Planes

U.S. CARRIER-BASED PLANES:

Most of that stuff that came to be known as the Turkey Shoot takes place two or three miles from our ship.  Sometimes if you were looking at the right spot you’d see a plane on fire heading for the water.  The carrier planes did most of the work.  They were the Maine Potatoes!  In my opinion they’re the ones who won the War.

I know the Marines went through Holy Hell  –  no doubt you couldn’t live without them  –  but my heart lies with the carrier pilots.  Those guys went through it all; every day – up and down.  Of course they always lost a few every time they’d go up.  We didn’t see each and every air battle – but occasionally a few would break through and be right overhead and we’d be shooting them down.   George Pitts, Signalman, CA-69 Boston

Helldivers returning from Guam strike – July 1944.  US Navy War Photographs
Hellcats return to their ship.  (SK collection)

FIGHTER PLANES

Grunman F6F HELLCAT

Grunman F6F Hellcats in tri-color camouflage. Wikipedia

Vought FU-4A CORSAIR (Gullwing)

Corsair on display at Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, CA

DIVE BOMBERS

Douglas SBD DAUNTLESS

SBD Dauntless A-24 Banshee. Wikipedia

TORPEDO BOMBERS

Grunman TBM Avenger

Avenger torpedo bomber, (wings detached) on display at Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, CA

CAPITAL SHIP FLOAT PLANES

Navy scouting plane observes ship bombardment of Wotje Island, 1 Feb, 1944 (SK collection)
Members of crew of USS BOSTON CA-69 returning in their OS2U from a rescue mission with their survivor. 21 June 1944 (Battle of the Philippine Sea).  Pilot Lt. JG  Rigdon with TBF survivors.

 

COMMON JAPANESE PLANES ENCOUNTERED BY TF58/38

CARRIER-BASED AIRCRAFT:

ZERO (aka ZEKE)  – Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen (most common) fighter plane

Restored “Zero” in flight, Planes of Fame Museum and Airshow, Chino CA

  VAL  – Aichi D3A dive bomber

Restored “Val” dive bomber, on display at Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, CA

JILL  – Nakajima B6N Tenzan (Heavenly Mountain) torpedo bomber

B6N in flight.   Wikipedia

JUDY (aka Susie)  – Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Comet) dive bomber

Yokosuka D4Y3 Model 33 “Suisei” in flight.   Wikipedia

KATE  – Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber (see later model “Jill”  B6N)

MYRT (aka MYRTLE)  – Nakajima C6N Saiun (Painted Cloud) reconnaissance

Nakajima C6N1.   Wikipedia

LAND-BASED AIRCRAFT:

BETTY  – Mitsubishi G4M  [nicknamed  Hamaki  (Cigar) by Japanese pilots] twin-engine long range bomber

Mitsubishi G4M1.  Wikipedia

FRANCES  – Yokosuka P1Y1 Ginga (Milky Way) twin-engine bomber

Yokosuka P1Y.   Wikipedia

GEORGE  – Kawanishi N1K1-J / N1K2-J Shiden (Violet Lightning)

Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai.  Wikipedia

IRVING  – Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko (Moonlight) twin-engine fighter

Nakajima J1N-7.  Wikipedia

NICK  – Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (Dragon Slayer) twin-engine fighter

Kawasaki Ki-45.  Wikipedia

OSCAR  – Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) single-engine fighter

Nakajima Ki-43.  Wikipedia

TONY  – Nakajima Ki-61 Hien (Flying Swallow) fighter plane

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien.   Wikipedia