Navy planes in the ETO?

[wwiiavfan]

Was reading through a book called "Faces of Victory Europe: Lliberating a Continent". The book has excellent pictures, some color, but one of the photos was of a carrier deck with about 20 guys in Navy flight gear gathered around what appeared to be a Hellcat. I thought, I wonder why they have a pic like that in a book about the war in Europe?", Then I started to wonder, did any Navy planes fly off carriers in the ETO? I haven't seen any mention of such in this book, or any other for that matter. Maybe the pic was included by mistake.
Anybody know?

Ken

[Steve S]

I believe the navy supported the invasion of Africa- Operation Torch.

[CorsairFreak]

My guess is that they were being used for escorting the cargo convoys going to England.

[Trey Carroll]

I read a Flight Journal article about a group of Hellcats flown by the Navy, no aces but they were and one pilot downed 4 Germans.

Hope it helps,

tc

[SaxMan]

Navy escort carriers covered the landings in Southern France on August 15th, 1944 until the armies moved far enough inland that airstrips could be set up for the 2nd(?) TAF aircraft.

[Jack Cook]

Scout pilots coverted to Spitfires and flew spotting mission for the DDay invasion fleet. Imagine going from Seagull to Spifire. Way to cool. I wonder how they ever got those guys into the scouts after flying those Spits?

[planeoldsteve]

Didn't the British fly General Motors FM2 or GrummanF4F's "Martlet'' I think?

Steve

[tom d. friedman]

yup, but no victory tally handy. i'm sure we'll find out.

[JDK]

The Royal Navy had D-Day striped Hellcats, carrier based, and operated Martlets (Wildcats) and Tarpons (Avengers) off Europe (and everywhere else it seems!) They also realised that Tarpon and Martlet weren't really the mustard in the naming stakes and went with the US name in the end. They din't try re-naming the Hellcat, although the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Grumman 'Dilbert' seems most likely.

A number of British aircraft were crudely 'disguised' with US markings for the Operation Torch landings, including the Supermarine Walrus.