Photos

Photo #: NH 97485 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters, of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) On board USS Saratoga (CV-3) in early October 1941. Plane on the aircraft elevator is 3-F-15 (Bureau # 3982), piloted by Ensign Gayle Hermann. Note: Some caption details are ta

Photo #: 80-G-10613 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters, of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) In flight near Naval Air Station, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, 10 April 1942. The planes are Bureau # 3976 (marked F-1), flown by VF-3 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, and Bureau # 3986, flown by Lieutenant Edward H. O'Hare. Both of these aircraft were lost while assigned to Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2) with USS Lexington (CV-2), during the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942. Photographed by Photographer Second Class H.S. Fawcett. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Undergoes maintenance on the hangar deck of USS Enterprise (CV-6), 28 October 1941. The plane bears the markings of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3), including a Felix the Cat insignia under the cockpit windshield. The part held by the Chief Petty Officer in the

Fitted with drop tanks, of VF-4 takes off from USS RANGER (CV-4) on a photo-recon mission over French North Africa, during operation "Torch," November 1942. Note yellow surround to fuselage star, which partially obscures the fuselage number, "28."

Photo #: 80-G-7026 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter, of Fighting Squadron 41 (VF-41) In flight, circa early 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Photo #: 80-G-16511 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter, of Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) Has its six .50 caliber machine guns tested on the flight deck of USS Enterprise (CV-6), 10 April 1942. Note open gun bays in the plane's wings and markings below the cockpit (6

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter Receives maintenance at a Stateside air base, circa 1942-43. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter (nicknamed Rosenblatt's Reply) On board USS Suwanee (ACV-27), circa late 1942 or early 1943. The plane bears traces of the yellow Operation Torch marking around its national insignia. Photographed by Ensign Barrett Gallagher, USNR. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

The first plane to land on the newly completed ramp at NAS Kaneohe, on 8 July 1941. Note markings on the side of the plane: "Naval Air Station."

Taxiing, probably at San Diego, California, circa 1941. Plane is from USS SARATOGA (CV-3) utility unit, and carries the over-all gray paint scheme carried during much of 1941.

(Bureau # 0169) On the midships elevator of USS Yorktown (CV-5), 2 November 1937. This aircraft is plane # 4 of the ship's utility unit. Photograph from Department of the Navy collections in the U.S. National Archives.

In flight as seen from another aircraft.

Grumman J2F-2A Duck Amphibian, of Fleet Air Photographic Squadron Atlantic Employed in a simulated rescue of a downed aviator, circa 1943-1943. Note the yellow life raft's oars and inflation bottle. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the

An army Lockheed P-38 stands on an air field at Guadalcanal to receive repairs to battle damage - such minor repairs done on the spot, usually are completed in a few hours and the plane is back in action.

Hiro G2H

Hiro G2H