Looking for Hellcats

[dvas]

Hello to everybody.
In case anyone knows im looking for some Hellcats and anyone might have an info on them please respond, especially id letter or photo!

VF-1 F6F-3 Bu.Nr 08972
VF-1 F6F-3 Bu.Nr 41696

Kind regards
Dimitris

[Jim MacDonald]

Hi Dimitris,

Jack Hankins from VF-1 loaned me his log book many years ago. I made a handwritten copy of it & checked that copy for you.

He flew BuNo 08972 on 2 Nov 43 for 1/2 hour for field carrier landing practice before the squadron went to Tarawa. In his log book he wrote the side numbers of the planes until he got back from Tarawa & then he stopped writing them. The side number of BuNo 08972 was H27.

The VF-1 Hellcats on Tarawa had either a G side number or an H side number. The squadron was split between the Barnes CVE-20 & the Nassau CVE-16 for their strikes on Tarawa. After the island was secured both halves of the squadron were based there. The planes with the G side numbers had flown off of the Barnes & the planes with the H side numbers had flown off of the Nassau. After they moved to Tarawa the side numbers with the G & H were not changed.

Hope that helps,

Mac