Grumman Hellcat (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

mikeh117

Recruit
5
7
Sep 30, 2019
I've been going through my late grandmothers photo albums and found two photos of what I believe is a Grumman Hellcat piloted by my grandfather W. Guy Batham RNVR of FAA 885 Squadron. These will have been taken while HMS Ruler was in the Clyde before she sailed to Sydney. Can anyone help me with the handwritten number on the back of the photos. Are these the aircrafts identifying serial numbers?
 

Attachments

  • D4C30098-9BD7-4E72-BBE4-C5270BE0C38C.jpeg
    D4C30098-9BD7-4E72-BBE4-C5270BE0C38C.jpeg
    435.5 KB · Views: 165
  • 42695E7A-F76C-4086-BFE5-7258ED5D8A0E.jpeg
    42695E7A-F76C-4086-BFE5-7258ED5D8A0E.jpeg
    139.6 KB · Views: 175
  • 8BC4DF33-28B8-4B4C-B8AA-BD44E84CA564.jpeg
    8BC4DF33-28B8-4B4C-B8AA-BD44E84CA564.jpeg
    478.2 KB · Views: 158
  • 1F7EED2C-2500-434E-B3F5-3E5D0D24952D.jpeg
    1F7EED2C-2500-434E-B3F5-3E5D0D24952D.jpeg
    206.2 KB · Views: 167
The Hellcat was a nasty surprise to the Japanese pilots. I recall reading about a high scoring Japanese ace who liked to zoom climb his Zero and would bait Wildcat pilots into trying to follow. He would time it so the Wildcats would stall and fall out of pursuit, just as he did a wingover and dove back down on the helpless Americans, scoring easy kills. His first(?) time against a Hellcat, he must have thought he was fighting a Wildcat, however. He did his wingover but found the American plane still climbing, so HE became the easy kill as he turned right in front of the American's guns. Ouch!



-Irish
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back