SeanF wrote:
Would anyone know of a good reference for the aircraft markings for the various Essexes? I speak of the tail and wing code symbols and/or letters (and whatever colored spinners, cowlings, etc.) used to tell the airgroups apart. Specifically (at the moment), I'd like to know what the CV-10's aircraft markings ought to be between Sept. '44 and early '45 (while the aircraft were still in three-tone camoflage) If anyone can just tell me that for now, I'd really appreciate it; but I'd also love to buy a book on the subject for future projects.
- Sean F.
Sean, Air Group 3 was aboard at that time taking over Air Group 1's aircraft (when Air Groups changed, the aircraft usually stayed aboard; just the aircrew were transferred) except for Air Group 1's F6F-
3 Hellcats. Air Group 3 received new F6F-
5s.
Air Group 3 (CVG-3) was aboard
USS Yorktown CV-10 from October 1944-March 1945 (Reynolds, pp. 187-242). Air Group 3 was composed of fifty-four F6F-5 and -5P Hellcats (no night fighters), twenty-four SB2C-4 Helldivers, and just eighteen TBM Avengers (John Sheridan; Reynolds, pg. 189).
All Helldivers and Avengers were painted three-tone blue/white with a small white diagonal stripe on fin and on fuselage side just forward of the national insignia. Propeller spinners were willow green (a medium green similar to, if not actually, zinc chromate green). Each aircraft was identified with a numeral also in white painted on the fuselage forward of the national insignia and on the tail. TBM (General Motors-built) Avengers had interior green cockpits throughout, not bronze green like TBFs did.
While aboard
USS Yorktown CV-10,
Air Group 3 retained Air Group 1's Helldivers and Avengers but received new F6F-5 and F6F-5P photo recon Hellcats probably painted overall glossy sea blue (Reynolds, pg. 189). F6F-5P variants substituted a 20mm cannon with 200 rounds for the innermost machine gun in each wing (pilotfriend.com). CVG-3 aircraft carried the white diagonal stripe through the January 12, 1945 strikes on Saigon (Reynolds, photo on pg. 214).
CVG-3 transitioned to Yorktown's new aircraft identification markings by February 1st: a diagonal white field on the tail, white triangle on the wings and willow green propeller spinners (Reynolds, pg. 226). VB-3 Helldivers wore a diving black panther insignia (see photo below).
Attachment:
File comment: Air Group 3 (VB-3) SB2C-4 with Yorktown markings as they appeared after February 1st, 1945. Prior to that date, the aircraft carried a white diagonal stripe on the fin and fuselage sides rather than the white diagonal panel on the tail and white triangles on the wings. Note VB-3's diving black panther squadron insignia below the windscreen.
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Attachment:
File comment: Air Group 3 (VB-3) SB2C-4. Interesting tip: note that the modeler has correctly painted the outermost perforated flap white and the rest of the bottom of the wing is medium blue. So, if showing Helldivers on your Yorktown with wings folded upwards, paint the bottom of the wing medium blue but the flap WHITE.
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Attachment:
File comment: Air Group 1 (VF-1) F6F-3 to show you how the white diagonal stripes appeared on Yorktown's aircraft. Note the willow green spinner. Also note that Yorktown landed her F6F-3s for her late 1944 refit so these 3-tone Hellcats were not aboard from August 1944 onwards. Air Group 3 came aboard after the refit and received new F6F-5s, probably painted glossy sea blue overall.
F6F_Yorktown.jpg [ 38.33 KiB | Viewed 1260 times ]
Short wartime history of CVG-3: originally assigned to
USS Saratoga CV-3, and by December 7th, 1941 was composed of:
Bombing Squadron Three (VB-3) with 21 Douglas SBD-2/3 Dauntless
Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) with 7 Grumman F4F-3 and 2 F4F-3A Wildcats
Scouting Squadron Three (VS-3) with 22 Douglas SBD-2/3 Dauntless
Torpedo Squadron Three (VT-3) with 12 Douglas TBD-1 Devastators
Air Group Three's combat experience began early in 1942. CVG-3 was detached from
Saratoga while
Saratoga was being refit and altered following a Japanese submarine torpedo attack that damaged the ship in January 1942. Air Group 3 (CVG-3) was then transferred from
Saratoga to reinforce CVG-5 aboard
USS Yorktown CV-5 after Coral Sea and fought at Midway. Air Group 3 was home aboard
Saratoga from at least May-August, 1943 (USN accident reports). Loss reports for August 1944 indicate that VF-3 and VT-3 were aboard
USS Ranger CV-4 that month off Hawaii, probably participating in night carrier training. It is not clear if VB-3 was with them but it is likely. Air Group 3 came aboard
Yorktown CV-10 in October 1944. Two months later, CVG-3 endured the costly hurricanes off the Philippines in December 1944 and flew missions in support of the invasion of Iwo Jima and strikes on Saigon, Formosa, Hong Kong, and Tokyo sinking 44 enemy ships, 15 of which were combatants.
Air Group 3's squadrons early in the war:
VB-3 was aboard
USS Enterprise CV-6 for the Doolittle Raid under the command of LCDR Max Leslie (cv6.org). By Midway, Max Leslie had been promoted to command the air group and the group was back aboard
USS Yorktown CV-5. Bombing 3, under the command of LT Dave Shumway, is credited with destroying
IJN Soryu on the morning of June 4th( cv6.org).
Yorktown CV-5 was under attack upon their return so some ditched due to low fuel (including air group commander Max Leslie - rescued by the cruiser USS Astoria) while others landed on, then flew from,
USS Enterprise CV-6 for attacks on
IJN Hiryu (cv6.org). VB-3 contributed 15 of the 25 dive bombers that destroyed
IJN Hiryu on the afternoon of June 4th (cv6.org).
VF-3, the "Felix the Cat" squadron for a time, was transferred to
USS Yorktown CV-5 whose own fighter squadron (VF-42) had been decimated at Coral Sea. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, (famous for the "Thach Weave") and had received new F4F-4 aircraft just before departing Peal Harbor for Midway (VF-3 pilot Judson Brodie). During the afternoon of June 4th, VF-3 provided the combat air patrol defending
USS Yorktown CV-5. During the patrol, Thach probably shot down Lieutenant Joichi Tomonaga, leader of the attacking Japanese torpedo planes (NARA). VF-3 was aboard
USS Enterprise CV-6 during the the Battles of Wake Island, Marcus Island, Guadalcanal, and the Eastern Solomons. After being decorated by the President, promoted two grades to Lt. Cmdr., and taking a short tour to sell war bonds, Butch O’Hare returned to Hawaii just 10 days after the Battle of Midway. He was given command of his old squadron, VF-3, while John Thach was reassigned to training of new combat pilots in the US. O’Hare began assembling a hand-picked team of pilots and enlisted men to join him in this new squadron in Maui. Later, when the new squadron was redesignated VF-6, he also managed to take the Felix the Cat symbol from VF-3 to the new squadron (US Navy) which led to arguments between VF-6 and a newly formed VF-3 later that year. The Navy restored the insignia to VF-3 which later became VF-31.
The original VT-3 flew from
USS Yorktown CV-5 and was destroyed at Midway on the morning of June 4th - only one pilot survived to return to the task force where he ditched; his gunner dying of wounds (cv6.org). Reformed, the new VT-3, under the command of LCDR C. M. Jett, flew new TBF-1 Avengers from
USS Enterprise CV-6 during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons during the late summer of 1942 (cv6.org).
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