# Navy photo's - Pacific ops



## twoeagles (Jan 22, 2007)

I will post some of the photo's from my Dad's collection here, adding as
I get them scanned. He normally flew the Hellcat with the strike camera
and was last to come in on raids.

The first photo is of their "new" F6F-5 Hellcats. The caption written on back
of this photo says "Link flying my plane. I took the picture while flying
a TBM. Refuse to have my picture taken in a TBM". Snob fighter pilot! 
This was probably early 1945 and he would have been 23 years old.


----------



## Wildcat (Jan 22, 2007)

Very cool! any more?


----------



## Gnomey (Jan 22, 2007)

Nice pic, look forward to seeing more when you get them scanned in.


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 22, 2007)

2 strike camera photo's from Truk attack, April 29, 1944. Also, page
from my Dad's logbook for the day he took these photo's.
First photo is labeled on back "Truk, N. Dublin - S. Moen (seaplane ramp
and strip)"

Second photo: "Truk - island of Ulalu. Hits on Jap RDF".

Logbook pages for this date, 4/29/44.


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 22, 2007)

Two photo's of what looks like a radar equipped Hellcat, making it F6F-5N...
No captions on the back. The number on the deck looks like 19, making it the
Hancock. For you Naval Aviators, take a gander at the number of wires
across the deck - imagine that many chances to trap!!!!

Barely visible in the haze to the upper left is another flat top.


----------



## evangilder (Jan 22, 2007)

Very cool stuff! Great shots.


----------



## Wildcat (Jan 22, 2007)

Excellent!


----------



## Gnomey (Jan 23, 2007)

Very cool 8)


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 23, 2007)

More photo's. Carrier quals on CV-16 Lexington, dated 27 may 1943.
The value in these is the positive date stamp nails down the markings
in use at the time. 4 photo's in this series, will post two at a time.
Other things to note are flap settings, tail hook, elevator, etc and you
can see they were not trapping but "bounce and go".


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 23, 2007)

Two more of F4F on CV-16 Lexington, 27 May 1943.


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 23, 2007)

Hellcat on CV-16 Lexington, undated but probably early 1945.
Modelers check out the tire tread and the hard points under the
wings. Note also Helldiver to the left with wings folded.


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 23, 2007)

This newspaper clipping sent my Mom over the edge as she and
my Dad had gotten married in August, 1944, when he had leave.
Hellcat 13 was my Dad's plane, although he wasn't always flying
it, he was responsible for all the logs and documents. The article
here is scanned from the back of the photo, for interest's sake.
He called #13 "Lucky Strike", as he never received a scratch 
for all the damage the plane took. VF-16 on Lexington again.


----------



## Micdrow (Jan 23, 2007)

Very cool twoeagles, the shots are great and the story better

Micdrow


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Jan 23, 2007)

amazing stuff, thanks for posting!


----------



## syscom3 (Jan 23, 2007)

Great Job!


----------



## mkloby (Jan 23, 2007)

Sweet pics!


----------



## yxguy (Jan 24, 2007)

Excellent stuff, this is the first thread I check when I come here, keep it up!


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 25, 2007)

Will be digging through a very packed garage for more photo's;
14 relocations in my life has caused a little pandemonium with 
tracking where my stuff lies.


----------



## R Leonard (Jan 25, 2007)

Bravo Zulu !!!

Know exactly what you mean about the relocations and the havoc with the boxes of remembrances. Somewhere along the line we lost the Japanese helmet and Arisaka from Guadalcanal, but the pilferers never realized that the cumbersome wingtip was from A6M2 #4593, the Koga Zero, and it stayed with us until donated to the Navy Museum in DC in 1986.

You are lucky with the pictures.

Rich


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Jan 25, 2007)

Very, very cool!!!!


----------



## mkloby (Jan 25, 2007)

twoeagles said:


> Will be digging through a very packed garage for more photo's;
> 14 relocations in my life has caused a little pandemonium with
> tracking where my stuff lies.



I can imagine - I'm only on 4 and I still don't know where sh*t is!


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 29, 2007)

This is one of my favorite photo's. It's so evocative of the vastness
of air and sea, and how insigificant even an aircraft as large as a Hellcat
really is. Islands are almost a defect in an otherwise perfect world of
air and water. Note the airstrip in the lower right - I do not have a 
location for this photo. The vertical shading is in the actual picture, not
a result of my scanning!


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 29, 2007)

In early 1945, VF-16 "Fighting Airedales" changed to a fighter - bomber
unit, VBF-16 and left the Lexington for the Bon Homme Richard (Bonnie Dick)
CV-31, brand new and just commissioned in November, 1944. The group
met the carrier in the Caribbean to pratice the "bombing" part of their
mission before returning to the PTO...Here they are in Trinidad, where
my Dad says they enjoyed terrific rum. He is the fellow on the far right,
and sure gives one an idea of how big a Hellcat is!!! (I still have that ball
cap he is wearing in this photo).


----------



## Gnomey (Jan 29, 2007)

Excellent photos keep them coming.


----------



## twoeagles (Jan 29, 2007)

What the best dressed Navy fighter pilots were wearing in early 1943...
I asked my Dad if he really flew like this and he said that in general, yes,
only never with such a lovely job of the silk scarf! Sadly, his flight jacket
was passed to my older brother who was a recip mechanic and plane
captain on AD's aboard the JFK 1968/1969, and the damn fool traded it
in for a new jacket! I have never forgiven him.

This rather cheesy formal portrait was made for the folks back home...


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Jan 31, 2007)

the airfeild in the bottom right really does put that shot into perspective!


----------



## syscom3 (Jan 31, 2007)

Not too many islands in the central Pacific had a triangular shaped airfield.

I think Roi/Namur had one.

I will check my airfield database and see if we can identify the island.


----------



## yxguy (Jan 31, 2007)

This is such a great thread...thanks for the effort!


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Jan 31, 2007)

well if anyone'll find it sys will.........


----------



## Wildcat (Jan 31, 2007)

Awesome pics mate! a great tribute to your Dad.


----------



## twoeagles (Apr 27, 2007)

Old shipmates will know what this is:


----------



## Micdrow (Apr 29, 2007)

Ahh yes I came so close to that one but because of the action in Liberia we had to turn around. I got my card some where though for going through the Suez canal.


----------



## Dukesman (Jun 11, 2007)

This is an excellent thread. We need more like this one. Thanks for sharing all of these wonderful photos.


----------



## renrich (Jun 11, 2007)

Great stuff, thank you so much. It really helped to have monster balls, don't you think!


----------



## Mike64 (Jun 11, 2007)

twoeagles said:


> I will post some of the photo's from my Dad's collection here, adding as
> I get them scanned. He normally flew the Hellcat with the strike camera
> and was last to come in on raids.
> 
> ...



Great stuff, Eagles


----------



## timshatz (Jun 11, 2007)

Outstanding shots TwoEagles. Know it must take time to get it together but they are greatly appreciated.


----------

