Looking for Photos of Vought OS2U Kingfisher in Battle of Midway

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NorthAmericanModeler

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Aug 17, 2025
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I hope that I am posting this in the right (most productive) place. I am working on a commission for a client who is collecting all the aircraft flown during the Battle of Midway. There were two left from his collection that he has asked me to fill in. SB2U Vindicator and the OS2U Kingfisher.

I am having a real hard time finding any pictures or references of any kind providing painting details for a Kingfisher that was definitively flow during The Battle of Midway. I understand that the USS Tangier was outfitted with Kingfishers but have not been able to verify that the USS Tangier was actually at Midway nor have I any photographs or other verifiable references of the Kingfishers it carried. I would welcome any input, direction or assistance in finding reliable references!

Thanks!
 
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It may be really difficult to find images of a very good quality showing the Kingfishers of the USS Tangier (AV-8) However here a couple of enlarged shots with the kites taken at the differnt time from 1941 to 1943.

1941, August ... the Kingfishers with the nonspecular light gray overall and the US Stars with the red dots.



1942, April ... The Catalina and the Kingfisher in the blue gray colour for uppersurfaces and the light gray undersurfaces. The US markings with the red dots and the White-Red strips on the rudders.


1942/1943 ... the Kingfisher in the same colours like above but with the new US national markings introduced in May 1942.
 
I don't think you're looking for USS Tangier. According to pages around 34 and 35 in the referenced War Diary the Tangier was in New Caledonia during the Battle of Midway. Too far for even its planes to have participated. If you're looking for Kingfishers you might be luckier looking at the observation planes on any US cruisers that were involved in the battle. USS Astoria, Portland, Pensacola, Northampton, New Orleans, Vincennes, Minneapolis, Atlanta.
 
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This may or may not help, but I am processing a video for my YT channel right now that is color film taken from another plane flying in close formation with a Vought O2SU. This film is from carriers around June 1945 in Leyte Gulf area.

If you are looking for good aerial shots this would be a good source. Let me know if you are interested.

There is also a black and white film/video which is really good. I have that too. I think it is land based ops though ...
 
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I'm looking forward to the video.
 
I was referencing a book I purchased for reference (USN Illustrated - Vought Sikorsky OS2U Kingfisher) which had stated ...

"Many [Kingfishers] were sent to warships while others would be carried aboard seaplane tenders. One such was the USS Tangier." ... "After Pearl Harbor the USS Tangier joined a convoy heading towards Wake Island and Midway to support forces there ..."

I read that to suggest that the USS Tangier and by extension, it's Kingfishers possibly took part in the Battle of Midway. But had not been able to find any corroborating documentation, so I suspected that it was not.

The project is not married to the USS Tangier, however. If the Kingfisher served on any other warship involved in the battle that would do as my customer is looking to collect aircraft involved in the Battle of Midway, not just those of a particular ship.

I am concerned that my customer may in fact be mistaken, as I am seeing very little in way of documentation that Kingfishers took part in the Battle of Midway at all!
 
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Beautiful photos! The new National Markings (sans the red dot) were introduced in May 1942? That's good to know I was not sure when that occurred. I knew it was early in the war but wasn't sure exactly when.


Thanks!
 
Okay I'm a long time lurker here. And my apologies if this isn't an aircraft query. But when I saw this it was a WTF moment!!!!
The Ford 'Woody' on the USS Tangiers deck (Aug 1941)caught my eye. It is tied down to the deck like the truck next to it. Now ask yourself...how many Ford 'Woody' get this treatment? Is this Ford Woody the same one found recently on the Yorktown?
 

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Firstly a minor correction. AV-8 was the USS Tangier not "Tangiers".

She was sent to New Caledonia in the South Pacific, with her aircraft, in Feb 1942 and did not leave to return to San Francisco until 20 June, weeks after Midway. After a refit it was back to the South Pacific. Ship's history can be found here.

At the beginning of June 1942 there were PBY Catalinas based at Midway. These were detachments from the Patrol Wing 2 squadrons based at PH. But no seaplane tenders to support them.

There were two converted "four stackers" (WW1 destroyers) acting as seaplane tenders supporting Midway search operations. USS Thornton (AV-11) and Ballard (AV-10) stationed at French Frigate Shoals.
 
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AIUI having a vehicle on board carriers & aviation support ships etc for the use of the CO when ashore was not an uncommon practice. At least with these ships there was the space and they could be tucked out of sight and away from the salt spray.
 
NorthAmericanModeler said:
Beautiful photos! The new National Markings (sans the red dot) were introduced in May 1942? That's good to know I was not sure when that occurred. I knew it was early in the war but wasn't sure exactly when.


Thanks!
Click to expand...


Yes, the US Star without the red dot was introduced on 6th May 1942. The previous one with the red dot was in use from August 19th, 1919 to May 28th, 1942. Later in June 1942 the marking was standardized for all US kites. Then on June 28/29th 1943, for a short time only ( up to August 14th 1934 ), the US star got the white bars and the whole marking got the red outline. And finally, the US national marking got the blue outline insted of the red on August 14th, 1943 and was used until January 14th, 1947. Certaily the delaying in repainting of the markings occured. So it resulted in planes wearing both the old and new markings alongside.
 
EwenS said:
AIUI having a vehicle on board carriers & aviation support ships etc for the use of the CO when ashore was not an uncommon practice. At least with these ships there was the space and they could be tucked out of sight and away from the salt spray.
Click to expand...
I think the point being made is that practice may have been routine but a "Woody" may be somewhat unique. Could this have been the one on Yorktown? I'm guessing no, unless U.S.S. Tangier stopped at Midway on her way to New Caledonia. It might have been another "Woody".
 
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