F6F in Color

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:27 pm

F6F-5 of Lt Hal Vita 6 kills VF-12 USS Randolph 1945
On the cat ready to go. Note the hold back.

Connery · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:48 am

Great pic Jack. I might be wrong, but I don't think it's on the cat in that picture considering the engine isn't running and there is no pilot. Maybe it's just secured to the deck for transport on one of the jeep carriers.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:26 am

It's on the cat hooked up and ready to go. This was SOP has it's on alert status. You can clearly see the the cables going from the shuttle to the hooks under the wings and the hold back attached to the hook. VF-12 was never on a jeep carrier. They went to war and came home on the Randolph.

SPANNERmkV · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:12 pm

UUUUUU nice pic.
Who would have warmed it up every so often? The Crew Chief?
Couldn't have them hotshotting a cold round motor or it might not make that neat noise for very long. Although the puddle would probably stay the same! :lol:

A vet told me the smaller carriers (CVEs) couldn't operate the BIGGER behemoths like athe TBMs, F6Fs and SB2Cs.
Implied that's why they still flew Wildcat FM-2s and Dauntlesses through the end.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:21 pm

Oil doesn't take long to warm up in the tropics.
TBMs and F6Fs were standard on jeep carriers along with FM-2s.
Bill Compton's surviving F6F-3 flew with VF-37 on the USS Sangamon
in the Philippines campaign with at least 2 kills.

congobob · **Joined:** Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:16 am **Posts:** 26

I think CVEs did operate the Avenger regularly. The composite squadrons aboard the CVE's during the battle off samar island included 12 Avengers each.

Connery · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:33 pm

Jack Cook wrote:

It's on the cat hooked up and ready to go. This was SOP has it's on alert status. You can clearly see the the cables going from the shutter to the hooks under the wings and the hold back attached to the hook. VF-12 was ever on a jeep carrier. They went to war and came home on the Randolph.

Being on alert status makes sense why there is no pilot and the engine isn't running

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:32 pm

If it was 100' out in the blazing sun where would you be?
I would imagine has in other servies the plane captain warned the engine up first thing. I remember the scenes in the
Battle of Britian when all the alert pilots lounged in wicker chairs reading or playing chess waiting for the alert bell.
Same thing. how alert would you be sitting in the cockpit for a couple of hours in the blazing sun and it's 100'+ out :shock:

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F6F in Color

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