USN carrier night fighters

[maxs75]

Well, RN strategic situation was much improved by US victories against IJN in Pacific Ocean. Without the menace of the US carrier fleet in

Pacific, IJN could continue raids and landings against Fiji and Samoa, New Guinea and possibly Australia. Moreover the IJN carrier fleet could

raid again the Indian Ocean. Until 1943 nearly all troops and supply for Egypt came through the Atlantic-South Africa-Red Sea route. It was

very much important to keep that route safe. Many ships were required for that task.
Historically two fleet carriers were required for each landing in Africa (nov. 42), Sicily (july 43) and Salerno (sept. 43). With no carriers

available they probably were forced to be delayed, but the war against German was a priority. Still during the first half of 1944 only

Illustrious was assigned to Indian Ocean. Shortage wasn't only about Carriers. For some time (first monthes of 1944) the Fleet (illustious and

3 battleships) was short of destroyers, and was very limted in operations. Only in april 1944 with the arrival of Saratoga CV-3 the raids

against Indonesia became quite regular. In July-August Victorious and Indomitable joined Illustrious. IIRC Also Formidable was sent, but she

suffered a seruious machinery breakdown and she was repaired in Gibraltar for some monthes.
Many projected landings were cancelled because of shortage of landing ships. The European theater was continuously requiring the huge amount of

the landing ships and crafts built.

If you ask my opinion, I think that without the outcome of battle of Midway the RN carrier deplyment would have been different. Despite losses

shortage and other requirement more carrier were to be stationed in the Indian Ocean and possibly more in the Pacific.


Max

 

[MP-Willow]

I will agree with the luck at Midway the pacific was able to be the second war. But also the Japanese were planning it that way.

Thanks for the help with the RN.

 

[Rafe35]

The F6F-5Ns were used late in the war and in my opinion they were a better plane to fligh at night then the F4U-2. It is a lot to land on a carrier, but to do it with the big turn a corssair needs then at night, it is a wounder more pilots were not killed. The Navy was delivering a true night fighter as the war closed, the F7F was ready, but the ar ended before it saw combat missions. It did fly some recone.

About the Grumman F7F Tigercat...

"A single VMF(N)-533 F7F-2N flew an acceptance test flight from Okinawa on August 14, 1945, the day before Japan surrendered. No Japanese aircraft were expected or encountered. This same aircraft had been delivered the day before. A quick acceptance inspection was done and the aircraft acceptance test flight performed that night to test and calibrate the radar."

A friend of mine told me about this that is actually true that Tigercat was in pacific before War ended and also that same day, VF-19 (Equip with newest F8F Bearcat) was about depart from Pearl Harbor to join the fleet off to Japan.

 

[MP-Willow]

Thanks I have been told that but they did not run combat ops.

 

[lumal]

I have gis logBOOKS and these pages r a great help. the reduction of feasible carriers is very interestiing.

I have some info ONline PLUS the full scans of the WWII time periods

<b>Eugene Nicolas Maillet USN #0364003</b>


<h2>http://www.lumal.com/crew/art-by-mal/</h2>


<img src="http://www.lumal.com/crew/art-by-mal/hellcat-dadENHANCED3.jpg" width="400">

nuclear FIGHTER training (very secret)
<img src="http://www.lumal.com/crew/art-by-mal/216-a.jpg" width="400">


<P>
<img src="http://www.lumal.com/crew/art-by-mal/cadetsEUGENEmaillet.jpg" width="400">

 

[Johnny Signor]

If you guys like WW2 USNavy flying unit emblems , go over to this link and check into the various images posted there, lots of rarely seen emblems !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
picasaweb.go....com/booker1942

You have to look around as there's all sorts of countries stuff , but the USN ones are really worth a look see , I had a hand in getting them on there , I do research into WW2military aviation unit emblems , also an artist of leather unit patches of the same types , and loved these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny

 

[Carboncrank]

I read in the archive (Best naval fighter) that
"VF(N)-101 was equipped with F4U-2s. No one liked them (or the night fighter squadrons on other carriers with F6F-3Es) .." (Archer)
The first carrier use of night fighter AFAIK was done in jan.-feb.44 furing the Marshall campaign.
Usually a 4 plane det. was aboard the big carriers. In that operation 6 of them were involved:
Enterprise with VFN-101 4 F4U-2 (I'm quite sure of that)
Intrepid with VFN-101 4 F4U-2 (?)
Yorktown with VFN-? 4 F6F (F6F-3E or N?)
Bunker Hill with VFN-? 4 F6F (F6F-3E or N?)
Essex
Saratoga possibly without night fighters. She was the oldest carrier possibly not fitted for night ops????

Possibly also Essex lacked night fighters.
Possibly because of shortage of night fighters?
Only 34 F4U-2 were converted, just sufficient to equip 3 squadrons (VMFN-532, VFN 75 and 101), and only 18 F6F-3E were built.
I suspect that the 227 F6F-3N were built later. Can somebody confirm?


I suspect that F6F were part of VF(N)-76, but possibly of VFN-77
All F4U were part of VF(N)-101, since it was the only night fighter carrier squadron.
Is it correct?
Night Corsairs should be F4U-2 version, because no other version was available at that time, but
I don't know if Hellcats were F6F-3E or -3N. When did they entered in combat?


MAx

VF(N)-76 Night Fighter Squadron

Ens. Robert Bice and VF(N)-76

don't forget the f6f-5n
Grumman F6F-3N Hellcat - The American Heritage Museum

 

[N4521U]

I was after information about VFN-76, 77 aboard the Yorktown, CVA-10 in 1943.
And where do I end up, at a 19 year old thread in my own forum.
First post, 2004!!!!!!!!!!! had all I was looking for in the first few posts.
This forum has me shaking my head very often.