The first Navy unit to transition to the F6F Hellcat was VF-9. This squadron had earlier flown the Brewster F2A and quickly moved to the F4F Wildcat. It was one of the few USN Wildcat units to see action in the Mediterranean theater of operations. It took part in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa in late 1942. There, flying as a 'guest squadron' aboard the USS Ranger along with VF-41, it was able to see some small amount of combat against Vichy French forces, scoring some air to air victories, but mostly doing ground attack missions and escorting bombers. Essentially it gave the squadron the taste of combat it would need for the rest of the war. Following their very brief stint (the navy was fearful of the Ranger being torpedoed so had them leave once the cease fire had been called), they headed back to home base. There they were told they'd be transitioning out of the Wildcat into something newer.

Most were hopeful for the Corsair, but since it was still not recommended for carrier use, they became the first unit to move to the Hellcat. Early disappointment turned to delight. The Hellcat was a big plane and had a powerful engine. It was also a true pleasure to fly. It handled better than many aircraft and seemed to be born to operate off carriers. Its wider landing gear made ground loops a thing of the past and it was able to easily land on a moving aircraft carrier. Thanks to the superb handling and ease of flying, it made the average look great and the great look even better. 

VF-9 went on two deployments in the Pacific with the Hellcat. The first was with the F6F-3 and the second with the F6F-5. During the first deployment, the Japanese met the Hellcat for the first time and discovered that the good times for the Zero were over as they were clearly outclassed by the new Grumman fighter. While the Hellcat couldn't be flung around the sky like the A6M, in every other way it was a better airplane. Faster, more heavily armed, able to climb and dive faster and able to take a lot of punishment. The result is that quite a few of VF-9s pilots were able to shoot down Japanese planes.

Some of the more well known men who made ace in the Hellcat with VF-9 were Hamilton McWhorter, James French and Eugene Valencia. In all, 20 VF-9 pilots were able to reach ace status. What makes this even more remarkable is that unlike land based planes, the opportunities for combat were not daily, but only at the start of various attacks against enemy bases. As the island campaigns went on, the opportunities became less because there were fewer targets.

In this latest book on aces from Osprey, we get a look at the history of VF-9, their conversion to the Hellcat and a look at all of the various actions in which the unit was involved during their three combat cruises; two of which were with the Hellcat. The book is full of pilot photos and some great stories, the sort of things that make this series so popular. Add to it a goodly selection of full color profiles and you have a book that makes for a great read and reference. Pick yours up today.

June 2014

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