Unique marking on F6F Hellcat, VF-94 aboard USS Lexington

[johnamartini]

The attached photo shows my father-in-law in the cockpit of his Hellcat aboard USS Lexington in mid-1945. I have plenty of color plates for planes of VF-94, but what's curious about these markings is the vertical stripe directly below him. It's a marking that doesn't appear in any other photo of a hellcat from this period that I've found.

I'm building a model of the plane for his great-grandson and I want to get the markings right. Any leads greatly appreciated!

 

[Wurger]

IMHO, the marking is a part of the "L" or "I" or "J" letter. It means that the plane was an aircraft stationed on land at a Naval Air Station (NAS). If seen on board a carrier, either only briefly for training purposes eg. during the carrier qualifications or to replenish a shortfall in the onboard squadron with a prompt overpainting of the NAS identification. As mamo serves at the end of the war most of Hellcats of the US Navy was moved to the training units at the land bases.

the pic source: the net.

 

[EwenS]

Lexington refitted at Bremerton from early March 1945 until 22nd May when she left for PH where she collected CVG-94 (including Hellcat equipped VF-94) and then headed for the western Pacific. It is recorded aboard ship for the first time in USN reports on 16 June 1945. Lexington then sailed from San Pedro Bay, Leyte on 1 July 1945 as part of TG58.1 for strikes on Japan. She didn't arrive back in the USA until mid-Dec 1945.

Sometime in late April CVG-94 was shipped to Hawaii (It was recorded as being at Alameda on 21 April but at Hawaii on 5th May), in preparation for deployment on a carrier.

So the photo probably dates to when VF 94 was working up at a shore base either on the US mainland or in Hawaii, before he went aboard Lexington or perhaps while carrying out deck landing practice on the ship as part of a final work up of ship and air group before the markings got changed.

 

[Crimea_River]

Might want to change the thread subject from "Wildcat" to Hellcat.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Done

 

[johnamartini]

IMHO, the marking is a part of the "L" or "I" or "J" letter. It means that the plane was an aircraft stationed on land at a Naval Air Station (NAS). If seen on board a carrier, either only briefly for training purposes eg. during the carrier qualifications or to replenish a shortfall in the onboard squadron with a prompt overpainting of the NAS identification. As mamo serves at the end of the war most of Hellcats of the US Navy was moved to the training units at the land bases.

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the pic source: the net.

Thank you! Yes, very likely the photo was taken at a NAS before he joined VF-94. The photo came from his widow, who assumed it was taken on a carrier because he did fly off various flattops.
More info from my mother-in-law. They lived briefly at Corpus Christi TX while her husband trained at the Naval Air Station. Would be late 1944 or early 1945.

 

[Wurger]

My pleasure.

 

[Barrett]

LONG ago The Hook magazine ran a list of USN operational training base code letters. I've not seen it in years, though I retain many copies. But clearly the info existed...