I'm in the middle of a batch of 1/48 Grumman F6F Hellcats being done in the different color schemes that were applied during it's life. I know there were two U.S. Escort Carriers with F6Fs aboard involved in the invasion of Southern France but I can find no reference that any F6F ever wore the Atlantic Gray/white or 2 tone Gray/white color scheme. Anybody out there have any info that the Atlantic schemes were used on an F6F??
Bill Shuey
While certainly possible I doubt any F6F ever wore the Atlantic scheme. TBMs, F4F-4s, FM-1s and 2s, PV-1s, PBMs, even SB2Cs yes, but not F6Fs or F4Us.
CB
I'd give it the thumbs down. Besides, the postwar drones and hack F6Fs were a lot more colorful. ;-)
How many Hellcats have you allotted to the project Bill?
WmB
To reply, get the HECK out of there snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net
Not just Operation Dragoon, F6Fs sortied during and after Overlord too.
Imagine the hypothetical downed navy airman during interrogation.
German: "Vair iz your base?" Pilot: "Pearl Harbor"
WmB
To reply, get the HECK out of there snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net
I've seen a pic of a flight of SBD's wearing it, too. Really cool looking.
Well both the FAA Corsairs and Hellcats vere at one time in standard FAA three colour camouflage, and there's a picture somwhere of a FAA Hellcat with red cowl and invasionstribes on a Slate Grey/Extra Dark Sea Gray upper and Sky lower camo. I just looked at what I have of it, and besides a colour profile and some pictures of a model, nothing. So no real picture.
The escort carriers deployed to the Atlantic were not equipped with a very large air wing. Typically, this consisted of 12 fighters and 18 bombers. The Atlantic scheme appears to have been born after the Douglas TBD Devastators disastrous results at Midway but before the Grumman/General Motors TBF/TBM Avengers were in widespread use. At that time, Grumman/ General Motors F4F/FM Wildcats and Douglas SBD Dauntlesses were all that were available. The SBD's with their non-folding wings were rapidly replaced on escort carrier decks as the larger TBF/TBM became available because their folding wings allowed the storage of even more airplanes. When the F6F became available, it was vital to get as many as possible to the fast fleet carriers and light carriers as possible. When they had built to sufficient numbers, there was an opinion (for right or wrong) that the 12,000 lb Hellcat was so much bigger and faster than the 7900 lb Wildcat that the escort carriers couldn't handle them. Besides which, by this time the General Motors FM-2 Wildcat was available which was a far better fighter than its earlier brothers and not much was being sacrificed. By the time the F6F's were being used on escort carriers, the war was nearly over and all Navy/Marine Corps airplanes were getting the glossy sea blue overall paint scheme. I do not recall seeing any evidence that any Hellcat ever carried the Atlantic gray/white scheme.
Pat
The price of peace is eternal vigilance.
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