Thach's cat

[Skywalker Jin]

My source? Remember that Tom Cheek's assigned plane was F-5. In the torpedo plane escort mission Tom flew F-16.
Once, many years ago, I did ask Tom Cheek about that story and he scoffed and said that it was nonsense and that I should know better.

From a practical standpoint, more often than not a given pilot would be flying a plane other than that to which he was assigned. The flight deck crews really did not care what plane was assigned to which pilot. They were instructed to ready, for example, eight fighters for launch at whatever time. So eight fighters were pushed into the appropriate place in the launch program without any regard as to side numbers. Without looking it up, I believe only four VF-3 pilots flew the actual plane to which they were assigned over the course of the battle, everyone else flew "someone else's" airplane. Further, that sort of personalization was greatly frowned upon.

Thank you. Then it could be a rumor.

 

[R Leonard]

More like another one of those pesky Midway myths.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

More like another one of those pesky Midway myths.

Haha another rumor had been refuted.

 

[R Leonard]

And here is VF-3 assigned plane vs flown plane for 4 Jun 1942

Assigned Pilot	VF-3 Records Assigned Plane	VF-3 Records Assigned Bu No	Actual Pilot	VF-3 Records Aircraft Pilot	Plane status as of 6 Jun
Thach	3-F-1	5171	Thach	3-F-1 (pm)	on Hornet
Dibb	3-F-2	5170	Woollen	3-F-2	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Macomber	3-F-3	5169	Wright	3-F-3	on Enterprise
Bassett	3-F-4	5168	Bright	3-F-4	on Hornet
Cheek	3-F-5	5167	Barnes, WW	3-F-5	on Hornet
Sheedy	3-F-6	5165	Macomber	3-F-6	on Yorktown
Crommelin	3-F-7	5152	Tootle	3-F-7	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Bain	3-F-8	5151	Gibbs	3-F-8	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Wright	3-F-9	5150	Bassett	3-F-9	Shot Down, KIA
Markham	3-F-10	5149	Brassfield	3-F-10	on Hornet
McCuskey	3-F-11	5148	Crommelin	3-F-11	on Hornet
Bright	3-F-12	5147	Adams	3-F-12	on Hornet
Leonard	3-F-13	5244	Leonard	3-F-13	on Hornet
Adams	3-F-14	5245	Haas	3-F-14	on Hornet
Haas	3-F-15	5144	Mattson	3-F-15	on Hornet
Hopper	3-F-16	5143	Cheek	3-F-16	on Yorktown
Barnes, DC	3-F-17	5142	Barnes, DC	3-F-17	on Hornet
Tootle	3-F-18	5080	Hopper	3-F-18	Shot Down, KIA
Brassfield	3-F-19	5066	Bain	3-F-19	on Hornet
Gibbs	3-F-20	5049	Dibb	3-F-20	on Hornet
Mattson	3-F-21	5153	McCuskey	3-F-21	on Enterprise
Bass	3-F-22	5050	Bass	3-F-22	on Hornet
Woollen	3-F-23	5093	Thach	3-F-23 (am)	on Yorktown
Barnes, WW	3-F-24	5239	Sheedy	3-F-24	Hornet jettisoned
SPARE	3-F-25	5243	Markham	3-F-25	on Hornet
Lovelace	3-F-13 (old)	5146	Lovelace	Killed 5/29	on Yorktown, strike damage
Evans	3-F-14 (old)	5145	Evans	did not fly	on Yorktown strike damage
Eppler	Spare	n/a	Eppler	did not fly	n/a
Morris	Spare	n/a	Morris	did not fly	n/a

 

[Skywalker Jin]

And here is VF-3 assigned plane vs flown plane for 4 Jun 1942

Assigned Pilot	VF-3 Records Assigned Plane	VF-3 Records Assigned Bu No	Actual Pilot	VF-3 Records Aircraft Pilot	Plane status as of 6 Jun
Thach	3-F-1	5171	Thach	3-F-1 (pm)	on Hornet
Dibb	3-F-2	5170	Woollen	3-F-2	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Macomber	3-F-3	5169	Wright	3-F-3	on Enterprise
Bassett	3-F-4	5168	Bright	3-F-4	on Hornet
Cheek	3-F-5	5167	Barnes, WW	3-F-5	on Hornet
Sheedy	3-F-6	5165	Macomber	3-F-6	on Yorktown
Crommelin	3-F-7	5152	Tootle	3-F-7	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Bain	3-F-8	5151	Gibbs	3-F-8	Shot Down, pilot recovered
Wright	3-F-9	5150	Bassett	3-F-9	Shot Down, KIA
Markham	3-F-10	5149	Brassfield	3-F-10	on Hornet
McCuskey	3-F-11	5148	Crommelin	3-F-11	on Hornet
Bright	3-F-12	5147	Adams	3-F-12	on Hornet
Leonard	3-F-13	5244	Leonard	3-F-13	on Hornet
Adams	3-F-14	5245	Haas	3-F-14	on Hornet
Haas	3-F-15	5144	Mattson	3-F-15	on Hornet
Hopper	3-F-16	5143	Cheek	3-F-16	on Yorktown
Barnes, DC	3-F-17	5142	Barnes, DC	3-F-17	on Hornet
Tootle	3-F-18	5080	Hopper	3-F-18	Shot Down, KIA
Brassfield	3-F-19	5066	Bain	3-F-19	on Hornet
Gibbs	3-F-20	5049	Dibb	3-F-20	on Hornet
Mattson	3-F-21	5153	McCuskey	3-F-21	on Enterprise
Bass	3-F-22	5050	Bass	3-F-22	on Hornet
Woollen	3-F-23	5093	Thach	3-F-23 (am)	on Yorktown
Barnes, WW	3-F-24	5239	Sheedy	3-F-24	Hornet jettisoned
SPARE	3-F-25	5243	Markham	3-F-25	on Hornet
Lovelace	3-F-13 (old)	5146	Lovelace	Killed 5/29	on Yorktown, strike damage
Evans	3-F-14 (old)	5145	Evans	did not fly	on Yorktown strike damage
Eppler	Spare	n/a	Eppler	did not fly	n/a
Morris	Spare	n/a	Morris	did not fly	n/a

Thank you, this table completed my evidence chain

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Make sure when you're painting yours that the wheel covers are the same blue-grey as the fuselage. Also, the squadron's planes were all fairly new from Bethpage and did not have a whole lot of the wear and tear that one is so tempted to add.

And no drop tanks, they did not come along until mid 1943. My father's log book notes some entries regard testing tanks for the VF-11 haul from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal . . . evidently there was some problem with tanks falling off.

Mr Leonard I found a video timed 1943.5.23 filmed on Henderson Field
Was those cats part of VF-11？

 

[R Leonard]

Yes, those are all VF-11 aircraft.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Yes, those are all VF-11 aircraft.

Then I could confirm that VF-11 operated on Marston Mat（I spent lot of time searching pictures to prove this）

 

[R Leonard]

That would be your call, I have no comment on that.

VF-11 operated from the Fighter I airstrip, not Henderson Field proper, from mid-April to mid-July 1943.

We know these are VF-11 F4Fs because you can make out the squadron insignia - below actual side panel from the F4F my father flew during that time period.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

That would be your call, I have no comment on that.

VF-11 operated from the Fighter I airstrip, not Henderson Field proper, from mid-April to mid-July 1943.

We know these are VF-11 F4Fs because you can make out the squadron insignia - below actual side panel from the F4F my father flew during that time period.View attachment 868580

Comparing to mud runway, Marston Mat just saved time of making scene by hand.
But I will surely make mud scene if it's historically true and I won't cut corners.
Just on Lunar New Year I decorated my car with those insignias

 

[Wurger]

Mr Leonard I found a video timed 1943.5.23 filmed on Henderson Field
Was those cats part of VF-11？
View attachment 868577
View attachment 868578

Here an image ... believing the caption .. Grumman F4F Wildcat VF 11 Sundowners White F18 and F19 at Guadalcanal April July 1943

the pic source: Asisbiz Cactus Air Force - Guadalcanal Campaign

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Here an image ... believing the caption .. Grumman F4F Wildcat VF 11 Sundowners White F18 and F19 at Guadalcanal April July 1943

View attachment 868585
the pic source: Asisbiz Cactus Air Force - Guadalcanal Campaign

Informative!

 

[R Leonard]

If the numbering holds true, you can make out the tail of my father's mount, F-21.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

If the numbering holds true, you can make out the tail of my father's mount, F-21.

I found F-22 in this video, mostly they filmed F-17.
Seems that your father was perhaps in action?
video description here

Naval Photographic Center film #936 National Archives description
"1) LS Form. planes in flight-SV.HS TBF leaves, lands
2) MS SCU Gas truck, man gases TBF-SV.
3) MS SCU F4Us take off.
4) LS F4Us in flight, approach.MS F4U zooms, rolls-SV.
5) MS SCU Officer talks to crew members, tents FG-SV
6) LS Formation TBFs.MS Ground crew works on F4F.
7) CU 2 pilots talk with others F4F "Nylorao" BG-SV
8) LS F4Fs taxi, in flight-SV.MS Row F4Fs on field-SV.
9) MS Pilot gets out of F4F, gas truck passes BG.
10) LS TBF formations in flight.MS LS TBFs taxi-SV.
11) LS MS F4Us taxi-SV.MS Row F4Us back shot, colors FG.
12) LS MS Form. F4Us in flight, zoom, land-SV.
13) SCU MS LS F4Us taxi-SV.MS Control tower, (hazy).
14) MS F4U ;ands.SCU Pilot gets out.
15) MS F4U pivots.SCU Pilot gets out crew works on F4F.
16) CU Pilot.MS Flight crew in jeep.
17) CU Crew works on 50 cal. gun rear arm F4F."
National Archives Identifier: 75753
As always, any error or typo is mine and if you enjoy my uploads or if you intend to make $ or otherwise profit from these files, please consider making a donation to a veteran's charity of your choice and/or Archive.org itself. Thanks.

In further searching I found this:

Best World War II Documentary on Naval Aviation in the Pacific

Discover gripping first-hand accounts of eleven WWII veterans from Air Group Eleven. Featuring rare U.S. Navy footage and candid wartime photos, these heroic airmen recount their Naval Aviation tours off Guadalcanal Island and aboard the USS Hornet.

www.eleventhemovie.com

I will build a F-21 mount and name it "Sundowner's Sting" in honor of those who fought for peace 84 years ago and most importantly, in honor of RADM William N Leonard.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

That would be your call, I have no comment on that.

VF-11 operated from the Fighter I airstrip, not Henderson Field proper, from mid-April to mid-July 1943.

We know these are VF-11 F4Fs because you can make out the squadron insignia - below actual side panel from the F4F my father flew during that time period.View attachment 868580

The video I considered "Henderson Field" should be "Fighter I", as it was shown in the movie"ELEVEN THE MOVIE" just after Captain Kermit(Tim) Enander

 

[R Leonard]

here you go, a little recreational reading

 

[R Leonard]

And someone did a nice profile of the F4F my father flew

 

[R Leonard]

And here's a shot from my archives which gives another view of suspected matting at Fighter I

 

[Skywalker Jin]

And someone did a nice profile of the F4F my father flew
View attachment 868816

Well it seems that he shot down 8 Japs？I checked decal of eduard and it stated he had 6 aerial victories

 

[R Leonard]

No, just six Japanese planes; there's only six flags.