How long would it take an F6F needing fuel and ammo to be replenished and be ready for take off on a WW 2 CV?

[GRS]

I am preparing a presentation on the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) and could use the group's input on the following questions:

1. Assume a squadron of F6Fs has taken off in anticipation of attacking incoming Japanese planes. The fighter director in control has advised the squadron leader to loiter so as to be available for a future interception. If the flight gets up to something like 10K feet and then begins circling, awaiting information for the fighter director, how long could they just wait before needing refueling? I would presume here that they F6Fs would want to land once their fuel situation gets to the point where they could no longer effectively engage in combat maneuvers.

2. Assume an F6F lands on a WW 2 CV for refueling and rearming. How long does it take for the refueling and rearming process? In other words, when could that plane be expected to be able to take off after landing? Where does that process take place: the flight deck or hanger deck?

Any help here would be much appreciated!

 

[SaparotRob]

I am looking forward to the replies. The knowledge here is deep.

 

[EwenS]

I am preparing a presentation on the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) and could use the group's input on the following questions:

1. Assume a squadron of F6Fs has taken off in anticipation of attacking incoming Japanese planes. The fighter director in control has advised the squadron leader to loiter so as to be available for a future interception. If the flight gets up to something like 10K feet and then begins circling, awaiting information for the fighter director, how long could they just wait before needing refueling? I would presume here that they F6Fs would want to land once their fuel situation gets to the point where they could no longer effectively engage in combat maneuvers.

2. Assume an F6F lands on a WW 2 CV for refueling and rearming. How long does it take for the refueling and rearming process? In other words, when could that plane be expected to be able to take off after landing? Where does that process take place: the flight deck or hanger deck?

Any help here would be much appreciated!

I'm not sure I can answer your questions, but from what you have posted I'm not sure that you have a full understanding of how USN carrier operations worked in mid-1944. You don't seem to be starting far enough back in the interception process. It is worth noting that in mid-1944 each fleet carrier VF squadron consisted of 36 aircraft, a light fleet carrier VF, 24. Those fighters had to serve both as offensive strike escorts and as defensive combat air patrol during daylight hours.

Aircraft on deck
All aircraft on the flight deck or in the hangar not required for operations were kept defuelled & disarmed until such times as they required to be readied for an operation, whether an offensive strike or defensive combat air patrol (CAP) or anti-submarine patrol (ASP). The carriers had facilities to allow the aircraft fuel tanks to be drained back into the carrier's main avgas tanks. This was a damage control measure.

Aircraft could be fuelled either on the deck or in the hangar. There were fuelling points around both and weapon elevators accessng both.

CAP
During good weather each Task Group maintained a Day CAP of at least 8 fighters usually many more. Exact numbers would depend on the assessment of the likely threat at that particular time. In bad weather this was held on deck at 10 mins readiness for launch. Three basic CAP stations:-
1. Intercept station - above the TG at 20,000ft orbiting in a 10 mile wide circle.
2. Patrol station - above the carriers at 10-12,000 feet orbiting in a 10 mile wide circle
3. Anti-torpedo station - ouside AA range in the direction of the expected attack at 6-8,000ft orbiting a 5 mile wide circle.

When an enemy strike was inbound the CAP would be pushed out in the direction of the threat to orbit above and to the flanks of the threat. The problem for the Fighter Direction Officers in the CIC was to balance the need to tackle the threat as early as possible, but not so far out that the CAP might end up in a tail chase if the incoming strike changed direction.

While conducting a strike (which usually comprised about half the Air Group) each TG would retain a fighter force of 60+ for defensive CAP. 24 "airborne & stacked at various altitudes" (see above), 8 more on LOCAP (Low CAP), 12 ready on deck to launch (Condition 10) and 16 more on 10 minute standby (Condition 11). For each 4 fighter division assigned an interception, 8 more fighters (2 divisions) would be launched. Each CAP mission would last 2-4 hours. Any particularly desperate scenario inspired a "Hey Rube!" call over the VHF radio which recalled every airborne fighter, strike escort or CAP, back to defend the TG at all costs.

The CAP aircraft were generally operated in divisions of 4 aircraft and not as complete squadrons of 24/36.

Radar for fighter direction.
The main difficulty was obtaining an accurate height for any target detected. The main USN air search set was the SK which had a range of about 100 miles against a medium bomber and a bit better against large formations of aircraft. It however had no specific height finding capability, although a trained operator could use the various lobes of the radar signal to make an estimate. The SM fighter direction radar, which had the height finding ability, only had a range of about 50 miles.

Offensive strikes
US carrier tactics revolved around the "deck load strike". But due to the aircraft numbers on each carrier and the take-off space required the air group was split into two, each of about half the air group (less an allowance for aircraft needed for CAP & ASP). A two-strike cycle was then employed. "Strike Able" would be spotted entirely on deck fuelled & armed. "Strike Baker" would then be getting fuelled & armed in the hangar. "Able" would be launched and "Baker" then brought up to the flight deck and launched. "Able" would land and be struck down to be refuelled & rearmed if and when it was required. "Baker" would then land with its aircraft remaining on deck to be refuelled & rearmed if and when required. Much respotting of the deck might be required in between to accomodate the operation of CAP & ASP aircraft.

Once the aircraft were fuelled and armed, it would take 30-60 minutes to ready and launch a strike of c40-45 aircraft, depending on how many required to be moved from hangar to flight deck. Aircraft required 15-20 minutes to warm up their engines for example.

Philippine Sea 19 June 1944
The incoming Japanese strikes were first detected by the battleship Alabama at 1010 using its new SK-2 radar set at a range of 124-130 miles (note all distances vary between accounts) and an estimated altitude of 24,000ft. The carrier groups were mostly some 15 miles to the rear. Any aircraft on the flight deck that were fuelled and armed were launched from 1023 onwards. Fighters joined the CAP to replace those already vectored to intercept, dive & torpedo bombers were sent east to circle and await orders to return. Aircraft in the hangars were defuelled and disarmed. Fighters already dispatched as strike escorts were recalled with a "Hey Rube!". There were now some 450 Hellcats airborne. Yorktown's aircraft were vectored to intercept from an altitude of 25,000ft.

The CAP of about 50 Hellcats intercepted the first Japanese strike at 70-90 miles out.

The second Japanese strike was detected at 1107 at a range of 115 miles and were met by the CAP at 60 miles out.

The third Japanese strike was detected on radar at 1300 at a distance of 50 miles and was intercepted by 40 fighters.

A fourth strike was picked up on radar at 1320 at a range of 134 miles. Some of these aircraft found Wasp & Bunker Hill which were at that point recovering aircraft.


Unfortunately none of my sources give any indication of when the fighters were returning to the carriers on that day, beyond a vague reference that some of Yorktown's were down around 1240 enjoying snadwiches, coffee and a break and nothing about when they took off again.

I hope this helps.