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Help in Identifying F4F Wildcat squadron in Video

Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:48 am

I've been viewing some video obtained from the National Archives. The video contains b/w and color footage of USN and USAAF squadrons and aircraft; including Charles Lindbergh climbing out of an F4U. One part shows a land-based Wildcat squadron in the South Pacific. Anybody have any clues of what squadron it could be?

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Link to some color footage of WWII USN aircraft that is part of the overall footage I obtained. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8LCOZWo5XY

Re: Help in Identifying F4F Wildcat squadron in Video

Mon Sep 03, 2012 12:18 pm

I'm thinking the Wildcats appear to be F4F-3s, since there are only two machine in the wing, versus the dash-fours six guns. There doesn't appear to be a line on the leading edge indicating that the wings could fold, which would confirm they were dash-threes. The field looks like Henderson Field and the markings are consistent with late '42, early '43 at the latest, as most of the dash-three Wildcats would have been out of service by that time. That should narrow down the number of squadrons that it could be.

Re: Help in Identifying F4F Wildcat squadron in Video

Mon Sep 03, 2012 1:08 pm

That does help. I figured Henderson Field.

SaxMan wrote:I'm thinking the Wildcats appear to be F4F-3s, since there are only two machine in the wing, versus the dash-fours six guns. There doesn't appear to be a line on the leading edge indicating that the wings could fold, which would confirm they were dash-threes. The field looks like Henderson Field and the markings are consistent with late '42, early '43 at the latest, as most of the dash-three Wildcats would have been out of service by that time. That should narrow down the number of squadrons that it could be.
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