Curtiss SO3C-3 Seamew floatplanes on top, and her hangar hatch cover.

When used for offshore patrol from land bases, Seamews were fitted with landing gear. Without the weight and parasite resistance of the center and wingtip floats, they carried extra depth bombs.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C Seamew in flight.

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C Seamew in flight.

A Curtiss SO3C-3 Seamew pictured at Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Floyd Bennett Field, New York, 1943.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew in flight in 1942.

Curtiss SO3C Seamew in flight.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamews.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamews.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

Curtiss XSO3C-1 Seamew.

U.S. Navy Curtiss SO3C Seamew.

Curtiss SO3C Seamew.

U.S. Naval airships, top to bottom (shown to scale): L-type non-rigid; G-type non-rigid; K-type non-rigid; M-type non-rigid. 

L-Type Non-Rigid: Twenty-two of these training ships were built between 1938 and 1943. The ships were 147½ feet long, 39 feet in diameter, 54 feet in overall height and had a total volume of 123,000 feet of helium. Maximum speed was 53 knots. Range was 600 miles at a cruising speed of 40 knots.

G-Type Non-Rigid: Eight G ships were built for training between 1929 and 1944. The G-2 through G-8 were 192 feet long, 45 feet in diameter, 62 feet in overall height and had a total volume of 196,700 feet of helium. Maximum speed was 56 knots. Range was 700 miles at a cruising speed of 47½ knots. The G-1 was built in 1929 and was slightly smaller than the other ships of this type.

K-Type Non-Rigid: One hundred thirty-five K ships were built between 1931 and 1943. There were five different types of Ks, each group being slightly different. These ships were the backbone of the airship fleet and served as convoy escorts and coastal patrol craft. The following statistics are for the K-14 through K-135: 251 feet long, 57 feet in diameter and had a total volume of 425,000 feet of helium. Maximum speed 67 knots. Range was 2,000 miles at 50 knots. These ships carried a crew of three officers and nine enlisted men. K ships were armed with .50-cal. Machine guns and depth bombs.

M-Type Non-Rigid: Four M type ships were built between 1943 and 1944. These were the longest of the World War II airships and featured a three section control car that was 117 feet long. Dimensions and characteristics of the M-2 through M-4: 293½ feet long, 71 feet wide, 89 feet in height and had a total volume of 647,500 feet of helium. These ships normally carried a crew of ten to twelve men. Maximum speed was 69 knots. Range was 2,500 miles at 50 knots.

A Piper Cub of the 1st Marine Division's improvised air force snags a message from a patrol on New Britain's north coast.

Piper J-3 Cub.

Piper TG-8 glider.

Piper TG-8 glider.

Piper TG-8 glider.

A Piper TG-8 (at left) is ready for towing by an L-1A.

TG-8 cockpit.

TG-8 canopy.

TG-8 landing gear.

TG-8 tow hook.

Piper TG-8 glider.

With some CG-4A gliders already landed and others coming in for a landing, C-47s overhead are releasing more gliders to the landing areas on D+1 of Operation Market Garden. 18 September 1944.

High Command, left to right: Gen. George C. Marshall, Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews, Lt. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Echols, witness mock glider attack on Wright Field.

Curtiss SOC-1 (9860) on its catapult on the light cruiser USS Concord CL-10 at the Port of Oakland in 1937.

A Curtiss SB2C-4E Helldiver of Bombing Squadron 94 (VB-94) in flight over the Lexington. The squadron operated from Lady Lex during August 1945.